Page 67 of Burning Beauty

"Would you have?" Maria asked curiously.

"Undoubtedly," he replied easily and then chuckled with her when she started laughing out loud.

"Of course you would." Even though she wasn't privy to most of his business, she knew enough about him to recognize that Nic was a conqueror. "It sounds like the plan worked. You've become very successful here."

His voice had the edge of a chill to it when he replied. "There was never a doubt that I would succeed."

She fell silent for a moment and processed what he was telling her. She knew there was a reason. He shifted her against his arm, leaning her forward so he could run his hand from her neck down her back to the bottom of her shirt where he slid his hand underneath, caressing her bare skin. He ran his hand up and down her back, sending goosebumps of pleasure skittering across her skin. She sighed and hugged his other arm against her chest. How could this man be so sweet and so brutal at the same time?

"I'm not used to taking anyone else into consideration when I work," he said quietly. It was like he was reading her mind.

"What about Cassandra? She's been in your life for a long time, and even though you aren't lovers, I do know you care about her."

"Yes, it would be hard not to care for her. She's open, honest and loving." His lips quirked. "But no, she did not factor into my business considerations. She's a good mafia wife, knows her place. Knows to lay low and not cause trouble." He thought for a moment, then amended his statement. "Outside of the household anyway. She enjoys harassing the house staff."

"But I'm different?" Maria prompted.

He hesitated, then said, "Si, bella, you are different to me. You are very precious, and I find..." He stopped speaking, as though struggling to find the words.

"You don't want me to get hurt," she finished softly.

His whole demeanour seemed to darken. "That is not an option. You will never be allowed to be placed in harm's way."

"But I don't understand, if you don't want me hurt, then why use me to get to Franco?" She couldn't help the hurt leaking into her voice.

Nic looked grim and said, "Delgado got what he wanted out of me in Vegas. The only possession I have left that he's interested in is you." The hand stroking up and down her back stilled. "But there is no question of your being directly involved. You will be safe behind the gates of our home when I take the necessary steps to bring Delgado down."

"But then how can you use me as bait?" Maria twisted on his lap to look up at him. "He's not a smart man, but he definitely knows what I look like."

"There are a lot of things technology can do these days," Nic explained. "We know he has spies updating him about you. Your unfortunate shopping trip to the beach has alerted him that you are alive and thriving under my care. I have also allowed him to get a few long-range photos of us together, you as my willing partner."

It took Maria a moment to grasp his meaning, then she gasped and tried shoving an elbow back into his chest. She lurched forward on his lap and tried to crawl away. "You let his people watch us have sex by the pool?" she shouted, her face suffusing red with anger and hurt. He'd taken her anal virginity, that had been a special moment just between them, yet he'd set it up as some kind of show for his enemies! "You calculating, creepy asshole! This is the last straw."

He grabbed hold of her waist and tried to drag her back toward him. When she resisted, he pushed her face down onto the bed and dropped on top of her. As she continued to struggle, he gathered her hands and pulled them behind her back, pinning them between their prone bodies. It hurt to wiggle when he did that, so she was forced to lay still and seething beneath him.

He pressed his lips against the top of her ear as he spoke. "I need him to see our domestic bliss. I need him to see you in my possession, happy and willing. It eats at him that you never warmed up to his advances and a man like that, with an ego like that, will not take the insult lightly."

"That's why you brought me here, isn't it?" she snapped accusingly. "So he can get more pictures of us together."

"Si, and to make sure that he knows I will not travel without you. This way, when I travel to Las Vegas with a body double, he will believe she is you. He will try to grab you and when he fails and grabs my decoy instead, I will be in a position to take him and his empire down."

"You're going to let an innocent woman get kidnapped?" she yelped.

"Hardly innocent," he drawled. "She is a highly trained assassin that will be able to infiltrate his penthouse and get me and my men inside. "

Maria didn't speak. It actually wasn't a bad plan, but still, she hated that he'd been using her. Even if it was to protect her.

"Why are you so angry with me, bellisima?" he asked huskily.

Maria thought about it for a long time, struggled with an answer, then finally admitted, "I don't know, Nic! Everything I guess. I hate your job. I hate that you play with the lives of others like a chess game. I'm terrified for our future, yet I know I want one. And fear makes me angry, it makes me want to fight back."

He let go of her hands, but before she could bring them down to push herself up, he flipped her over onto her back. He gathered her hands again, pulled them over her head and straddled her, oblivious to the damage he was doing to his beautiful suit, which was getting horribly wrinkled.

"If this is the reason for your anger, then you may keep it mi amor. Show me your fire, bare your teeth and rage. I can withstand the burn. In a world full of prizes for the taking, you are all that I want. All that I will ever want."

"What if I want more?" she whispered. "What if I want the freedom to take a walk. What if I want to be loved without all the bullshit?"

He stared at her, his eyes glowing with some unholy thought. Something that threatened them both. Finally, he said, "What you want will always come in second to what I want. I will give you the world if it is in my power, but I will make the choices for you. It is the only way to keep you safe."

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