Page 15 of Blood & Loyalties
I nodded, knowing Antonio would be lucky if his ass wasn’t six-feet under when this was all said and done. Of course, I would be happy with only a slice through his dick since I had stupidly left it intact.
“Come. You must meet some guests. Kiera is not here yet; she called to say she had to make a stop.” That sounded strange to me, considering she had left twenty minutes before I had. Then again, her guards didn’t leave her side, would protect her, and that thought helped me relax a bit. The trust in our protection was unbelievably important. Love it or hate it, we counted on it.
After meeting countless people, talking with my family, my cousins, and brothers, who gave me shit, and the arrival of Kiera—who seemed perfectly fine—I was damn tired.
Being dual CEOs with Kiera of Lambardoni Enterprises was the best job ever. We took people’s money and worked it in the stock market. We also invested it in companies we knew would show profit. We got our cut, and the clients got theirs. It was a seriously lucrative business. I loved my job, but it was the schmoozing that got me. Kiera was so much better at this part. I’d had to put on a professional front for the past three hours, and I needed a break.
“Catarina,” Uncle Vino called from the other side of the bar, and I looked up as he called out, “Come. Come here.”
My eyes drifted to the man he was standing with, all six-foot plus inches of Italian muscle. Jag’s eyes latched onto me, like I was his next meal, as I took steps toward them.
“Rina, meet Jag. He works with us in California.”
I wasn’t a stupid woman. When I had seen him with my brother and Ace, I had known he had to be part of the operations. I just didn’t know which part, and more than likely, I would never find out.
“Vino, we’ve actually met.” Jag’s eyes bored into mine, and I flushed from the intensity. “I was with Val last night when … Things needed to be dealt with.”
“Ah, yes. So you know my niece. She runs Lambardoni Enterprises with my daughter, Kiera.” Uncle Vino looked around the room, obviously searching for Kiera, and then turned back to us. “I’ll have to introduce you to her another time, yeah?”
“Sure, Vino,” Jag said.
The electrical sexual current that flowed between the two of us couldn’t be denied because it was twisting me in knots. My body was screaming at me to get closer, while my mind was telling me to stay back, and then my pussy was telling me to go for it. I was a screwed up mess in this man’s presence, my body and mind not getting on the same page.
“I need to run. I’ll be back in a bit,” Uncle Vino stated before he walked away, no doubt greeting other guests.
“Dance with me.” Jag held out his strong hand, and I took it without hesitation. The thought of being that close to him was too thrilling not to.
He pulled me through the crowd of people, each one staring as we passed, and onto the makeshift dance floor in the living room. Other couples were swaying to the soft music the string band was playing, many with smiles on their faces. Jag stopped, turned, and pulled me into his arms, my front plastered to his. One of my hands went to his shoulder, and the other he grasped in his as our bodies began swaying to the music. His arm around my back flexed with each movement he made as I followed his lead, the heat from it scorching my back.
“Catarina.” My name slithered from his lips like the finest silk against my skin, each syllable of it a warm caress. When our eyes met, I was dazed at the amount of passion and warmth that his held inside.
“Jag.” My breathy tone wasn’t what I was aiming for, but I prided myself on at least getting the word out.
The corner of his lips tipped up, revealing the sexiest lopsided knowing grin. He liked the way he was affecting me. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight.”
“Thanks, but I think you already told me that earlier.” Though I was going for teasing, I wasn’t sure if it worked. I hated that I became downright tongue tied in this man’s presence. Hell, I could take him down if I had to, yet there I was, barely able to say a word.
“No, earlier I called you beautiful, and you are verybellissima.” The Italian word for beautiful rolled off his tongue, and I swear I forgot how to breathe. I absolutely loved the way the endearment started something burning inside of me. “But I’m talking about this gorgeous dress.”
I quivered at his words from head to toe. Of course, I’d had many men tell me I was beautiful, but with the way Jag said it, the look in his eyes, I actually believed him.
“Thanks,” was all I could muster.
“Now come on,cara, I know you can speak more than one word at a time.” This time, I got a full smile, one that lit up his face, taking every hard-edged line and turning him into pure beauty. I didn’t tell him this, because no man wanted to be called beautiful, but that was what he was.
He was right; I needed to get my shit together. He was a man exactly like every other, and although my body’s reaction to him wasn’t within my control, how I presented myself was. As a result, I steeled my spine and pulled out my seduction card. He obviously liked what he saw in me, may as well play it up.
“I was just admiring the view.” I shrugged, going for tempting. “Figured you got a good look last night. Now it’s my turn.”
His lips parted, obviously not expecting the bluntness from me. “Baby, you can admire it all day or night.” His gruff voice went down a few notches, and I felt goose bumps rise up my arms and on my lower back. It was that good.
“I’ll think on that.”
Jag pushed me away from him, lifting our conjoined hands to twirl me. It was so unexpected my mouth gaped open as he pulled me back to his body securely. He reached for my arms and wrapped them around his neck. Then he placed his around my back, bringing our faces so close I could feel his breathing becoming more labored on my cheek.
“Yes, you think on that.” He dipped his lips to my ear, his hot breath caressing it. “Bet you won’t have to think long.”
My entire body wavered at his words, and I clutched him tightly so I wouldn’t fall flat on my ass, only adding to the heat between us.
