Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
The phone rings.
I groan, feeling like I’m a thousand years old. He slides himself out of me, reaching down to bring his pants back to his waistline. The phone just keeps ringing, calling me back from the brink.
Dazed, I hear him pick it up.
I’m still naked, still planted on the desk. My ass is still in the air, my legs weak and my arms like spaghetti. I moan, hauling myself to my feet. My tongue is dry, and I want something to drink. But the only thing Francisco has in his office is liquor.
I look around, trying to find my clothes. But then I see him frown. The phone is pressed to his ear, and he’s listening intently. But he’s also watching me. I get the sinking feeling that the phone call has something to do with Brandon.
“What is it?” I ask, feeling suddenly very exposed.
Francisco shakes his head. “Nothing.”
I know that’s not true. Someone just delivered some news, and from the looks of it, it isn’t good. My cheeks get hot. I can’t believe how horny I was and at such an inappropriate time. My brother is in crisis, and I’m here fooling around with someone I swore I was going to keep at arm’s length.
I gather up my clothes, shaking as I pull my pajama shirt back on. I don’t have any pants, but I chase down my underwear from the corner of the room. Stepping into the leg holes is like solving a Rubix Cube. I’m not sure how to approach it, and the fabric is twisted. It takes me several tries.
I finally retrieve my robe and tug it on. Now I’m standing there, fully covered, my pussy aching and dripping from the pounding it received. I want to know what’s going on with my brother, but my fiancé won’t budge.
He scoops me up in his arms and kisses my nose. My lashes flutter. My heart leaps. I’m such a sucker for approval. Francisco’s attention makes me feel all warm inside. I try to come up with a way to force the information from him, but he doesn’t give me the chance. Leading me gently toward the door, he’s got a different plan altogether.
“Why don’t you go get dressed?” he suggests. “We’re going to find your brother.”
I search his eyes for the truth, sensing that he’s not giving it to me straight. But what can I do? I can’t go looking for my brother in my bathrobe. I bow to his superior reasoning and step outside. My guard looks up from his post near the door and nods. If he heard anything, he’s too much of a professional to remark on it. I keep my eyes down as I hurry through the house to the safety of my own suite.
CHAPTER 24
FRANCISCO
Iclose the door as soon as Marlena leaves. Damn. She’s quite a woman. My head is still fuzzy from the lovemaking, and I need a second to collect myself. I’m sure she knows that something is up. I’ve got an unparalleled poker face, but Marlena is different. She’s looking for reassurances and they’re coming off flat.
I pick up the phone and dial Giovanni again. “Go on,” I tell him.
“Like I said,” he picks up right where he left off, now that I’m alone and can really concentrate. “We found her brother’s phone, but there’s no sign of the kid. We’ve asked around his dorm, and no one’s seen him for several hours.”
“What about campus security?” I ask.
“I sent Edoardo to check it out,” Giovanni says.
“What’s the state of the dorm room?” I wonder. Maybe the kid just packed up for a weekend trip.
“Signs of a struggle,” Giovanni replies. “It doesn’t look good.”
“Okay,” I answer reluctantly.
“I’ll keep looking,” Giovanni offers.
“Follow up with security,” I agree. “But if Andretti has him, then it’s no good looking around the university anymore.”
I hang up the phone and retrieve my shirt. It’s torn and wrinkled, which means I’ll need a fresh one. I take my time walking back to my suite to change clothes, considering what I’m going to do now.
One of Marlena’s stipulations was that she wanted to visit Italy. Maybe now is the time to take her on that trip. If I can get her out of the country, then Andretti can’t hurt her. I’ll figure out what to do about her brother in the meantime.
“We’re going to Italy,” I tell my bodyguard.
“Yes, boss,” he says.
Now all I have to do is convince Marlena to leave the country without her younger sibling. I don’t know her that well, but I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy conversation. I don’t want her to know that the kid is missing yet. She’ll want to put herself in harm’s way to get him back, and I can’t have that.
I walk up to her room, pausing to talk to her bodyguard. “We’re going to Italy,” I announce.