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Chapter Nineteen
TIZIO
I’m so fucked.
This girl—woman—has me caught tight. Last night, we made love. And again, in the early hours.
There were no games, no layers, just her and me and incredible sex. I’m still kinky as fuck, but there’s something about Karlee where I’m not bored when we go vanilla. She turns me on in all the ways, some of them ways she shouldn’t.
That young part of her that usually has me moving on when a woman shows interest has me hooked. She can be mature and a brat. She’s mouthy, confident, unsure, and in need of comfort. She can more than take on the world.
I don’t want her to. I want to do it for her. Take it all on for her. not because of the sweet sex or nasty sex that’s all exhilarating and frightening at the same time.
It’s because of her.
I’m up way before her, and I work out in my small gym. When I’m showered and dressed, I drink coffee as I go over myplans for the day. With the De Luca stuff, we need to poke into the places no one wants us to go.
Nicolo and Diego should be here shortly, and?—
“Morning.”
There’s not a drop of shame, guilt, or even anxiousness about Karlee as she drifts in, wearing striped pants and a pastel pink girly version of a man’s shirt with a white collar and cuffs. She has her hair pulled back so it cascades down her back, and tucked under her arm is a big plastic folio.
Maybe that’s what intrigues me.
Not the fucking folio, but how she takes everything in stride.
Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m trying and failing to protect her from me when she’s really got no emotional skin in the game, just sex.
But last night and this morning? Even I can’t deny the emotional overlap.
I run a hand through my hair. “I don’t think you should go to school.”
“Good thing you’re not the boss of me.” She sets the folio against a chair and helps herself to a mug and the coffee from the French press.
I ignore her because I am. I could pull her from classes and get a hold on her final assignments or exams. I don’t know what she needs to do for her honors, but she’s also taking extra classes at bachelor level—I looked into it all—and that stuff can get deferred.
She’s smart enough she’d make it up and not lose time next semester.
But I keep that to myself. It’s an option, but with spring break, I can hold off, but I’m fucking taking her in for her classes today. Then we do what we need to do. If I need to rotate a Karlee shift with Nicolo and Diego, I fucking will. I trust them even more than Wendy.
My guys play by my rules, not the fucking book’s.
“You can finish your last classes, and then you’re here for spring break. No exceptions or excuses.”
Karlee frowns. “No way.” She sets the cup down. “I’ve got programs I’m doing.’
“We’ll make them up somehow. I want you under close watch here until this is all over and you’re safe.”
“That’s not fair, Tizio. This is my future. I need those classes.”
“You had a sweet little career in New York without one college class. You’ll survive.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not getting married and popping out babies to keep a house for a stupid man. I want a career. And these classes are needed?—”
“Okay, so we’ll work out a way to make them up.”
“Fine, as long as I do the spring art course. I need that, and it’s not about making up.” I swear she’s this close to stomping her foot. But she doesn’t. “It’s not part of my career, but it’s important to me.”
