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The bar for what could be defined as intimacy had just shot up toward the stars.
CHAPTER19
Kat
The house vibrated with the commotion. Woohoo, the master had returned.
Hmmph. I did not interrupt the long, slow tai chi form I was doing. I’d been at it for a couple of hours now on the secluded little side patio, just to keep from exploding.
Intense physical activity had always been my coping mechanism. Maybe that came from having been more or less on the run since my adolescence. I’d lived in many places after San Diego, but I always knew better than to put down roots, get attached. Not with the Petruzzi family thirsty for my blood. Besides, that murderous turd Tony Jr. was up for parole soon, so I had to be ready to jump in any direction when he walked.
I finished, pulling in my leg, crouching, rising up. Calmly concluding my form. Not flustered, nervous, blushing or babbling. Composed as could be. Unfazed. A force to be reckoned with. Zen goddess. That was the vibe I was going for.
It usually came to me naturally, but today, nothing could have stopped me from sneaking an anxious peek at myself in the mirror before I walked into the huge living room.
I saw Mick, Cade, and the guy they called Trey, walking down the breezeway. Ethan followed them. I told my heart sternly not to pound, my belly not to flutter, and my thighs not to clench, but after the events of last night, that was too much to ask of my poor bewildered body. It was totally bedazzled by him.
Look at the guy. Masters in a business suit. Like an ad for formal clothing for filthy rich European men, against a backdrop of a Tuscan vineyard or a French chateau, or a Versailles-style garden. Except he looked tougher. Big boss man.
Which had never been a turn-on for me. On the contrary. Big-boss types usually repelled me, what with my troubled history with them.
He saw me through the glass as he came in, and smiled. “Good evening,” he said. “I hope you had a nice day.”
I tried not stifle it, but a snort exploded out of me anyway. “As nice as can be expected, considering I’m imprisoned.”
His eyebrow went up. “Were you not comfortable?”
I rolled my eyes. “Comfort’s not the issue, Masters, and you know it. You’re going to have to let me go. Let me assess the threat level on my own. If I decide your enemies are too much for me to deal with, I’ll leave. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
“Hmm. I see. Can we discuss that and many other things over dinner?”
“Ohhh, gee, did I assail you with my complaints after a hard day of billionairing, Ethan?”
He gave me a devastating grin. “Not at all, but save it for our dinnertime banter. I just need to change. See you in the dining room. Assail me there.”
I waved him away. “Go on, then. My rage and desperation will keep.”
It was surprisingly hard to stay mad at the guy, particularly when he wined and dined and charmed me in his luxury lair. And when he touched me, well. Game over.
I spent Ethan’s primping time to organize my bullet points. I’d gamed out this conversation all day, in all its possible permutations. I had to persuade him to let me go of his own accord. He was rich and powerful enough to compel me to stay, if he felt justified in doing so, which he clearly did. He was protective and bossy. He was a big brother, and a head of family, and a head of a corporation, too, It was his instinct to keep me safe and comfortable, and available. Particularly if he was fucking me.
But I couldn’t allow it. Not the way I was wired up. Not after what happened with my sisters and Tony Petruzzi. If I were a normal girl with a normal past, if I’d read all the usual popular sexy romantic novels, I might even get off on being a rich man’s darling for a while. It had its perks, right? Some parts of it looked like titillating fun.
But no one knew the dark side of that scenario like I did. I’d seen it devolve into control, abuse, violence, and seen it end in a lake of blood. Not that I was mixing Ethan up with Tony’s ilk. By no means. I could sense that Ethan was a good guy. Principled.
But still. He was also arrogant, spoiled, and used to getting his own way. The power imbalance made it unbearable for me. Which was a goddamn shame, but there it was.
I made my way slowly through the place to the dining room, where I beheld Angela’s dinner spread, which was one of the wonders of the world. Zucchini fritters, and tempura-dipped artichoke hearts, paired with a delicious dip. A platter of cheesy, sizzling stuffed mushrooms. A frilly green salad. A beautiful red wine, decanted and waiting for us. The crystal glittered, the silver gleamed, the linen glowed snow white. There was a serving dish of plump green-colored ravioli in some kind of herb and butter emulsion. It took my breath away, and made my stomach growl.
“Hey.” It was Ethan’s voice behind me. I turned, startled, and my eyes were ambushed by the stunning spectacle of that guy in rich-guy-casual gear. Relaxed khaki-toned linen pants, and a soft, battered-looking ivory linen shirt that somehow managed to show off every detail of how well-made he was. Open at the throat to show a tuft of gold skin and dark chest hair, sleeves rolled up to show those big hands, those powerful wrists and forearms, the beautiful tracery of veins and tendons in his muscular forearms.
I was staring like a ninny. Embarrassing myself.Stop it, Banner. Control.
“Will you sit down? I hope you’re hungry. Angela’s going hog-wild, with you here to impress.”
“I’m actually pretty hungry, yes,” I said. “Only because I refused to let her cook me lunch. I had that huge breakfast, see. It looks and smells great to me.”
“Good, then. You’ll have an appetite.” He pulled out my chair and made a courtly gesture. “Come sit down.”
