Page 54 of His to Keep
“I’m great,” she lied, keeping her eyes low to prevent falling into his sexy allure for the millionth time.
“Seems so. Do you have a minute?”
She inhaled his familiar musky scent, and her stomach instantly clenched. "As I said, I need to use the washroom. You should run back to your date," she said breathlessly.
As if he sensed the suffocating tension, Emilio slid his hand across the arch of her back and nudged her closer to his hip. "Everything okay, baby?" He nuzzled her hair.
Marcus lunged forward and grabbed his arm, forcefully yanking it away from her bare skin. "She's not your fucking baby, Emilio,” he hissed.
Her pulse thrummed in her throat. "And I'm not yours either. I’m not interested in dragging up the past, so if you’ll excuse me." Her voice shook and her heart lurched as she inched away from the two men.
His fiery gaze locked with hers. His green eyes scorched with a fury that both scared and delighted her. The world abruptly stopped on its axis, floating off course.
People faded from existence with only Marcus present in that very moment. He broke their intense trance, as always, the one in control. His eyes cut to Emilio.
“Make sure your driver delivers her back to the villa safely,” he snarled.
He gave her one last look, pausing for a heartbeat, and then swivelled on his heels and marched towards the exit. The petite woman chased after him at haste.
Freddy bounced to her side, with a look of concern on his sweet face. "Let's get out of here, Lana," he said quickly, nudging her poker straight back.
Her face paled. “Will he be staying at the villa?” She spoke directly into his ear.
Freddy shook his head, resting his hand on his hip. “He might be staying here, Sunrise is their hotel after all. But after what just went down, I’ll expect him at the villa.”
Her eyes widened. “What do mean, nothing went down, Freddy.” She hauled him away from Emilio.
“Marcus was soooooo angry.” He slotted his hands on his hips.
“He was only angry because I declined a pointless conversation.”
Freddy blasted air from his lips. “Ya think?”
“Yes. He dumped me, remember?” She wanted to cry but swallowed back the hurt instead.
“Honey, he was one bulging vein away from turning into the Hulk.” He shimmied side to side as a cracking tune surrounded them.
Emilio moved closer and twirled his fingers through the lengths of her hair.
“My driver is waiting outside, shall we go now?” he half asked, half ordered.“Freddy, we will take you back to Veronica,” he added.
Lana looked into his unknown grey eyes that were full of anger, yet his stance displayed perfect restraint. “Yes, I’d like to go back. I’m sorry to cut the evening short.”
The night was ruined, as was she.
Sandwiched between Freddy and Emilio in the back of the sleek black Maserati, Lana stared out at the stunning Amalfi coastline. Mt. Vesuvius depicted her current mood. Calm on the outside yet a fiery molten mess on the inside.
Emilio rested his hand on her thigh and squeezed gently. The atmosphere around them was cool from the air-conditioning but the feel of his manly touch warmed her insides with a surprising curiosity.
"You were his once?" he asked.
She sighed lightly. "I don't believe I was ever actually his. We had a moment once upon a time, but that's all it was."
Freddy whipped his head around. "Eh, Lana? I don't think that fire is outjustyet. I saw the look on his face when you were kissing studdly here." His head bobbed sideward gesturing towards Emilio.
Lana let out a short blast of air. "Too late, Freddy. Anyway, Marcus was happy enough with his date before he caught sight of me."
Freddy slid back in the leather seat. "Smoke screens, Lana, smoke screens."
