by Cara Marsi
****
When Lexie entered Dominic’s room, he was fully dressed and fighting to slip on his leather jacket. Lines of pain etched around his mouth.
“Lexie?”
“I might have been dead if it weren’t for you.”
“I would never let anyone hurt you.”
The softness in his eyes and the way he looked at her, as if she were the most important person in the world, made heat shoot through her body.
Taking a deep breath, she locked gazes with him. “Stay with me. Come back to my hotel.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Who am I to refuse a woman of such beauty?”
They took a cab back to her hotel. As they walked into the lobby, the desk clerks gave them shocked looks. She could imagine the picture she and Dominic presented—him with the beginnings of a hell of a black eye and the large bruise on his chin. Ignoring the hotel staff, she kept walking to the elevator.
When they got to her room, Dominic shrugged out of his jacket, slipped off his shoes, then settled onto her bed and closed his eyes, his breathing harsh. She suspected he was in more pain than he would admit.
“Would you like some water?” she asked.
He opened his eyes and nodded.
She grabbed a bottle of water and twisted the cap off, then handed it to him. Digging into the plastic bag the hospital had given him, she pulled out the ice pack. “I’ll call down for ice.”
“Later.” He moved over and patted the spot next to him. “Sit with me.”
She set the empty ice pack on the dresser and slid onto the bed, careful not to move too quickly. The mattress creaked in protest at the extra weight.
Dominic drank some water, then placed the bottle on the night table. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer until she nestled her head under his chin.
“Dominic, take the painkillers the doctor gave you. And for God’s sake, use that ice pack.”
“No painkillers. Having you near is the best medicine.”
Oddly, his words made happiness flow through her. She snuggled closer. Soon she heard his gentle breathing and knew he slept. With a contented sigh, she closed her eyes. He was here. They were safe. In the morning, she’d ask him about the men she’d seen in the hospital.
Hours later she woke, shivering in the pre-dawn cold. Her neck ached from pressing against the headboard. Dominic, his arm still around her shoulders, slept soundly next to her.
She pulled free and slipped from the bed, then leaned over to grip his upper arm. “Dominic,” she said, gently shaking him.
He blinked sleep-filled eyes. “Lexie,” he rasped.
“It’s cold,” she said. “You need to get under the blankets.”
“Only if you go with me.” In the dim light from the lamp, his eyes were filled with something hot and seductive that met an answering heat inside her.
“I’ll grab the extra blanket and sleep on the chair,” she said, surprised at the husky tone of her voice.
He shook his head. “What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing,” she said, pressing her arms against her midsection.
“Then we share a bed. Okay?”
He was injured, and it was cold, and they both needed their rest after what they’d been through. She put a hand on her hip. “But I’ll make sure you get rest and sleep. And nothing more.”
“I love your American honesty,” he said, grinning. His hot gaze made her feel like a banquet he wanted to sample, course by course. His potent masculinity filled the room. She’d wanted him almost from the moment she saw him. No doubt about that.
Yet, the old Lexie—careful, deliberate, thoughtful—reared up, and her fears overtook her.
He slid out of bed, wincing a little, and pulled back the covers. “Come back to bed,” he said softly.
She couldn’t do this.
Of course she could.
She approached the bed. “You’re injured. Remember that. We only sleep. Nothing more.”
He shot her a wicked grin. “But of course.”
Lexie slipped off her heels and got into the bed, making sure to stay at the edge, putting space between her and the too-sexy and tempting man next to her.
“Goodnight,” she said, her back to him.
The mattress dipped, then he was next to her, his warm breath on her neck, and his intoxicating heat enveloping her. He gathered her into his arms. Pressed close, she felt his hard arousal.
She shuddered with pleasure, and a little bit of fear.
“We made a good pair tonight,” he whispered. “I will always remember you jumping in to save me.”
“I can’t believe I did that. We did make a good crime-fighting team.”
He pulled her closer. “I think we will make a good team in other ways too.” He swept her hair from her nape and planted a soft kiss against her hot skin. “I want you. But we will wait. Buona notte, cara.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sunlight touched Lexie’s eyes, a gentle caress urging her to awaken. She didn’t want to. With a sigh, she settled into the mattress, willing herself back to sleep and into the wonderful dream she’d been having.
At the sound of soft breathing and the whisper of warm air caressing her neck, she jerked her eyes open. She lay very still, listening. She was spooned against warm flesh, taut and muscular. A very masculine arm, covered by fine dark hairs, draped over her waist.
This was no dream.
The events of the past night played in her mind like her favorite CSI episode. Her attempted kidnapping. Dominic and her abductor fighting. The hospital. Dominic in her bed.
Dominic.
She was in bed with Dominic.
Anxiety stirred her stomach, competing with the tingling in other parts. His even breathing told her he still slept. She began to slide slowly toward the edge of the bed.
He tightened his arm around her waist. “Where do you think you’re going?” his raspy voice whispered in her ear.
“I, uh, I thought I should get up now.”
“Not yet.” He pulled her closer.
His erection pressed against her buttocks. From the feel of him, he was very ready for her. Fire seemed to flow through her veins.
“It’s early.” He brushed her hair aside and nipped her earlobe. “We have lots of time.” He trailed little kisses along the back of her neck.
Molten heat liquefied her insides. Her body felt boneless. “Time for what?” She barely recognized her own husky voice.
“For whatever you want.” He moved his hand slowly up her ribcage, leaving a trail of fire on her sensitized flesh through the thin fabric of her T-shirt. Her breasts tightened and her hardened nipples pushed against her filmy silk bra, desperate for what he could give her.
Her breath came in shallow gasps. She should get out of bed, stop this now. Oh, but his large, calloused hand felt so good and so hot.
When his hand cupped her breast, she shuddered at the sudden surge of pleasure and clutched the sheets. He massaged her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers. Moisture pooled between her legs.
“You like this?” he whispered.
“You know I do.” The memory of his fight last night burst through her sensual bubble. “You’re hurt. We can’t do this.”
He let out a soft chuckle. “I’m not that hurt. We can do this.”
She rolled over until they were face to face, then studied him. “Your eye isn’t as black as I thought it would be.” She brushed a light kiss on his slightly swollen eye and skimmed a finger over his bottom lip. “Does this cut hurt? Are you sure you’re feeling okay to do, uh, that.”
Her face burned. God, she sounded like an inexperienced nerd. Well, she was sort of inexperienced. She’d had only one lover, and not a great one at that. She had the feeling Dominic could shake her world. Fear and desire created an edgy mix in her stomach.
He took her finger into his mouth and sucked. She let out a small moan.
Desire won out over her fear.
&
nbsp; “See, I’m not so hurt.” He swept hair back from her face and searched her eyes. “I want you. But I won’t do anything you don’t want.”
She looked into his hot, dark eyes and was lost. “I want you too.” She’d never before told a man she wanted him. Somehow the words made her feel liberated, sexy, a femme fatale. She smiled.
“Why do you smile?” he asked.
“Because I’m happy I’m here with you.”
“Oh, Lexie,” he said on a groan. He bent to take her lips in a gentle kiss. She opened to him, giving him her body and her trust. Their tongues mated in a sensual dance that electrified every part of her willing body.
Longing pulsed inside her. An ache built between her legs. She needed this man, body and soul. She wanted to see and feel all of him. Her breathing ragged, she pulled free to skim her fingers over his full lips. “I want to see you.” The words came out on a shaky breath.
Smiling, he slipped out of bed. His gaze on her, he peeled off his clothes, deliberately, slowly, until he stood before her in all his naked glory.
Lexie’s mouth went dry. She had asked him to undress. So what had she expected? She’d known his body was muscular, but she hadn’t expected this perfect Adonis. Like that of a starving woman salivating over a bowl of luscious Italian pastries, her hungry gaze feasted on him. His powerful chest rippled with finely honed muscles. No hint of fat anywhere. His long legs were strong and perfectly formed. Her heart beat a crazy tattoo.
“You could give Michelangelo’s David a run for his money,” she whispered.
He laughed softly. “Your turn.”
Anxiety reared up and her new-found boldness deserted her. “I’ll get undressed in the bathroom.”
He shook his head. “No, you won’t. I want to see you. Now.”
She slid out of bed. Not looking at him, and with hands that shook, she slowly slipped off her Capri’s, then her T-shirt, and last, her thin silk bra and matching panties. She raised her gaze to his. At the fire in his eyes, embarrassment snapped through her and she folded her arms across her chest.
“Don’t cover yourself,” he said in a thick voice. “You are beautiful.”
Heat built, a twisting need that threatened to consume her. She dropped her hands.
His scorching gaze made a leisurely sweep of her body. “Lexie.”
The way he said her name, rough with emotion, filled with desire, made her heart spin out of control.
He slipped into the bed and held a hand out to her. “Come here.”
She slid in beside him, and he reached for her, cradling her against his powerful body. Her flesh burned where they joined.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered. Savoring the feel of his perfect, olive-skinned body, she slid her fingers over his collarbone and down his rock-hard chest. The firm muscles flexed under her hand. She touched a perfectly sculpted Roman god. Dominic was no statue, but a smokin’ hot, sexy male. Filling her lungs with his scent of aroused male, she kissed every spot her fingers touched, sucking gently on his hard nipples.
He twined his fingers in her hair. “You are a sorceress.”
“Not a sorceress, but a woman who wants you.” Emboldened by his desire, feminine power surged through her.
She continued her sensual march down his chest to his waist, kissing, licking, nibbling. Groaning, he sat up and took her by her shoulders, turning her around and pressing her to the mattress, pinning her under him.
“It is my turn now.” With a sinful grin, he bent and captured one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking and nipping. Fire flowed through her veins. She squirmed, moaning softly.
His eyes, warm velvet, bore into hers, heating her with the force of a blazing Roman day. “You like that, my Lexie?”
“I like.”
With a triumphant smile, filled with male pride, he dipped his head and kissed her. All rational thought fled in his heat, his lips, his hands stroking her flesh, electrifying every part of her body. Grasping his shoulders, she arched under him.
He left her mouth to trail hot kisses down her body, licking and nipping, caressing her with his talented hands. When he kissed her between her thighs, she bucked and released a loud moan. Trembling, she surrendered to him, lost in a world where only she and Dominic existed. The muted sounds of traffic drifting up from the street barely penetrated their sensual cocoon. All she knew, all she wanted, was Dominic.
His fingers explored and played, then slipped between her folds, finding her nub, touching, rubbing until she was a quivering mass of need. Heat licked at her skin, building into a raging fire, burning out of control. Spasms rocked her, over and over, and she cried out his name.
He slid up her body and kissed her, swallowing her cries, his tongue stroking her mouth as his fingers had stroked her most private parts. When she settled down at last, he raised himself on his elbows, his hot, wicked gaze inflaming her.
Almost reverently, she reached up and ran her finger over his lips. “Dominic.”
He drew her finger into his mouth and sucked, then with a kiss to the tip of her nose, he quickly slid off the bed and grabbed his jeans from the chair. Fishing in the pockets, he pulled out a foil wrapped packet. Sheathed in protection, he slid onto the bed and took her in his arms.
He kissed her, a fierce kiss that hurt in its intensity, a hurt she gladly accepted. She molded her body to his taut frame and kissed him back with all the pent-up desire and longing she’d kept inside for so long. Opening her mouth, she welcomed his possession, wanting to be a part of him, for him to sink into her, be part of her. She never wanted to let him go.
Lexie ran her hands over his back to his buttocks, reveling in his beauty and the blazing heat of his body. He cupped her bottom, pressing her closer. His hard cock throbbed against her stomach. She groaned into his mouth. Then he was on top of her. They looked at each other, their breathing harsh. Fire raced through her.
“I can’t wait,” she rasped. Aching for him to fill her, she parted her legs for him.
With one hard thrust, he was inside her. Moaning his name, she grabbed his shoulders and held on, bucking and arching under him.
A firestorm raged through her, a roaring inferno that threatened her control, her soul. She didn’t care. He thrust longer and deeper, taking her higher and higher until she screamed his name. He rode her until she couldn’t think, could only feel the exquisite torture of his possession. A burning tide of ecstasy rippled through her, over and over until she thought she might have died and gone to heaven. Then Dominic shuddered his own climax, kissing her, his lips and his body demanding her complete surrender.
They clung to each other until their breathing slowed. He rolled over and took her with him, positioning her on top of him. With wonder in his eyes, he reached up and cupped her face. “You. Are. Astonishing.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dominic dried his face and stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. His eye was slightly swollen with the makings of a first-class bruise. The cut on his lip still stung. Kissing Lexie had exacerbated the cut, but her kisses more than made up for any physical pain he suffered now.
The damage to his professional integrity cut deeper.
“What have you done?” His whispered words floated in the quiet room, a mocking reminder that he’d let his feelings for Lexie compromise his integrity. He’d let his self-control slip. Making love to her was worth every risk. Could he handle the risk? The sound of Lexie’s even breathing came from the other room. He’d slipped out of bed and freshened up while she slept.
He pressed his palms against the cold, hard ceramic of the sink. It was past noon. He and Lexie had made love a second time, then fallen asleep in each other’s arms.
He’d been charged with investigating her. Except for that one time, he’d always managed to control his libido when working a case. His professional honor demanded it. But Lexie was different.
He’d never met a woman like her. Beautiful, direct, intelligent, she made him laugh, made him feel things
he’d long ago put aside. Beneath her pride and strength he detected a vulnerability that spoke to a need deep inside him. A need to protect her and keep her safe.
She disturbed the well-ordered life he’d so carefully built, making him dream of a future with a wife, children, a settled, stable existence. Since the day his parents died so suddenly, the weight of responsibility had lain heavy on his shoulders. He’d put his own needs on hold for so many years, he was no longer sure he knew how to enjoy himself, to live in the moment, to take what he wanted.
“What am I thinking?” he muttered, throwing the towel onto the floor. He’d chosen his life, and until he was through with Interpol, a wife and family were out of the question. His job consumed too much of his time. Yet there was Lexie. The thought of seeing her every day, making love to her every night, filled him with longing. And melancholy for what could never be.
He’d learned long ago not to dwell on the what-ifs. He reached for the door handle as his phone rang. Grabbing it from the shelf over the sink, he flipped it open. “Yeah.”
“Did you find the diamond?” Sal asked in his usual rough voice.
“I didn’t have a chance yet,” Dominic whispered.
“Where are you? Why are you talking so low?”
“I can’t talk here,” Dominic said.
“Getting a little ass?”
“Fuck off, Sal. What do you want?”
“We lucked out. Our little bird sang some more. The hand-off to the terrorists is in three days. The scumbag refuses to say where, but the police will get it out of him. Look for that diamond, Brioni.”
“And if I don’t find it?”
“It’s been a setup all along. We’ve been had. Our police contacts will be pissed.”
“And if I do find it?” Dominic asked.
“You keep real close tabs on the lady. She’s in deep. She’s leaving Italy in three days. Coincidence? Could be the hand-off will go down at the airport. Understand?”
“Yeah, boss. I have to go.”
Sal started to say something, but Dominic flipped his phone closed.
Clutching the phone in his hand, he leaned against the closed door while his mind tried to come to grips with what he’d just heard. The drop-off to the terrorists would be the same day Lexie was leaving for home. Was she involved after all? The story about her ex-fiancé and selling jewels to get money for school could have been an elaborate hoax to throw him off course. If that was the case, how had she known he was with Interpol?
