Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

She heard the moan that escaped. She sounded as needy as she felt. Nothing in her life had ever felt so good and yet at the same time, so frustrating. She needed . . . more. Her fingers finally sank into that thick, silky hair, fisting there, claiming him.

His tongue lapped at her nipple and she closed her eyes, knowing he was going to save them both. “I don’t want saving,” she whispered, meaning it.

“Neither do I,” he murmured against her bare skin. “It’s the last thing I want. You have to be sure, Grace. I know you’re what I want, but you have to come to terms with your fear and accept the relationship because when you do, you have to know you’re giving yourself to me. Putting yourself in my hands, trusting me always to do the right thing for you. For us. For our children. You take your bath and we’ll talk over dinner.”

She reluctantly allowed her fingers to loosen in his hair so he could stand up. He stood just enough to brush a kiss over her lips. She knew she was pouting, but her entire body was on fire. The only good thing was he had a large bulge in the front of his pin-striped trousers that told her she wasn’t alone in her frustration or need.

“Tell me what you need from me, Vittorio.” She walked on shaky legs to the edge of the tub. He had his arm around her the entire way. Looking down, she could see the marks of his possession on her breasts. She could still feel every nerve ending sparking like little electrical shocks to her body, needing more. Her nipples were twin hard peaks, blatantly telling him she wanted him.

“I need you to commit fully to me. You have to know for certain, without any doubts, that I’m the man for you.” He lifted her with casual strength, careful of her shoulder as he placed her in the bathtub. He kept hold of her until she sank down into the hot, soothing water.

She loved the bathtub. Showering or bathing had always been fast and efficient. The entire time she’d felt vulnerable, afraid any minute that Haydon would come in and harass her. She didn’t like the feeling that he was spying on her all those years, but there was nothing she could do about it. He enjoyed taunting her with his ability to move in and out of any house or apartment. Or that he could find her wherever she was. He loved holding it over her head that he could get into the home of anyone she talked too long to.

“Can anyone do that, Vittorio? No one knows the future. You could stop wanting me.”

“That would be impossible for me. I know this relationship started in an extreme way, but it’s real. What I feel for you is real and it’s only growing. I hope it’s the same for you, but only you can determine that. I’m willing to wait. I’m willing to let you have as much time as you need, but the truth is, all obstacles are in your mind. If you let yourself believe in me, I’ll take care of us. I believe absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’ll take care of us just as well.”

He placed a gel pillow behind her head and one under her arm. “I’m heading for my shower. I’ll be back in a short time. The water should stay hot for you.” He ran his hand very possessively over her shoulder, down to her breast, caressing the soft skin once again before abruptly leaving her.

She had no doubt that he’d be back before the water had time to cool. What did that say? She closed her eyes, although he’d dimmed the lights in the bathroom as he went out the door. Of course he had. He saw to everything. He thought of everything. She’d never felt she had the luxury to lie in a bathtub, the hot water soothing her body, and she wouldn’t have anywhere else. She relaxed because of Vittorio.

Grace tried to think what possible criteria she met that other women didn’t. Francesca and Sasha had been casual about it, as if it wasn’t any big deal, but they had intimated that whatever the Ferraro men required, there weren’t all that many women who met their needs. Did they have some built-in radar for a woman who might keep up with them sexually? Just the thought as well as the admission to herself gave her a full body blush. From the moment she’d laid eyes on Vittorio Ferraro, she’d been awakened sexually. By that, she had to admit, her entire body had come alive. Every single nerve ending. Muscles she hadn’t known about.

It was strange to her that she didn’t feel the same way about the other Ferraro men. From the beginning, Vittorio was the one who’d captured her interest, and then her heart.