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“Ciao,” a rough and tired-sounding Italian voice greeted from the other end of the line. Mario, if my memory served correctly—and it always did.
“This is Nico,” I said.
“Oh,si, Signor Costa,” Mario said with a higher, more accommodating inflection in his tone now. “What can I do for you,Signor Costa?”
“I need a dinner for two catered in my home.” My throat tried to close around the last word, but I forced it out. “I need it ready and waiting for me this evening, eight o’clock. No waitstaff will be required.”
“Si,Signor. I can do that. And the menu?”
“Whatever you think, Mario, will be fine.”
“Buono,Signor Costa.I’ll take care of the details.”
“Grazie, Mario,” I said, then forced my address out through gritted teeth and hung up the phone. It was a good idea, but it still pissed me off to let strangers into my home.
But when I thought about the lovely, deceptive Raven in my home, and on my table, and on the rug in the living room, and in my bed, it helped to take the edge off the sense of intrusion. Before it could lose its dulling effect, I got out of the car and walked into the hotel. The moment she opened the hotel room door, though, my plan took a back seat to the arousal pounding through my veins.
Raven stared up at me wide-eyed with that same deer-caught-in-the-headlights look she’d had last night. But that was where the similarities ended.
Thiswas Raven. Not some dolled-up siren. Not a heavily made-up vixen looking for attention. No stiletto shoes or flashy jewelry. Just one hundred percent Raven.
Her hair was wet, and the thin, black dressing gown she wore clung to her damp body. And while her pale blue eyes had looked incredible last night, without makeup today, they looked real, lightly fringed by her long, dark lashes. How it was possible she looked even sexier now, I had no idea, but I liked her this way. I liked her this way so much I almost missed the movement of her lips and the words spilling from them.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
She didn’t sound angry, more like she thought I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere and wound up at her hotel room door by accident.
“We were interrupted last night,” I said with a careless shrug of my shoulders.
She opened her mouth, parting lips that I’d already imagined doing a thousand different things. The image was even more vivid now with her right in front of me. Before she’d made a sound, though, she closed them again and started worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
Why I liked her like this—nervous and guileless—I couldn’t say. I wanted to rattle her just to see every honest response that came from it. Too bad it was just an act, but I had to hand it to her; it was one hell of an act.
“You look different,” I said bluntly, curious whether she’d take it as the compliment it was or assume something less flattering.
Though her cheeks turned the pink that had become my favorite color, she looked at me curiously like she was waiting for me to explain before rendering judgment, though her teeth bit harder at the inside of her lip.
“I like you like this,” I told her, doing nothing to hide the thick arousal in my voice.
She swallowed hard, making the muscles of her throat work the same way they had when I’d had my lips and teeth on that smooth column last night.
The wayward lock of her hair had worked its way free. I reached up to tuck it behind her ear, and she swayed toward me. Just a little. Just enough to tell me she wanted this even if she did have ulterior motives.
I stepped inside the room, closing the door behind me, watching her closely. It wasn’t part of the plan, but a few minutes of indulging couldn’t hurt.
She moved in tandem with my steps, keeping her gaze locked on mine.
“Are you nervous, Raven?” I asked as I put one hand on her hip to maneuver her up against the closed door.
I didn’t need to ask. It was just as clear in her eyes as the arousal that leapt in them like pale blue flames. But I wanted to hear her say it.
“Yes,” she admitted quietly, sending a white-hot jolt of heat through me.
“Why are you nervous?” I pressed my body against hers while I kissed my way along her jaw.
She smelled like jasmine, and she shivered at the same time her lips parted on a quiet sigh.
“You make me nervous,” she said, moving her hands to my shoulders.
