Page 12 of Forbidden Vows

“Nooo!” she wails in shame. “You’re joking! How did you see it? You’re not even following him.”

“I have people.” I don’t tell her she’s on my short list of people at theBachman Protection Agency.If anything happens to my mom, my boys in the Bronx, or Cleopatra, the information comes straight to me.

She storms past me, entering the hotel. “This is so humiliating!”

I lock the door behind her and follow her further into the room. “Don’t be embarrassed. You were way hotter than the stuff I pay good money to watch.” We stand facing one another, with only an arm’s length between us. I can feel the electricity in the air.

“Don’t want to know.” She looks like she wants to close her eyes, cover her ears, and sink into the carpeting. “I appreciate you looking out for me, though.”

“And getting the porn down.” I can’t not throw in a tease. It’s Cleo. I love the way I make her blush.

She winces at the word. “Of course, I appreciate you getting the...video taken down. But it’s thehowyou got it taken down that bothers me.”

“Naughty boy.” I tsk tsk. “Does the teacher want me to stay after school? Teach me a lesson?”

Ignoring me, she continues her lecture. It’s hot. Her lecturing me.

“Violence is not the answer,” she says in that sexy teacher tone. “It’s like I tell my kids?—”

“Wait. We have kids, now? Did I knock you up with twins, and you didn’t tell me? Is this some secret pregnancy stepsibling romance?”

She wants to roll her eyes, but she’s too polite. “What do you know about romance genres?”

“I am up to date on social media trends,” I say. “I mean, obviously, since I saw your porn.”

It was so sexy. She was captivating. The way she leans her head back, closes her eyes, and gives that primal yet feminine moan. If my blood hadn’t been boiling, planning the most painful way I could end Keith, I would have watched more.

“It’s notmyporn. And no. No kids.” She throws her hand on her hip. “Mykindergartenstudents?”

“What do you tell the kids?” I ask, attempting to be good.

She wears an orange teacher-looking bag over her shoulder. Her hands cling to the strap like she’s holding on to the handles, so she won’t be tempted to touch me.

She stares up at me. “I tell them that violence rarely solves problems. Instead, it causes conflict, suffering, and physical and emotional harm to everyone involved.”

She sounds like a Wikipedia article.

It’s such a turn on.

“Do you really talk to kindergarteners with words that big?” I’m staring at her lips. She’s got some red gloss on them. They look delicious. “Aren’t they like four years old or something?”

“Five going on six. And I most certainly do speak to them this way. They understand more than you think. Like the fact that violence gets in the way of long-term positive change.”

“Well, the little shit took it down, didn’t he? I consider that a positive change.”

She gives me a playful smirk. “What are you doing in New York anyway? Shouldn’t you be off smoking cigars, racing Lamborghinis down the highway, or plotting mischievous schemes in your Italian mafia lair?”

“I’m in town for a thing.” I move away from the door, inviting her in. “Ma wanted to see me.”

“What’d you do this time?” she teases.

“Just a visit. She wanted Haze, his new wife Ophelia, and me to come, but they couldn’t leave Italy. Thank God. Those two have stolen my thunder since Haze came along. I may get less of my mom’s attention, but it’s nice having an older brother looking out for me.” I tease and poke her side. “Cracking heads for me. You get me?”

She pauses for a moment, looking a bit exasperated. “I really appreciate your concern, but I don’t need you to fight my battles!”

“I had to use force. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken it down. And that video was coming down.” I circle her, feeling the heated tension between us. It’s every bit as delicious as it’s always been. “What if Daddy Falcon saw the video?”

“I would have gotten it down somehow. Without punching.” She frowns. “You should have seen Keith’s face.”

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