“Congratulations, nephew,” he says and drinks the smallest sip before setting it down.
Amadeo nods, then turns to his brother, who drains his glass, pushes his chair back loudly, and stands. “Excuse me.” A moment later, he’s gone, but just then, servers come to deliver our first course, and people begin to approach the table. They all go to Amadeo first—some friendly, some not—before greeting his uncle and looking at me like I’m a new act at the circus. The latest freak at the show. There’s an array of press and politicians, some of whom I recognize, and even two detectives and a police chief who slips me his card. I notice they go directly to Sonny and don’t shake Amadeo’s hand. So he doesn’t have the cops in his pocket. That’s interesting.
“Chief Greco,” Amadeo says, plucking the card from me and pocketing it. “So good you could be here.”
The chief draws in a long, slow breath, then walks away without saying a word. Amadeo watches him go, looking amused.
When dessert is served, I excuse myself to head to the lady’s room. I’m two steps away from the table when Amadeo nods his head, and Oaf One and Oaf Two flank me. Neither lays a hand on me, though, as I make my way toward the bathroom. When Oaf One pushes the door open and looks like he’s about to enter, I stop him.
“It’s a lady’s room. Keyword being ladies, which neither of you are.”
“I need to check it.”
“For what exactly? Do you think I’ll find a tiny window to crawl out of?”
Just then, Bastian appears from around a corner.
“Sir,” Oaf One or Two says. I can’t keep track of who’s who.
Bastian eyes me. “I’ll take care of this,” he tells them. “Go grab a smoke.”
“Thank you,” one of them says, and a moment later, they’re gone. Bastian turns to me.
“In.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate—”
He cuts me off, taking my arm and walking me into the bathroom, where a toilet flushes and a woman emerges from one of the small, private rooms. She stops when she sees us, but Bastian’s glare sends her to the sink, where she quickly washes her hands and scurries out.
Once the door is closed and we’re alone, Bastian turns his full attention to me. He leans an arm against the wall as his gaze moves over the diamonds on my neck, down to the large pendant that hangs between my breasts. He reaches a hand to lift it, weigh it. I wonder if he knows how much it’s worth.
I raise my eyes from his hand to his dark head, and just as I do, he shifts his gaze to mine, holding it, studying me through lashes as thick as his brother’s. There are those burning embers again. And there’s one word that comes to mind when I look at him. One very clear word.
Danger.
Licking my lips, I open my mouth to say something. I’m not sure what. But he chooses that moment to brush the knuckles of the hand holding the pendant along the swell of my breast, and I gasp.
His expression doesn’t change, and I don’t move or pull away. I can’t. Not as he traces the exposed skin, moves that knuckle over just enough to tickle the hardened nipple making my breath shudder.
One corner of his mouth rises into a wicked grin. “Show me.”
I blink, coming out of this trance, the goose bumps that have risen across every inch of exposed skin making me tremble.
“Show me how the diamonds look on bare skin.”
I don’t know if it’s his words or his touch that sends a jolt of electric fire to my core. What I do know is I shouldn’t be feeling this. I shouldn’t be standing here feeling this.
I reach up to grab his wrist. “Stop.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Amadeo—”
“News flash, Dandelion,” he says in a low, dangerous voice. “You belong to both of us. This engagement? The marriage, if it happens, is a means to an end. Amadeo will be the first to tell you that. So I’ll ask you one more time. Show. Me.”
I can’t think. Not when he casually circles my nipple like he is. His skin like fire against mine. I need to get away from him. Get out of here.
It takes all I have to step past him toward the door. I’m sure he’ll catch me, stop me, but he doesn’t. He just lets me go and watches with a cocky grin on his face. But just as I reach my hand to the doorknob, the door opens violently, slamming against the wall, and I jump backward with a little yelp.