She didn’t answer, but undid her seat belt, letting the shoulder harness drop back out of the way. She shifted on the seat, facing him, swinging one leg over his thighs so she could straddle him. She put both arms around his neck and leaned in close to nip at his ear. “Guess what I’m wearing under my clothes?”
Her voice was a thread of sound. Barely there. Her lips brushed his earlobe, just as he’d done to her earlier. She could have called down lightning. It was the same effect. A white streak of fire raced from his ear to his cock. One hand slid up her belly to her breasts. He pressed his palm tight into her. “Not the jewelry I bought you.” There was some disappointment in that. He would have done anything to pull that chain into his mouth and tug.
“No, but something else you’ll like.”
He tried to think what he’d purchased for her. So many sexy things. Lucia’s Treasures had a spectacular collection of delicate and very sexy lingerie. Just with her straddling him, pressing tightly against his cock, he was already hard as a rock. He caught her by the nape of her neck and kissed her. Long. Slow. Commanding. She tasted like the paradise he remembered from waking her up. The more he kissed her, the more he wanted to kiss her. He wished they were alone in the car, or that there was a privacy screen.
“Tell me,” he whispered.
“You have to guess.”
“You’re deliberately getting me worked up before we go see your brother.”
She gave him her impish grin—the one that told him he had it right. “Too bad these bodyguards are here. I can think of all kinds of things we could be doing.”
“You aren’t safe.”
“I’m safe enough.” She kissed her way up his neck to his throat and then flicked her tongue in his ear.
“I’m going to retaliate. Tonight. After work. I’ve got a few more surprises for you. In fact, woman, I’m going to torment you until you scream for mercy,” he threatened. Already his mind was spinning with ideas.
“Bring it on, baby,” she whispered. “I’m more than up for the challenge.” She dropped her hand between their bodies and stroked.
White lightning streaked up his spine. That fast she’d changed the entire course of the day. He’d been so upset over the thought that Aaron could be in any way responsible for Sasha’s picture ending up in the tabloids, or for trying to kill him, that he’d felt almost sick. Sasha had changed everything, laughing with him, teasing him, arousing him, giving him something else to think about when he couldn’t do anything about Aaron.
“I’m accepting your challenge,” he said. “I’m looking forward to tonight.”
“So am I.” The car slowed and pulled into the circular driveway in front of the Center. Enzo parked the car, and Emilio got out and opened the door for them.
“Seat belts are worn for a reason,” the bodyguard said as Sasha slid out.
Her laughter teased every one of Giovanni’s senses. “I was making certain Giovanni’s was on properly.”
“I’ll just bet you were,” Emilio said.
Sasha gave him her best innocent smile, but Giovanni was sure Emilio wasn’t buying it. He took her hand and walked inside, the two bodyguards following behind. Sandlin was in the common room, the one he preferred with all the books and lots of couches and chairs. There were a few other patients in the room with him.
The moment they walked in, Sandlin noticed them. His gaze jumped to his sister’s face.
“Good afternoon, Sandlin. I’m Giovanni Ferraro. Do you remember me? I came the other day with your sister, Sasha.” Deliberately, he stepped into the light spilling down from the overhead bulb so that his shadow was thrown across the room. Sandlin’s shadow didn’t reach his, but both shadows threw out tubes, so it was only a matter of time before they connected.
Sandlin regarded him with a sweet smile. “Nice to meet you.” His gaze moved past Giovanni to rest on Sasha, then dropped on their linked hands. His smile faltered. “Wait. You came before.”
Giovanni knew he wasn’t talking about Sasha. He might not remember she was his sibling, but she came often. She spent hours with him. She read to him. He had protective instincts for her, and those hadn’t been wiped out by the accident.
“That’s right,” Giovanni acknowledged. “I came with your sister.” He stepped closer so that the two shadows merged. “I’m very much in love with her and I want to marry her. I can take care of her and protect her, but we need you to say it’s all right with you. You can feel me. Feel that the things I’m saying to you are true.”
Sandlin looked from Giovanni’s face to Sasha’s. “I want her to come and read to me.” He sounded innocent. Like a child.
“Of course, I’ll come and read to you. I’ll always read to you,” Sasha said.
A woman wearing a volunteer’s jacket came in carrying a tray with cookies and hot chocolate. She offered Sandlin’s bodyguard the refreshments first. He smiled at her and shook his head. Giovanni liked him. He took his job very seriously. The entire time she walked around the room, handing out the cookies and chocolate, the bodyguard watched her. It was somewhat of a relief to know Sandlin was being looked after.
Sandlin stepped closer to Giovanni. “Is she going to live with you?”
Giovanni nodded. “As my beloved wife. I’ll cherish her, Sandlin.”
Sasha’s brother scrunched up his face as if thinking about it. “You feel scary.”
He was scary. Giovanni knew he was. He was a trained assassin. A bearer of justice to those able to wiggle their way out from under the system. “Never to Sasha, or you, Sandlin. For you, but never to either of you. I’ll protect you both. Sasha has an enemy. He was here the other night. He brought you your key chain with the picture of Sasha on it.”
“I lost it again.” Sandlin looked around the room as if he might spot it. “My friend brought it to me.”
“No, no, Sandlin.” Sasha was alarmed. She let go of Giovanni’s hand and stepped close to her brother. “He isn’t a friend. The man who was here, who gave you the key chain, he’s trying to hurt us. You can’t ever be alone with him again.”
“I lost my key chain, Sasha,” Sandlin said.
“You gave it back to Sasha,” Giovanni reminded.
Sasha moved around Giovanni and took the book that was pressed tightly to Sandlin’s chest. “Don’t worry, Sandlin. I have your key chain. I’m keeping it safe. I’m going to read to you.”
“Right now?” His face lit up.
Sasha nodded and gestured toward his favorite couch. He liked it because it was positioned directly below the row of lights and it illuminated his book no matter if all other overhead lighting was off. Sometimes, if he stayed up late reading, the staff turned off the other lights.
Sasha sat at the end of the couch as she often did and Sandlin immediately lay down, his head in her lap. He handed her the book he was reading. Giovanni glanced at the cover. It was The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes. The volume was old and worn, but Sandlin held it like it was a golden treasure.
While Sasha read to him, Giovanni drifted over to the bodyguard. “I’m Giovanni Ferraro.” He held out his hand.
The bodyguard’s grip was firm but brief. “Nolan Rockman. How’s it going?”
“My question to you?”
“It’s been fairly quiet. Visitors were all confirmed. Some workmen were working on a couple of windows that were broken. They checked out, but to be sure, I kept Sandlin on the far side of the building until they were gone. He’s a sweet man, Mr. Ferraro.” He looked over Giovanni’s shoulder at the siblings on the couch. “I can’t imagine anyone trying to harm him.”
Giovanni half turned to look at them, too. His heart melted every time he saw her. Enzo had stayed with the car to make certain there weren’t any presents in it when they came out, but Emilio was draped against the wall, just to the right of Giovanni, trying to look less lethal and failing miserably.