Page 28 of Because I Need You
“I’m not going to tell you what happened,” I said quietly, arms still crossed over my chest. I was wearing stripe pajama pants and a navy crop top because that was what I’d brought to sleep in, and what I put on after my shower, but now I was regretting it. At least I was wearing a bra. And still, I felt naked under his scrutiny.
“I guess I’ll have to keep you here until someone else tells me what happened then.” He started walking toward the door.
“What? No!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll know soon enough.” He kept walking.
“Wait. Wait. Wait.” I scrambled to unsteady feet, panic rising into my throat and wrapping around it. “I need my phone. I need my phone and my stuff.”
“Your phone?” He stopped at the door, glancing at me over his shoulder, half smiling, but not looking very amused. “What, you want to call your boyfriend to come save you?”
“Maybe.” I swallowed, tilting my chin up. “Maybe I already did.”
At this, he chuckled darkly and let go of the doorknob as he turned around, leaning against it, crossing his arms and one foot over the other. His eyes were amused as fuck now, and I had the urge to hurl things at him. I would’ve thrown the bench in front of the bed if I knew I could carry it.
“If you’d called him, someone would have already called me.” He cocked his head slightly, pushing off the door.
Instinctively, I backed up, the backs of my knees hitting the bed, making me sit as I looked at him, wide-eyed, while he stalked over. Even the way he walked was nerve racking. This was not the Giovanni who had turned up the charm that night in his club, or at the fundraiser. This wasn’t the man who sort of flirted, and then kept his distance in my bar. This man meant business, with the way his eyes stayed zoned in on mine and his defined jaw worked the closer he got. My gaze dropped to his forearms, he’d rolled up his sleeves and gave a glimpse of the roped muscle underneath his clothes that I’d only seen in that one picture in Natasha’s cell phone.
I met his gaze again and swallowed hard, moving back slightly, when he ducked down to my level and set his hands on either side of me, gripping the comforter with such force, I felt myself move toward him. I was powerless without my weapon, without steady feet. My lip wobbled on its own accord. I’d been scared shitless once tonight, I’d be damned if I let it happen again, with this man. We were almost nose to nose, his breath on my face smelled of mint, one of those green sticks of gum Luke was always chewing on. I licked my lips. His gaze clocked it momentarily before his cold eyes met mine once more. They were onyx stones shining in the dim light. The way he just looked at me, made it hard to breathe again. I’d almost forgotten what was happening, my head swimming in him, his scent, the hard expression on his face, his gaze pinning mine.
“You didn’t call your boyfriend at all,” he said, leaning in closer now, brushing the stubble on his cheek against my face. I shivered slightly at that, and the way he dropped his voice low when his mouth neared my ear. “Instead, you ran straight to your husband.”
He straightened before I could react, turning and walking toward the door again.
“Stop calling yourself that,” I shouted at his back.
“It’s what I am.” He shrugged those broad shoulders. “You’re safe here, but obviously, you know that, otherwise you wouldn’t have thought to run here first. Try to get some sleep. It’ll help the shock wear off. We’ll talk in a few hours.”
I nodded, opened my mouth, shut it, felt new tears cascade down my face and wiped them quickly.
12
GIO
What the fuck had she been thinking running straight to the lion’s den? Straight to my father’s house, of all places. Whoever gave her the address obviously didn’t know where I lived. It had to be the lawyer. It didn’t matter. If someone had broken into Charles’ house, this was the safest place for her to be at the moment. I continued to pace my father’s home office, as I waited for a call from Lorenzo and another from Dean. I wasn’t sure which I needed first. Lorenzo was going to provide more security detail and mother fucking Dean still hadn’t given me the stuff I’d asked him for. It was unlike him. So, unlike him, in fact, that I was starting to worry. I hated that feeling. The reason I had everything from my daily schedule and routine to my meals meticulously laid out was to avoid worrying, so this shit was driving me up the wall. My phone buzzed in my hand. Nadia. I groaned but answered it.
