Page 26 of Lily

He’d worn that hoodie over his head to cover his face, but he couldn’t be sure Vanderbilt wouldn’t recognize him in the camera frames. If he showed the video to Santo, his boss would recognize him for sure.

When Stefano didn’t show up at work, how long would it take before Santo sent someone here to check on him? Would he break in? Probably.

Stefano smirked. He wasn’t stupid. Working for a prick like Santo, Stefano had been prepared for any eventuality for years. He had a duplicate computer he’d packed in his satchel. His regular one would remain on his desk. He would also leave his phone behind. A burner was already in his pocket.

Santo wasn’t smart enough to hack into either device, nor was there anyone else in his immediate employment who could do so. He might eventually hire someone to break into both, but he wouldn’t find anything but the things the asshole had hired Stefano to do. Accounting, security, protection detail. That was it.

Stefano was prepared. They needed to leave, though. He leaned over, kissed Rose on the temple, and stroked her hair back from her face. “We need to leave, sweetheart.”

She blinked her eyes open and stared at him for a moment before bolting upward to sit. “Oh, God. It’s real. I’m still here.”

He smiled. She was so fucking beautiful with her hair tousled and her total lack of realization that her breasts were now exposed. Now, his cock did get hard. He looked away and held up a loose shirt and yoga pants. He’d been the one to pack them, and he’d thought they would be the most comfortable for the next day or so. “How about these?”

She reached out and fingered the cotton shirt. “I can’t believe you kept my apartment.”

He didn’t respond. He was damn glad he had, though, because it pleased her so much. “Let’s get you dressed and in the car, okay? I didn’t figure you’d want to wear a bra or panties over those welts.”

She smiled as she took the shirt and pulled it over her head. “I had no idea how much I took clothes for granted.” She eased to the side of the bed and lifted one leg to put on the black pants.

Stefano gritted his teeth when he got a good look at the tattoo on her inner thigh. He’d seen it earlier but hadn’t let his gaze linger there. He was confident she hadn’t gotten a tattoo on her perfect body before she’d been abducted, which meant some asshole had forced her to get it. Leo?

Her pussy was bare. He hadn’t overlooked that either. Had she shaved herself before she’d been abducted? He doubted that, too. He didn’t want to traumatize her more by firing a hundred questions at her.

Patience.

When she slid off the edge of the bed to pull the soft cotton over her hips, she winced slightly and then glanced at him. “They will fade quickly,” she reminded him.

His brow was furrowed, and he’d probably let his breath hitch. He hated it when she winced. Her pain hurt him. Infuriated him. Maybe you should go kill Vanderbilt with your bare hands before you leave town.

That wouldn’t help Roselia, though. She needed him. He was all she had. He couldn’t risk a confrontation with Leo or anyone else. What would happen to Rose if he got caught?

He handed her tennis shoes and socks.

She leaned against the bed to put them on.

“I’ll give you a few minutes to use the bathroom, sweetheart.”

She drew in a breath and rushed toward the master bath. As soon as she shut the door, he forced himself to take deep breaths and calm the fuck down. It was hard. He listened as the toilet flushed, and then the water came on. After a few minutes, the water came on again. He figured she’d brushed her teeth.

When she emerged, her hair was in a long braid down her back. He’d seen it like this many times. It was how she most often kept it while working.

He reached for her from where he still sat on the edge of the bed, letting her come to him. He probably should have chosen any other shirt. This one was white and not loose enough to avoid noticing her nipples.

She stood in front of him timidly for several seconds before suddenly lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck. She held him tightly. “Thank you.”

He wanted to hug her back, but he was afraid he’d hurt her, so he settled for running his palms up and down her arms.

When she released his neck, she kept her forearms on his shoulders and held his gaze.

Stefano gripped her biceps. Her lips were so fucking kissable, and while he was thinking that, she leaned closer, bringing her mouth to his.

Stunned, he didn’t react for a moment, but then he jumped into gear and kissed her back. She was breathing heavily, and he cupped her face to gain some control, angling his head to one side to deepen the kiss.

He was panting when he released her.

Her cheeks were red, and she looked down. “I…”

“You can do that anytime you want, sweetheart. You don’t need to ask.”

---