Run Rosie Run (25 page)

It was a sad fact of life that in the hospitality industry part of the deal was handling dickheads.

‘You’ll want to back off, right now,’ Bronte told him in a hard voice.

The way she placed herself between them had the man turn to her with a snarl.

His face was mottled and puffy.

As she pushed Julie towards the door Bronte recognised signs of the hangover from hell. Bloodshot eyes, the heady scent of sweat, unbrushed teeth and alcohol.

Her ex-fiancé used to overindulge and like this guy, he’d been a bad drunk.

He shook his fist holding the invoice in her face.

‘Have you seen this? It’s a fucking rip-off. No way did I spend over five hundred pounds in the bar.’

Nico, Alexander and a security team entered.

‘Step away, Bronte,’ Nico said in a smooth tone that told her she was in trouble.

She went to move, but Mr. Rotbreath grabbed her wrist and that was all it took for her husband to have the guy French kissing the wall.

Later Nico and the security team gave the police a statement.

Her husband had a zero tolerance with intimidation or abuse of his employees.

The police had interviewed a very shaken Julie.

Alexander handed his PA a glass of water, put his hand on her shoulder.

‘Are you okay?’

She thrust a trembling hand through her blonde hair.

‘I left my post for a minute to put letters on your desk for signing and he was in here so fast and had me against the wall before I could even think.’

‘Do you want to go home?’

She shook her head.

‘No. I’ll be better off here. I’m fine.’

‘Take a break. If you’re still shaky, I’ll phone Phil.’

‘Better not, he’ll want to tear him limb from limb.’

‘Your husband will need to get in line behind the rest of us.’

She grinned now.

‘Did you see how fast Nico moved?’

‘The asshole made the mistake of putting his hand on my sister.’

Julie rose and her hand found Bronte’s.

She squeezed.

‘Thanks for that. You’ve no idea how relieved I was to see you.’

Once Nico escorted the police out and Julie left, Bronte sank into a soft leather chair, eyed her brother.

‘Quite a day. Does this happen often?’

Alexander sent her a brotherly stare that told her he wasn’t happy with her intervention on Julie’s behalf.

‘Nope. We have a strict procedure in place to deal with difficult guests. I’ll have a talk with the front desk and find out why he wasn’t closed down when he kicked off.’

The door opened, Nico entered and he didn’t look a happy man.

Dark eyes zeroed in on her.

Crap.

He moved fast to lean his hands on the arms of the chair effectively trapping her.

And brought his face close to hers.

‘What the hell was that?’

Annoyance brought her chin up.

The move made his nostrils flare.

‘He looked as if he was going to hit her.’

His eyes flashed.

‘So you decided to place yourself between them instead of calling for help?’

‘What was I supposed to do?’ she demanded in a tone that made those eyes inform her she was pushing her luck.

‘You were supposed to press the panic button.’

‘I did press the panic button! I couldn’t just walk away and leave her like that.’

Now he stood and the way he thrust his hands into his trouser pockets told her he wanted to throttle her.

‘He was ready to hurt you,
cara,
’ his voice went deep and low.

She’d scared him.

Perhaps she could have handled it differently, but she hadn’t stopped to think.

Even now the expression on poor Julie’s face made her absolutely furious.

‘But he didn’t hurt me.’

Now those eyes narrowed.

‘We will talk about this later,’ he promised her before turning to Alexander. ‘I have security, reception staff and the assistant manager waiting for me.’

Alexander rose.

‘I’ll be right there.’

Nico shook his head.

‘No. You stay here, talk some sense into your sister. I am not having anyone terrorise my staff and get away with it. I want to know why he escalated and was not dealt with.’

He stalked out and the door closed behind him with a soft click.

Her brother studied her for a long moment.

‘He’s right. You could have been hurt.’

Now guilt danced a little jig with annoyance.

‘Okay, okay. I only came for a chat with you.’

Now his eyes searched hers.

‘You’ve seen Rosie?’

‘She’s a nervous wreck.’

He frowned.

‘Then she can just get over herself.’

Bronte’s eyes went wide at the tone, at the determined look in his eyes.

‘If you push too hard, she’ll run.’

He shrugged.

‘She can run as far and as fast as she likes. But she’s mine.’

Bloody hell, when had her brother become a caveman?

Rubbing her jaw, she wondered how to handle it.

‘Want some advice?’

Now his eyes met hers and they held a warning.

‘Nope.’

‘Is that your way of telling me to mind my own business?’

His smile was kind.

‘I seem to remember the time you told me to butt out of your business when you and Nico got all hot and heavy.’

She did indeed.

And he was absolutely right.

It was none of her business.

Standing, she turned to him and found him watching her with something like sympathy and understanding in his eyes.

God he reminded her so much of his father.

‘Do you love her?’

He shook his head.

‘Not going there with you. This is between me and Rosie. Too many people have meddled already.’

Her brows met.

‘Who?’

‘Nico and Josh Erichsen just to name two and I’m not having it.’

‘What has Nico done?’ she demanded to know.

‘Why don’t you ask him?’

Confused, annoyed and not a little hurt, Bronte simply stared at him.

Nico knew something was happening between her brother and best friend and hadn’t told her?

More secrets?

She hated secrets and lies and her husband damn well knew it.

‘Don’t worry, I will.’ With her hand placed on the door handle, she turned to him and now her voice dripped ice. ‘I was scared she might hurt you. But you know what? I hope she kicks your butt.’

The door closed behind her.

Alexander found himself grinning.

He couldn’t wait to have a little word in Ms Gordon’s ear about a certain Simon Lowther.

‘Run, Rosie, run,’
he thought. ‘
Angel face, you’re a very naughty girl. And you’re all mine.’

Bronte leaned in the doorway of her bedroom with her arms folded watching her husband take off his suit jacket.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

He raised a brow at her tone, took off his tie.

‘Alexander asked me to keep it quiet until he had sorted things out with her. He was upset. I had already interfered enough by pointing Josh in Rosie’s direction.’

Toeing off his shoes, he unbuttoned his shirt.

And his eyes narrowed on hers in a way that told her he didn’t like her attitude.

Tough titty.

‘But you know how I hate secrets.’

Her voice was rising and now his dark eyes went wide.

He stripped off his shirt.

‘
Si
, but it was not my secret. And do not try to use this as an attempt to draw my attention away from what happened today. You deserve a spanking.’

Yeah, that’ll be the day.

Bronte told herself she would not be distracted by his strong manly chest, the hard abs, as he unbuckled his belt, unzipped his fly.

However, she couldn’t help the usual curl of lust deep in her belly as he stepped out of his trousers.

The man was built like an athlete, all long and lean muscles and a tight, tight ass.

The twins were fed and bathed and sound asleep.

And she was hungry, but not for food.

‘You’ve been reading too much about that naughty romance that’s hit the headlines.’

Picking up his jeans, he gave her a dangerous smile.

That glorious face with its high cheekbones, the wide mouth and the strong manly chin never failed to make her mouth water.

The look in his eyes for her made her belly dance.

After two years he still made her drool.

‘Married women with children have gone wild for it. It has spiced up their sex lives,’ he said in a deep throaty voice.

The Italian accent was more pronounced and made her shiver.

Now she entered, closed the door and leaned against it.

‘Our sex life doesn’t need more spice.’

He tossed the jeans and strolled towards her like a big black panther.

She tipped her head back to gaze into his fabulous face and told herself she was a lucky, lucky girl.

He placed the flat of his hands against the door on either side of her head and leaned down.

The warm scent of him, aroused healthy male, his cologne, was so familiar, so potent, it never failed to turn her on.

‘
Grazie, cara
. You humble me.’

Anything less humble she had yet to see.

Her gaze dropped to his swollen shaft peeking above the waistband of his jockeys.

Her fingertip whispered over the sensitive flesh to spread the clear fluid leaking from the slit of his cock and her big husband shuddered.

With her eyes on his she took her finger to her mouth and licked it.

His eyes went so dark so fast and she knew she had him.

‘You’ve never been humble in your life. But I don’t mind a little... variety.’

Those eyes glittered into hers and accepted her challenge.

‘
Si?
’

He stepped back and stripped.

Now he moved to a couch covered in cream linen.

He sat back, spread his legs and took his shaft in his fist and pumped once, twice, three times.

Dark eyes never left hers and she read arousal and something else.

She’d scared him today.

And challenged him in front of her brother and in front of a member of his staff.

If there was one thing she’d learned about Nico Ferranti it was that he never, ever walked away from a challenge.

‘Strip,’ he ordered.

The way he said it, the command in his voice and the way those dark eyes took a lazy stroll over her body made the slick heat aching between her legs throb in a dark rhythm.

She loved it when he got all dominant and possessive.

Her feet were bare as she padded over to him and pulled off her thin jersey cotton vest.

She never wore a bra so her small breasts tightened as his eyes dropped to her nipples.

For years the lack of breasts had bothered her, but her big Italian husband adored her body. And he’d taught her to love it, be comfortable with it, too.

Her fingers popped the button of her white denim shorts, pulled down the zip.

She wiggled her hips as they fell to her ankles, leaving her in nothing more than a scrap of white lace that rode low on her hips.

He continued to pleasure himself, watching her like a lazy big cat.

And she decided to give the cat a poke.

‘Are you still angry with me?’

She gave him big eyes, fluttered her lashes.

His tongue licked his bottom lip.

‘Turn around.’

She gave him a cheeky grin that narrowed his eyes before she did as he asked.

Then wiggled her bottom.

‘Take off your panties.’

The way she bent over as she pulled her panties over her hips, down her legs to her ankles made Nico’s cock thicken under his hand.

He smothered a groan.

His wife was teasing him, challenging him and he loved it.

Her pert ass was exposed as she stepped out of her panties and now she looked over her shoulder as she stroked the firm flesh of her ass cheek.

Naughty girl.

It had taken time but these days she was at ease in her own skin and that made him a very happy man.

But now he wondered if she was ready to take another step.

A step that would require her total trust in him.

This was not the first time she had mentioned the book that dealt with dominance and submission and he wondered if she’d read it.

‘Get on the bed on your hands and knees.’

With another arch look over her shoulder she sauntered over to their big high bed, and got on her hands and knees facing him.

He stood and moved towards her.

His cock was on the same level as her face and he saw her pupils dilate.

She loved giving him a blow job but she’d never swallowed his seed.

He’d never asked it of her.

Her hair was still in its high ponytail.

Good, it would give him something to hold on to.

‘Do you want to taste me,
cara?
’

The little purr she made in her throat fired his cock.

Her hand moved to take him, but he shook his head.

‘No. Come to the edge of the bed and kneel back on your heels.’

She did as he asked and her laughing eyes met his, her hands resting on her lean thighs.

‘Spread your knees.’

Biting her top lip, she opened her legs wide.

The smooth flesh of her swollen sex glistened with the evidence of her arousal.

‘Touch your clitoris.’

There was a time when she might have hesitated, but not now.

Now her fingers slid around that tightly swollen little nub and he saw her pupils dilate.

‘Taste it.’

The hesitation was brief but he didn’t miss it.

She brought her fingers to her mouth and her tongue flicked out.

Her brow creased as she sampled herself.

‘Like it?’

‘It’s... interesting.’

‘Would you like to taste my seed?’

Now those eyes went wide with something that looked like a mix of surprise and desire.

‘Yes,’ she whispered and moved to take him in her hand.

‘No touching,
cara
. Hands behind your back. I will control when I come.’