Page 25 of Antonio Miles

Antonio almost smiled. “I think I can manage.”

They talked for a while longer, going over a few things I needed to pay attention to, but I kept losing focus as I watched Antonio in his element.

After half an hour, we had a plan and a timeline but still sat in Knight’s office studying everything Knight had presented. Knight left us to it, and I waited until the door closed before looking at Antonio. He stared at the monitor, his jaw tense.

“You OK?” I asked.

“Denton’s too careful. This feels like a trap.”

“It probably is,” I said. “But we don’t have a choice.”

He took one hand off the table and turned it palm up, inviting me to slip my hand into his. It would take a stronger woman than me to resist taking that connection.

“You really want to do this?” he asked. “I can handle it with my men. We’ll be careful with her.”

I looked at him, at the lines around his eyes, at the raw exhaustion in his voice. “I’m in,” I said. “You can’t scare me off, Antonio. Not with this. If I’m going to be your woman, I need to feel like I’m part of your team.”

He held my gaze, then stood and pulled me out of the chair and into his arms. For a moment, I thought he’d try to talk me out of it again, but he just held me there, breathing in the space at my throat.

“We go in together,” he said. “We come out together.”

“Deal,” I said, and meant it.

Chapter Eight

Tessa

Antonio kept his hand firmly in mine the whole way home in the helicopter. And when had I started thinking of this luxury mountain compound as home? Once we landed, he helped me down, then snagged my hand and tugged to lead me up the stairs back to my suite. He stayed silent, but not in a cold or unfeeling way. In fact, he hadn’t let go of me since leaving Knight’s office. I enjoyed the possessive/protective gesture a little too much for my peace of mind.

I half expected him to say something. To tell me what the plan was, or to ask if I was OK, or to start in about Knight’s report, which he’d read twice on the flight home and once more in the car. Instead, when we reached the bedroom and he closed the door behind us, he simply stood silently, looking at me like he wanted to eat me up. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on.

He had the same look he’d had in the sunroom, that raw, undisguised hunger. Not just for my body, but for the feeling that I was his to keep safe and to fuck in equal measure. I knew he needed to control me, just not in the way I’d first thought. I didn’t know exactly what game he played, but I knew I could figure it out. And beat him at it.

Antonio stepped in close to me and bracketed my face in his hands. He kissed me, hard. Hungrily. His beard abraded my skin as he took what he wanted. He slid his tongue against mine and I gave his lip a sharp nip, just to see if he’d let me. He did, shifting his grip and angling my head to kiss me deeper.

He dragged me against his chest, and I curled my fingers around the back of his neck and held on. The heat went straight down my spine and pooled between my thighs to settle with a throbbing ache in my clit.

He let go first, his breathing as labored as my own. He set his forehead against mine and didn’t say a word.

I licked my lips, tasting him. “I thought you said we needed to come to an understanding.”

His mouth quirked at the edge. “I’m a man of my word.”

“You said you wanted me to understand I’m yours.”

“I believe you’re right.” He rubbed his nose against mine affectionately, but the bastard likely knew how much the small gesture turned me on.

“If I’m yours, you have to be mine as well.”

“Fair enough.”

I lifted my chin. “Well? Show me.” I let go of his neck and dragged my nails down the front of his shirt, undoing the buttons. The shirt fell open, baring his chest. I traced a couple old scars with my fingertips as I explored the masculine perfection beneath my touch. Thick, heavy muscle rippled with every move he made and the sight was completely mouthwatering. He caught my hand and brought it to his mouth, sucked my knuckle, then bit down sharply making me suck in a breath. Marking his territory.

“You want this?” I expected him to ask at some point, though most men wouldn’t given my eagerness.

“Yeah,” I said. “I want this.”

He shucked the shirt off, then backed me up until my knees hit the bed. I didn’t even try to hide my grin, because why the hell should I? Antonio needed to know what I was made of right from the start. More importantly, he needed to know I did exactly as wanted and never did anything I didn’t want to do. The second I hit the edge of the mattress I started undoing the button on my jeans, staring up at him like I was daring him to stop me.