Page 24 of Under His Protection

“Not now,” I growled to myself as I headed toward my quarters. I couldn’t tell myself to give up on the idea of ever having Nina like I wanted to, but it was far too soon. We had to cement the fact that we were together, first.

In the privacy of my room, I pulled my phone out and looked into the woman Nina called. The call was picked up with the house’s tech surveillance, and I easily followed the path to a young coworker named Tessa West. She didn’t seem like anyone who’d stir up trouble, and I filed away the information for later.

I wouldn’t begrudge Nina for talking to her friend. So long as she did her part here, I couldn’t complain. And for the next few days, she did.

Busy with calls, meetings, and discussions with Romeo and Franco, I had little time to even see Nina. I knew she was at the house. She’d taken my order to move in and stay here without any pushback. But I didn’t see her at all. That didn’t mean she wasn’t on my mind. She was. Rooted deeply with a sneaking dose of intrigue, Nina claimed my thoughts in my free time, but I didn’t have many opportunities to daydream about her.

It felt ridiculous to miss her when she was within reach, right here in my house. It was another example of how I lacked the time or focus to develop a real relationship. My priorities were in keeping the Constella businesses running smoothly and ensuring our enemies weren’t taking advantage or trying to attack. Those two general objectives had required my attention for so long, I struggled to break out of that habit.

I had to now, though. After stepping out of my office, I headed in the direction of Nina’s guest room, more excited about the prospect of seeing her and having a reason to talk to her than I likely should have.

I knocked, and after her reply to enter, I stepped into her room. She leaned back on a chair, legs draped over the armrest.

“Busy?” I asked, sarcastic yet not.

“No?” She closed the book and raised her brows.

I couldn’t help but get suspicious that she was being slightly sassy about my approaching her and asking if she was preoccupied after I’d so clearly warned her that I wouldn’t be available often.

“I would like your company at dinner tonight.”

Placing the book on a side table, she swiveled to face me fully, her bare feet on the carpet. “Oh?”

I nodded. “We’ll leave in a couple of hours to meet with some of my business acquaintances at Escott’s.”

Her mouth parted as she set her vulnerable blue gaze on me. “Escott’s. Wow.”

Mentioning one of the city’s finest restaurants impressed her. Or maybe that was intimidation she was trying to mask.

“You haven’t wanted my company at dinner all week.”

Has it really been that long already? It felt like just yesterday that she’d come here. Telling myself to ignore all thoughts of her was skewing my sense of time.

“I would like you present so they can see I have a woman in my life.”

The slight smirk on her lips shouldn’t have been so sexy. “What?” God, she pushed my buttons.

“Well, I would argue that you don’t have a woman in your life.”

I stared at her, marveling in her tenacity not to back down. “Because we’re only pretending?” It didn’t seem like I was. I envisioned pushing her back on that chair as I knelt in front of her, her sweet cunt as my goal. That image felt so very real, tangible to the point that my dick woke up.

“All you seem to want is your work in your life.” She shrugged and stood. “I’m just saying it might be hard to convince anyone otherwise.”

“Please be ready to accompany me to Escott’s in a couple of hours,” I repeated, ignoring her push for a reply.

She couldn’t hide her discomfort this time. It seemed that I’d forced her out of her comfort zone with how she winced and blushed.

“Wait. I, uh, I won’t be ready.” She bit her lower lip. “I don’t… I don’t have anything to wear. I mean, generally, yeah, but for Escott’s?”

“Then we’ll stop on the way and get you something.” I turned before she could taunt me with that innocent look any further. When she got timid and quiet—shy, even—it turned me on. She was so damn young, youthful and naïve, and it riled me up to want to both dirty her up and protect her, to shelter her.

When I held the door open for her an hour later, I was stuck on a call with a soldier reporting in. Then again, when we arrived at the boutique for her to find a dress suitable for the posh restaurant we’d be going to, I was on the phone with Franco.

Even though Nina and I were together in the car, then at the dress store, I was pulled away with my priorities. I paused in my conversations long enough to direct the store attendant to help Nina find something suitable for Escott's, and then stepped outside to continue speaking.

Romeo chimed in with a three-way call this time, and I wasn’t happy with what they had to share.

“All I’ll say is that the Giovannis need cash,” Franco said. “They’ve lost a lot, and some of the men under my supervision have been reporting that Stefan is saying he’s good for his money because his ‘friends’ will come through.”

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