My jaw dropped. “What the hell? I’m not showing anybody anything. I’m wearing a freaking parka. Nothing is showing.”
He crossed his legs. “I can perfectly see your nipples. Again.”
I glanced down, my nipples pebbling harder with every inappropriate word he was saying. Fuck. He was right, and I hated that he was. With my angry stance the parka moved back and my nipples were pointing out for him to see. Shoot.
My arms jerked to shield my chest, but then instead of pulling the parka to cover myself, I pushed it further back. “It’s my body. I’ll do what I want with it. If I want to show any part of it, that’s my business. You and your men should look away if you don’t like or approve of what you see.”
Face made of steel, he didn’t take his eyes off my chest. Of my boobs with the nipples he made hard. His tongue darted out of his mouth and licked his lip, and a new gush wet my panties. Jesus. Why the fuck wasn’t he looking away?
“Stop staring.” Or don’t. “It’s…”
“Inappropriate?”
“Yes.”
“You said to look away if I didn’t like what I saw.” He got up, towering over me. “What if I do?”
My eyes couldn’t grow any wider. “Tino, what the hell are you doing?”
“Teaching you a lesson.” He stepped forward, and I stumbled back. He kept moving toward me, and I retreated until my back hit the glass. He placed his palms on either side of me, caging me in, his eyes piercing me.
“Why are you scaring me? I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.”
My chest rose and fell with every gasp. He stared again. “I think you do. Very much.”
Damn you, nipples.
“Stop it. Whatever this is, stop it.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want me to do, Angelina? You don’t want me to stare at your tits? You don’t want my hands on them? You don’t want my mouth you’re staring at now to worship them?”
My pussy throbbed. Fuck him. Fuck the sinful, depraved images he was planting in my head. Fuck what he was doing to me. Fuck my goddamn body that didn’t understand it should never react like that to bad guys who wanted to have me without permission. “Why are you being such a—”
“Dick?”
“Yes. Fuck yes.”
“Because I warned you and you didn’t listen.” His breath, sweet and hot, fanned my face. He grabbed the lower edge of the parka and pulled me closer, ripping a gasp out of my chest. Then he pinned his stare to my mouth. My lips parted in response. Fuck, piss and shit. “What if it was someone else here right now? What if I found someone else here, like this, with you right now?”
Words eluded me. I could only gasp.
“You know what I’d have done. Is that what you want, Angelina? You want me to maim and kill for you?”
I shook my head rapidly, vigorously. “No. No one here could have done what you’re doing right now. Isn’t that what you told me?”
“Maybe not one of my men unless he had a death wish, but what if it was Leo? He’s a sneaky bastard and knows this house better than any of my men. He could’ve broken in and found you here all alone with your hard nipples in his face. You know he has a thing for you. He wants you so bad. What if he thought with his cock and took advantage of you?”
“I wouldn’t let him.”
“What would you do to stop him, little girl?”
A surge of anger ran through me. My knee lifted to smack his balls, but it met his palm. How could he move it so fast off the glass, as if he’d anticipated my move?
“Not bad. What else?”
I tried the other knee, but he blocked that as well. Both his fists gripped my knees and spread my legs with one swift move. His weight pressed me to the glass, his hips less than an inch away from my crotch. “How about now? What if he went crazy and cornered you like this? What if it wasn’t Leo at all? What if it was him?”
Pain seared my chest, seeping into my soul, and tears blurred my vision. “Please stop.”
“That’s what you’re going to do? Cry and beg him to stop like the little girl you are? Would you even try to stop him at all?”
“You’re an asshole.”
“An asshole that doesn’t want any sick fuck around you taking what’s not his. An asshole that will kill to protect you because you have no skill whatsoever to protect yourself.”
I wanted to smash my violin over his head, but it was too precious to waste on Tino fucking Bellomo. I pushed it against him. I fucking pushed against the wool of his coat, one hand holding the violin and bow, the other a fist, over and over, but he wouldn’t budge. He was a freaking wall.
He let go of my knees only to grab my parka again. His tongue did that darting thing and dragged a quivering long breath out of my lips. “You’re a beautiful girl. You drive men crazy. If you’re not careful, you’re going to pay a terrible price.” Abruptly, he zipped up my parka and stepped back with a warning stare.
My lips and chin trembled with the tears I pushed back. No more crying in front of him. I spun to storm out, but he grabbed my wrist. I darted an angry gaze at him over my shoulder, but he grabbed me to his embrace.
When his arms wrapped around me and he printed his soft kiss on my forehead, I couldn’t fight back the tears.
He waited it out, as always, and then his gaze, now fatherly kind as they used to be, smiled at me. “Did you hear what I said when I first came in?”
I blinked, remembering. I heard it, yes. It only registered in my head now, though. “We’re having dinner at Leo’s?”
“Yes. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
My mind stopped working for a moment, and my heart did that fluttering move it always did for the wrong people.
“I want you to play at Leo’s as a part of the restaurant celebration,” he added.
“Oh.” Of course that was why he’d ask me to dinner on Valentine’s Day. “Wow.”
“Is that okay?”
“I…I’d love to. My first gig outside school…and a free meal at Leo’s. The food is excellent there. I… The Halloween special you have there is… Wow. Thank you, Tino.”
“Prego. Eight O’clock sharp. I’ll be in charge of your wardrobe, undergarments included.”
My jaw twisted. As much as I was dying to protest and disobey, I’d learned my lesson. He knew how to give one. “Fine.”
“Also Leo will be there for that meeting you asked for.”
“Oh. Okay.” I nodded, pensively. So that’s what this is all about?
“Are you going to be prepared?”
“For the gig? Yeah, sure. Anything in particular you want me to play?”
“I meant for Leo.”
Was I? I guess we’ll see tonight if I am.
Chapter 26
Lina
A burgundy red dress cascaded along the bedspread, awaiting me in my room as I got out of the shower.
I got it out of the bag, the feeling of the pleated shimmer satin elegant and luxurious. This must have been the softest thing I’d ever touched in my life. My glance fell on the tag, and I swore. Valentino.