Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

He loved making her happy. He’d have ten offices built on the property if he could get that particular smile from her. Still, there was something bothering her she didn’t want to tell him, and he couldn’t have that. He needed to know when she was upset over something.

“I want to know why you’re reluctant to share the master bedroom with me.” He made it a statement. “Tell me, Grace.” He made that an order.

She made a small face at him. “It shifts the balance of power to you.” She made the confession in a little rush. “Everything about that room screams you. I think you can fit two of my rooms into it, and this room is enormous. The colors are all you and sort of . . . intimidating. The bed looks as if you might really be able to tie me to it, although I looked through the entire house and didn’t see any kind of dungeon, so hopefully I’m perfectly safe.” She ended on a nervous laugh.

He stepped close, forcing her to look up. One finger went under her chin so that she had to look him directly in the eye. “Just so you know, you’re never going to be perfectly safe from anything sexual I demand. Tying you up or not is my option no matter where we are.” He brushed a kiss across her lips, smiling as he did so because her eyes had widened and looked slightly shocked yet filled with a dark lust and clear anticipation. “It doesn’t matter what room we’re in. I want you in the master bedroom with me. Always. We’re moving you today.” He waited. Watching her expression.

She nodded slowly. “I’d better start before I get my swimsuit and go swimming.”

“First, you aren’t lifting a finger. I’ve instructed the movers to begin immediately as soon as we’re out of here. Secondly, there’s no swimming until I can go with you. I’m not taking chances that something might happen while you’re in the water.”

A storm of protest crossed her face and her eyes turned ominously dark. “First, nothing at all is going to happen when I’m doing laps. I’m swimming slowly, just like the doc ordered. I don’t need a babysitter in the pool. Before I came, did you swim alone in your pool?”

Her chin had gone up and he couldn’t help himself, he leaned into her and bit down gently until she yelped at the pressure. “It doesn’t matter what I did or didn’t do, gattina. It only matters what I want for you and above all, that’s your safety. You’re not swimming alone. That’s a rule I expect you won’t break.”

She looked positively mutinous. He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her in tight against him, locking her there. His mouth came down hard on hers. He was rough, indulging himself, kissing her until she couldn’t breathe. Until he couldn’t. Until he was certain air wasn’t strictly necessary. He loved kissing her.

Somewhere along the line, he’d become addicted to her taste—to the fire roaring in his belly the moment his mouth was on hers—to the flames pouring like a liquid inferno through his veins when he was kissing her. His woman, kissing him back, was a miracle. She felt like a living flame in his arms. He got lost there, swept up in the magic that was Grace.

He lifted his head reluctantly when his watch vibrated, letting him know his family was arriving. They had all agreed to travel to his home using the shadows, so Haydon had no idea where any of them were, other than Giovanni, who had no choice but to arrive in a car. Mariko used the shadows to get to the hotel, so she could stay with Francesca. His family always met in the same conference room overlooking the herb garden. The garden was closed in with fences. Ropes of wisteria in purples and whites rose up from every inch of fencing to further hide the room with its glass wall from the outside world.

“I would like you to sit outside on the patio and contemplate the perfect wedding for us. What is your dream wedding? Have you already pictured it in your head? Do you know what you want? Now would be a good time to write down the details.”

He turned her toward the door. Her face paled as she looked up at him. He kept them walking right out into the hallway. The matter with his family had to be urgent for everyone to be told to arrive immediately.

“You’re going too fast, Vittorio. You need to slow down. We’re just beginning to know each other. We can’t get married so soon.”

She sounded breathless. Shocked. Scared. He chose to address the scared. “Grace, you have to get used to trusting me. You’re wearing my ring on your finger. You’ve made your promise. We’ve lived together for a couple of months now. A little more. You know you’re in love with me and you know that I love you. I am not going to wait to marry you. There’s no reason not to do it as soon as we can. Haydon Phillips aside, and we’re going to find him and remove him from your life, what reason is there to wait?”