Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
He’s definitely tall enough, I typed. That was one of the few things I knew about the man—he towered over everybody.
Then why not go all out? If not for him, for yourself. Don’t you get tired of having your hair in a bun and wearing the same clothes as everyone else?
She had a point. It would be kind of fun to look nice for a change. When I was working, I usually just put my hair up to get it out of the way, and I rarely used much makeup. Maybe it would be fun to get all glammed up as she suggested.
After we were done texting, I sat on my sofa and pulled my hair out of the ponytail I’d had it in. Running my fingers through it triggered a sensory memory, but it took a moment to identify what it was. Then I recalled how Cesare had loosened my hair and smoothed it down around my shoulders when he kissed me.
His buddy, Matteo, had said that that was part of his effort to keep the bad guy from seeing my face, but it hadn’t felt like that. It had made me shiver with pleasure when his strong fingers tugged on my hair. And to feel him stroking my scalp and my shoulders.
Would that happen again tonight? Not in a restaurant, I supposed. Besides, that wasn’t why I was meeting with him. I wanted to see him again to reconcile with myself why I’d reacted to him the way I had. The safest way to do that was in a public place with a table between us.
I pushed away from the couch but then froze. Safe? Was I worried about him? Clearly, he was a dangerous man. Or was I worried about how I might react to him?
It was unsettling that the answer seemed to be both.
Cesare was waiting for me outside the restaurant. Our reservation was for 8 pm, so there wasn’t much natural light leftover, but there were plenty of streetlights and lights on the sidewalk.
My breath caught in my throat as I spotted him, and I very nearly tripped as I placed a high-heeled shoe on the sidewalk.
He looked hot as hell.
Still wearing dark clothes, but this time, he’d pair his black jeans and boots with a button-down dark green shirt. The long sleeves were severely strained by the powerful biceps underneath, and tantalizing tan skin showed between the open buttons at the top of his shirt.
His eyes, dark and gleaming as always, swept up and down my outfit as I finally managed to continue walking forward without falling.
“Fuuuucccckkkk.” He drew out the word and gave a low whistle as he looked me over. “I know this is a cliché, but you clean up nice.”
“Thanks. Um, you too.”
I stopped a few feet short of him, having to look up even though I’d worn my tallest high heeled sandals.
Cesare’s dark eyes were wider than usual. “Red is definitely your color.”
“Thanks,” I said again, a bit self-consciously. The dress fit snugly on me. It hugged my hips and ended with a little flare at mid-thigh. The top was strapless but there was a band that went around my upper arms and draped in front revealing modest, but not slutty cleavage. Or at least that was the mark I’d been aiming for.
His large hand rose, stopping inches from my hair. “I like it when it’s down.”
To be honest, I did too. The way the honey-blonde strands cascaded around my shoulders made me feel feminine and pretty. Or maybe it was the way Cesare was staring that made me feel pretty. “You’ve only seen it down one other time—and that was because you took it down.”
“That was strictly for your protection.” The note of humor in his voice belied his words.
I gave him a smile—an actual flirtatious smile, something I hadn’t done in a long time. “There was no other reason?”
He grinned. “Are you saying I wanted to touch it?” He did just that, entwining his fingers around a loose strand. Then he plunged his whole hand into my hair, cupping the back of my head.
For a wild moment, I thought he was going to pull me in for a kiss, but it was too soon for that. Or at least that’s what my brain told me. My body was more on board with the idea. I leaned my head back against his large palm, enjoying the way it felt.
“Ready to go inside?” he asked. When I nodded, he smoothly slid his hand down my body, settling it on the small of my back as he guided me forward. He didn’t have to. I was a competent professional. I could manage to enter a building on my own. Again, that was what my brain was telling me. But my body definitely didn’t mind his touch. His hand was warm, and I enjoyed the way it rose and fell slightly as I walked forward. And… there was something more. Something deeper. Having him touch me… having him at my side… it made me feel cherished. It made me feel… safe. But that was absurd, given what I knew of the life he led. Then again, those kinds of conflicting feelings were exactly what I was here to figure out tonight.