by Jill Sanders
Dante sat forward, “What do you mean?”
“The man had arms like an elephant’s trunk, hands like boulders. After meeting him and talking to him, I don’t doubt that he’s the best. You know that senator’s son that went missing a few years back?”
Dante remembered the news story. It was a national story. The kid had been playing on the school playground one minute and was gone the next.
“Ended up being a teacher, right? Trying to get a few million in ransom.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Ethan is the one that tracked the guy down. Saved the kid just in time, too.”
Dante let out a whistle. “This is Ric’s wife’s brother?” Dante thought about it. He supposed he was his brother-in-law in a roundabout way.
“Yeah. Anyway, he’s been looking into the phone logs between the two men and whoever hired them. He’s close to finding out where the calls were made from. He’s even tracked down the two calls made to Rodrick and Ric demanding the ransom.” Jason shook his head. “I tell you, the man is good.”
An hour later, Katie walked in on the arm of her father. Their smiles were almost identical and Dante could tell that the hour together had done wonders for the pair.
Since his mother was gone for the week, Katie and Jason decided to stay the night in one of the guest rooms. He knew that his sister still had issues with their mother. He couldn’t really blame her. When he thought about it, he still had issues with her, too. But he’d never been given the chance to really become close to her like Katie had. She’d been a part-time mom to him and a full-time mom to Ric and Katie. If it wasn’t for his broken body, he’d probably be in Portland now, working and living on his own, not having to deal with his mother that often.
Did he really want to go back to that life? When he thought of his future, he could only see a few things. He knew he had to finish recovering, but he couldn’t imagine his life back in Portland again. His apartment there didn’t feel like home, hadn’t ever really felt like home. Looking around the room, he realized this was no longer home, either. He still thought of Italy as his home, though, and didn’t know if he would ever return to the States. He’d enjoyed living there for a few years, but there was just something about coming home and feeling like you belonged. Plus, he couldn’t stop thinking about Airlea.
Today, when the car had hit the ditch, his only thought had been of her. He hadn’t cared what happened to him, he’d just wanted to make sure she was okay.
When he’d had his first accident, trying to stop the kidnappers from taking Katie, he’d thought only of his sister. But Airlea was different.
He didn’t know what he wanted to do a year from now, ten years from now, but he knew he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. He wasn’t ready to settle down, not like his sister and half-brother had. At least he didn’t think he was ready. He had been giving serious thought to going back and finishing school. After all, he was only a few semesters away from graduating with a medical degree. Why not?
He had done some research and he could start taking some of those classes online until he healed enough to get back to school. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to do it.
An hour later, they all sat around the large dinner table, laughing more than Dante could ever remember laughing in his entire life.
Not only was his sister smart and witty, she was just downright funny. She had this quirky way about her. Airlea had asked how she and Jason had met and she’d recounted the Jason a
He’d never enjoyed a story more, how Jason had saved her from drowning. Of course her story and his didn’t match, but watching them, he could tell that the small argument they had about it over their dessert was something they did all the time. The entire time, they were holding hands under the table and smiling at each other.
He was glad his sister was happy.
“So, where are you guys going now?” Airlea asked.
“Well, we are planning on heading back to the States soon. Jason’s mom is still in Boston. We may settle down there, or head up to Portland to be closer to Ric and Roberta. Roberta is pregnant and the baby is due next summer. I can’t wait to be an aunt. I am so going to spoil that kid.” Katie smiled, then looked at Dante. He was just taking a drink of his water, when she asked. “You don’t have any kids do you? I mean, I could already be an aunt.”
He choked on his water. He tried, really tried, to recover quickly, but Airlea ended up having to pat his back a few times before he got his choking under control.
“No,” he coughed out and shook his head. Then he swallowed and tried again. “No, I don’t have any children.”
“Oh, well, then, I suppose this will be the first.” He watched as his sister looked at Jason and smiled. Then he wondered if they were planning on having kids soon and, of course, he started wondering about himself. He’d never really thought about having kids. Oh, he supposed somewhere in his future he’d always imagined having some. A boy to play ball with, a little girl with dark eyes and hair that glowed in the sunlight.
He shook his head clear of the image he’d painted in his mind of his and Airlea’s children.
Reaching under the table, he found her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. She smiled at him and he knew he’d found what he wanted for his future.
Chapter Twelve
Dante tried to be as quiet as possible, but walking down the long, dark hallway with a crutch and a bowl of chocolate pudding was very hard. He’d just made it to his door when it flew open.
“Where have you been?” She stood in his room, her hands on her hips, looking very sexy. He forgot about breathing. “I came to check on you and was worried sick.”
He just looked at her. The light was shining behind her and he could see through her pale pink, silk nightie. Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she’d nibbled on her lips so they looked fuller and very pink. He almost dropped the bowl of pudding. Luckily she walked forward and grabbed it from him.
He followed her back into his room, shut the door behind him and flipped the lock.
“You came in here to check up on me, wearing that?” He walked towards her. At that moment, he wished his leg wasn’t broken and that he could make it across the room with her in his arms. He watched as she backed up, and was pleased when excitement crossed her eyes.
“What…?” She started to ask.
He noticed that she was still holding the bowl of pudding. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out the can of whipped cream.
“If you want to share my dessert, we’ll need some whipped cream, don’t you think?”
She held the bowl up. “Dante?” She kept backing up until her knees hit the side of his bed.
“Hold real still, I wouldn’t want to get any of this on you.” He smiled, knowing exactly what he wanted to do with the can of cool whipped cream. He shook the can and stood before her, dropping his crutch on the floor. She stood still, holding the bowl between them.
Lifting the can, he put a little of the cream on her bare shoulder.
“Ooops.” He dipped his head and licked it slowly off her soft skin.
Her head fell back and she moaned, “Dante.”
“Yes?” He dipped his finger into the chocolate and held it out for her. Her eyes met his, then she leaned forward and licked the dark richness from his finger. He closed his eyes and moaned at what she was doing with his digit. She wrapped her tongue around it, then ran her teeth gently over it, finishing it all up by licking it clean.
He took the bowl from her and set it on the night stand, then pushed her slowly down until she sat on the edge of the bed. He leaned over her and pulled the thin strap down her shoulder until she was exposed to his view. In the soft light her skin looked like it glowed. She moaned and closed her eyes, rolling her head back as she leaned on her hands, which pushed her breasts up and towards him. He shook the can and placed a dab of the cream on each nipple, then set the can down and carefully got on the bed next to her. She looked at him thr
ough her eyelashes and smiled.
“I love dessert,” he said, just before he dipped his head to enjoy her. He took his time running his mouth over her. Using his hands, he pulled the soft material aside and in his haste to expose her, ripped her nightgown.
He watched her eyes heat and saw her bite her lip.
“My turn.” She pushed his good shoulder until he leaned back. She took the can of whipped cream and shook it as she used her other hand to push his robe from his shoulders.
He was naked underneath and he watched as her eyes sparked with excitement and desire.
She sprayed whipped cream over his chest and bent to lick it slowly from him. He leaned back against the bed, giving her access. Her tongue ran down and across his chest, and he wanted nothing more than to take her quickly. He rolled over and bumped his leg, flinching just a little, but continued until he was positioned between her legs. Right where he wanted to be.
He smiled when her legs came up and wrapped around his hips. Then he ran kisses along her collar bone, across her slender shoulders, and up her soft neck. She smelled like spices and flowers, and tasted even better. Closing his eyes, he felt her soft skin next to his and marveled at the differences. She rolled her hips up and he entered her quickly as she moaned with delight. Her hips moved, rotating, as he pumped in and out of her slick heat.
She reached up and gripped his hair to pull his head down to her mouth. He held her close while he pumped into her.
“God, Airlea, I can’t hold back.”
“Don’t. Come with me, Dante.” She held him closer and when he couldn’t stand it any longer, he put his face in her soft hair and let himself go.
He was a lot heavier than he looked, but she enjoyed running her hands over his back side. They were slick with sweat and a little sticky from the whipped cream.
What had possessed her to play with him? She’d never done anything like that before, using food to pleasure someone. Smiling at the ceiling as she watched the shadows and listened to the cold wind outside, she wanted to do it again. He seemed to bring out the inner horny in her. She could feel his breath on her neck, which gave her goose bumps down her arm, and wondered if he was asleep.
“Stay with me,” he mumbled sleepily into her hair. A million things flashed through her mind. Questions, so many questions she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to take the chance. He must have felt her tense, and he rolled over onto his back to look at her. She noticed that his hair kept falling into his eyes. Pushing it back with her hands, she smiled at him.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Dante, you and I know that we just wanted some fun. I can’t stay, because I don’t want to. I can’t take that chance.”
He rolled over and she watched as he flinched a little.
“Did you hurt yourself?”
“Forget my damned leg,” he spat out. She could tell he was hurt and realized he had probably crossed the line they had set. She felt bad, she really did, but she just couldn’t go there.
Bending down, she found her night gown and saw that only the one shoulder strap was ripped. Pulling it back on, she got up from the bed. He lay there and watched her.
“I can’t forget your leg. That’s why I was hired. To take care of you. To make sure you heal and get back on your feet.”
“Well, I’m on my feet.” He sat up a little, holding himself up on his shoulders. She could see the anger and the hurt in his eyes. “Your job is done. So, why don’t you just go?”
She smiled and sighed. Maybe it was time for her to go. She knew he still had a long road ahead of him, but really, at this point he probably needed to go into a physical therapist who had access to the equipment he would need to help him get better.
“Goodnight. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
She walked from the room quietly and when she got to her own bed, she cried silently into her pillow.
Ethan had spent the last few days looking at the computer screen. He was glad that he actually had some field work to do now. This hadn’t been his normal type of job. Tracking down the people who had tried to kidnap his brother-in-law’s half-sister was personal.
He watched as the man he’d been following entered the old building. If he was going to make a move, he’d have to do it now. Quietly, he moved from the spot he’d been sitting in for over two hours. The chilling rain beat down on his covered head. His clothes were soaked, and he was very cold, but he’d been moving his body, keeping the blood flowing for the last hour since the rain had started. When he stood, he quickly and silently moved to the window and watched as the man moved around the small room.
It took less than a second for him to barge in the back door. The man had no time to react before he was on him.
Speaking in Italian, he asked the questions that he needed answers to. Less than five minutes later, he exited the room with a new mission and a new life to save.
It had been just over a week since her car had been destroyed. Thankfully, her insurance company had quickly delivered a rental until hers could be fixed. She sat in the newer car and felt nervous. She knew she needed to secure her future and knew there was nothing left in Greece for her to go back to.
Looking at the large, stone building she was parked outside, she realized she hated interviews. She was still excited, but she was also nervous.
When she walked into the director’s office for her interview, the first thing she noticed was how much nicer this facility was than where she used to work. The floors had new tile, the walls were freshly painted, and none of the lights flickered like at her old hospital.
“Miss Rossi, please come in. They are ready for you.”
She walked into a room full of men. They sat around a large table and all looked bored, like they’d rather be anywhere other than here.
Half an hour later she walked out more nervous than before. Of course, one of the first questions they had asked her was what had happened at her old job. She’d done the best to explain it and thought that they had actually listened, all except a few who had looked down their noses at her. She did like the director; he seemed friendly enough and she thought she’d won him over.
She answered question after question and felt very confident about the interview. If they would just overlook the reason she’d been let go at her last job.
Driving back to the Cardone’s, she couldn’t help but think about Dante. In the last week he’d become very irritated. He’d been very short and almost rude with her. She knew he was hurt and she tried everything to pull away from him, to spare him that hurt.
She looked at trying out for this job as her first steps away from a bad situation. When Kathleen had returned home from her week at the spa, Airlea had explained to her that things weren’t working out, and it was time for her to look for another job.
Kathleen had tried to talk her out of leaving, but when it had come down to it, she’d understood Airlea’s need to secure a future for herself.
She was just pulling into the long drive when she saw a man standing at the gate next to a large white truck. He waved at her and she stopped and rolled down her window a little, making sure the door was locked. He was huge. His arms were easily as wide as her waist, and she could see his muscles bulge from under his t-shirt. His chest, well, she wondered what he’d look like without his shirt on. She could see the muscles flex in his arms as he bent down to talk to her.
“Airlea Rossi?” She nodded her head and thought about hitting the gas if there was trouble.
“I’m Ethan Knight. I’m Katie’s brother-in-law. She told me where to find you. I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”
“Oh, yes.” Airlea rolled her window down a little more. She remembered Jason talking to her about the man. He had been right, the man looked like he could easily snap someone in half.
“Would you care to come up to the house? We could talk…”
“No, I’d better not. Miss Rossi, I believe your life is
in danger.”
She almost laughed. “I’m sorry?”
Chapter Thirteen
Dante watched Airlea from across the dining room table and thought she looked different. He felt bad for treating her the way he had in the last few weeks since she’d left him alone that night. He’d been hurt. There was no other way to explain it.
He felt something for her, but he couldn’t blame her. After all, they had entered the arrangement with an agreement that neither one of them was ready for a relationship. He’d been the one to break that. How was he supposed to know that he’d fall for her? But she was everything he wanted. Her kindness was beyond questionable. She was funny and easy to talk to. She was undeniably beautiful and at times he found himself just staring at her, dreaming about their future.