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“What are you saying?”
“I’m not as sensitive as you think I am,” I answer without thinking. “You don’t have to be afraid to be rough with me.”
He shakes his head slightly. “Stop.” He pulls his hand away.
Before I can answer, he cups my face and kisses the life out of me. The kiss is intense but not rough. While my body lights up from the kiss, I can tell he’s still holding back.
But when his hands go to my waist and he lifts me to him, I lose track of my thoughts. We spend the rest of the night tangled in one another’s arms. In the back of my mind, however, the knowledge that he’s still holding back remains.
CHAPTER22
Diego
“I’m going to break that cocksucker’s face,” I mumble as I stare at the missed call number on my phone. Though I didn’t answer the call, I suspect it’s from Gabriel Jr.
I haven’t talked to him or that fucking attorney in weeks. Nor do I plan to.
“I hope that wasn’t meant for me,” Uncle Josh says from my office doorway.
“Never for you.”
His brows draw down in concern. “Someone giving you trouble?”
I should’ve known that would be his next question. “No,” I tell him. That’s the truth. Gabriel Garcia’s family aren’t trouble. His son is just pissed that, for whatever reason, his father left me a sum of money. I know it was nothing more than some sort of manipulation technique on his part.
That’s what he was good at. Manipulating people. I refuse to let him or his fucking sons reel me into their mess, even from his grave.
“You know if someone is, you come to us first,” Uncle Josh tells me.
“I know. I swear.”
He eyes me. “I had lunch with your dad the other day. He said you’ve been busy. I told him about the work you’re doing here. You should’ve seen his face.”
He smiles wide. My chest warms because I know my dad’s face when it fills with pride for me.
“Pretty soon, he’s going to tell anyone who will listen that you designed half of the buildings in this city.”
We both laugh.
“I’ll tell him to cool it with the bragging. We’re meeting for lunch today.”
“Nah.” Uncle Josh waves a hand in the air. “Don’t bother. He’s right. As far as I’m concerned, every building worth looking at is going to have the Townsend name on it. And yours will be front and center.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “That’s a hell of a job you did on the Johnson Project. They’re thrilled with how it’s shaping up. Given we get the permits and licenses on time, we should break ground in about two months.”
“That’s a hell of a turnaround,” I reply. For a building and project of this size and scale, it can take years before ground is broken.
“Things move fast when you know what you’re doing. Next week, we’re meeting with Aaron and Kyle to talk more about our venture into commercial real estate. Are you up for it?”
“Hell yeah.” Like he even needed to ask.
“That’s my boy.” He pats me on the back of the head and starts for the door. “Tell my big bro he has a hell of a kid.”
“I already know it,” my dad’s voice booms from just outside of my office door. He’s dressed in his department’s button-down white top and black trousers. He looks every bit the part of the head of the fire department. He’s not quite the head but he is pretty high up.
“Dad.”
He barrels right past Uncle Josh and envelops me in a bear hug.
