He leans down, his breath whispering past my ear. “I can’t wait for the day I can kiss you again.”
Theclick click clickof my father’s cane sounds against the tiles. Zane is gone from my side, returning to his post by the wall as if nothing happened.
Arturo’s face is almost purple with rage. “Dammit! Dammit all!”
I force a polite, unassuming smile. “Is everything alright?”
My father glares at me. “I have to head downtown. Very important meeting. You’re coming with.”
“R-really?” I ask, surprised.
“Don’t get any ideas, Willow. I’m not leaving you in this place unattended.”
“I wouldn’t be unattended. I thought that’s what the bodyguard was for.” I say this with a vague wave of my hand, pretending Zane is nothing more than another generic face.
“I’m taking zero chances,” Arturo snaps. “Hurry up. Phillips, bring the car around.”
Zane nods. “Yes, sir.”
I’m so excited by the thought of getting to leave the house that I stand far too quickly, the blood rushing straight out of my head. Thankfully, Zane is there to brace my arm, the gentle caress of his fingers sending a shiver down my spine.
“Careful, Ms. Allegra,” he says clearly.
“Thank you, Mr. Phillips,” I mumble back.
Arturo doesn’t think twice about the interaction, too wrapped up in whatever crisis he’s dealing with to notice the electricity in the air. My cheeks suddenly feel hot and my skin is too tight. I want Zane to hold more than just my arm. I want his hands all over my body, his fingers in my hair, the press of his hips between my thighs. It’s safe to say that my craving for him is getting wildly out of hand.
My father leaves first. “I’ll meet you at the car. I need to grab something from my office. Make it snappy.”
“Fifty-one,” Zane reminds me, a quick whisper in my ear before he escorts me to the garage.
We move with purpose through the long halls. It’s just enough distance to give me time to pull out the book Zane gifted me. I obediently turn to page fifty-one and find a small, handwritten note in the margins. It’s a message from Zane, his writing neat and in all capitals. I read his brief words twice, peering up at him in confusion.
“Are you serious?” I whisper.
“To help with our plan,” he insists. “Trust me, Willow.”
“I do.”
Zane nods, opening the heavy door that leads straight into the garage.
* * *
I’m not going to lie—it feels strange getting to ride around in a car after a whole month of not going anywhere. As stupid as it may seem, I feel very much like a puppy with her nose pressed to the glass as I take in all the sights and sounds and smells of Los Angeles. I’ve been so starved for entertainment that every little thing fascinates me, from the faces of all the pedestrians going about their days to the fancy cars stuck in traffic with us to the hustle and bustle of construction sites.
Heath is behind the wheel. Zane sits just in front of me on the passenger side. My father is next to me, complaining the whole ride about how stupid other drivers are being.
“Can’t you get us there any faster?” Arturo grumbles. “Can’t you take a detour?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Allegra,” Heath replies casually. “All the lanes are jammed.”
“What’s got you all sweaty?” I ask my father.
Arturo dabs his sleeve against his forehead. He really is sweating buckets next to me. Whatever Esteban said to him over the phone, it’s obviously stressing my father out. “I need to make a withdrawal,” he mutters. “Move some assets around.”
My ears prick. “What kind of assets?”
Arturo frowns, realizing he’s said too much already. “Nothing you need to worry about, Willow. Just shut up and sit there.”