Trust In Me: A Fight for Me Novel

by Jessica Linden

  Her spoon clattered to the table.

  “You’re an Adamo?”

  Chapter 5

  Kat glared at Marco as he held the pen poised over the receipt.

  She’d never felt so stupid. It was her own damn fault. She’d sat across the table from him for two hours and hadn’t even known his last name. And now that she looked at him, there was definitely a resemblance between him and Tony.

  She’d known Tony had a brother. Hell, she’d probably even heard his name, but if she did she couldn’t remember. It hadn’t been important.

  But it sure as hell was important now.

  He didn’t respond for a moment, instead focusing on signing the credit slip. Kat could practically see the wheels turning in his head. But no smooth talking was going to be able to cover up his deception.

  He’d lied to her. Well, actually, he hadn’t. Omission wasn’t the same as lying, but it was pretty darn close.

  “Tony is my brother,” Marco admitted.

  “When I talked about my boss, don’t you think you should have mentioned that?”

  “Maybe. Probably. Does it matter?”

  “Of course it matters! I can’t date my boss’s brother.”

  “Why not? And I thought he was your friend.”

  “He is.” Kat pinched the bridge of her nose. It wasn’t a difficult concept to grasp. She was an Adamo employee. She couldn’t very well date an Adamo.

  She should have adhered to her no-dating policy. If she had, none of this would be an issue.

  “So what’s the problem?” Marco asked.

  “I work for Adamo and your name is Adamo.”

  “I’m not your boss, though. I’m only a silent minority shareholder. I don’t actually work there.”

  “Close enough,” she muttered.

  Marco leveled his gaze at her and she had to force herself not to squirm under his scrutiny. “What you’re saying is you’re holding who my family is against me.”

  Her mouth fell open. He thought she was prejudiced?

  “No, that’s not it at all.”

  “Really? Because that’s what it sounds like.” Though his words were serious, his tone had a bit of teasing to it, which only made her dig her heels in more.

  “You don’t understand.”

  Marco picked up his spoon and took another bite of the brownie. The ice cream had already all but melted. “I think I understand perfectly. If you had known I was Tony’s brother, would you have gone out with me tonight?”

  “Of course not,” she said automatically. This conversation was going around in circles. “It’s getting late.”

  “It’s getting late now that my name is Adamo, you mean.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, it’s getting late now that you’re being a jerk about this.”

  He had the audacity to throw his head back and laugh, a deep timbre that reverberated through her body.

  He was sexy when he laughed.

  And she had no right thinking that about her boss’s brother. This job was the first good thing to happen to her in a long time. She wasn’t about to mess it up.

  Because what happened if they broke up? What then? She couldn’t go on working at Adamo if she and Marco split.

  Except what the hell was she even thinking? She and Marco had shared one dinner together. One, that’s all. And it was as a way to repay him for the money he’d spent on her car. So technically, it wasn’t a date. It was more like a business arrangement.

  She and Marco would have to actually be together before they could break up.

  The thought made her irrationally sad, which was totally ridiculous.

  She grabbed her coat and stood. “Thank you for dinner.” Then she strode out of the restaurant, slipping her coat on as soon as she got outside.

  Damn, it was cold. And her car was parked back at Adamo, way too far to walk. She’d have to see if her friend Natalie could pick her up. Natalie was always so busy though, so she hated to bother her. Maybe she’d just call an Uber.

  She groaned as she remembered her dead battery. That certainly complicated things. She’d have to go home tonight and figure that out in the morning.

  She was digging around in her purse when she felt, rather than heard, Marco come up behind her. She spun around.

  “What the hell?” Marco said. He was good and pissed, a far cry from his laughter earlier. Good.

  “What?” she shot back. Did he expect her to sit there while he laughed at her?

  He ran a hand over his head. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t explain who I was. I didn’t think it would matter.”

  “If you didn’t think it would matter, then why did you keep it from me?”

  He sighed. “Fair enough. I hoped it wouldn’t matter. My whole life I’ve been judged by who my family is and I didn’t want that to be the case here.”

  Kat cast her eyes to the ground. She understood not wanting to be judged according to her family, but her situation was way different. Her parents were deadbeat drunks, not multimillion-dollar company owners.

  Though with Santi Adamo’s pending trial, the family had lost some of their prestige. Not the money, though. They still had millions.

  She cringed as she realized how judgmental her thoughts were. Her friend Natalie was ridiculously wealthy, but Kat didn’t hold that against her. So why should she hold it against Marco? That wasn’t fair. Anyway, he’d left it all behind to serve his country, which said something about his character. Not many men would do that.

  But that still didn’t negate the fact that he’d withheld information.

  “You should have told me who you were when you realized I worked for your family’s company.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ll give you that. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

  His tone was sincere and his expression matched. What the hell. If he could play nice, then so would she.

  “Yes. And I’m sorry for running out on you back there. Can you forgive me for that?”

  His eyes searched her face and his eyes darkened as his expression shifted. He gripped her arms and yanked her body against his.

  “You’re forgiven,” he said gruffly.

  Then he crushed his mouth to hers.

  She stiffened for a moment before becoming pliant, soft. She felt herself melding her body against his.

  His lips explored hers, gently sucking and nipping. Her knees turned to rubber and she wrapped her arms around him to steady herself.

  He took that as an invitation and deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue. Then he thoroughly explored her mouth.

  He tasted of chocolate, making the kiss all the more delicious.

  His hand flattened against the small of her back, bringing her into even closer contact with his body. Through their clothing, she could feel he was hard.

  The thought that she did that to him lit a fire in her belly.

  The chime of the bell on the front door of the restaurant knocked Kat back to her senses, and she disentangled herself from Marco, putting distance between them. She put a hand to her heaving chest, her eyes wide as she looked over at the huge windows of the restaurant.

  They were in plain view of all the patrons. What was she thinking?

  She hadn’t been. That was the problem. Marco made her forget all rational thought. And if she was honest with herself, she kind of liked it.

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of his truck. “Come on.”

  * * *

  It took restraint Marco didn’t even know he had to keep from pawing at Kat in his truck like a randy teenager. When the stupid bell on the door had broken the spell and she stepped away from him, she’d looked like a wet dream—wide eyes, full swollen lips, and breasts that rose and fell with every breath she took.

  He was probably lucky she didn’t slap him right there in front of the restaurant. Instead, she’d let him lead her back to his truck, and now they were on their way to see about her car.

  “I have
jumper cables,” she said. He glanced over at her and she met his gaze shyly before looking away and clearing her throat. With a second glance, he noticed her hands were shaking slightly.

  Good. Glad to see the kiss hadn’t only affected him. He hadn’t been able to resist showing her there was something between them—something worth exploring despite the fact that he was her boss’s brother.

  Hopefully, his message was received loud and clear.

  Once back in the Adamo parking lot, he made quick work of hooking her battery up to his.

  He wished he weren’t staying with his mother. He wasn’t ready for the night to end, but he certainly wasn’t inviting her for a nightcap while his mother and grandmother snoozed in the next rooms. And somehow he didn’t think Kat would take to his inviting himself to her place.

  It was just as well. He’d finished the one-night-stand phase of his life before he left for boot camp. And anyway, Kat was not one-night-stand material. He wanted to take his time with her and based on that kiss, he knew one night with her wouldn’t be enough. If he tried to move too fast, he’d scare her off.

  Once her engine was running smoothly, he unhooked the cables and tucked them away in her trunk.

  “That ought to do it.”

  “Thanks,” she said. She moved toward the driver’s side door, then stopped like she had forgotten something. She whirled on her heels and wrapped her arms around his neck. She caught him off guard and he stumbled back a step so that his back was against his truck.

  Her eyes met his for a brief moment before searching his face. What she was looking for, he didn’t know.

  She pressed her lips to his, hesitant at first. He snuck his hand under her coat and gripped her ass, pulling her against him.

  That’s all it took for her to stop being hesitant. Her mouth worked over his, sliding her tongue along his.

  He gripped the back of her neck and tilted her head back to give him better access. Then he broke his mouth away and touched his tongue to the tender spot behind her ear.

  She let out a half-moan, half-sigh, and Marco feared he’d lose it right there in the parking lot. It had been so long. Too long. But something told him Kat was worth the wait.

  “Marco,” she murmured. “I need to go.” But she made no move to leave, so he didn’t stop. Her skin was so soft and he wanted his mouth on every inch of her.

  “Marco, please.” For a moment, he thought she was begging him to keep going. That’s what it sounded like. Then he realized her hand was against his chest.

  That’s right. She needed to go to the auto parts store before they closed to get a new battery.

  Reluctantly, he released her and she took a step back. She looked up at him with much the same look as she had outside the restaurant, except her eyes weren’t wide with shock. No, she looked up at him from underneath her lashes.

  “Stupid car,” she muttered.

  He had to agree. He fucking loathed her car right now. If not for the dead battery, would they still be wrapped around each other right now? Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she would have invited him back to her place.

  He didn’t know her well, but he knew her enough to know she didn’t trust easily, so it was better this way. He wanted her to trust him and trying to seduce her on the first date wasn’t the best way to earn that trust.

  “Is now a good time to ask for a second date?” he asked.

  She smiled at him and put a hand on his cheek. “Text me.” She pushed a card into his hand, then pressed her mouth to his in a parting kiss before getting into her car.

  He followed her to the auto parts store where they replaced her battery before parting ways. Then he continued to his parents’ house.

  He still hadn’t decided if he wanted to settle down here, but suddenly it seemed like a very attractive option.

  Chapter 6

  Marco pulled into the parking lot at the address displayed on his phone. It was a large warehouse on the south side of town. As he got out of his truck and walked up to the door, he noticed the sign: ANNA FARRINGTON YOUTH CENTER.

  Odd. Tony had texted him with the address, asking if he wanted to beat the shit out of each other, like old times. The answer was an immediate Hell, yes. The brothers had both been involved in marital arts in their youth and even after they stopped formally practicing, they still went rounds with one another. They’d broken more than a few lamps and vases in their day, much to their mother’s chagrin.

  The timing of Tony’s invitation couldn’t be more perfect. Marco had some pent-up energy to expend.

  He hadn’t seen Kat since their date, but he had made arrangements to take her out again this weekend. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Maybe that was partially because he didn’t have shit to do.

  Maybe, but probably not. He’d most likely be thinking about her regardless. She was a woman who begged to be scrutinized. She was complicated and simple at the same time and he wanted to unravel both sides of her. He wanted to learn what made her tick.

  He opened the front door to the warehouse and walked into a large gym space, complete with cardio equipment, free weights, various punching bags, and a ring. Tony was already there, dancing on his toes and taking jabs at a bag. Fluorescent lights glared down and fans swirled the slightly musty air.

  “What is this place?” Marco asked.

  “Remember Natalie Farrington Kent?” At Marco’s nod, Tony continued. “She runs it. It’s an after-school program for troubled youth.”

  “Wow.” Marco took a closer look at some of the equipment. It was all top-line, state of the art, much better than the shit in the gym on the base.

  “Yeah, she spared no expense. Anyway, she gave me a key so I can use it when the kids aren’t here. It’s quiet and private.”

  “I didn’t realize the two of you were friends.”

  “There’s a lot you don’t know,” Tony said gruffly, the first sign that he actually did harbor some resentment toward Marco.

  Marco couldn’t blame him. Having a CEO position he didn’t want dropped in his lap couldn’t have been easy. And Marco had basically disappeared for four years, not taking part in the goings-on in the family. But he had been self-destructing. He needed to get away, both for his sake and those he cared about.

  He didn’t want to make another mistake that would screw up even more people’s lives.

  Tony tossed him a roll of tape. “Warm up.”

  Marco shrugged off his coat and peeled a length of tape off the roll. Damn, he hoped he didn’t get his ass handed to him by his little brother. Thanks to the army, he was in great physical shape, but he hadn’t sparred in at least a year.

  Tony entered the ring and stood with his hands on his hips, watching Marco with a cold expression.

  Damn. When had his brother gotten so menacing? Tony was bigger than the last time they’d done this, but then again, Marco himself had packed on pounds of lean muscle. It was Tony’s expression that shook him a little—it wasn’t the face of the easygoing brother he remembered.

  Marco stepped into the ring and danced lightly on his toes for a moment, getting into a rhythm and loosening up.

  “You ready?” Tony asked impatiently.

  He wasn’t, not really. Tony had properly warmed up while Marco had just stripped off his jacket. But he wasn’t going to let his brother—now his opponent—know he had the upper hand.

  “Yeah.”

  Tony didn’t hesitate, coming in swinging hard and fast. Marco took a hit to the temple that spun him around.

  Jesus fuck. So much for simply sparring. Guess they really weren’t holding back. But when the hell had Tony learned to fight like that?

  Marco turned, his fists up in a defensive position. Hell if he was going to let his little brother beat him up. He just got back from war for Christ’s sake.

  Marco dodged a few blows, not making any advances of his own while he studied his opponent. When he was a kid, Tony always had a tell—either a blink or a slight nod of his head before he swung.
As soon as Marco figured it out, Tony would realize what was happening and it would change.

  But from what Marco could see now, Tony had finally managed to eliminate the tell.

  His tough luck.

  Still Marco took his time. If the army had taught him nothing else, it was patience.

  As Tony advanced with a faked uppercut and a right hook, Marco swept his leg, taking out Tony’s ankles.

  Now it was Marco’s turn to act fast. He joined Tony on the mat, holding Tony’s back against his chest and putting him in a choke hold.

  He grinned and put his mouth near Tony’s ear. “Now what, little brother?” He couldn’t help but gloat.

  He should have resisted the urge.

  Tony bucked his hips, loosening Marco’s grip just enough to get free. Marco reached out, trying to keep Tony on the mat. He hadn’t been a state contender in wrestling in high school for nothing, but Tony was too fast, already on his feet.

  Marco charged him, wrapping his arms around his middle in a take-down attempt. Tony lost his footing, landing on his back. Marco took advantage of the situation and wrapped his legs around Tony’s stomach, using his arms to put him in a choke hold again.

  “Fuck,” Tony ground out. Marco took the word to mean his brother was tapping out, so he released him.

  Tony immediately flipped on him and jumped to his feet. “What the hell? Why’d you give up?”

  Marco stood and rested his hands on his knees, panting. “What? I didn’t give up. You tapped out.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  The two brothers stared at each other in the ring, both winded from their fight. As it had been since they were teenagers, they’d been evenly matched. But unlike then, now there was discord between them.

  “Why are you back?” Tony asked.

  Marco had been asking himself the same question. “I need to right some wrongs. You’re one of them.”

  “There’s nothing you can do to fix this.”

  Marco wasn’t entirely sure what Tony was referring to—his leaving or the recent trouble at Adamo caused by their father. Either way, his answer was the same.

  “I want to do what I can.”

  Tony shook his head and looked away. “So, what? You want a job or something?”