Page 105 of The Midnight Club

He grinned at her. “Problems?”

Kate sighed. “I give up. I might be a lawyer, but I’d be a useless detective.”

He helped her up off the floor and took her in his arms. “Then let’s leave the detecting to them and let’s do something we know we’re good at.”

He began to kiss her, and she sank into the embrace, feeling his fingers slide under her T-shirt and lift it over her head. He bent his head to take her nipple into his mouth, and Kate closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations he sent shivering up and down her body.

His hand slipped into her panties and began to caress her clit as he backed her toward the bed, and as they tumbled down and began to strip each other, Kate wondered how she had ever thought that life before Lisander had been exciting.

They made love until the sun set, and Kate was just falling asleep when she felt Lisander get out of bed. She grumbled, but he laughed softly. “I just have a couple of errands to do and I’ll be back, impatient girl. Get some sleep.”

She was already asleep by the time he left the suite.

Tiredfrom the testing her surgeon had put her through, Ori was finally glad to be alone with Maceo, despite barely being able to keep her eyes open. Maceo smiled as she mumbled to him.

“You know you’re making no sense now,mio caro,”he said fondly, as he stroked the hair back from her face. Ori just gazed at him, drinking in every detail of his handsome face, the green eyes, the half-moon shaped scar on his right eye, the beautifully shaped lips.

“I love you so much,” she mumbled, and he grinned, brushing his lips against hers.

“As I love you,bella.”

Her mouth curved up into a smile against his. “I want to marry you, Maceo, I really want to be your wife, right now, this minute …”

He chuckled. “Mio caro,as far I am concerned, we can get married anytime you want; I would marry you yesterday if I could. But surely you want to wait until you’re out of here?”

Ori shook her head. “No. I don’t want to wait, Maceo … I’m tired of being made to wait.”

Maceo kissed her. “Then I will make the arrangements, my darling. Just promise me one thing?”

“Anything.”

He grinned. “That when you’re recovered, we’ll marry again, in front of all our friends and family, that I’ll be able to show you off to the world, tell them how proud I am to be your husband.”

Ori smiled. “Maceo Bartoli, how do you always manage to say the right thing? Of course, of course.”

Maceo kissed her again. “I can’t wait,mio amore.”

When Ori had fallen asleep, Maceo went to find some coffee and found Lucia waiting outside. He looked at her in surprise. ’I thought you had gone home hours ago, Lucia.”

Lucia, tired and edgy, shook her head. “I was on my way out, and I ran into Cassie.”

Maceo rocked back. “Cassie?What the hell is she doing in Florence?”

Lucia gave him a grim smile. “She came to see if Ori was dead yet.”

Maceo winced, shaking his head. “God.”

“I’m sorry to put it so harshly, but there it is. I told her to stay away from the hospital, from Ori, from you. I hope I didn’t overstep.”

“Not at all. Thank you, Lucia. The last thing we need is Cassie … I just don’t understand her thinking.”

“That bitch has always had a thing for you, Maceo. She couldn’t stand that you never made a move on her. Even when Ori was friendly with her, I knew Cassie was faking. Ugh,” Lucia almost spat then rubbed her eyes. “Anyway, I thought I’d better both tell you and make sure she didn’t sneak in.”

Maceo smiled at her. “I’m going to put you in a cab now,” he said gently. “Thank you for being Ori’s bodyguard, but you need sleep.”

“So do you. Have you slept at all this last week?”

“Better since Ori woke up, but not a lot. I’ll catch up when she’s better.”