Page 61 of The Crowned Garza

“Stay with me tonight.”

A firm shake of his head. “There’s a reason I live in the building I work in.”

Aiming to look as sweet and harmless as possible, I smother half my face in my shoulder and coquettishly bat my lashes. “Until I fall asleep, then?”

Santo Luciani is not a man easily fooled, though. He’s so stoic, so expressionless, so detached and in control of his faculties.

Seeing that he’s about to deny me, I push up onto my knees and reach for him, hooking a finger into one of his belt loops. “Just one last moment of weakness for the night. I’ll behave, I promise.”

He drops his head back, eyes trained on the ceiling. “Why do you always make it so hard?”

“That’s what he said,” I mutter, drifting my palm down to his erection.

Oops, there goes my promise to behave.

With an admonishing shake of his head, he removes my hand from his crotch and shoves me back. “How little weight your word holds.”

A laugh gets knocked out of me when I hit the mattress.

Muttering something inaudible, he reluctantly gets in bed with me, pulls me up against him, and orders, “Go to sleep.”

Pleased as a well-fed puss, I smile into his chest. “Yes, Mr. Luciani.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Just give me a minute.”

Tillie

“THANKS AGAIN FOR THEride, hon. See you on Thursday.”

My coworker slides out the passenger side of my car then gives me a quick wave and jogs up the driveway to her boyfriend’s house. I wait until she’s safely inside before driving off.

As tired as I am, the idea of going home to an empty house debilitates me even more, so I drive to Barefoot Runaway to get some comforting mother-daughter time with Mom. But when I get to the condo, she’s out cold in the living room with her favorite cocoa mug nestled in her lap, her reading glasses askew, and Turkish drama on the TV.

After locking up the condo and turning out the lights for her, I head to Trent and Lexi’s house. But as I’m arriving, they’re on the way out for a date night.

The rest of my siblings are either out of state or overseas, and it’s too far a drive to go hit up my cousins in Venice, so back to an empty home I go.

Growing up with four crazy brothers who wouldn’t stay out of my business, there was a time when I couldn’t wait to have my own place and live alone. I thought it would be the best thing ever. And it is, but it’s also a little sucky. Especially since I don’t have many friends—at least not ones I want in my home.

Me:Wish you were here. It gets so lonely sometimes.

Sunny:I should be done with this video edit in about an hour. Wanna have a besties date night after I’m done? Pancakes, eggs, and homemade cocktails?

Me:ILYSM

Sunny:Me more.

After a long shower, I pause by the doorframe of the en suite bathroom and stare at my bed.

Eight days have passed sincehewas here, there at the edge of that bed, making me see stars with his fingers. My stomach dips deliciously at the memory.

He’s ignored all my texts and calls since then. But what’s new?

I pad to the nightstand and pick up my phone, then recline on the bed in the same position he’d put me in, imagining he’s here, his hands on me.

Me:I’m feeling lonely…