Page 26 of Tempting the President

I stumble out of the elevators...only to bump immediately into someone else.

The atmosphere shifts like a weather front. Three men stand in the penthouse foyer, their stillness striking me as wrong somehow. Their casual stances look rehearsed, calculated, as if they’ve arranged themselves specifically for our arrival.

“What are you all doing here?”

Despite the faint irritation in Patrizio’s voice, his touch is gentle as he immediately cups my elbow to help me regain my balance. But even so, I still sense the change in him. A new alertness, with the way his body angles slightly to position himself between me and the others.

“You must be Professor Stuart.”

The other men look exactly like what I’d expect Patrizio’s inner circle to be. All of them tall. All of them handsome. All radiating that same magnetic danger that seems to cling to Patrizio like expensive cologne.

But each wears it differently—one watches me with cool assessment, another with blank neutrality, the third with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“We’ve heard a lot about you from Zio.”

It’s the man with the golden hair who speaks, his Italian flawless. While his tone seems friendly enough, I can’t help but notice how he’s referred to Annie’s older brother.

Zio, is it?

I’m not jealous or anything, but...I wonder if there’s any other woman who also calls him by this? I’m, um, just curious, that’s all.

Patrizio’s arm curves around my waist, and the possessiveness of his touch feels like a warning. He wants to stake a claim, and I...I find myself meekly accepting said claim for some reason.

Doomed, Jayne!

It seems that’s my middle name now.

Jayne “Doomed” Stuart!

“May I introduce you to my friends, Jayne?”

I nod, feeling rather self-conscious and ridiculously tongue-tied all of a sudden. I’m not acting like my age at all, but I can’t seem to help it. This is my first time to have a man introduce me to his friends, and it just makes everything between Patrizio and me feel so terrifyingly...real.

“This is Stefano Gold.”

The man with the golden hair inclines his head at Patrizio’s introduction, his eyes assessing me like I’m a business opportunity he hasn’t decided whether to invest in. Everything about him screams controlled wildness, from the messy hair to the expensive suit with that one button that I’m tempted to think was left deliberately undone.

“He’s primarily in charge of the company’s business expansions.”

I catch that emphasis on “primarily,” wondering what his other responsibilities might be.

Patrizio then gestures to the man with silver eyes that miss nothing. He stands apart from the others, his back to the wall, giving him a clear view of both us and the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Jamie Ferros is our...VP for security.”

Jamie acknowledges me with a single nod, the motion economical. Unlike Stefano’s casual stance, Jamie holds himself with a rigid sense of formality, and it’s like being in the presence of a war hero.

“Um, hi.” I try my best to hide my confusion. It’s my first time to hear about a company VP...in charge of security? For a steel company? The position seems excessive unless...

I don’t have time to complete the thought before Patrizio continues.

“Gianluca, on the other hand, manages our interests in real estate.”

All I can do is smile awkwardly at the last of Patrizio’s friends, a man with dark hair and Mediterranean features whose face gives away absolutely nothing. Unlike the others, Gianluca offers no reaction at all; he might as well be looking through me rather than at me.

The three men form a loose half-circle that communicates importance without being overtly threatening. They exchange glances loaded with meaning, making me acutely aware I’ve stepped into a world with its own language.

“If you’re all here,” Patrizio says, his tone changing to something I haven’t heard before, “then I assume we have a business meeting that can’t be postponed?”

“I’m afraid so.” It’s Jamie who speaks this time, his voice surprisingly soft for someone who looks like he could disassemble a man with his bare hands. But the seriousness in his eyes contradicts his mild tone. “There’s been a development that requires immediate attention.”