Page 10 of His Little Spitfire

“I think you shouldn’t cave, that’s all. You’ve got a fight in you I recognize well enough. Urzo has a thick skull, but from what I’ve heard, I’m willing to bet you’ll get through to him. That’s why I think you’re right for him. Even if it’s not what you want to hear, he looks at you in a way that he’s never looked at a woman before.”

So, he doesn’t get hard from throwing any woman over his lap then, huh?

We’ve got our own game going on. This push and pull thing. Unlike Bia, I’m not having a great time. Not enough to admit it to myself out loud.

Sure, it crossed my mind to piss him off on purpose to get a reaction out of him. Not just so he’d touch me, but so he’d feel the same frustrations as me. Both mentally and sexually.

Can’t tell his mom that, though. No way in hell.

“I’m willing to bet that if you run, my son will chase you.” She stops me before I can remind herwhyhe would. “Not because it’s good for the family, but because my son is greedier than he wants to let himself off to be.”

I hate that I’m imagining it, but once my thoughts go off the rail, I don’t try to stop it.

Urzo coming after me like a bull seeing red. Him throwing one of his thick arms around my waist and pinning me to his chest.

Him begging me not to leave.

A shiver wracks my body and I’m quick to shove my knees together. Shaking my head like I can jerk the thoughts right back out, she chuckles again before she moves to stand.

“I’ll give you some time to think. Enjoy this hiding place while you can. I’m sure you can get at least an hour to yourself before he flips this place upside down. Check out a book, the romance titles are vast. I look forward to more moments like this. Though something tells me getting you by yourself again will be quite the challenge.”

Thanking her for the chat, I watch her make her way toward the door.

“I’ll make sure no one says anything about seeing you. Good luck, dear.”

My heart aches a little at her motherly advice, and I wonder if I could’ve gotten something from my own if she was still around. Doubtful, but it’s nice to think I could’ve.

Getting up from the couch, I take the time to look at a few books. If I’ve got something in my hands when Urzo finds me, maybe he’ll cut me some slack. Better to be in here than trying to climb the iron fence wrapped around the estate.

There’s a book with a dude’s bare chest on the front. The pages are curled like they’ve been read more than once. Scoffing under my breath, I bring it over to the couch and get comfortable. Laying down, I flip to the back and see it’s a highlander romance all about traveling to Scotland.

Camellia tells me a great way to escape is through books. So, until I’m found, I might as well escape for a bit.

* * *

Turns out, reading books is boring. I don’t know how many pages a flip before I’m dreaming of Scottish burrs instead of reading about them.

I’ll say, a ginger Scotsman doesn’t come close to a wall of muscle covered in scars. Not as exciting.

As soon as I wake up, I feel groggy and disoriented. A little confused. Moving to stretch, I kick something hard. It’s not the arm of the couch.

Jumping, my heart races as I find Urzo sitting there, flipping through the same book I’d attempted to read. I guess it kept him preoccupied while I slept.

To think he didn’t shake me awake after finding me is a surprise in itself.

His eyes flick over to me, his frown growing harsher. Hardly surprising, he doesn’t look happy. He never looks happy. Not unless he’s making me suffer.

“You didn’t do anything to me, did you?” I kick his thigh again like it’ll give me a few inches of space. He grabs my ankle, shoving them off the couch altogether.

“Just listened to that hideous snore.” He moves his eyes, his brows furrowed together. “Slept like a fucking rock. Anything could’ve happened to you, and you wouldn’t have known the difference.”

Is that… concern in his voice? No, I’m hearing things. He’s just mad I left him, that’s all.

“I met your mother. You don’t take much of her beauty, huh?” Swinging my body up to sit, I don’t rush to stand. “She thinks you like me more than you’re letting on. I think she’s crazy.”

I expect an instant retort, something that’ll piss me off, but just like this library, he brings silence for far too long.

Finally, he grunts. “She’s stuck in this place. She likes shoving romance and happy endings down her children’s throats, that’s all. Said the same thing about Santino. Been on cloud nine since, happy to see one of her kids in love.”

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