The Boss Assignment (Rogue Protectors Book 3) by Victoria Paige (red scrolls of magic txt) 📗

dropped his hand. “It’s better this way,” he said roughly.

Charly backed up a couple of steps. “How magnanimous of you when you know everything about me, asshole!”

She spun around and stalked out of the hut.

“Charly!”

She turned toward him while still moving toward the beach, raising both arms and giving him a double middle-finger salute. “Enjoy your cold, miserable heart, Senhor Andrade. I hope it makes you happy!”

Charly swiveled around again and marched toward the shoreline. Insufferable, insufferable man. She was beginning to piece together the kind of lover Antonio was. He had no problem using his money, his charm, and his seduction skills to get what he wanted, but he withheld enough of himself, so no one had all of him.

Did she even want all of him? Hell no! She’d probably be plotting where to hide his body after a couple of weeks in his presence.

The rushing waves of the shoreline were a balm to her chaotic thoughts, and she inhaled the cleansing scent of sea water. Antonio was capable of compassion. Why else would he take in Ida or help Jolene achieve her dream? She’d seen him with Nico, and even Renata. But he always held something back, didn’t he?

The sun on her face warmed the chill from her thoughts, and she closed her eyes. Maybe it would burn her awakened need for Antonio to ashes. It annoyed her. Why couldn’t he have left well enough alone? Why did he have to kiss her? Why did he have to pull on her blasted ponytail?

She stiffened. He was behind her. She just knew it. Her skin prickled more lately whenever he was near. He saturated a room with his presence. Was the man so overwhelming that he’d saturate an entire outdoor space too?

Yes, he would.

“Have you put on sunblock?” his voice demanded behind her.

Now every nerve ending was attuned to whenever he was close. Damn him.

She kept her eyes closed and ignored him.

“I don’t want you to burn,” he said by her ear. His warm breath was even warmer than the sun on her flesh.

She averted her face from the sun and opened her eyes to the waves and the vast ocean. Then she turned to Antonio. “Jolene slathered something on my face and my skin. I think it had sunblock.”

She almost smiled when she saw the disheveled state of Antonio’s once immaculate appearance. His shirt was unbuttoned almost all the way, his sleeves were rolled up, exposing those massive tattooed forearms. And just like the way he sized her up from head to toe earlier at the studio, her eyes dropped to his bare feet.

“You don’t have shoes.”

“I don’t like to ruin a good pair of Italians,” he muttered. He glanced up the shoreline. “Well, then. Lead the way.”

“I don’t want to force you to enjoy my company,” she deadpanned.

“Charlotte Bennett,” he said under his breath. “Don’t make me do obscene things to you for my men to see.”

“Oh, you’re not an exhibitionist?” she teased. She would think he had seen everything, done everything. He was a womanizer after all.

He scowled. “It depends. I’m finding myself very possessive of you.”

Her breath caught. “Possessive how?”

He leaned forward, drawing her in and kissing her lightly before staring deep into her eyes. “I don’t want anyone else to see you naked.” He dragged her even closer until she could feel the length of him, slowly hardening against her belly. “I need to have you soon. You’re driving me to madness.”

Charly tentatively lowered her hand, brushing against his erection, and she reveled in the hiss of his breath, the shudder of his body.

Her power over him.

“I swear to God, woman, I want to fuck you right here, right now.”

She glanced toward the hut.

“No … this is private to the hotel, but there may be guests with binoculars right this moment wondering who this golden goddess on the beach is.”

“So, we walk?” she asked.

He smiled and his grip on her elbows loosened as he slid one hand into hers. “We walk.”

Charly watched her feet sink into the sand as she put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes the waves reached the path they were walking and the surf would bubble around their feet. Antonio cursed a couple times when it splashed up his trousers.

“I swear you’re a disaster for my suits,” he grouched.

“Maybe the universe is trying to send you a message,” she cocked her head, angling her eyes at him.

“Get that stick out of my ass?”

“That …”

“What else?”

She shrugged. “Figured it doesn’t hurt to talk about where you’ve come from.”

Antonio snorted. “You can just find it all over the internet.”

“You haven’t given me access to the internet,” she reminded him. “Besides, I’d rather hear it from you.”

For a moment, Charly thought she lost him again when his jaw hardened, so she eased up. “Antonio, tell me anything about you.” Maybe she needed to guide him how to open up. What would be easy conversation? One that would not build walls, but break them down? “Do you know what my favorite memory of my mother is?” she asked. His mouth relaxed as he gave her his attention. “Her family is old money. You already know that. We’d regularly go to Martha’s Vineyard for Thanksgiving. I may be biased, but my mom’s not as stuck up as the rest of my relatives. She tries to keep the peace, but sometimes I know she wants to rebel.”

“Sounds like someone I know.”

Charly laughed. “Anyway, my dad was the one who wanted to please that side of our family probably because he was estranged from his own. He encouraged my mom to do what Grandmother wanted.” She gave a derisive snort. “On the pretense that it would be good for me. But during one Black Friday, a limited edition of my favorite book series of all time was going on sale at a Chicago bookstore. No reservations. First come, first serve. And given the logistics …”

“You had to blow off Thanksgiving?” Antonio finished.

“Yes. Grandmother was furious