Page 125 of A Diamond Deal
He saw the fear tremble across her features and instantly regretted being so frank with her. But he had to make her understand. What had happened on the streets that afternoon had been a random mugging, possibly brought on by the designer bag she was wearing, and the fact she looked like an easy hit because of her diminutive stature. But once word got out that they were married, it was the less random attacks he’d worry about.
‘I can take care of myself.’
‘Perhaps, and yet, you no longer have to.’
‘That’s no reason to give up my personal freedom—’
He stifled a scoffing sound. ‘Don’t be so dramatic. We’re talking about highly trained security operatives accompanying you out in public. You will not even know they’re there.’
‘I’ll know.’
It had been a long time since anyone had argued with Massimiliano like this. Most people saw the writing on the wall as soon as he laid down a proposal. He had to admit, sparring with her was equal parts frustrating and addictive.
‘Why are you fighting this so hard?’
‘I just don’t see the point.’
‘Even after what you went through today?’ Irritation swirled through him, and he attempted to tamp down on it. But it was intense and flooding his system, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of being out of control. ‘You are being unreasonable.’
‘And you’re being overbearing.’
‘By wanting to keep you safe?’
‘You seem to think you’re safe enough and I don’t see you being trailed around by discreet security guards.’
His irritation turned into impatience, and something else. A fire in his bloodstream. ‘I have security protocols in place.’
‘But not bodyguards?’
‘I also do not look as though a gentle breeze could knock me down. You, on the other hand, are tiny. Like a doll. It would take no effort to bundle you into a waiting car and kidnap you for ransom. Do you not understand that?’
He saw something flash in her eyes, and wondered if he’d gone too far. If he’d scared her, with that warning. But she rallied quickly, glaring back at him. ‘I won’t let that happen.’
‘You are being so unreasonable,’ he growled, moving closer without meaning to, even as alarm bells sounded in his mind.
‘By standing up for myself?’
‘I’m trying to protect you, damn it,’ he retorted. ‘You are—just—seriously—’
‘Yeah? What am I, Massimiliano?’
How could he answer that? What words would suffice? But even as he was racking his brain for something to say, for a response that was justified, his body was moving the rest of the way, his head dipping, his hand on her chin tilting her face higher, so that when his lips claimed hers, she was right exactly where he needed her to be. And this time, it was so much more than a simple brushing of mouth to mouth. This time, his whole world caught fire before he could stop it.
Chapter Six
AMELIA HAD BEENkissed before. At least, right up until that moment, she’dthoughtshe had. But it took no time whatsoever to realise that nothing and no one in her life had prepared her for the onslaught of this kind of kiss. His lips were masterful and dominating, pressing against her until her lips parted and his tongue could probe inside, duelling with hers, as each movement was like a whip against her flesh, driving her closer to him, so, without her realising it, her hands were clutching his shirt as though her life depended on it.
He was warm and hard, his body like a soldier’s, all buff and broad, and his hands were every bit as commanding as his mouth, knowing just where to touch and hold to keep her utterly enslaved to this moment.
Heat built in her belly, then sparked through her entire body. She moaned softly against his mouth, and when he pulled away, she almost cried out at the deprivation. Except he was only relocating, shifting his attention to the skin beneath her earlobe, so she dug her nails into his shoulder and tilted her head back on a wave of fiery ecstasy.
It was better than anything she’d ever known.
And then, it was over.
He was pulling away from her, despite the clutch she had on his shirt, staring down at her with darkly glittering eyes. ‘You will have a team of bodyguards, or you will move in with me right now. What’s it to be,cara?’
She couldn’t think, much less speak. His words seemed to be coming from such a long way away, through a fog of confusion. But she did hear the calmness in his voice, the way he sounded utterly normal. Unaffected by what had just happened.
