Page 54 of Let Me Love You

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?”

He closed one eye as if not sure. “I forgot the name. But it smells like black orchids and notes of truffle, and maybe—”

“Of course, a chef would describe his cologne like it’s food, making me both hungry and ...” Wanting sex.

I jolted at the sudden rumble of thunder. Had the clouds rolled in while we’d been inside? And why did an impending storm and ominous gray sky feel fitting for today?

He released me. “I should let you get ready.”

“Mm. Yes, please leave me alone while I’m wet and naked.” The taunt tumbled from my lips at the same time the sky groaned, threatening to unleash hell.

And the way Enzo peered at me right now, it was as if he wanted to unleash something as well. But that tight lock of his jaw meant he was going to restrain himself. One of us needed to behave, I supposed. “Maria.”

My hand lifted between us as I said, “I know, I know. Fire. And you need a phone because you probably have a ton of important calls you can’t miss, and I’m a distracting pain in the ass.”

He snatched my hips, his hands cut around to my backside, and he squeezed my flesh to that torture-pleasure point he seemed to know so well. “You are distracting. And a pain in my ass. But I ...”

You what?

His eyes closed, and there was that battle. The war. Didn’t he ever get tired of fighting it? I was exhausted for him, and I was only on the outside looking in, catching a glimmer here and there.

He freed me from his strong hands and turned. But he stopped just outside the doorway, and his hands went to the frame. They turned to fists as he bowed his head. “Wear the red dress. No panties,” he ordered, and with that, he left.

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