“What the hell was that about?” he asks quietly.
I don’t slow down. “You were standing right there. You heard what he called her.”
“I did. But don’t you think that was a little… over the top? Demoting him to perimeter duty?”
I stop abruptly and face him. “Are you questioning my authority now, Marco?”
He raises both hands. “No. You’re still the boss. It’s just… I’ve never seen you react like this over a woman before.”
I stare at him hard. He wisely shuts his mouth.
After a beat, I continue walking. “Where are we on the deal with Massimo?”
Marco falls back in step. “He reached out. He’s only willing to give us half of what we asked for. Access to one port terminal, and only for a limited time.”
I let out a harsh breath. “Call him back. Tell him I’m not joking about sending his daughters back to him piece by piece if he doesn’t meet my demands. All of them.”
Marco hesitates. “Are you… actually serious about that?”
The look I give him makes him shut up immediately.
“Fine,” he says. “I’ll tell him.”
“What about Sienna?” I ask.
“Still working on locating her and the boyfriend. No solid leads yet.”
“You’d better find her. And stop questioning me.”
I don’t wait for his reply. I turn and walk away.
I head straight to her bedroom, the itch under my skin too strong to ignore any longer.
The bed is empty, but I hear the sound of running water from the bathroom. I push the door open quietly.
She’s in the shower, back turned to me, water cascading down her bare skin. I strip off my workout clothes and step in behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest.
She startles, then relaxes when she realizes it’s me. “Oh… it’s you.”
“Were you expecting someone else?” I murmur against her ear, voice low.
She lets out a soft laugh. “No. You just surprised me.”
I turn her gently to face me. She’s shy now, cheeks flushed, eyes dropping to my chest instead of meeting mine. It’s such a contrast to the sharp-mouthed woman who constantly challenges me.
I brush wet strands of hair from her face. “How did you sleep?”
“Very well,” she whispers.
I study her for a moment, then reach for the shampoo. “Turn around.”
She does. I lather the shampoo in my hands and start massaging it into her scalp, fingers working slow, firm circles. I’ve never had a hair fetish, but right now, with her dark strands slipping through my fingers and the soft little sighs she makes, I think I might be developing one.
I rinse her hair carefully, then pick up the body wash and start running my soapy hands over her shoulders, down her back, over the curve of her ass. She leans into me, pressing her wet body against mine. My cock is already hard, nestled against the small of her back.
She turns in my arms and returns the favor, her hands sliding over my chest, my abs, then lower. When her fingers wrap around my cock, I groan.
“Is this okay?” she asks, voice shy but curious.
