The devil had the gall to chuckle.
That irked me.
“You had no right coming down here and messing with my personal things.” I drew myself up and crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t give a shit if you’re the boss’s little prince, you don’t mess with private property.”
Dominico merely lifted an arm. The sleeve of the black dress shirt was rolled up, exposing a tanned forearm. There was line of script running over the skin of the inside. Veins popped over the muscles, and my stomach tightened at the sight of that exposed flesh.
It took my scrambled brain a moment to realize what he was insinuating. The damn watch sparkled with a mocking glint at me.
I pursed my lips.
“You’re mad at AJ because he showed me your car.” Mirth glittered in those steely eyes.
“It’s not his!” I resisted the urge to stamp my foot.
“Seems a little ironic considering….”
That teasing lilt sounded like sweet, dark honey. But as the meaning sank deeper, it felt more like stinging nettle.
I’d had enough. “Hey! You put hands on me. I was teaching astrangera lesson.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “And then what? You broke intomycar because you had a sudden case of a guilty conscience?”
“No, my conscience was always clear,” I snapped. “That was me covering my tracks.”
“You’re going to have to explain that one, little thief. How exactly was you putting it in my car covering your tracks?” He lowered his arm and slid both hands into his pockets.
The picture of casual grace.
My muscles gave a traitorous little pulse.
“I didn’t realize you were related to my employer.” I tried every technique to seem cool, calm, and collected. This was tricky territory we were dancing around. And the inconvenient heat in my body wasn’t helping. Not one bit. “I wanted you to think you lost it there.”
Amusement made his lips twitch.
Stop looking at his mouth!
But it was such a nice one. Made for kissing.
“Magnolia Rae…Maggie.” He tasted my name and took a deliberate step forward.
I held my ground, refusing to lean against the taillight for support. “It’s not a lie; I use that name sometimes.”
Dominico shrugged. One careless lift of his shoulder. He took another step forward. “It’s not the truth.”
“Exactly.” I had to tip my chin up to hold his gaze. “What kind of idiot gives out her real identity at a bar?”
The stuck-up ass laughed.
As much as I wanted to hate the sound, it sent a shiver rattling down my spine.
“Well, Magnolia, your car is stunning.” He lifted a hand from his pocket and gently traced his finger over the back fender.
“Thank you,” I repeated, because there wasn’t enough air to think of anything else to say.
Dominico bent closer. The clean scent of his cologne washed over me. It was wintery—green and cool. I took another breath, instead of doing the smart thing and backing up.
“I’d love to drive it sometime,” he murmured. “That engine is a work of art. And the fact that you have the original Yenko stripping and badging makes it even sweeter.”
