Page 121 of Dangerous King
She narrows her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."
"I would. In fact, I already have one in mind. Velvet. Black. Slit up the thigh."
She gasps, mock horror blooming on her face. "You're dangerous."
I lean in, mouth brushing her ear. "You have no idea."
Shadow barks once as if to remind me I'm still on thin ice. I smirk and whisper to her again. "Fifteen minutes, Piccolina. Don't keep me waiting."
I watch her and Shadow run up the stairs back to the terrace. I listen to the receding sound of her laughter, and the backyard already feels ten degrees cooler and infinitely emptier. FiguringI'm in for a wait, I walk back inside as well, running straight into Mamma.
"Ah, just the boy I wanted to see," her face is set in a stern expression I know well.
"We're on our way, just waiting for Cat," I ward her off.
She narrows her eyes, "On your way, where?"
Conspiratorially, I lean forward and whisper, "I'm taking her toVolare."
Her eyes light up instantly, and she pinches my arm, "Good boy. I knew I raised you right."
She leans up, her hands caging my head, pulling me down for a big, smacking kiss. I return her embrace. Mamma is the more affectionate parent in this house, and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy her hugs. They've become rarer in the last few years, probably due more to my growing status and the respect I demand, rather than her lack of desire to bestow them. She's a good woman.
Speaking of good women… Cat appears at the top of the stairs, and I go still. She took my request to heart; the black cocktail dress clings to her in all the right places, elegant and classic, with a high neckline. No slit, but somehow, she still looks like sin wrapped in moonlight. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, and her makeup is soft and smoky. My breath catches, hard and fast.
"Jesus, Cat," I murmur as I meet her at the bottom of the steps. "Are you trying to kill me?"
She smiles, that mix of shy and proud that she wears better than any diamond. "This okay?"
"This is more than okay, Cat, you're breathtaking. A vision."
Mamma pats my shoulder with one hand, wiping the corner of her eye with the other. "Figlio mio." And to Cat, "You look stunning, Cara. I couldn't be happier for either of you."
As much as I would like to pull Cat into my arms and kiss her to show her how much I like her outfit, Mamma's presence stops me. The last thing I want to do is give my mother a show. Although the way Cat's standing there, all breathless, looks like she's expecting it. Too bad.
I take Cat's hand, "Shall we?"
"Good night, Eliza," Cat calls over her shoulder.
"Good night, cara mia," Mamma calls after her.
We step outside, and I open the Hummer door for her before I lose all restraint and push Cat against the hood and ruin that dress.
"You look ravishing," I say, tucking her in and giving Shadow a warning glare when he growls before—to my utter astonishment—Mamma picks him up. I chuckle, as long as I've been breeding Shepherds, she's been adamant about them not coming into the house, no matter how cute they were—and there were a lot cuter puppies than this mutt. Somehow, he's stolen her heart, just like Cat.
Cat laughs and smooths the hem of her dress, stealing glances at me as I round the vehicle and slide behind the wheel.
"Where are we going?" she asks as I pull out of the gates. "You didn't give me any time to prepare."
I glance sideways, smirking. "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
She snorts. "You're such a cliché."
"And yet, you're in my car."
She rolls her eyes, but her smile never fades.
We drive west, toward the town nestled between the city's pulse and the quiet wealth of our estate. It's the kind of place where old money hides behind iron gates, and even the shadows feel expensive. She eyes the storefronts as we roll through the cobbled side streets, one foot already tapping in anticipation. "You didn't seriously bring me out here for late-night gelato, did you?"
