“It’s not a bother,” he replied from right behind me.
I tamped down the feeling of warmth that he cared enough to be worried. Very few people worried about me anymore. Instead, I found my anger and spun around, facing him.
“Finished already? That must be the shortest hookup on record,” I tsked. “Maybe you need to cut back on the steroids if they’re affecting your performance, big guy.”
He frowned. “Hookup?”
“With Lara,” I spat. “Or did you already forget her name? Look out for her, Hulk. She’s a lot of work.”
For a moment, he looked confused, then a smile broke out on his face. He reached out and tucked a curl behind my ear. I slapped his hand away, but he only chuckled.
“You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
I gaped at him, aghast. “I-I’m not jealous.”
He moved closer, crowding me. I stepped back, the cold metal of the SUV hitting my back. Stefano braced his arms on the hood, caging me in.
“I came out to wait for you, hoping your little friend would take the hint. She didn’t. Instead, she followed, so I told her exactly the way things were, and she left.” He traced his finger along my cheek. “I never touched her, and I never will. I don’t play around, Gabriella.” He whispered my name, the sound a caress falling off his tongue. “You understand what I’m saying?”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “W-what?”
“I told her I was here for you. Only you. I made sure she got in her car safely and left. That’s all, Tesoro.”
I swallowed at the way the endearment rolled off his tongue. Once again, all I could do was stutter. “M-me?”
He cupped my cheek, his thumb drawing circles on my skin. His touch was tender. His eyes, however, were intense. Dark, piercing, and focused entirely on me. He bent and brushed his mouth to mine. Soft, sweet, light as a feather. It made me want more.
“You,” he repeated.
“You–you didn’t…” I let the words trail off.
“No.”
Relief flooded through me. His words sank in. Only you. Tesoro. He was right. I was jealous. It had been eating me up inside, thinking he was touching her. That she would know the wonder of his mouth, the way his body felt pressed to hers. I had hated the idea.
I stopped thinking and, for the first time in a very long while, only felt.
Reacted.
I flung my arms around his neck, lifted up on my toes, and I kissed him. His shock was evident, and then he recovered. He wrapped his strong arms around me, lifting me easily, and he took control, slanting his mouth over mine and kissing me back. Deep, possessive, and intense. His tongue invaded my mouth, stroking along mine. His breath filled me, warming me from the inside. He groaned low in his chest as I slid my hands into his short hair, tugging him closer. As close as I could get him without crawling under his skin. He gripped my ass with his hands, kneading firmly. I held him tighter, lost to the moment. To him.
He was hard and solid against me, his muscles like bands on his torso. His arms were huge—too big for me to wrap my hands around, but he held me with a gentleness that was comforting yet sexy. His scent, that crisp, woodsy scent, surrounded me. His taste filled my head, his touch settling my mind. He was solid. Warm. Safe.
And wanted me as much as I wanted him.
I whimpered as he ground against me, his bulge evident, hitting me exactly where I needed it. I had been wrong—he had no problems with steroids. The odd thought caused a giggle to erupt from my throat, and Stefano pulled back, frowning.
“Why the hell are you laughing right now, woman?”
“I guess there’re no, ah, issues here.” I flexed, rubbing against him.
“Only that we’re not some place private,” he growled. “What I want to do to you…” He trailed off, covering my mouth again.
I groaned at his touch. His kiss. Pinning me against the SUV, he slid one hand into my hair, fisting my curls as he worked my mouth. His other hand ran over my thigh, cupped my ass, and slid between my legs, touching, teasing, lingering. The ache, low in my belly and spreading, became acute. Intense. My body became a mass of trembling limbs and aching need. For him.
He shifted me higher, opening me up more, and I felt his fingers delve under the short black skirt of my “uniform.” Up and down, he slid them along my thigh, going higher, deeper, each time until he slipped his long fingers under the satin of my panties, touching me where I ached the most.
I gasped into his mouth, and my head fell back. Stefano licked, kissed, and bit at my neck, sucking my lobe into his mouth, whispering low, dirty words into my ear.