Page 11 of Captivated

Like a bass rumbled with his words.

Like a melody colored up his chuckles.

A strong arm had caught her easily—just one, it seemed he didn’t need two—and righted Liliana to her feet probably before she even realized what had happened. Pushing her wild waves of dark blonde hair back out of her face, she blinked.

And came face to face with him.

The mysterious man from earlier in the driveway.

He was not quite the same as he had been earlier, though. Getting a closer—really up close and personal, considering how she was balancing herself by putting her palms to his chest, and was close enough to feel his warm mint-scented breath wash over her face—look at him was bad for her insides.

Bad, because he was gorgeous. More so than she realized. Bad, because her stomach clenched, and her palms felt sweaty already. For a second, she tried to make her voice work, but nothing came.

The dark lines of the man’s face were shadowed by the hall, but it only added to the appeal of his square-cut jaw, strong cheekbones, and inviting grin. He was taller than her five foot eleven by at least six inches or more. She had to wonder if he played football, or rugby, because under her fingertips, his chiseled-from-stone muscles jumped from her touch.

Jesus.

“You okay?” he asked.

Liliana nodded quickly. “Yeah, sure.”

“It’s Liliana, right?”

She blinked.

He grinned deeper.

“Right?” he pressed.

“Liliana, yeah, but if you call me Lily, I’ll probably gut you.”

Might as well get that right out in the open and over with. She expected a bit of surprise in the man’s eyes at her warning, but he actually tipped his head back and laughed. And sweet Christ, that laugh of his was dangerous.

The sound made her breath catch.

The sight made her heart race.

“Good to know,” he said.

Laughter echoed from down the hall—her cousin, sister, and friends voices followed right after. Conversation about the movie they wanted to pick, or something like that. It didn’t really matter.

“Ah, that’s what I was trying to find,” the guy said.

Liliana’s brow dipped. “Pardon?”

“I heard noise, but this place is so big that I couldn’t find out what it was or where it was coming from. I think I got lost.”

She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. “Well, the mansion is pretty big.”

Liliana had a good mind to ask him what exactly he was doing at her grandparents’ mansion, and why she had caught sight of her father and uncles waiting for him and the other man before she left with the girls. She didn’t ask any of that because if the guy was in any way connected to her father and uncles’ business in the mafia, he probably wouldn’t tell her anyway.

Besides, sometimes it was better not to know.

That’s what life as a Marcello principessa had taught Liliana. It was also pretty quick to teach her that even men who weren’t connected to the life were their own particular brand of dangerous when it came right down to it.

“I bet your friends are wondering where you are,” he said.

It was only then that Liliana realized how close and alone the two were in the dark hallway. Sure, someone might hear her shout if she needed to, but none of that had even factored in to her usual cautiousness.