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The huge garage doors began to lift, and the midday sunlight poured inside to glint over the Camaro’s shiny silver paint. I winced at the sight of the tiny scratches on the hood, but Joseph immediately snagged my full attention. He revved the engine, and the car snarled like a beast pacing at the bars of its cage. The fierce rumble made the Camaro vibrate almost violently, and the sensation rolled relentlessly through my core.
His cruelly pleased grin was sharp enough to cut into my chest and rob my breath.
I wiggled in my seat, and his low chuckle only added to the rumbling between my legs. He wasn’t even touching me, but still he toyed with me, keeping me firmly in his thrall.
I was still staring at him with my lips parted when he slammed down on the gas. My shocked shriek was lost in the squeal of the tires against asphalt, and the beast lurched forward, leaving my stomach a few seconds behind.
The sudden surge of speed made my head spin, the insanely rapid acceleration beyond disorienting. My hands scrambled for something solid, and my fingers locked around the sides of the leather seat.
Joseph’s delighted laugh boomed through the car, flooding the small space with rich, pure joy that was more powerful than the roaring engine.
I tore my eyes from the dizzying blur of greenery outside and focused on him. He glowed with the same excited energy that’d emanated from him in the garage, but exponentially brighter. His gaze was fixed on the long, straight driveway as he handled the car with the confidence of years of experience. He wasn’t chuckling with wicked amusement anymore; his carefree laugh was a sound of almost childlike thrill. I stared at his handsome profile, utterly entranced by this incandescent display of happiness.
When he was in my arms, I’d seen Joseph both peacefully content and darkly pleased. But now, he was allowing me to see the purest parts of his heart. The sight of his unabashed joy warmed me all the way down to my toes, and a giddy laugh bubbled from my own chest as his levity swept me up along with him.
His wide, silly grin broadened, but he didn’t take his eyes from the road to glance in my direction. Even though we were going so fast that I didn’t dare check the speedometer, a sense of safety wrapped around me. Joseph wouldn’t risk me for even one second by diverting his attention.
“Brace yourself, angel. Ready to drift?”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before turning the rosewood steering wheel sharply to the left. I squealed along with the tires as the back end of the car spun out at the speedy turn.
My shriek broke into a delighted laugh that danced with Joseph’s as he leaned into the turn, steering us around the enormous fountain at the center of the circular driveway in front of the mansion.
Acrid smoke from the burning rubber tires billowed around us, but sudden movement to the right of the speeding car caught my attention. Through the gray haze, I made out Marco’s hulking form storming from the mansion. He waved his brawny arms over his head, and his mouth moved as though he was shouting. I couldn’t hear his words over the roar of the engine, but the harsh tilt of his dark brows and his rippling muscles clearly communicated fury.
Joseph must’ve spotted him too, because the car slowed. Despite the obvious immediacy of Marco’s inaudible shouting, Joseph ensured that I didn’t so much as jolt in my seat as we rolled to a gentle stop.
The car had barely stopped moving before Marco was at my door. He wrenched it open and leaned over me to unbuckle my seatbelt. Rage tensed his every movement, but his massive hands were gentle on my waist as he lifted me out of the car and carefully set me down on my feet.
Once I found my balance, he didn’t withdraw his touch. Everything was happening so fast that my brain couldn’t catch up, and I stared at him in silent bewilderment as his hands glided over my body, checking every inch of me. His flinty black eyes raked across my skin, leaving fiery trails in their wake.
“Are you okay, princess?” he murmured, his voice as smooth and gentle as his hands. The contradiction of his tenderness with his ferocity was almost hypnotic.
The slam of Joseph’s car door snapped me back to full awareness, and I jolted away from Marco. Shock blanked my mind again when his corded arm settled over my shoulders, and his bulky frame practically curved around me like a protective shield.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he snarled at Joseph.
I tried to edge away, but his massive arm flexed around me. He wasn’t holding me harshly, but the warning to stay put was clear.
