Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Dark eyes gleam down at me, and my heart threatens to leap out of my chest.
“I knew it. You guys really look good together.”
First, it was Lis. This time, it’s George. Am I doomed to have traitors as friends or is this all because of Patrizio Steele’s evil charm working its magic?
“Would you like some coffee, Mr. Steele—”
Patrizio briefly turns his gaze to George, his expression softening slightly in a way that tells me these two have built some kind of rapport through my coffee habits.
“Or would you like one beautiful professor to go?”
What the—
I let out an indignant growl even as Patrizio throws back his head with a laugh, the sound rich and warm in a way that makes several nearby patrons turn to look.
“Have a pleasant evening, George.”
George beams while carefully avoiding my glaring gaze, busying herself with wiping down the already spotless espresso machine.
“You, too, Mr. Steele, Professor Jayne.”
I try wriggling free as soon as Patrizio turns around. “Will you please let me down?”
“Not a chance, darling.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?”
“Probably as many times as it takes you to realize you’re simply wasting your breath.”
Argh.
“This is entirely inappropriate—”
“Since when do you care about appropriate?” His voice lowers to that velvety rumble that makes me forget my own name.
Patrizio finally sets me down on my feet...but only because we’re inside the elevator, and he has me trapped between the wall and his big, hard body.
“You didn’t care about appropriate when you let me make you come against my penthouse wall.”
“Don’t—”
“Don’t what? Don’t remind you how responsive you were?”
“What happened was a mistake—”
“What happened was inevitable.”
Patrizio takes a step toward me as he speaks, and my heart slams against my ribs.
I know I should warn him against coming any closer, but all I can do is stare as...the elevator doors slide open, and I find myself caught between relief and regret.
You’re doomed, Jayne! You’re absolutely doomed!
I stumble out of the elevators...only to bump immediately into someone else.
The atmosphere shifts like a weather front. Three men stand in the penthouse foyer, their stillness striking me as wrong somehow. Their casual stances look rehearsed, calculated, as if they’ve arranged themselves specifically for our arrival.
“What are you all doing here?”
Despite the faint irritation in Patrizio’s voice, his touch is gentle as he immediately cups my elbow to help me regain my balance. But even so, I still sense the change in him. A new alertness, with the way his body angles slightly to position himself between me and the others.
“You must be Professor Stuart.”
The other men look exactly like what I’d expect Patrizio’s inner circle to be. All of them tall. All of them handsome. All radiating that same magnetic danger that seems to cling to Patrizio like expensive cologne.
But each wears it differently—one watches me with cool assessment, another with blank neutrality, the third with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“We’ve heard a lot about you from Zio.”
It’s the man with the golden hair who speaks, his Italian flawless. While his tone seems friendly enough, I can’t help but notice how he’s referred to Annie’s older brother.
Zio, is it?
I’m not jealous or anything, but...I wonder if there’s any other woman who also calls him by this? I’m, um, just curious, that’s all.
Patrizio’s arm curves around my waist, and the possessiveness of his touch feels like a warning. He wants to stake a claim, and I...I find myself meekly accepting said claim for some reason.
Doomed, Jayne!
It seems that’s my middle name now.
Jayne “Doomed” Stuart!
“May I introduce you to my friends, Jayne?”
I nod, feeling rather self-conscious and ridiculously tongue-tied all of a sudden. I’m not acting like my age at all, but I can’t seem to help it. This is my first time to have a man introduce me to his friends, and it just makes everything between Patrizio and me feel so terrifyingly...real.
“This is Stefano Gold.”
The man with the golden hair inclines his head at Patrizio’s introduction, his eyes assessing me like I’m a business opportunity he hasn’t decided whether to invest in. Everything about him screams controlled wildness, from the messy hair to the expensive suit with that one button that I’m tempted to think was left deliberately undone.
“He’s primarily in charge of the company’s business expansions.”
I catch that emphasis on “primarily,” wondering what his other responsibilities might be.
Patrizio then gestures to the man with silver eyes that miss nothing. He stands apart from the others, his back to the wall, giving him a clear view of both us and the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Jamie Ferros is our...VP for security.”
Jamie acknowledges me with a single nod, the motion economical. Unlike Stefano’s casual stance, Jamie holds himself with a rigid sense of formality, and it’s like being in the presence of a war hero.