Feeling sorry for myself wasn’t like me in the least. Not even a little bit.
Yet as I climbed the colorful set of stairs toward the rental house, I groused inwardly. Why? Because it was my birthday.
The scent of freshly baked bread mixed with the fragrance of a vibrant bouquet of flowers ignited my senses. With my arms full of fresh food from the local market, including two bottles of my favorite wine, I moved toward the front door, pressing my knee against the surface so I wouldn’t drop the bags while shoving the key into the door.
A strange odor caught my attention and I stiffened, slowly tilting my head over my shoulder. Maybe I half expected to see the sultry Italian loitering on the bank of stairs behind me.
No such thing.
Was I truly disappointed in how easily Donatello had accepted defeat? Maybe. The fact he’d found me so easily, so quickly was highly disturbing. He was right in that I’d taken weeks to plan a potential getaway. Initially from the perspective of doing so in case one of our enemies made good on their past threats. As of the past few weeks, my endeavor had been all about plans for enjoying time by myself.
How had he… Ugh. I was frustrated as hell with the man.
Even if images of his half-naked body continued to float in front of my eyes.
The silliness of my mental indulgences was getting out of hand. I’d gone far enough away from home to get some peace and that’s what I intended on doing. Rio was the perfect location to lose myself in culture, music, arts, and dance.
While I had a vehicle at my disposal, they were somewhat rare in the gorgeous Brazilian coastal city, everything worthwhile within walking distance.
I’d taken my time shopping, including purchasing a hot little dress for later. When I ventured out for the evening.
By myself.
While I’d expected to see Donatello in the shadows, attempting to hide from me while pretending to be a stalker, I hadn’t caught sight of him even once. Maybe he’d taken the hint and scampered off like a good boy.
Not like the other night when I’d sensed a presence hiding in the shadows. I’d even given him a little show. Oh, how naughty of me. I’d obviously shocked the hell out of him with my strip teasesince he hadn’t chastised me for being so risqué in front of open blinds in a quiet, conservative neighborhood.
With a subtle laugh, I finally managed to open the door, continuing to juggle the packages. While the houses were close together, the one I’d rented was situated on a beautiful ridge above the ocean water, trees and thick foliage acting as privacy fences on both sides. Once on the fabulous deck, the houses in proximity disappeared.
Fresh air assaulted my senses as I walked toward the kitchen, the bright and airy room facing the ocean. I’d left the massive glass doors open, allowing for a continual breeze. Being the end of October, the weather was perfect. Highs in the eighties, low in the fifties.
My God. It was Halloween. While not celebrated with trick or treaters, in Brazil I’d heard there were various celebrations of the dead during the upcoming days. Being it was my birthday, I’d purchased all my favorite foods, including some delicious-looking chocolate.
Maybe I’d take a late afternoon swim before going out.
Even before I crossed the threshold into the kitchen, another scent caught my attention. Only this time the fragrance was sweet, similar to the flowers in my arms but even stronger.
I was floored to see a huge bouquet of roses on the small table positioned near the set of open doors. Shock tore through me, especially since the roses hadn’t been there when I’d arrived.
Maybe the owner of the house had returned after noticing my birthday on the rental application. While I’d been creative with names, including having a professionally rendered fake ID, I’d used my actual birthdate. I wasn’t sure why.
Maybe I’d wanted someone to remember.
If they were a beautiful gesture from the owners, then fabulous. However, my father hadn’t raised a fool. Of course I was well aware the family had enemies located in every corner of the world. They would stop at nothing to find a weakness within the regime. As the only daughter of the powerful man, I was prime real estate. Another reason I’d gone to such great lengths to hide my identity.
As silently as possible, I placed the groceries on the counter, grabbing my Beretta from my tote bag. After arming it, I kept it in both hands and ventured throughout the house.
Hearing a single sound coming from the bedroom, I bristled. While I should lower my weapon since I knew exactly who’d broken into the house I was staying in, I decided to keep my hot little hands wrapped around the cold steel. After all, the man was an intruder.
And why he was singing in Italian was beyond me.
I pushed open the partially closed door, which was my bedroom door, and took long strides inside.
Just as the singing Italian waltzed from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. With another towel covering half his face as he was drying his wet hair, he couldn’t see the furious woman standing in front of him.
Until the moment he ran smack into her. Even worse? The moment he did, the towel protecting me from his manhood slipped off.
Exposing the thick, throbbing, mouthwatering bulge beneath.
