Celine heard male voices when she left the guest bedroom, after taking the time to brush her teeth, wash her face and finger-comb her hair. Tightening the belt of the ankle-length velour bathrobe around her waist, she stepped into the living room. The moment she did so, two pairs of eyes turned to look at her.
“Good morning,” she said to the stranger, who was just as tall as Zion. He was very handsome, with black hair, dark eyes, olive skin and a megawatt smile.
The man crossed the room to her. “Good morning, signorina. I’m Alessandro Rossi,” he said, extending his hand.
She took it and returned his smile. “Nice meeting you, and I’m Celine Michaels.”
“Nice meeting you, as well.” The man released her hand, but not before she noticed keen interest in his eyes. She also noticed when he’d touched her that she hadn’t felt the electric currents that sizzled her insides whenever Zion did.
“Celine, Alessandro is a good friend of mine who owed me a favor,” Zion was saying. “A favor I collected on last night by asking him to deliver this.”
When he stepped aside she saw what had been hidden behind him. “My luggage!” she exclaimed, moving forward.
“Yes, your luggage. My sister verifies that all your belongings are in there. She’s the one who packed up all your things,” Alessandro said, with his mega-smile still in place.
“Your sister? But how did she get in my room?” she asked in surprise.
Alessandro chuckled. “I’ll let Zion explain.”
She then turned questioning eyes to Zion, who said, “Alessandro’s family owns the Inspiron Hotel, and I asked that all your belongings in the room be brought here to me. However, there is something you should know.”
Celine could tell by the tone of Zion’s voice that it was something she didn’t want to hear. “What?”
“Alessandro noticed two men parked outside when he and Isabella arrived at the hotel this morning. He checked the hotel’s security cameras, and it appears the men arrived last night around two and have been parked there since then.”
Celine nodded. “That’s around the same time I showed up here.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t go back to the hotel after you got away. Someone was ready to grab you again.”
Celine shuddered at the thought. She then turned to Alessandro. “Were those men still there when you left?”
“Yes,” he told her. “That’s the reason Isabella and I went out the back way and used one of the hotel’s unmarked vehicles to come here. I just phoned hotel security to check the cameras again, and the men are still parked outside. I think they hope you’ll eventually return to get your belongings.”
“Let them keep thinking that,” Zion said, in a tone so deadly Celine couldn’t help glancing at him. When he stared back at her, she could feel his anger. She could also feel his desire, and their gazes locked and held for a period of time.
When Alessandro cleared his throat, she broke eye contact with Zion to glance over at him. A huge smile was on the man’s face when he turned to Zion and said, “I’ll be going. For helping me out I promised Isabella that I would treat her to breakfast. She is in the car waiting for me.”
“Thank you, Alessandro, and please thank your sister for me,” Celine said.
He switched his gaze from Zion to her. “I will. Goodbye, Celine, and stay safe.”
* * *
“Wow, Zion, you didn’t say she was such a beauty,” Alessandro said as the two men stepped out the door and stood in the corridor.
Zion looked pointedly at his friend. “Didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“Hey, don’t get territorial. I take it she’s off-limits.”
“She’s off-limits to you. I know how you operate.”
“Oh, so now you’re vying to be her protector and not her lover.”
“I’m not vying to be her anything.”
“Well, she’s going to need a protector. I saw those men, Zion. Even in business suits they look like ruffians. I don’t know the whole story of what’s going on, but I suggest you do whatever you can to keep her out of their hands.”
“I will.” It surprised Zion how quickly he’d spoken, but he meant what he said. He would protect Celine. Why such a thing was important to him, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it had to do with that quick flash of fear he’d seen in her eyes when Alessandro had told them about those men parked outside the hotel, waiting for her to return.
“Good. If you hadn’t decided to do so, I would have,” Alessandro replied. “Like I said, she’s beautiful.”
“And like I said,” Zion reiterated, “she’s off-limits to you.”
He didn’t like it when Alessandro threw his head back and laughed. Deciding not to be the target of his friend’s humor any longer, he said, “Don’t keep Isabella waiting, and thank her for her assistance. And again, I thank you, as well.”
Alessandro smiled. “No thanks needed, my friend.”
When Zion returned from seeing Alessandro out, he could hear the water going in the guest bathroom and figured with the return of her belongings Celine had decided to take another shower and get dressed. He decided to use that time to shower himself, and then over breakfast they would discuss what their next move should be.
Their next move? By rights, whatever she was dealing with was her business, not his. He rubbed a hand down his face, wishing he could think that way, but like he’d told Alessandro, he would protect her. There had never been a time when he needed to step into the role of any woman’s protector, but he knew he would do it for Celine without blinking an eye.
Going into his bedroom, he used his phone to order breakfast for two to be delivered thirty minutes from now. After that he stripped off his clothes, showered, then dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Leaving his bedroom, he headed for the kitchen to set the table, but stopped when he saw Celine sitting in his living room. She was dressed, with her luggage next to her, and stood when she saw him.
Zion tried not to focus on her outfit—a pair of boots, a long, flowing skirt and a wool jacket. She looked good, but then, he would admit there had never been anything she’d worn around him that she hadn’t looked appealing in. And just like before, sexual energy was zinging between them, making it hard for him to think about anything but his desire for her.
“I didn’t want to leave before thanking you again and telling you goodbye.”
“Goodbye? You heard what Alessandro said, Celine. People are looking for you.”
“I know that, Zion, but I can’t impose on you any longer. The Inspiron isn’t the only hotel in Rome. I’ll check into another one and wait it out. I’ll use a fake name if I have to. Those men can’t keep watch on every hotel in this city.”
“Do you know for certain that they can’t?”
“No, but I can’t wait it out here.”
She was right; she couldn’t. The best thing to do was to get her out of the city for a while. “I agree, but not for the reason you assume.” When the doorbell sounded, he said, “I ordered breakfast. We can talk about it while we eat.”
* * *
Celine glanced across the table at Zion. They were halfway through breakfast and he had yet to bring up anything. In fact, other than ask if she’d slept well last night, he hadn’t said much at all. Of course, she’d replied that she had, when she really hadn’t. She had endured a very eventful night and should have been knocked out as soon as her head touched the pillow. Instead, her body had fought sleep, knowing she and Zion were under the same roof once again. Just knowing he was sleeping in a bed a few feet away from her had made sleep nearly impossible.
She glanced at her watch. It was nine o’clock already and she had decisions to make. She had checked and her phone was still out of service. The first thing she intended to do after leaving here was to try to get a new phone, preferably a burner. She looked over at Zion. “You wanted to talk, right?”
He took a sip of his coffee and looked up at her. She wished he hadn’t. Once again her stomach fluttered, just as it always did whenever his dark eyes leveled on her.
He placed his coffee cup down and leaned back in his chair. “I think your best bet is to stay with me.”
He had to be kidding. “I honestly don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Would you like to tell me why?”
He had to know very well why, but if he needed her to spell it out for him she would. “It seems that nothing has changed between us. We still manage to turn each other on. And frankly, I have a lot more to worry about than ending up in your bed.”
He smiled, and the way his lips curved was drawing her in. She didn’t want to be drawn in. She was in enough trouble already.
“You would only end up in my bed if you want to be there, Celine.”
Like she wouldn’t want to be there. The man was a human magnet. All he had to do was look at her and she could feel herself being drawn to him. “Denying desire when it comes to you is not that easy, Zion.”
“Why not?”
Did his ego need stroking or something? “Because it’s not.”
He didn’t reply for a minute and then said, “Let’s think about this for a moment. Both realistically and sexually. Realistically, unless you know someone else in Rome you can trust, then I suggest you remain with me.”
She sighed deeply. Her college friend who used to live in Rome had since married and was now living in Venice. “I don’t know anyone. But like I told you, I can check into another hotel.”
“Is that a chance you really want to take, Celine?”
No, it isn’t. “I can’t get you involved in this.”
“I’m already involved.”
“I’m trying to get you uninvolved, Zion. I have no idea what shady business dealings Nikon is mixed up in.”
“It has to be something pretty damn bad for those men to think it was okay to kidnap you until he pays up. And just the thought that he went along with it pisses me off. What an ass.”
In Celine’s book Nikon was worse than an ass. “We’ve discussed ‘realistically.’ Now let’s cover ‘sexually.’”
He took another sip of his coffee and then said, “All right. Sexually, I agree not to jump your bones if you don’t jump mine first.”
She frowned. “And you think I’d try?”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t you? I recall you once boldly declaring that we would make love one day, and that it was a waste of good sexual energy for us not to.”
Yes, she had said that, and at the time she’d meant it. The sexual energy was still there, even with all this danger surrounding her. Whenever he looked at her she was aware of his male power and strength. And it was power and strength that could jolt enough sexual energy to rock her to her core. Even now remembering their last kiss sent frissons of desire dancing down every nerve ending.
“Yes, I said it, and nothing has changed. I think you see that for yourself.”
He nodded. “I can not only see it, I can feel it.”
Celine could, too, and it was so deep, she was aware of it in every pore of her body. She could honestly admit that every single thing about Zion Blackstone turned her on. His nearness, his scent, his looks, the memory of his taste...
“I suggest you come up with a plan to combat this thing between us,” he added, “because I don’t intend to let you walk out that door when it’s not safe for you to do so.”
She took a sip of her own coffee. “Don’t tell me you intend to kidnap me, as well.”
A crooked smile touched his lips. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, to tie you up and keep you here.”
Tie her up. Why did an image of her being tied to his bed suddenly flash in her mind, sending pulsating need rushing through her? She banished the image and focused on what he’d said about a plan.
“A plan, huh? I just might have an idea.”
He hoped it was a good one, because crackles of sexual energy were passing between them as she spoke. “What’s your idea?”
“I think we should go ahead and sleep together. Just get it out of the way and be through with it.”
He tilted his head questioningly. “Get it out of the way and be through with it?”
“Yes. Then all this sexual energy between us will go away.”
* * *
Zion stared at her. Did she honestly think they could sleep together and the attraction would just dissipate? That was not how intense desire between two people worked. At least for him it didn’t. Not when there was this relentless pounding in his crotch just from looking at her and inhaling her scent.
Desire was clawing at him, hot, sharp and deep. He was trying like hell to fight it, but found it difficult to do. Sitting across from her while she’d been eating, watching the movement of her mouth and wishing it was on a certain part of his anatomy, had been pure hell.
“Well, what do you think of that idea?” she asked him.
Zion felt that she deserved his honesty. “We could have fun trying, but it will take more than one time to purge us from each other’s system.”
“Why would you think that?”
Instead of answering, he reached across the table and traced his finger down her arm. Whatever sensations she felt from the touch, he was feeling, as well. He could see how desire was lighting up the dark pupils of her eyes and the way her breathing had changed.
When he removed his hand from her, she lifted her chin. “Okay, you’ve proved your point.”
“Good. Now we can concentrate on leaving here.”
She blinked. “Leave?” At his nod, she asked, “And go where?”
“To my home in the country. I don’t like the thought of remaining in town when people are actively looking for you, especially in this area.”
“What about your work? I don’t want to interfere with that.”
“You won’t. I have workshops in both places, so it doesn’t matter.” There was no need to tell her the pieces he was working on were hers. Nor did she need to know the reason he’d gotten started on them was because she’d been on his mind practically every single day since returning from Los Angeles.
She nodded. “If you’re sure about leaving, I’m already packed.”
He stood. “Then it won’t take me but a second to gather my things. It’s an hour drive from here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He went into his bedroom, closed the door and pulled an overnight bag from the closet. Because he kept dual residences during most of the year, he kept clothes in both places, so he didn’t need much. After packing up the few things he wanted to take, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in a number.
York answered in a raspy voice. “Do you know what time it is in New York, Z?”
“Yes, I know. I need a favor.” And as an ex-cop and now a security specialist, York was the perfect guy to go to.
“You in jail somewhere and need bail money?”
Zion chuckled. “No.”
“Then this better be a matter of life or death.”
“That’s a possibility.”
York was quiet for a minute and then said, “Hold on—I don’t want to wake Darcy. I’ve discovered pregnant women need all the sleep they can get. I’m going into the living room.”
Moments later York came back on the phone. “Okay, what the hell have you gotten yourself into, Z?”
“It’s not me, but Celine Michaels. She’s in Rome and last night she was kidnapped. Luckily, she got away from her abductors and came here.”
“Where’s here?”
“My place,” Zion clarified.
“She’s at your place? I heard on the news yesterday that she’s engaged to that Greek-American actor, Nikon Anastas.”
“No, she’s not,” Zion said, a little sharper than he’d intended.
“Umm, interesting.”
Zion knew how York’s mind worked. “It’s not what you think.”
“Then tell me what it is, Z. And at four in the morning New York time, it better be good.”
Zion then relayed to York the situation as he knew it. “That’s the story Levy Michaels is telling his daughter, but I have a feeling there’s more to it than what he’s saying. I want to know what’s really going on.”
“So do I. I agree that what he said about getting the FBI involved doesn’t make sense when he doesn’t want to get the authorities involved there in Rome. Notifying the FBI is basically the same thing as notifying the Italian authorities. It will all be official. I’ll get on it right away and will let you know what I find out.”
“Thanks, Y.”