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Releasing my wrists, he framed my face in both hands, forcing me to look at him. "All of it."

His curt response was a low growl that vibrated through me.

I blinked, too dazed from his kiss to take in his meaning, my lips swollen and tingling. "What?"

"You're supposed to trust me on all of it."

One hand shifted back to my hair and tightened, the sharp pain sending a jolt of pleasure through me that I fought to ignore.

I swallowed, still tasting his kiss. "And if I can't?"

His lips lifted in a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “Finish getting ready. I’m taking you out.”

The command brooked no argument.

"Am I allowed to say no?" I challenged, even as my body betrayed me with a shiver of anticipation.

"What do you think?" He leaned closer so I couldn’t miss his whispered words.

He then pressed another hard kiss to my lips, his teeth catching my lower lip and biting down just hard enough to make me whimper with need.

I had no chance to respond. He released me abruptly and stalked out, leaving me trembling and alone with the ghost of his touch still burning on my skin.

CHAPTER 17

SEBASTIAN

Ineeded to get Sabrina away from Rome.

Away from my family and the threat of her father.

I needed time with her alone, truly alone. Time to make her believe this was seduction, not survival. Time to convince myself the distinction still mattered.

The rich scent of freshly brewed espresso filled the shadowy study, mingling with the leather of the antique books lining the walls and the lingering woodsmoke from the dying fire.

Outside, rain tapped against centuries-old glass windows, distorting the view of the garden beyond. The Moka pot on my desk still steamed, its aluminum body gleaming against the dark mahogany.

“Did she buy it?”

I turned to see Arcangelo lounging in a nearby chair, enjoying an espresso and biscotti. The dark chocolate treat left crumbs on his pristine black clerical shirt, a tiny imperfection that somehow made him more irritating.

The top two buttons were undone, as always. For a man of the cloth, my brother wore his collar the way most men wore a loosened tie after a long night—which, knowing Arcangelo, it probably was.

I’d caught the lingering trace of perfume on him when he arrived. Women’s. Expensive. The kind Sabrina wore.

Lifting the still-hot Moka pot, I poured myself one as well, the dark liquid hitting the demitasse cup with a satisfying hiss. The bitter aroma was exactly what I needed to center myself.

“We are leaving within the hour.”

He rose and selected another dark chocolate biscotti from the silver tray, the crisp snap as he broke it between his fingers echoing in the quiet room. “You mean she actually bought all that crap about a romantic weekend away?”

I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing I'd more ordered her to pack as opposed to wooing her with my plans.

I sipped the espresso, letting its intensity burn away the edge of my temper. “I can be charming when I want to be.”

He gave me a once-over, his eyes cutting as they took in the tension in my shoulders. “All evidence to the contrary.”

“Fuck off.” The espresso cup clattered against its saucer, hard enough I almost cracked it.