She makes a very valid point, and quite frankly the quick-thinking I rely upon to do my actual job as a lawyer abandons me, so I just let the silence fizz, crackle, and pop around us to fill the void.
She’s walking towards me now, almost in the same predatory manner as her cousin hours earlier, like a hunter stalking its prey. I can see the fine line tattoos on the inside of her bicep and forearms. Words in elegant script writing with flourishes that feel a bit reckless. A little bit like the woman standing so close now that I can see the droplets of water slowly dripping down her neck, over her collarbone and down her chest towards her full, perky breasts hidden beneath the towel knotted at the valley between the peaks I’d love to find myself between.
“Mr. Princi.”
My eyes snap to hers, dark and alluring like the deep green of the forest.
“I don’t recall us having an appointment; however, I do recall you’re stickler for those.”
She’s so close now, her minty breath fanning my face and her clean-showered skin infused with rose infiltrating my senses. I wet my lips.It’s not lost on me that this is the second time in one day I’ve found myself in dangerous proximity to her.
“Indeed. I’m also a man of my word. And I said that I would get your sponsorship sorted. And to do that at speed as required, getting your signature with no delay is imperative.”
“Save your lawyer speak.” She sighs.
“Okay. Well, truth is…” I can see the flicker of hope in her glassy gaze, and I want to tell her that I wanted to see with my own eyes that she was safe, and that I’m sorry for the way things went down at AJ’s and that I’ll do everything to ensure that the plan to marry her off to Julian Rizzo will never come to fruition. Instead, I settle on, “I wanted to ensure that you are on boardwith the plan to be my date—fake date,” I correct myself, “for the Law Gala. You’ll be back by then, right?”
She scoffs, the disappointment rolling off her. And I want to fix it so badly. I want to grab the knot of the towel and strip it from her body so I can expose all her creamy skin, luscious tits, and magnificent pussy then crush her to me.
“I also wanted to tell you I’m sorry to hear about your parents. I…I didn’t know that hap?—”
“I don’t want your fucking pity,” she spits out, her body tensing and rage radiating from it.
My hands twitch at my side. Desperate to touch her, to comfort and help her forget her pain all at once. Seeing her this way is making my chest squeeze and my body thrum with heat. More symptoms of this rare mystery condition that have begun presenting since she showed up.
“I don’t want to be some fucking plan or pet project. I just want to be someone’s first fucking choice because living without me is not an option.” Her chest heaves, and her jaw clenches, but I can’t give her the words she wants to hear, so I let her continue.
“This is the second time you’ve had me in various states of undress and not given me anything to believe that person is you. If there’s a next time, and that’s a big IF, the only reason I’m going to be naked is because you rip my fucking clothes clean off my body because—” She taps my chest with her red painted nail.“You.”Tap.“Choose.”Tap.“Me.” Tap.
I rub at my chest where her touch has seared into it like she fired bullets at close range.
“You gave me your ultimatum, but those conditions are my fucking gold standards,” she says firmly. “So until such time, I’d prefer to carry on like we have, me annoying the shit out of you because I know I can give you everything you could ever want, and you giving me dirty looks because my mere presence is an annoyance to your existence.”
She steps away from me, and I miss her closeness immediately. She’s given me an out and a roadmap—the choice of what adventure I’ll select entirely on me.
“Now let me sign the paperwork so I can climb into bed with my spicy romance book and so you don’t charge me exorbitant fees for working on a Sunday and an after-hours house call.”
I clear my throat that’s blocked with all the words I can’t?—won’t? Am too scared?—to say, and get the tablet from my briefcase, ironically bringing up the DocuSign doc and handing her the tablet and stylus so she can add her signature.
All she does is raise her eyebrows at me and hum. Her pouty, naturally pink lips purse in aJust as I fucking thoughtway.
She’s still in just that fucking towel, plus the one wrapped around her head, and she looks so damn tempting.
She sticks out her hand. “Thanks for the house call, Mr. Princi. I guess I’ll be seeing you in a few weeks. Let me know the details for the Law Gala when you have them.”
I take her outstretched hand, and before overthinking it, I pull her to me. She gasps and lifts her face to look at me. I bring my face to hers and take her lips in a hungry kiss. Like it’s my first meal and last supper. Time stops and I swear I feel her melt into me as an inferno rages within. I know the minute the next words leave my mouth this moment will be just that—a moment frozen in time.
“Don’t ever give up those gold level standards for anyone,” I murmur. “I hope one day you find the person who will choose you. Stay safe, Ms. Gigioliotti.”
Then I release her and leave, the symptoms of this mystery illness now giving me full body aches.
Chapter Twenty
I Should Have Known Better
Chiara
It’sthe end of the second week in Los Angeles for my work trip, and we leave for our final week in Miami tomorrow. Before I left, I visited AJ and we video called Uncle Gino together to inform him of my plan and whereabouts for the coming weeks. My uncle was irate that I not only didn’t return to Italy, but I would be travelling out of New York, too. As the sole female in the family, he’s fiercely protective of me and my future—one he likes to control as if he has some claim to it. I was delighted at getting my way and forging ahead with my plans and in doing so making his life difficult by messing with his grand schemes. Luckily, both he and AJ had complete faith in Marco, who they said must accompany me the entire trip. We also discussed the picture I’d sent them, and confirmed what I’d thought all along. I felt equal parts relieved and guilty for keeping something so important from Marco after all the ways he’d protected and stuck his neck out for me, but both men commanded I keep my mouth shut.
