Page 20 of Fierce Protector

“I suppose that’s true,” I say, pausing for dramatic effect before sarcastically adding, “Vecchietto.” He rolls his eyes, but it’s obvious from the gleam in themthat it doesn’t bother him. At least nowhere near as much as ‘Uncle Stefano’.

I turn on to my back, trapping his arm underneath me as I stretch. The last thing I remember is falling asleep in his arms; naked, exhausted, and satiated. More content than I’ve ever felt. “What time is it?”

“Nearly ten.”

I whip my head around and stare at him, my mouth open wide. “I haven’t slept this late in years, even on my days off.”

“Well, you were more than a little tired,” he says with a grin, giving me a hint of the dimple in his left cheek. “And so was I.” I adore that dimple. Even more now that I’m the one who’s lured it out of hiding.

“Remind me why we’ve waited so long to do this?” I say, sighing with a contented smile. The words slip out before I can stop them, and I regret them instantly. The last thing I want to do is burst our perfect little bubble. A bubble I’m perfectly happy existing in for the foreseeable future and hopefully mostly naked.

“Are you looking for another answer other than my best friend will beat me to within an inch of my life when he finds out I’ve tongue fucked his daughter?” he says, and it’s obvious from his tone that while he’s half-joking, he’s also half-not.

“Yeah, aside from that.” I wince, retreating in on myself at the thought of having to explain to my father that I slept with his best friend. Only as I think about it, that’s not what I’d say to my father, were I forced to explain myself.

Suddenly, I’m having images ofThe Little Mermaidwhen King Triton barges into her sanctuary with Ariel’s cry of ‘But Daddy, I love him’ playing on a loop in my head.

Nope. Hell no.No matter how long I’ve wanted this man, there’s no way I’m stupid enough to confuse mind-blowing sex with love.

You’re thirty-four years old, for Christ’s sake. Snap out of it, woman.

I give myself a mental slap and say, “My father is the last person I talk to about who I’m…”Fuck, I don’t know how to finish that sentence.Fucking? Dating? Madly in l?—

“Dating.” Stefano’s response is firm, and the tension leeches out of my body as soon as he says it. I’m a confident woman, but with the torrent of emotions that are threatening to overwhelm me, I don’t think I could have taken the rejection if this was just a one-night thing for him.

“We’re dating?” I say, unable to hide my smile. Stefano’s arms wrap around me and hold me tight.

“I couldn’t let you go if I tried, Katerina,” he whispers against my forehead. I’m lost for words. If I could think of what to say, I don’t know if I would ever be able to convey how he makes me feel. There’s no one who makes me feel as free to be myself, feel so seen. When I tip my chin to reply, I’m transfixed, captured by the adoration beaming back at me. Placing my hand across his collarbone, I slide my palm to cup his cheek before stretching to lay a gentle kiss against his lips.

My pulse flutters in response when he kisses me back. We lose ourselves in a playful caress, where ourtongues tussle and his teeth nip and draw out little groans I’m not sure I’ve heard myself make before.

When we pull apart, soft and desire-laden pants filling the air, I smirk. “I call not telling my father.”

He frowns, but the chuckle and gentle tickle at my waist reassures me he’s not actually annoyed by my teasing. I giggle as I writhe against his poking and prodding.

Although, I’m deadly serious. There’s no way I’m going to be the one to tell my father. We have a wonderful relationship. It’s not that I think he’ll be mad at me, but Stefano is his closest friend. If he’s not the one to tell him, my father will never forgive him. They need to hash it out between them.

Ceasing his attack, he lets out a contented sigh. “I’ll speak with him.” I smile as a sense of relief washes over me.

We sink into a haze of kisses and wandering hands—both his and mine. I’m just about to curl my palm around his mouth-wateringly hard cock when his phone assaults my ears with its outrageously loud ring.

“What the fuck is that? I know you’re not so old you need the ringer on that volume,” I protest, rolling off him and covering my ears.

“Rude,” he admonishes. “That’s one.”

“One what? Stop talking to me and answer the damn phone,vecchietto.”

He shuffles off the bed and rifles through the pile of crumpled clothes on the floor. Pulling out the offensively loud device, he answers, his tone and cadence returning to one of absolute authority. Not a hint of the warmth and affection it held seconds ago.

His expression gives nothing away as he listens to whoever is interrupting us. He wanders around the bed, so I take the opportunity to take in what I was too blissed out to appreciate last night. He’s hiding a sinful body under his pristine suits. There’s a smattering of chest hair doing a damn fine job of highlighting the understated ripple of muscle. It’s obvious he looks after himself, and I find my mind wandering as I try to imagine what weight machines I’d find him sweating over if I were to see him in the gym.

I’m bombarded by images of hip thrusts and leg presses and sweat running down his beautifully defined abs and disappearing into his happy trail. He turns to pace in the other direction and I bite my bottom lip when I get my first glimpse of his naked ass in the light of day.

I sink back into the embrace of my pillows and cover my eyes with my forearm. I’d quite happily take a bite out of that peach. I chastise myself because never before have I thought that about a man, but holy fuck, there’s a reason his ass looks good in a suit and that’s because it’s spectacular out of one.

“You inform me the minute he returns,” Stefano commands. His tone is low, and while he’s not threatening the person he’s speaking with, it brooks no dissent. He ends the call and tosses the phone on the bedside table, taking a moment to run a hand over his face, like he’s trying to wipe away the frustration written there.

He looks down at me and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “It would appear that Danny Costello is out of town. Has been since yesterday morning.”

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