More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
No te preocupes!”
He releases a shaky breath. “I want you to know that the accident wasn’t your fault. There was absolutely nothing you could have done to change what happened today. I’m very sorry to tell you that we could not save the bones below your right knee. They shattered on impact, along with the cartilage, to the point that there was nothing left for us to work with in the operating room. We were able to conduct the emergency amputation to ensure the rest of your leg could be saved...” Everything around me stops. The whooshing of the machines. My family’s cries as they break down in front of me. The
...more
His jaw clenches. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t press the button right now and have them dispose of you.”
“Because…” I dart to the left, but he catches me in his strong arms. Very strong based on the way they tense as I try to escape him. And oh do I try. I thrash. I kick.
His body stiffens as I attempt to wiggle out of his grasp. Something that shouldn’t be hard pokes into my stomach, and I go full-blown survival mode. Hell. Fucking. No.
“While I’m being so uncharacteristically grateful, thank you for scaring me with your erection yesterday. As charming as it felt against my stomach, it’s a hard pass for me.” “Blame the arousal on adrenaline from finding a criminal on my property.”
I chalk it up to coincidence. “You should protect him from your husband, then.” “It took some work but I’ve kiddie-proofed Noah’s mouth.” Maya smiles. “It’s forking hard, but I try my best for you.” Noah grins before placing a soft kiss on Maya’s head.
I stop by his side but remain quiet. His anger hits me like a wave as he focuses on the lake in front of us. “You act like that around Maya again and I’ll rip off one of your balls to match your leg.” He doesn’t bother looking my way.
“They were our first option, but they’re leaving for a two-week Caribbean cruise today and Maya doesn’t want to stop them.” Ouch. I don’t know what’s worse—not knowing my parents were going on a vacation or being a second-best choice. “Okay…”
A few overhead lights turn on, revealing a brunette in a billowing skirt and a T-shirt. “Oh my God. Santiago, who is that?” She screams again for good measure.
“Hmm. I didn’t expect you to show up unannounced.” The same rough voice from earlier sends a shiver up my spine. How exactly did he want me to show up? “The welcoming committee and marching band were busy tonight, so I couldn’t announce my arrival.” I smile at him, hoping my eyes scream fuck you.
Another guy appears, cradling a small child to his chest. Okay, seriously, what is in the Italian water and where can I get some?
Santiago’s hand slides up my side, singeing my skin. “Chloe had me pegged from the first night she met me.” “Yeah, it seems like only yesterday.”
The way Santiago laughs, loose and rough, has Maya and Noah looking at us with wide eyes. Something about their reaction tells me Santiago doesn’t laugh that way often.
I wait for them to disappear before I turn and stare Santiago down. “Girlfriend?!” I whisper-shout. He shrugs. “It was the best thing I could come up with under pressure. It sounded better than calling you my little criminal, or was I wrong?”
Speaking of—which window did you break to get inside? I’m assuming you won’t cover the bill based on the state of your clothing.” He runs a finger down the ripped back of my shirt. His touch sets off a bodily reaction I have no time to comprehend. I can only describe it as fireworks shooting off my skin, forcing every cell inside of me into overdrive.
She doesn’t realize how in the forty-eight hours I’ve known her, I’ve acted more like my old self than in the past three years. It’s disarming how much I like messing with her. I don’t even know who she really is, but I enjoy the way her cheeks flush from embarrassment.
“We saved the cat and took her to a vet together. Santiago cradled it like a little baby, which was beyond cute. He definitely had my attention after that.” Chloe demonstrates the motion, making her perfect tits hike up an inch. Fuck. Me. And she definitely has my attention after that. It’s
A tiny part of me—a part so small I forgot it existed—questions if she can be physically attracted to me like I am to her. A flicker of hope fills me. It’s microscopic, yet strong enough to overwhelm me.
Chloe the criminal has devastation written all over her, and I need her to run in the opposite direction. Because now that I’ve been around her, I don’t know who’s more dangerous—her or me.
Santiago roars. Marko’s face lights up with excitement as the blanket is snatched from above our heads. ‘“Run, Chloe! Tickle dragon!”
“Fork me. Daddy speaks it when he loses races.” Oh. Kid talk for fuck me. Got it. Noah must take games of tag with his son seriously.
He looks like he wants to continue, but somehow restrains himself. Good. I don’t think my body could handle part two. I take advantage of his silence. “Next time you think I looked at you with disgust, remember that kiss. I’m not a unicorn because I’d much rather be a dragon in the story. They’re more badass anyway.”
There are certain things I want to forget about my life. The first is what it felt like to walk with two normal legs. The second is the feeling of adrenaline pumping through my veins as I raced in a Prix. And the third is the way Chloe kissed me like she needed to resuscitate the damaged part of my heart I thought was long gone.
Noah looks at me. “I thought she planned on helping you? Trouble in paradise?” Noah’s mocking voice matches his smirk. I take his smugness without complaint because he doesn’t need any more of my shit. “She has been dealing with some personal stuff.”
“Is she okay? It’s not that Ralph guy, is it?” Noah’s eyes darken.
She shakes her head. “I don’t think you understand how much he cares. Noah’s been developing the hand controls himself with Bandini. He’s committed to making your return as easy as possible, including clocking in hours during his busy schedule to make sure the throttle pad and steering wheel is perfect.”
“Are you serious?” The words leave my mouth in a whisper.
I point at her work. “I’m seeing a trend here. Do you like wildflowers?” “There’s something beautiful about chaos.” “They remind me of you.” The words escape my mouth before I can stop them. Where the fuck did that come from?
“I have a feeling you don’t fall in the same category as those people.” “Why?” A hint of a smile crosses her lips.
“Because those who see beauty in chaos also see flowers instead of weeds, and that’s a gift in a world like ours.”
“I’m curious. What made you want to take a walk in the park? I thought you didn’t leave your castle much.” She drags a finger underneath the bill of my cap, lifting it. Her blue eyes darken as they focus on me licking my lips. Hmm. Maybe she does think about our kiss, too. “I wanted to make sure there weren’t any cats who needed rescuing.”
“I wouldn’t have fallen if it weren’t for a big, brooding shadow of a man who scared me in the middle of the night.” “It’s not every day I have a trespasser wanting to climb a tree on my property.”
“Of course I like Nintendo. I grew up using Mario Kart as practice.” “Practice for what?” Her brows scrunch together. Shit. I ignore the urge to reveal my racing past. “For actual driving. What else?” “I wouldn’t know. I never learned how to drive.” “What? You don’t know how to drive?” I try to wrap my head around the concept. I’ve been driving karts since I was four years old. “No! I grew up in New York. No one knows how to drive.”
“Whoa. That needs to be amended.” She laughs to herself. “And you’re going to be the one to sacrifice yourself for the cause?” “It’s not a sacrifice if I’m willing.” I grin.
“Hey.” Chloe bends over, hitting me with two sapphire eyes. “Marko calls you Iron Man, right?” I raise a brow, ignoring the clenching of my stomach muscles from the fresh wave of nerves. “Yes.” The scar above her lip twitches as her lips part. “And do you know what makes Iron Man special?” “His suit?” She laughs and leans into my ear. The hot air from her mouth sends sparks down my spine. “No. Iron Man is special because he owns who he is, no matter what people think of him. He is unapologetic and people are drawn to him like a magnet. Personally, I don’t care if it takes you a minute or
...more
Instead of my usual hatred toward myself, I feel stronger. Not only because I could get up, but because I found someone whose first instinct isn’t to baby me or avoid talking about my injury. Honestly, it seems like Chloe doesn’t give a shit about it. She treats me as an equal, which is more than I can say about many people. It has me wanting to get to know the real her rather than the lie I created in my head. And I’m not exactly opposed to it anymore.
By now, I’m practically a born-again virgin. So, yeah, watching Chloe lick her spoon is like viewing live porn for me at this point. Sad but fucking true based on how my dick threatens war against the zipper of my jeans.
“Because you didn’t look at me like I was that guy. You treat me like the man I am now, rather than the one I once was. And that was something special to me that I wanted to hold on to for a bit longer. My reasoning was purely selfish, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. I came here today to admit the truth to you because I couldn’t stand lying to you anymore about it. Because you value honesty, and I value the way you act around me.”
“I’m sorry too. It’s not like I’m completely innocent either. I went along with it all and lied to your family. And I just lied to my”—she stares off into the distance—“to Matteo.” “Who is he to you anyway?” “Someone important.” “Does he know that?” “No.” She looks down at her hands. “He doesn’t.”
I sit taller in my chair and lean in. “I’ll only ask for one favor in return.” “What?” “Join Marko and me for dinner tomorrow. It’s his last night before he leaves, and he hasn’t stopped talking about you since he first met you.” “Why?” “Because it’s about time we get to know each other. The real us.”
“More like I would beg Mami to teach me so I could steal pieces before dinner. But I won’t lie, it does come in handy though when I’m trying to impress a beautiful woman.” Of course he cooks to lure in unsuspecting women. Why would I think I’m such a special snowflake that he cooks with?
“Has anyone told you that you have an extremely expressive face?” He points the tip of his knife in my direction. If I had any sense of self-preservation, I’d consider it serial killer scary. “No. Why?” “Because your smile dropped after I spoke. I should be clearer. I’m impressing you through empanadas, tapas, and good wine.”
Santiago leads us back into the living room before he leaves to grab a bottle of wine. My eyes land on the label when he enters the room again. It’s the same brand I fawned over during dinner, claiming I’ve never had anything that good since I usually purchase anything with a “buy one, get one free” label. The fact that he grabbed another of the same brand has me nearly falling over from swooning too hard.
The only thing I know about cars is how the ones with the loudest muffler usually signal how there’s a man with a small dick nearby.
Chloe stops in her tracks and holds her hand out to me. She looks like a dark angel, tempting me with a wicked smile and bright eyes. “I’m sure we can make the most out of the trip.”
“Having fun for once.” I wink, brushing aside a loose strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear. Mami and Maya whisper to each other, creating a peanut gallery of two behind us.
He presses his thumb to my pulse point. “You’re going to have a heart attack if you keep this up.” No, sir, I’m going to have a heart attack if you keep this up. I let out a shaky breath.
He shakes his head, fighting a smile. “How do you feel about playing a game?” “A game?” My jaw drops open. “Yes. A game.” He nods, his grin growing. “Whoever makes up the most ridiculous story about our relationship wins whatever they want.” I laugh. It’s loud and unrestrained, echoing off the walls. “Why would we do that?” “Because I’d rather see you smile than cry.”
“Because I find this version of you intoxicating enough.” Her eyes flutter shut as she leans into my touch. “What if I said I really want to kiss you right now?” “Then I’d tell you to take what you want before you lose the chance.” Blood rushes through my body, and my dick twitches beneath my jeans. I press my lips to hers,
