“No, I’m not,” I admitted. “Why torture myself when I’m not even having sex, you know?” But then my stomach dropped when I caught a shadow from the doorway. “Enzo,” I cried in shock.
He was off me in a second and standing at the realization one of our security guys was there.
Enzo snatched the comforter at the side of the bed and covered me with it before facing the man even though he was still naked and rock-hard.
“I’m so sorry.” The guard had a hand in the air, but he didn’t bother to close his eyes or shield his face from the view of the sexy Italian before him. “You were gone a long time. No answer on your phone. The door was unlocked. I heard her screaming.”
Enzo’s hands snapped to his sides. “And you were standing in my door long enough to get fucking hard?”
“It was a second,” the man mumbled. “I’m so sorry, sir.”
“And yet, you’re still here,” Enzo roared, his shoulder blades drawing together.
“It was a mistake,” I spoke up, trying to be Enzo’s voice of reason, worried he’d burn the man’s retinas because he’d seen me sprawled out naked and sated from an orgasm.
At this point, I no longer questioned the lengths Enzo would go to keep me safe or to protect my dignity.
The security guard nervously shoved both hands through his sandy-blond hair, his eyes now apologetically on the floor.
“You’re fired,” Enzo remarked while going to his dresser, and he snatched a pair of gray sweats and put them on. “I’m going to walk you out to make sure you don’t lose your way.”
“Enzo, don’t . . .” Don’t what? Hurt him? Push him down the stairs?
Enzo shot me a grave look from over his shoulder. “I’ll grab our suitcases from his SUV. Stay here.” And then he left with the guy, and I waited until I could no longer hear their steps to get up.
I didn’t want to face his parents smelling like sex, and I knew our untimely interruption would prevent Enzo from resuming where we’d left off.
So I went into his adjoining bathroom. Luxury at its finest, that was for sure. But the man had a pool and waterfall in his house, so what did I expect?
I turned on his shower. Well, the four showerheads, and it took only a handful of seconds to warm up, unlike my place back home that took an eternity.
This home wasn’t what Enzo really liked, though. He didn’t give a shit about this stuff, right? He was happy with his life in Charlotte, wasn’t he?
Or was it crazy for me to think cooking in a kitchen to make a modest paycheck was enough for a man who grew up in a fancy city with all the finest of things?
He chose Charlotte. He chose to leave this place, I reminded myself as the warm water ran over the contours of my body. But chills pricked my skin as the nagging thoughts penetrated my mind. But he kept this place. Maybe he always planned to come back, and for good?
SIXTEEN
Maria
With a towel wrapped around my body and my hair a wet, tangled mess over my shoulders, I went into the bedroom, startling at the sight of Enzo sitting on his bed. “I was sort of expecting you to join me after you, um, walked that man out.”
Enzo had changed while I’d showered. New black dress pants that were tailored to perfection to fit his strong legs. And another crisp black dress shirt. Top two buttons undone to show a hint of the guardian-angel ink on his chest. Sleeves cuffed at the wrists, hiding the tattoos on his arms. His hair was dry now, but it was still a bit messy, as if he’d used his fingers to brush it back, and somehow, it looked even sexier that way.
“If I joined you in there, we’d never leave.”
“The bodyguard still alive?”
He stood as his gaze flicked to where I clutched the towel at my breasts. “His limbs are intact.”
Hopefully he hadn’t hurt him. It wasn’t his fault he’d walked in on us. Not entirely. “I guess we should get going?” He had my suitcase by the bed, waiting for me.
“Yeah, I need to get another phone, though. Mine was in my pocket when we fell into the pool.”
“No secret room here like back in Charlotte with phones ready to go?”
A dark smirk played across his lips. “There’s a room. Only burner phones. Nothing I want to use on a regular basis.”
“Burner phones. Mm-hmm. Makes sense.” I felt so completely lost in this world. Whatever world he’d once lived in and, well, was now back in.
“I called the store out by my parents’ place to let them know to have one ready for me. I’ll pick it up on the way.”
“Wait, how’d you call them, since your phone is wet?”
“Your phone was in the car.” He took three strides my way, swallowing the distance between us. “Yes, I bypassed the password to use it. Are you mad?”
“More curious how you did it, but I don’t need a hacking lesson, just a change of clothes.” I blew at a wayward strand of hair in my face. “And a brush.”
He gently held my shoulder, then slid his warm palm down to my biceps. “Natalia has been texting. You might want to message her back. She’s worried.” I looked down to see my iPhone in his other hand. “And there are a few missed calls and texts from Thomas.”
“Um, okay.” My pulse was fluttering hardcore at my throat, and he brought his hand there, brushing the pad of his thumb over the beats.
“Do we need to talk about what happened?”
“I don’t know. Do we?” I took my phone from him and peered into his brown eyes.
He only lifted his brows as if waiting for my next move.
“You spanked me.” The memory of his palm on my ass had me tightening my legs, wanting more of him already.
“And I plan to do it again,” he casually remarked.
Holy shit. The thought of Enzo spanking me again . . . did things to me. I squirmed under his gaze, then swallowed down my nerves, because hell yes. “Good,” I whispered, watching his nostrils flare slightly.
“I’m going to leave so you can get ready.”
“Because we won’t leave otherwise?” I asked, taken aback by the husky tone of my own voice. That’s what a top-tier, best-in-your-life orgasm will do to you, though. Make someone feel like a sex goddess who can read the phone book and make it sound good. Well, that was my working theory. I’d need a few more orgasms from this man just to be sure.
Enzo’s gaze went to my cleavage. “Because I’ll put a child in your womb if we stay, I can promise you that.”
Ohhh. Well then. I mean . . .
He lifted his chin, eyes moving to the ceiling. “God help me, woman, I don’t know how I’m going to survive this week at my parents’ without touching you.”
“Who says you can’t?”
His attention returned to my face, and he captured the edge of his lip between his teeth. He didn’t answer and only stared at me with a touch of uncertainty in his eyes.
“So, don’t wear the red dress to dinner?” I teased.
“Fire,” he rasped.
Fire, huh? Was he inviting me to play with fire or warning me not to? I didn’t always know when it came to him.
He reached out and yanked the fluffy white cotton free from my body in one fast movement, then flung it to the floor.
A fleet of goose bumps set course, traveling over every inch of my skin as I stood there naked with only my phone in my hand.
“Cold?” His hand smoothed along his hard jawline.
“Yes.”
“Wet?” His gaze fell between my legs, and I was still pink and swollen.
“Very,” I murmured, then caught a whiff of his cologne. He always smelled so damn good. I had no clue how to identify scents, though. Sandalwood? Cedar? Juniper berry? I mean, what in the hell did juniper even smell like? The best I could do was maybe identify lavender and vanilla.
My shoulders slumped. Vanilla had been my life up until Enzo, too. And I didn’t want that. I wanted something dark and spicy. Bold and seductive.
Enzo.
I just wanted Enzo.
“I lost you.” Enzo cupped my chin, reminding me I was still naked and cold. And a bit speechless even though my brain was nonstop all the time.
“I was saying you, uh, smell good, right?”
He smiled. “Maybe you were thinking it.”
“Oh.” My embarrassment came out as a grin, and I probably looked ridiculous. “And what is the cologne you’re wearing?”