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This would be the third time Joseph had to ask about it. I wasn’t sure why Marco was dragging his feet. It shouldn’t be hard for someone with his kind of money to get the pool cleaned and filled in a few days.
“Thanks,” I said, holding in my irritation. It wasn’t Joseph’s fault that Marco wasn’t as concerned with my happiness as he was. Joseph adored me, pampered me. There was no reason for me to expect the same kind of treatment from Marco. He’d barely looked at me since I’d seen his sketches. I would have thought he was embarrassed, but he didn’t strike me as the type to get embarrassed. He certainly hadn’t seemed at all ashamed when he’d commanded me to turn the page and look at his drawing of Joseph tying me up.
The memory made my face heat.
Joseph’s gaze flicked to my pink cheeks and back to my eyes. A fine line appeared between his brows as he studied me, as though I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out.
“I’m going to take you out to dinner,” he announced. “You must be getting tired of being on the estate. I know Marco is a great cook, but I think you need to get out for a little while.”
“Yes,” I agreed quickly. I really did want to get out of this house. It was huge and lonely, but on the rare occasions when Marco was in the room with us, it somehow seemed stiflingly small.
Joseph beamed at me, and I found myself grinning back. He was beautiful when he smiled, his sensual features lighting up with joy. I could hardly believe that this gorgeous, kind man was mine.
I closed the distance between us, initiating our kiss. His lips were still curved with pleasure when they met mine. I melted against him, losing myself in his arms for the rest of the afternoon.
“Why is he here?” I whispered in Joseph’s ear once Marco got out of the car. He’d driven us here in his shiny black BMW, and Joseph and I had sat in the backseat. I caught his hand, lingering in the privacy of the car for a few seconds.
“He’s here to protect you, just like I am.” Joseph squeezed my hand. “And this will be good. We can all have dinner together, and you’ll get to know him better. He’s not as scary as you think he is. At least, not where you’re concerned.”
Before I could say that I’d wanted to have a romantic date alone with Joseph, Marco opened the car door for me.
He held out a hand to help me out of the car. Since Joseph was getting out on the other side, I didn’t have the option of clinging to him. It would be rude not to take Marco’s gentlemanly assistance.
Even if I didn’t want it. I didn’t like being near him. It was… uncomfortable. Overwhelming.
I sucked in a breath when his thick fingers closed around my hand, engulfing my palm. It was the first time he’d touched me since the night he’d abducted me, when he’d trapped me against the wall and pressed his hand over my mouth to smother my screams.
A shiver ran through me at the memory, but he wasn’t acting aggressive right now. He held my hand as carefully as Joseph did, as though he might accidentally break my fingers if he squeezed too hard.
He probably could.
I got to my feet, and he closed the car door behind me. He didn’t release my hand.
I glanced up at him, and I found his black eyes burning down into me. His nostrils flared, like a predator scenting his prey.
I didn’t try to pull away. I couldn’t. All I could do was stand there, trapped in his dark stare. I felt small and
helpless in his shadow, his huge hand on mine a reminder of his massive size in comparison to my much smaller body.
Joseph’s hand touched my lower back, and heat flooded my body at the familiar, intimate contact. The electric attraction that always danced around us surged, making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My hand tingled in Marco’s, and I became very aware of the heat of their bodies surrounding me, shielding me from the chilly night air.
Despite the warmth, I shivered. The corners of Marco’s mouth curved, and streetlights caught in his dark eyes, flashing across his onyx stare. His thumb brushed across my knuckles, and I drew in a sharp, shocked breath at the light caress.
Joseph was standing right beside me, but he must not have noticed. He couldn’t have, or he would say something. He wouldn’t allow Marco to touch me like that.
He’s just holding my hand, a more rational voice in my mind reminded me. There was no reason for Joseph to get territorial over something so trivial.
I tugged my hand free from Marco’s grip, as though he’d scalded me. His expression went carefully blank, and he stepped back. Joseph’s touch on my lower back firmed, steering me toward the restaurant.
It was a small, quaint Italian place set on the small main street of a little town near Marco’s estate. I still wasn’t sure exactly where it was located, but it had only taken us ten minutes to drive here, so we weren’t as isolated as I’d thought we might be. I hadn’t seen a soul except Joseph and Marco since they’d taken me from school, and I’d assumed we were in the middle of nowhere.
Marco’s family must be even wealthier than I’d imagined, to own that much land so close to a heavily populated area. The real estate must be worth a fortune.
When we entered the restaurant, a pretty brunette showed us to our table—for three.
It was strange, being seated in an intimate corner with both Joseph and Marco. I glanced around, wondering what people must think of us. Surely, the other patrons thought it was odd, too.
But no one in the packed restaurant seemed to be sparing us a second glance.
