Page 25 of Take Me Under

“I haven’t considered bringing on anyone after my last household employee didn’t work out.”

“Oh?”

“I hired a majordomo about a year ago, but it didn’t go well.”

“Wow. Fancy—and not cheap from what I’ve heard. Was the person not any good?”

“On the contrary, he was stellar. His training was impeccable. I was the problem. I didn’t like his hovering.”

“But isn’t part of his job to do exactly that in order to better serve you?”

“Perhaps. But I like my privacy. I don’t easily trust strangers, especially in my personal space.”

I pressed my lips together and contemplated his words, thinking back to the night we met. Although he divulged very little about himself, he’d been charming and convincing when he told me to trustfall. The suggestion had come easy to him, yet here he was talking as if he trusted nothing and no one.

“That sounds strange coming from the person who expected me to trustfall so effortlessly. Why so many trust issues, Mr. Romano?”

“Why so many questions, Dr. Martinelli?” he countered. I met his onyx gaze and found him studying me with a mixture of amusement and something else I couldn’t quite place. He broke eye contact first, shifting to look down at my plate. “You aren’t eating.”

“You’re changing the subject,” I pointed out as I added more eggs to my fork.

He eyed me again, seeming hesitant. It was as if he were assessing how much he wanted to say.

“I’m a private person. I don’t live a conventional lifestyle. The fewer people I let into my circle, the better.”

I frowned, mentally dissecting his response as I nibbled on a strip of bacon. I stole a glance in his direction, wishing I could get a read on him. At times, he seemed so much the gentleman. And at others, he gave off an edgy vibe that made him seem more calculating and ruthless.

I could sense his intense appraisal of me, and I did my best to ignore it. However, after several moments, his persistent observation won, and I met his stare. As nice as he was to look at, the most captivating thing about him were his eyes. It was nearly impossible to resist the piercing onyx that seemed to see through to the most secretive parts of my soul. Their intensity caused a flush to creep up my neck to my face.

He slid off his stool and made his way toward me, his swagger ever so prominent. When he leaned against the counter next to me, I swallowed hard.

He was close.

Too close.

My breath caught.

“You’re blushing,” he stated matter-of-factly. The corner of his mouth twitched with amusement.

My eyes widened. Mortification crept in.

“Am I?” I looked away, feeling the burn in my cheeks deepen.

“Yes, you are.”

“Maybe the fever is coming back,” I muttered awkwardly. Looking at the plate, I scraped the last of the eggs into a neat pile before bringing them to my mouth. Swallowing them down, I shifted off the stool. “Thank you for the breakfast and the shower. I have a few calls I need to make, so if you’ll excuse me...”

I made to step around him, but he moved in front of me, blocking my path.

“No, you don’t. Not yet,” he said, catching my arm.

He studied me with such an intense scrutiny, I felt like I was being hunted by a lion. My insides twisted into knots. He was preparing to pounce on his prey. If I let my guard down, he could easily strip my soul bare. No man had ever affected me this way, and I didn’t know how to respond to it.

“The longer I wait, the longer I’m stuck in New York. I love the city, but I can’t financially afford to waste time dawdling. The sooner I…” I sucked in a breath when his hand lifted to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

“You worry too much about money.”

“Says the guy who has tons of it,” I replied. The words came out breathy despite my attempt at sarcasm. I just couldn’t think while he was standing so close.

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