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I should be terrified of the man, but I wasn’t. He excited me more than anyone ever had. Maybe I was more like my father and brother than I cared to admit. “You’re afraid that if you care about someone, your weakness will be exposed, allowing the sharks to feed,” I added.
The few seconds of hesitation sent a strange set of feelings into my stomach. It wasn’t quite fear but something akin, my apprehension growing.
“I learned the hard way a long time ago that often what you care about most can be used against you. I will not allow that to happen again.”
“That’s sad, Nicolo. Love is blinding and beautiful, but it’s often a catalyst for emotions that become so overwhelming there’s nothing left but the ache of realization that you can never have it again.” I didn’t want to relive the past. Like him, I had no intentions of falling in love with anyone. Unfortunately, the attraction to him had already clouded my judgment. He was warning me. Why?
“Have you loved before, sweetleonessa?”
“What did you call me? You’ve said it before.” Another flash of images, another painful memory assaulted my mind.
“You remind me of a lioness in the wild prepared to attack every predator who dares try and harm her cubs. Why? Does that bother you?”
I laughed. “No. It’s just someone used to use that phrase a long time ago when I lived an entirely different life.”
He rose from the chair, grabbing my glass then heading to the kitchen. “Someone you cared about.”
I pressed my fingers across my lips. “Very much. Although I was young, a pest and nothing more.”
“Why do you think you were a pest?”
“Because he told me so for one thing. And because he was older, so handsome that he had girls falling all over him. I was short, gangly, and a tomboy. I had a crush on him, and the sun, moon, and stars weren’t nearly as beautiful as he was.”
He snickered from behind me. “I can only imagine he appreciated your attention.”
I shifted my gaze, watching as he refilled our drinks. Then I turned my attention toward the bank of windows, unable to shake certain feelings that the past would return to haunt me.
“No. I am certain he didn’t.” At least a few good memories popped into my mind. “Anyway, as I said. That was a long time ago.”
As he walked closer, goosebumps popped down my arms. He rolled the glass over my shoulder, fisting my hair and yanking my head back. When he leaned down, the look in his eyes was carnivorous. He captured my mouth, driving his tongue inside. I reached up, cupping both sides of his face, running the tips of my fingers back and forth across his jaw, the stubble tickling the ends. The moment of passion was incredible, the gorgeous man sucking all the air out of my lungs.
When he pulled away, I gasped for air, his hold remaining.
“I needed another taste of you.” He rolled the stem across my shoulder as he released his hold, his nostrils flaring as he studied me.
“You look at me as if you’re famished.”
“We’ve yet to have dessert.”
When we both heard a sound, he bristled.
“Your phone?” I asked, immediately easing onto the edge of the couch, taking the wine from his hand.
“Unfortunately, my work requires that I’m on call twenty-four/seven. I’ll be right back.”
After he put his glass on the table, I watched as he moved toward his jacket. When he grabbed his phone, I clearly saw the butt of a gun. He’d made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t a good guy, but I’d seen more than just lust in his eyes. He was starting to care for me, which made the situation dangerous. For him? For me? Or for both of us?
Remaining tense, I remained where I was as he headed outside onto the balcony. Then I considered my options. Placing the wineglass on the table, I scrambled off the couch, heading toward the bank of computers, never allowing my eyes to leave him as I pressed first one space bar then another on the various keyboards. Only one remained on, the typical screensaver popping up, a password needed. There were no papers of any kind just lying around, nothing to provide me with any information about him.
I backed away, heading for his jacket, edgy given I was fighting with myself on invading his privacy. He remained on the phone, not bothering to look in my direction. There was nothing in his pockets other than his weapon. He’d tossed his trousers into what had to be his bedroom. I’d been tempted to look when I’d freshened up but had refrained more out of decency than anything. But I had to know. I glanced in his direction again before heading down the short hallway.
The bedroom door was ajar, and I pushed it open carefully, peering inside. There was nothing abnormal about the space.
Still, as I walked inside, I gathered a sense of him. The woodsy scent that had become the first powerful aphrodisiac. The muted colors, much like his wardrobe. And the masculine furniture, the bed large enough for a man of his size. I brushed my fingers across the rippled comforter as I headed for the windows. Unlike those in the large room, they weren’t floor to ceiling, but gave a perfect view of the building across the street.
After throwing a look at the door, I yanked his trousers from the bed, searching his pockets. His wallet was typical, a wad of cash and credit cards slipped into slots. I yanked out his driver’s license, struggling in the darkness to see the name on the slick surface, the license issued in California. His name was printed, the glint of moonlight enough to allow me to catch the words. He hadn’t been lying to me.
After staring at it for a few seconds, I repositioned the plastic card, slipping the wallet safely back into the pocket where I’d found it then placing the trousers on the bed. Once again, I glanced at the door then back to the window, drawn to the darkness across the street.
