Page 53 of Read This Before the Villain falls in Love with You

Luca slams the folder closed with a loud slap. "We finish checking the cameras first. Then we talk about that. Not before."

"Talk about that?" I let out a snort. "Is that what you call ripping my clothes off?"

He takes a deep, ragged breath. He leans forward and grabs the computer mouse from near my knee. "Camera four has a second view. Turn it on."

I slide off the desk and brush against his arm as I sit back down. "You're sweating, Luca. Want me to wipe your face off?"

Luca blows out air through his teeth, fighting his temper. "Just play the tape."

I hit play. We watch the screen quietly for a few seconds until I hit pause and tap the glass. "Look right there. Behind that metal box on the wall. He's hiding a tiny USB drive. Zoom in on that."

Luca leans over and taps the keys, blowing up the picture until the black plastic drive shows under a pipe. "Got him."

I give a quick clap. "We found him. Great teamwork. Now, about my reward..."

He moves fast, shoving the chair back and crowding me until my spine hits the tall bookshelf. He slams his palms against the wood on both sides of my head, locking me in place. "Don't push me, Nora."

"I like pushing you." I tilt my chin up and stare straight into his eyes. "Especially when you look ready to eat me alive."

His gaze flicks to my mouth again. Holds longer this time. I wait. Smile. Daring him.

He stares at me for a few long seconds, then steps back and jots down a note on his pad. "Matteo will grab the drive in the morning. You're done. Go to sleep."

I step in front of him before he can reach the door and plant my hands on my hips. "Done? After three hours of helping you, you're kicking me out like a kid? No thank you? Nothing?"

Luca pauses by the doorway and grips the frame until his knuckles turn bone white. "You almost died on that road three days ago, Nora. That night was a mistake because every time I touch you, I drag you deeper into a war that isn't yours. I'm putting you on a flight to London the second we clear this rat, and I won't do anything that makes you want to stay."

I face his rigid back, arms crossed over my chest. "Stop treating me like glass, Luca. I slept with you because I wanted to, not because I'm some naive stray in need of your noble protection. If you want me out of your world, you're going to have to push a lot harder than this."

Luca turns the handle and opens the door wide. "Go to bed, Blake. Tomorrow we lock this place down."

I walk past him into the hall, making sure my arm brushes right against his ribs. "I don't sleep early. And if you dream about me tonight, you better tell me about it over coffee."

His quiet laugh follows me into the hall. Low. Rough. Like it surprised him on the way out.

I smile all the way to my room. He can play the disciplined boss all he wants. I just spent three hours watching the cracks form. And tomorrow, I'm going to push harder.

Because denying Luca Moretti is almost as fun as winning him.

Chapter 20

NORA

The cold air cuts straight through my silk blouse. Ever since Luca caught the rat inside his perimeter, the entire villa has felt like a tomb ready to collapse. He promised he would put me on a private flight back to London once the traitor broke, swearing the war was getting too close and too bloody for a civilian to witness.

Yet here I still stand. Worse, he hasn't laid a finger on me since that blood-soaked night. He went completely ice-cold overnight, locking me down tighter while acting like touching me would poison him, and the shift is driving me absolutely insane.

Down in the courtyard, two sentries with rifles circle past the fountain while a black town car idles near the perimeter gate. I lean both palms on the chilly stone balustrade, tracking their patrol route in my head.

When the heavy glass door clicks open behind me, I don't turn around.

I glare down at the yard. "Two men at the gate, three on the wall, and they swap every twenty minutes. You added more guards, and you had Matteo move my stuff down the hall while I was eating. Without asking me, you stubborn jerk."

He steps out onto the stone terrace with that infuriating, controlled posture. "Your old room had too many blind spots and a clear line of sight from the hill. After we dug that mole out, Bellini knows the layout. I was supposed to ship you back to England to keep you clean of this slaughter, but until the tarmac is secure, I want you where a shooter can't get an easy shot."

"I want a say in where I sleep!" I whirl around, throwing my hands in the air. "Next week you'll lock me in some dark cellar behind steel doors with guards outside."

Luca stays quiet long enough that I almost turn just to check if he froze. Then his shadow covers mine, smelling of cedarwood and expensive smoke. "The cellar idea isn't bad, but it smells awful down there. The leak we found last night makes things dangerous. You stay where I can reach you fast."