Mafia Secret (26 page)

His hands moved over her butt and down her thighs before going back up. His lips released her nipple and he looked up at her with a smirk.

"Don't stop," she whispered as he took her hands into his and rose.

"I wasn't planning on stopping." He kissed her mouth, and she leaned in to him eagerly. "If you're going to say no," he whispered, thumbs rubbing her wrists. "Now is the time to say it."

"I say yes."

"Lessa," he whispered, pressing a kiss just under her ear. "I'll always take care of you."

As he picked her up and carried her to the bed, she raised her arms and cupped his face with her hands. Drawing him closer, she captured his lips with hers. He returned her kiss, gently at first and then with increasing passion. Tomorrow was soon enough to worry about what came next. For tonight, there was nowhere she'd rather be.

L
essa snuggled deep into the covers. Daylight illuminated the room, but she wasn't ready to face the world yet. She was enjoying the safety of her cocoon with Marc's warm body next to her. This was the first time they'd slept next to each other. Frankly, she'd been surprised he'd stayed after making love to her. She'd expected him to leave as he had the first time.

He shifted and rolled over. She peered at him, but his eyes were still closed as he snuggled up next to her. Her heart warmed at the contact.

His phone vibrated on the bedstand next to Lessa, and she turned her head to glare at it. How dare his world intrude into this moment?

Marc levered up and reached over her to snag the phone, his gaze going down to hers. She was surprised to see quiet alertness without a sign of sleepiness. He gave her a soft kiss as he pushed the talk button and listened.

"I'll be right there." Marc closed the phone, his attention shifting back to Lessa. "I've gotta go."

"I figured. When will you be back?"

"I won't be long." He leaned over her so she was pinned by the covers. "You realize I don't want to go, right?"

"That's what they all say, and then they never call."

His eyebrows lowered before the corner of his mouth kicked up a notch. "I'll always call. You're much more inviting than looking at a picture of a car." He ran his finger down her cheek, hesitated, but then dropped his hand. "You stay here."

"In bed?"

"That would be my preference, but not practical. Until we know who grabbed you, I need you to stay in the house. Don't go anywhere without protection."

"I won't." She had no desire to find herself a target again and planned on staying very close to home. Of course, her lack of wardrobe would keep her in bed. "About those clothes?"

"I'll tell Virginia on my way out." Marc leaned over for a last kiss before scooting off the bed. With quick motions, he pulled on his own clothes, then hesitated again at the door. "Stay safe."

"Promise," she assured him.

With that he left the room, and all feeling of safety went with him. She shook it off and slid out of bed. The towel she'd lost last night lay on the floor by the footboard, and she wrapped it around herself. She didn't want to be naked when someone came to bring her clothes.

With no toiletries, there wasn't much she could do after she climbed out of her shower. There was soap and shampoo in the bathroom, but no toothbrush. She opened the cabinets. Well, toothpaste, but no toothbrush. She squeezed some on her finger and worked on at least freshening her breath. Looking at herself in the mirror, she carefully squared her shoulders.

Did she really want to stay a captive forever? Though the cocoon with Marc was nice, she couldn't live the rest of her life that way. She needed to figure out who had grabbed her. Being locked on this estate like Nina would quickly grow old.

Concentrate, Lessa, concentrate
. She thought back to the phone call. Sure, she'd been drugged and panicky, but she'd heard his voice.
Focus on the voice
. Why had it been familiar?

Lessa grew frustrated as she found she couldn't recall the voice itself. She could remember the words, but not the tone. It had been familiar, but why? If she recognized it, that meant someone connected to her new family had been involved. Someone she had at least met. Would she ever be truly safe if that person wasn't caught?

A knock at the door caused her to jump and spin to face the threat. Shaking her head at her own skittishness, she went out into the sitting room to answer the door.

"Who is it?"

"Clarissa," her sister said with a laugh. Lessa let her in. "Marc said you didn't have any clothes." Clarissa's gaze took in the towel. "I guess he was right." She passed off the small bundle in her arms.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Clarissa smiled. "How're you feeling?"

She shrugged, not really knowing the answer and having no idea how to articulate it if she had.

"Go get dressed, and we'll walk down to breakfast together."

Lessa took the bundle into the bedroom. It didn't take long to slip on the designer jeans and blouse. She looked down at her bare feet. Shoot. No socks, and she didn't want to look at the pile of clothes she'd kicked behind the toilet last night in her haste to purge herself of her kidnapping ordeal.

She padded out barefoot. Clarissa immediately noticed and laughed.

"I've got some sandals that might fit." She took Lessa's arm and pulled her out of her room. "Time for something to eat. Virginia always makes the best meals after a crisis. Probably not something to celebrate, but it's true. We can swing by my room and grab those sandals and a brush."

"Not much left in my room," Lessa explained.

"That's what sisters are for, right?" Her quick steps slowed. "Interesting thought, isn't it? We're practically strangers yet sisters at the same time."

"Might take some time to get used to." She certainly still wasn't used to the idea. "But I'd like to think we've moved beyond practically strangers."

"I think you're right, practically friends." Clarissa smiled and led the way down one flight of stairs to the family level and her room.

Lessa looked around Clarissa's room with interest. It was a large bedroom decorated with expensive furniture, and she recalled Marc mentioning her own suite was for special guests. She frowned at the "little princess" feel to the room. It didn't match her sister's sultry personality at all.

"Don't say it." Clarissa walked into the bathroom before coming out with a wide-toothed comb.

"Don't say what?" She took the comb gratefully and began to untangle the long length of her hair as Clarissa headed for the walk-in closet.

"That it's a little girl's room." Emerging with a pair of heeled sandals, Clarissa closed the closet door with her free hand. "No backs, so they shouldn't fall off."

Lessa took the flip-flop styled shoes and stepped into them. They were a little long, but if she was careful they'd serve their purpose. "The room doesn't really seem like you."

"Oh, it was when I was ten." Clarissa sighed. "Father wouldn't let me change it after that. He wanted to keep me a little girl as long as he could."

Lessa nodded, though she didn't really understand.

"But that's just men I guess."

"Not all men."

Clarissa shrugged. "You think."

"I think that your perception of men might have been a little skewed by your father," Lessa said carefully.

Clarissa appeared to consider, but shook her head. "He was larger than life, and he controlled every aspect of mine, but I think he was the same as any man. He just had the power to do what other men only think of doing."

"Maybe. I've known guys who didn't try to control everything, or had the grace to back down when they realized they couldn't."

Clarissa raised an eyebrow. "I hope you aren't expecting that behavior from Marc. He's as alpha as they come."

"I know," she stated with a small smile. It was a huge part of what attracted her to him. "But he'll learn."

Clarissa didn't appear convinced. "Don't put too much faith in him changing."

She wouldn't tell Clarissa about Marc's intentions of leaving the business. "Oh, he won't change. But changing and learning are two very different things."

"Interesting perspective." Clarissa led the way out. "I hate to disillusion you."

"It'll be all right, Clarissa. I appreciate your concern and I do understand what you're trying to tell me."

"But you can take care of yourself," Clarissa finished.

"Yes, I can."

"All right, no more warnings about the men in my family, but if you need to talk, you know, I'll understand."

"Thanks." Lessa meant it.

The family was gathered in the dining room for breakfast. Lessa stopped under the glare Lucia leveled on her. She was suddenly glad for the wide table between them and hurried past Lucia to join Nina, who sat with Jio and the children. Clarissa didn't follow, but went around the table to kneel next to her mother.

Jio was talking with his eldest son, but looked up as she approached. "You look better."

"Thank you, I think," Lessa said, sitting across from him at the end of the long table.

He glanced toward his mother before turning back to her. "Your mother is on her way here," he said in a low voice.

"What?" She looked around for a clock remembering her mother had called late last night. "I was supposed to call her back."

"She got on a plane first thing this morning. They'll get here around one or two."

"They?"

"My boys are with her and called me once they realized she was driving to the airport. They'll drive her here." He leaned toward her. "It would be helpful to keep this quiet and away from certain ears."

She glanced down at his mother automatically before nodding her understanding of his concerns. As if feeling Lessa's gaze on her, Lucia suddenly turned in their direction. Clarissa said something softly drawing her mother's attention back to her.

"Okay." Jio stood up and patted his son on the head as he stepped away from the table. "We're relieved you've returned safely to us."

With that, Jio left at a brisk walk. A man with a job to do. Lessa looked at Nina in inquiry.

"They have a lead," Nina said softly as she smiled at Susannah. "Jio and Marc will be busy today."

A plate of waffles suddenly appeared on the table in front of her, and Virginia patted her shoulder before moving off to clean up Jio's dishes.

"Thank you."

Virginia nodded and headed back into the kitchen.

"I'll be glad when this is all over." How the heck was she going to juggle her mother, Jiovanni's wife, and investigating her kidnapping? She cast another glance toward Lucia before focusing back on her plate. Jio hadn't said anything about where her mother would stay.

"Yes, it'll be a relief to go back to normal," Nina said in contemplation. "What are your plans for the morning?"

"Hanging out here, I suppose."

Clarissa sat down next to Lessa. "We're all staying close to home. Brother's orders."

"It's for the best." As her last child finished, Nina stood up. "I'll have to find something to keep the kids busy inside today. Join us after you eat, if you like."

Ryan MacDonald entered just as Nina and the kids were leaving. He walked straight over to Lessa and leaned across the table and said in his softly lilting accent, "I just heard what happened. Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you."

MacDonald's appearance had broken Lessa's concentration on how to manage her mother's arrival. Now, she turned her attention to the lawyer. He still made her slightly uneasy. There was something unsettling about his crystal-clear blue eyes.

"What brought you out to us today?" Clarissa asked.

Ryan set his briefcase on the table. "I've had all the paperwork drawn up for you to sign in regards to your father's estate. If I'd realized Lessa was here, I could have brought hers with me as well." He handed a stack of papers to Clarissa, but addressed Lessa. "I'm afraid I'm booked solid this afternoon, but you can come by my office this morning to get those papers filed."

Lessa shook her head. "Marc said I shouldn't leave the estate."

"It can wait until tomorrow, I suppose."

He moved to Lucia and took her hand as he sat next to her. They were on the other side of the table, so Lessa couldn't hear what was being said. She assumed it was the same as he'd said to them.

Clarissa frowned at the paperwork. "I hate this. It was one thing to be a child of the business, but to actually own a stake is entirely different."

She shot her sister a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

Clarissa lowered her voice to a whisper. "The way Daddy set it up, we all own a stake in the business. I'm not too comfortable with that, if you get my drift."

She did and wasn't too thrilled with the idea, either. "Is there something we can do about it?"

"I'm not sure. It's a trust and trusts can be complicated. We should probably talk to Ryan about getting out if you want."