wanted to show her, so she had to move toward him. “What am I looking at?”
84
Seduced and Enchanted
With his other hand, he pulled her flush against his body. Her arms went around his waist automatically, her hands spread across his back, her fingers kneading his firm warm skin. The man’s body had her hooked like an addict on crack. Even though she still tingled from their last go-round, she wanted him. Again.
Focus, Rosalia. This is important.
If what he was saying was true, Rio was destined to be hers. Forever. Wasn’t that what she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl? The man of her dreams who swept her off her feet?
Rosie looked back at the hand he still held out for her, searching for whatever it was he wanted her to see.
Rio’s hands weren’t huge but they were strong, hands that could make her scream with desire. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”
His right palm was lined, just like every other palm she’d ever seen. Except…there was one line that wasn’t like the rest. One line ran counter to all the others, from his pinky to his thumb.
“I noticed it when I was thirteen and I was playing some stupid game with my brother Teo. He looked at my hand and laughed. He said, ‘Kid, you’re screwed. Women are more trouble than they’re worth.’”
He shook his head, still staring at that line. “Of course Teo, being Teo, wouldn’t tell me what the hell it meant, so I had to ask my dad. He took one look and called for my mom. The rest of the males in my family aren’t as enlightened as I am.” He smiled at her and it did wild and wonderful things to her insides.
She held up her left hand and looked at her palm. No out-of-place line.
“Rio, I don’t have a line.” He wasn’t her mate. Worse, she wasn’t his. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. “I’m not—”
He placed his fingers over her lips, his gaze holding hers. “Yes, you are. I know it. I knew it the first moment I saw you. I just didn’t realize what I was feeling.”
85
Stephanie Julian
“But how can you be sure?”
Rio saw fear in Rosie’s eyes and he hated it. He wasn’t handling this well.
His brothers would be all over his ass. He had a reputation for handling women, charming them. Mostly charming them out of their clothes. But this was his woman. He didn’t want her to be upset, not about this, not about anything.
“Because I’ve never been more positive in my life. Pull your shorts down, hon. Let me check something.”
Her eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth lifted just a little. “I think you’ve checked that already.”
Wiggling his eyebrows made her smile spread. “Now who’s got their mind on sex?
I want to check if your mark’s on your hips or your back.”
Twisting her body in a way that made her breasts thrust out and lust pound through his veins, she pulled her shorts off her right hip.
Her lips pulled into a frown until he said, “Try the other hip, hon.”
She turned, doing that lust-inducing twist again. “Oh my God, Rio, look. I never even noticed that before.”
Rio had no doubt she was his. Nonetheless he released a silent sigh of relief.
Leaning forward, he pressed his hand against the mark of her skin. It was tiny, just a small straight line, so very pale against her skin.
Wearing a big grin, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.
“Guess we’re stuck with each other for a while, huh?” she whispered.
Not just for a while. Forever. But he didn’t want to press that point just yet. His arms came around her waist and he pulled her even closer. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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Seduced and Enchanted
Chapter Nine
When they emerged from the basement, they ran upstairs to take a quick shower before getting dressed and heading back to the kitchen and Sal, who was waiting for them.
“All right, you two.” Sal pulled the cork out of a bottle of Merlot and poured them each a glass. “Try to contain
84
Seduced and Enchanted
With his other hand, he pulled her flush against his body. Her arms went around his waist automatically, her hands spread across his back, her fingers kneading his firm warm skin. The man’s body had her hooked like an addict on crack. Even though she still tingled from their last go-round, she wanted him. Again.
Focus, Rosalia. This is important.
If what he was saying was true, Rio was destined to be hers. Forever. Wasn’t that what she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl? The man of her dreams who swept her off her feet?
Rosie looked back at the hand he still held out for her, searching for whatever it was he wanted her to see.
Rio’s hands weren’t huge but they were strong, hands that could make her scream with desire. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”
His right palm was lined, just like every other palm she’d ever seen. Except…there was one line that wasn’t like the rest. One line ran counter to all the others, from his pinky to his thumb.
“I noticed it when I was thirteen and I was playing some stupid game with my brother Teo. He looked at my hand and laughed. He said, ‘Kid, you’re screwed. Women are more trouble than they’re worth.’”
He shook his head, still staring at that line. “Of course Teo, being Teo, wouldn’t tell me what the hell it meant, so I had to ask my dad. He took one look and called for my mom. The rest of the males in my family aren’t as enlightened as I am.” He smiled at her and it did wild and wonderful things to her insides.
She held up her left hand and looked at her palm. No out-of-place line.
“Rio, I don’t have a line.” He wasn’t her mate. Worse, she wasn’t his. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. “I’m not—”
He placed his fingers over her lips, his gaze holding hers. “Yes, you are. I know it. I knew it the first moment I saw you. I just didn’t realize what I was feeling.”
85
Stephanie Julian
“But how can you be sure?”
Rio saw fear in Rosie’s eyes and he hated it. He wasn’t handling this well.
His brothers would be all over his ass. He had a reputation for handling women, charming them. Mostly charming them out of their clothes. But this was his woman. He didn’t want her to be upset, not about this, not about anything.
“Because I’ve never been more positive in my life. Pull your shorts down, hon. Let me check something.”
Her eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth lifted just a little. “I think you’ve checked that already.”
Wiggling his eyebrows made her smile spread. “Now who’s got their mind on sex?
I want to check if your mark’s on your hips or your back.”
Twisting her body in a way that made her breasts thrust out and lust pound through his veins, she pulled her shorts off her right hip.
Her lips pulled into a frown until he said, “Try the other hip, hon.”
She turned, doing that lust-inducing twist again. “Oh my God, Rio, look. I never even noticed that before.”
Rio had no doubt she was his. Nonetheless he released a silent sigh of relief.
Leaning forward, he pressed his hand against the mark of her skin. It was tiny, just a small straight line, so very pale against her skin.
Wearing a big grin, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.
“Guess we’re stuck with each other for a while, huh?” she whispered.
Not just for a while. Forever. But he didn’t want to press that point just yet. His arms came around her waist and he pulled her even closer. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
86
Seduced and Enchanted
Chapter Nine
When they emerged from the basement, they ran upstairs to take a quick shower before getting dressed and heading back to the kitchen and Sal, who was waiting for them.
“All right, you two.” Sal pulled the cork out of a bottle of Merlot and poured them each a glass. “Try to contain
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