Page 38 of Promise Maker

True.

I sputter a short sarcastic laugh. “The woman I amnow won’t easily bend.”

A dark shadow cloaks his face.

“Quello che voglio è piegartinel mio letto e scoparti a sangue.”He utters every word with afrightening grunt, and it’s all so deliberately fast that I have a hard timetranslating.

I purse my lips, annoyed. “What did you say?”

Domenico relaxes back in the chair, a cockyhalf-smile forming.

“Does it frustrate you, not understanding?” heteases. “Hm. It seems a tutor is needed after all. I’ll repeat it once you’velearned Italian.” He motions to the waitress for the check.

My mind drifts to the night before when he wassitting in my room. “Um, last night, you—”

“I have insomnia,” he answers before I finishspeaking. “So, like you, I often walk around at night. I wanted to see if youwere getting any sleep.”

“Oh.”

“Did I scare you?” he asks after the waitressleaves the bill on the table and steps away.

No. It turned me on.

“Uh, well, it was surprising.” I touch my neck ata sudden fiery jolt beneath my skin. “But I wasn’t scared.”

His eyes lower to my mouth, and a soft breathoozes past my lips. “Then I’ll come to your room again tonight.” He’s sounabashed.

I fidget on the chair, turning nervous. “Maybe…wecould talk, considering we both have trouble sleeping.”

Domenico watches me in silence for a beat untilplacing cash on the table. “Let’s go.”

I straighten from the chair. “Do you have work?”

“Sì,” he replies, and Icatch the regret in his voice.

As we head to the exit of the café, I inquire,“What sort of business is your family into?”

“My father owns nightclubs and a shippingservice.”

He opens the door for me.

“Shipping what?” I ask as we step outside.

“Wine and spirits.”

Domenico opens the backdoor for me, but I delay gettinginto the car. “None ofthat soundsdangerous.”

He scoffs at me as if I’m silly. “You have no ideahow dangerous it can be, Solari.”

“Scendere!” Rodrigoshouts.

I scream as he shoots a man that suddenly runs upon the sidewalk.

Domenico shoves me into the SUV and yanks out hisgun, firing at two other men.

He jumps into the back as Rodrigo gets in thepassenger side. I’m left shocked by the ordeal as the driver peels off.

Reaching the Martelli mansion, Domenico exits thecar and stretches his hand to me.

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