I gasp at the same time as my inner muscles tighten. Damn. Everything Cait said is suddenly making all kinds of sense.

“I’m not okay with you not eating, babe,” he continues. “So you can get your excellent ass over here, or we can find a quiet spot for me to turn you over my knee.”

Oh my god. I’m desperately trying to ignore the fact that my panties are getting damp. As part of this effort, I ramp up my snark. “A quiet spot? Gee, that’s big of you.”

“Or we can do it right here,” he says, and the prickling along the back of my neck warns me I’ve pushed him far enough. He’s not joking, at least not about my eating. I really don’t want to find out if he’s willing to spank me in front of a room full of witnesses, because I have a feeling he absolutely would.

And it’s totally wrong and pervy of me that beneath the discomfort that image evokes runs a dark current of desire.

“Tyrant,” I mutter, as I scoot along the inside of the booth until I’m next to him. Kosta’s knee touches mine, and electricity jolts through me. I fork up some eggs, and sure enough, they’re cold. What’s more, my break is up.

“I have to go,” I say. His face darkens, and I explain, “Not trying to be difficult; my break is over, and I have to get back to work.”

After a moment, he says, “Okay, babe. Take the food with you.”

“You were right,” I say. “It’s cold. I’ll get something on my next break.” I start to go back the other way in the booth, but his touch on my arm stops me. Heat sizzles through me and my breathing gets shallow.

“Come this way,” he says, sliding out of his end of the booth. “It’s faster.” My naughty brain wants to make a joke about coming faster, but that would be like poking a tiger with a sharp stick. Not very smart.

When I reach the edge of the bench, he helps me up. His hand is large, and warm, and a little rough, and electricity sparks along my skin. “Thanks for the … conversation,” I say. “See you around.”

Except Kosta doesn’t release my hand. No, he keeps hold of it and with his other, reaches out to tuck my hair behind my ear. His fingers brush the outer shell, and my knees go weak.

“Count on it, Blondie,” he says softly, and my whole body turns into one big erogenous zone. Right at this moment, he could probably touch the ends of my hair and make me come.

Finally, he lets me go. I take three steps back, wiggle my fingers at him, have a quick telepathic bestie conversation by making wide eyes at Cait, and head toward the garage. Not looking back at Kosta is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

“Sorry,” I say to Rico when I clock back in late. “I’ll take it off my afternoon break.” The stack of paperwork has grown in my absence, and I get busy entering and filing.

I’ve made a dent in the pile when the atmosphere in the garage changes. I look up to see Kosta coming toward me, holding out a paper-wrapped packet. “Breakfast panini,” he says. “Eat it while it’s warm, babe.”

I meet his eyes, and an emotion I can’t define shimmers through me. Whatever it is, it leaves me feeling strangely vulnerable. “Thanks,” I whisper, taking the sandwich.

“Later, Blondie,” he says, and strolls off to his car, which is finished with its oil change or whatever routine maintenance it needed. I glance around the garage to find Rico watching me again. Worried that he’ll think I’m slacking, I set the sandwich aside and get back to work.

* * *

The rest of the day goes by quickly. There’s always plenty to do, so whenever my mind tries to wander off toward a certain sexy-but-annoying alpha male, I force it back to the task at hand. It’s not until I’m clocked out and heading for my car that Rico appears at my side.

“You okay?” he says.

I blink. “Yeah. Why?”

“You been quiet all day. Ever since you came back from break this morning. Not like you.”

It’s a little unnerving that he knows that, since I don’t usually work with him. “I’m fine,” I say.

Rico scrubs his hands over his face and through his short-cropped dark hair. “One thing I know. When a woman says she’s fine, she’s not fine.”

At that, I can’t help smiling. I’m touched that he cares enough to ask. “Rico,” I say, “I’m okay. Really.”

“All right. Have it your way.” He blows out a breath. “Be careful with Kosta.”

A chill chases down my spine. “Careful? About what?”

He crosses his massive arms and looks at me for several moments, and I get the feeling he’s trying to decide if I can handle whatever he’s not telling me. Finally, he says, “You’ll have to ask him.”

“Really.” My hands go to my hips. “You want me to ask Kosta why his cousin is warning me to be careful with him.”

There’s a glint in Rico’s eye. “Or you could just stay away from him.”

I study him, turning his words over in my mind. Ask Kosta, or stay away. Rico’s thrown down the gauntlet. Which he wouldn’t have done if he didn’t think I could handle it.

So I smile and kiss his cheek. Unlike Cait, I’m on the tall side, so I only have to stand on tiptoe a little bit to do it. “Thanks, Rico.” He doesn’t say anything as I get into my car, but I think I see approval in his eyes.

I wave at him, pull out of the parking lot, and head home. Which, to save money until I graduate from college, is still my parents’ house. The usual chaos of dinnertime is underway when I get there, so I head down to the basement, dump my stuff, change out of my work uniform, and come back up to help.

During dinner, I manage to skim over my day at Revved without arousing any suspicions. I clear the table, my sisters load the dishwasher, and my little brother settles in with his homework while I head back down to the basement. It’s finished, and there’s an extra family room down here with a pool table and a tv, but one end is closed off and all mine.

Dad and I had a heart-to-heart after Cait and I snuck out to go to Kosta’s club, since that little escapade involved me messing with our home security system so we wouldn’t get caught leaving. We’d done it for years, but that was the first time I was ever brought home by the cops.

I’ve kept my nose clean since then. I’m not really that much of a wild child, and my bestie and partner in crime — so to speak — isn’t available anymore, now that she spends all her free time with Antonio. I wasn’t lying when I said I’m happy for her … but I miss her.

Flopping on my bed, I pull Kosta’s card out from where I’d stashed it in my nightstand. Call me. Such an innocuous, unassuming phrase.

Except it’s not, really. It’s a command, a demand, a summons from my own personal fantasy. Do I have the nerve to follow through?

Be careful with Kosta.

Rico’s caution only makes me more curious. But whatever he meant, I don’t need warnings to know that tangling with Constantine Adamo is a bad idea. Reluctantly, I put the card away.

Maybe I can convince myself to date a nice college boy. Grabbing my laptop, I force myself to search for online dating sites and am scrolling unenthusiastically through the results when my phone rings. It’s Gina, my friend and fellow Revved waitress.

“Hey chica,” I greet her. “What’s up?”

“In the Frame is having one of their under-21 evenings,” she says. “Want to waste one of our last few nights of being too young to drink sipping alcohol-free beverages and dancing with skinny teenage boys who stare at our tits?”