Page 175 of Forced Vows

Chapter 60: RÓISE

"What are we doing here?" The barrier rises and the driver pulls the SUV into the underground parking garage for the Oscuro building.

I'm not totally against sex in his office. I've dreamed about it often enough since telling him off about my new bodyguards. But it seems a little weird to come here just for that purpose.

Miceli looks up from his phone. He's been focused on it the entire drive.

I interrupted him once and he turned an almost demonic expression on me. "I'm holding on by a thread, mi dolce fiero. Do not talk to me. Don't even breath in my direction if you don't want me to fuck you right here."

"What do you me—"

He puts up his hand. "This SUV has a bulletproof divider that can be raised, but no visual barrier to the front seat."

Unwilling to give the two men in the front seat a show, I zipped my lips.

Now Miceli looks at me like he doesn't understand the question. Then he shakes his head as if clearing it. "The penthouse."

"There's a penthouse in this building. Like one you live in, not a giant office suite." But then if they had one of those, that would be where Miceli and his brother's offices were located, wouldn't it?

"Yes."

Seeing the no doubt bewildered look on my face, he says, "It's not uncommon for a company like ours to have at least one floor of apartments for business use."

I'm not sure I want to know what kind of business needs an apartment, so I don't ask.

"We put our clients up in the smaller apartments, or executives from sister corporations here for training, etc."

"And the penthouse?"

"Is mine."

I'd ask what he means by that but again, I can guess and it's no more pleasant than my last one. I don't say anything as Miceli leads me to another elevator with biometric access.

This one has buttons. Not enough to cover all the floors in the building, but a few. They aren't numbered though.

I guess you have to know where you are going.

The elevator opens onto a foyer with double doors to the right. The doors require more eye scanning to get in. But once I hear the click of the lock, Miceli doesn't open the door. He has me step forward and let the system scan my eye.

I also have to put my hand against a black panel for a full handprint scan. "That will open the door from the inside, but not out here."

"I have to scan my hand to open the door?"

"It's just a security measure."

"Have I told you that you're a little excessive when it comes to that?"

The corner of his mouth tilts. "On at least one memorable occasion."

"As long as you know."

"There is no such thing as too much security when it comes to keeping you safe." His dark gaze traps mine with serious intent.

Fanning myself, I ask, "Is it warm up here? Maybe you should turn down the heat."

"No chance." Both brows raise suggestively.

Jayzuz, Mary and Joseph. This man is lethal.

---