Page 23 of Antonio Miles

“I’m not your problem.”

“You’re not a problem at all.” His voice dropped, and I felt the vibration of it through his chest where it pressed against my side. “You’re the only thing that’s made sense to me in months, Tessa. Maybe Goddamn years.”

I closed my eyes because looking at him was too much. Admitting how much I needed Tonio right now, about how I felt safe with him when I knew he was a dangerous man, would be blood in the water to a man like him. But I was drowning in Tonio’s presence.

“You can’t say things like that,” I whispered.

“Why?”

“Because I’ll believe them.” The second the words left my mouth I knew I’d given him more leverage than I could afford, but I couldn’t take it back. Not and make him believe me.

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then he raised his hand to gently stroke my cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“Then believe them,” he said.

I sucked in a breath to say… something, but he found my mouth with his before I could think of a single clever thing to say back. His kiss was soft at first, almost careful, like he was giving me every chance to pull away. Instead, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, and he made a sound low in his throat that went straight to my clit.

He kissed me like he had all the time in the world, which I knew for a fact he didn’t. Neither of us did. But when his tongue swept against mine, I melted for him. His hand slid from my jaw into my hair, and he threaded his fingers through the tangled strands. He tilted my head just so, deepening the kiss until my toes curled against the sheets.

I kissed him back like I’d been starving for him, because I had. Because every time Antonio Miles touched me, something inside me that had been cold and locked up for months flash heated to a raging inferno.

Antonio pulled back first. He ended the kiss slowly and tenderly, and I felt the loss of him like a physical ache. He rested his forehead against mine and our breaths mingled.

“Don’t stop,” I whispered.

He closed his eyes. His jaw worked. “If I don’t stop now, I won’t.”

“I just said I didn’t want you to stop.” My frustration made me sound whiny, and I cringed, muttering, “Sorry.”

He rubbed his nose against mine and gave a resigned sigh. “You’ve got nothing to apologize about. The very last thing I want to do is stop, but we’ve got to go see Knight. I tried to give you as long as I could before waking you up, but you got me first.” He gave me a tender smile that melted my heart.

“He’s got something?”

“I think so. It’s easier for us to go to him, so, much as I hate to, we need to get up.” He pressed one last kiss to my throat. “Don’t worry, baby. We’re not done. Not by a long shot.”

I let out a groan that was entirely too dramatic and flopped back against the pillow. “You’re telling me we have to get up now?”

His lips twitched, amusement evident in his expression. “‘Fraid so, honey. But don’t worry. When we get back home, we’re going to come to an understanding.”

“Yeah?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “What kind of understanding?”

“We’re going to come to an understanding about how you’re mine now.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Sounds like an awfully one-sided conversation.”

“Yes. I’m Antonio Miles and I get what I want.” I got the feeling he was only half joking.

Thirty minutes later, we lifted off, headed back to a private airport near the Kiss of Death compound but away from the docks. A car waited to take us to the compound and ten minutes later we walked into Knight’s office.

“Coffee?” Knight gestured to a table with a large pot of freshly brewed coffee.

“I’m good,” I said, but Antonio grunted and Knight poured two cups anyway, passing them across the desk like communion.

Knight started without preamble, gesturing to the computer on his desk. “This is the primary. Most of his buyers and sellers work through intermediaries, but this one… this one’s direct. They want Raines.”

Antonio sipped his coffee and said nothing.

“Raines?” I didn’t recognize the name.