Seriously!” she barked at me through the car window before I’d even unlocked my door. I’d given her a few minutes to cool off after dealing with lover boy. Maybe she could have used a few more.

“How the hell was I supposed to know your little boyfriend would show up?” I snatched the door open and poked my head in first to see if she would bite it off.

“He’s not my — ugh!” Vanessa climbed from the front seat to the back, slapping my headrest as she went.

“Now you don’t even want to sit by me? That’s mature.” I regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth.

She bit her lip to keep from saying something I’d probably regret more. “I’m changing for the party.”

“You’re not going to that guy’s party. No way!” I slammed the door behind me, adjusting the rear-view mirror that she’d knocked out of place.

“Not his party.” She held out her hand. “And give me my letter!”

“It’s a card.” I said, almost under my breath, as I fished it from my pocket and gave it to her. Every ounce of my being wanted to know what was in the damned thing. What’s gotten into you, Martin? “Where’s Cruz?” I asked, willing myself not to look back to where she was.

“How the hell should I know?” Through the mirror, I watched her shove the card into her bag. “Just take me to the Bellmonte.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, no parties. It’s too dangerous. You saw what—”

“What? What did I see? You and my ex make fools of yourselves, and me, in front of my entire graduating class?”

“But if he’d been a hostile, we might not have made it to you in time. I could have lost you.”

That shut her up. For a moment.

“Nothing happened. And I’m going to the party if I have to walk.” I didn’t look in the mirror, but if I had, I was sure I’d see her arms folded like a child throwing a tantrum.

“It’s too risky. Where the hell is Cruz?” I mashed the button on my radio, and he didn’t answer. I searched the dark parking lot for his car, a red Mazda MX6 that got him a lot of grief from the guys in the firm. I didn’t see him anywhere, but what I did see was a black Pathfinder. It wasn’t moving, and the tint was so dark I couldn’t make out a driver, if there was one.

“You aren’t going to tell me what to do. I have to live my life. I’ve been in this mess of Daddy’s since I was born. I’ll keep my plans, and you handle the security like you were hired to do. I know Daddy’s paying you good money for this!”

“Van— Ms. Genovese, it’s just a bad idea. I’m trying to protect you from your father’s enemies. Do I have to protect you from yourself, too?”

“Don’t you dare,” her voice oozed with loathing.

“Do you see that SUV over there?” I quickly looked through in the rear-view mirror and motioned with my eyes to where the car was parked. She had her dress off, a pink bra filling the entire mirror.

“Stop it, Martin. There isn’t a bad guy lurking behind every tree.” Vanessa held my gaze, not even bothering to cover herself.

“Of course not. There are no trees here.” She just groaned at me. “But there are bad guys. That’s why you father’s paying me these big bucks, as you so kindly put it.”

“Then do your job and get rid of them!” She reached behind her back and popped the clasp on the bra. “I’m tired of being scared. I’m not letting the Mafia run my life. I’m an adult!” She raised her voice at the end, and I was sure everyone in the parking lot heard us.

I looked back out the window toward the SUV. It hadn’t moved. I turned on the car, and as the engine started, Vanessa made a ‘told you so’ face into the mirror. “Not so fast,” I told her. “I’m just turning the air on. We’ve fogged up the windows.” I pointed to the windshield.

When my eyes met hers again in the rear-view mirror, she’d lost the bra. I coughed. Big, green eyes and two perky tits stared back at me.

“Too bad you don’t want to fog them up the fun way.” She smirked at me and bounced her shoulders up once, making her tits jiggle at me.

“Please don’t start that again,” I begged.

Keeping her eyes locked on mine, Vanessa climbed halfway back into the front seat, leaning over me with her left breast right in my face. Her hair fell across my cheek, sending shivers down my spine and directly into my crotch.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Fogging up the windows.” Vanessa grinned. “If they can’t see us in here, they can’t get us.” With that, she reached between my legs and grabbed me.

“God,” we both said.

Her chest still in my face, I couldn’t stop myself from taking that glorious mound in my hand and caressing it. Even as I did so, I admonished myself for the inappropriate contact and laughed internally at myself for caressing anything.

“We can’t do this,” I protested. I’d just finished talking to her father about what a good girl she was, and now here she was with her hand gripping my cock, my mouth so close to that tiny, pink nipple. “Please.”

She did as I begged, falling back into her seat behind me. Although I knew it was the right thing to do, certain parts of me begged her to come back. A moment later, she jumped in the front seat, a slinky, silk dress barely covering her ass.

With her right hand, she fastened her seatbelt, and with her left, she unzipped my pants, one swift motion that I barely registered until it was done. Neatly manicured nails tore at my boxer briefs until she found what she was looking for. “Drive,” she whispered in my ear.