Lost in Italy (40 page)

Ben’s heart thumped hard against his ribs. 
She
.  Halli?  Rachel?  Oddly, he didn’t think so.  Something about the man’s tone.  The only other woman he’d seen here at the villa was Eva.  Given the reference to Alrigo Lapaglia, the logical conclusion was the bastard plotted to double cross the others.  Indignation rose up on Eva’s behalf, until it hit him he could play this information to his advantage.

“
No
,” Nino stressed out on the balcony.  “Follow the plan and remain out of sight.  Do not fuck this up Roselli.”

Who the hell is Roselli?
  Ben leaned his head against the wall and noticed the darkness of the room had faded to gray.  He returned to the bed and considered the scant but useful knowledge he’d gained.  Yes, this could definitely work in his favor.

His first instinct was to tell Eva, get her on his side, use what he’d learned to ‘buy’ her help.  Question was, would she negotiate?

Or did he put his money on Alrigo?  Surely he’d like to know his right hand man was planning a con larger than Ben’s own parent’s had ever attempted.  What he’d just overheard could save his life, if the heads-up resulted in Alrigo being grateful enough to set him free.

And if he’d read things wrong?  Though what he’d heard was pretty hard to misinterpret, if he had, his gut and his head told him Eva was the better bet.  The easier con, if it came to that.  She couldn’t have been faking every emotion he’d read in her eyes yesterday.  The first kiss made sense; a distraction until she could restrain his arm again.  Humiliation over how easily she’d accomplished
that
was firmly thrust aside so he could focus on the second kiss.

After his lust had dulled, allowing for clear thinking, he’d bet his freedom the second one had been more than her simply showing him who was boss.  He’d sensed an honest attraction sizzling in the air between them.  Real desire warmed those almond colored eyes of hers.  And when he’d asked her the likelihood of him surviving this damn thing, she’d seemed genuinely distressed before retreating behind her mask.

Alrigo’s cold, flat, black eyes chilled in comparison.

Eva was definitely the better bet.

He took a shower, surveyed his battered ribs, chest and face in the mirror and hoped with an absurd grin that he didn’t die today looking like he’d been on the losing end of a fight.  If he died, he’d have lost, but still.  Shirt in hand, he stepped from the bathroom to see Eva setting a breakfast tray on the small table Zucchi had kicked into the window the previous morning.

Ben’s morbid humor faded, but he kept the smile in place.  “Good morning.”

She turned around, her expression tight with suspicion.  His grin widened when he noted her gaze journey down and up before lingering on his bare chest.  Her expression softened, probably without her even realizing it.  Either she admired his build, or she was taking pity on his numerous bruises.  Both possibilities were to his favor, though his ego preferred the first.

By the time she lifted her gaze, he’d performed his own appraisal of her black leggings and silky, shimmering red top belted at her lush hips before ending mid-thigh.  He did nothing to hide his appreciation of her figure as pulse-spiking attraction flared.  She immediately broke the connection by turning to leave.

He swaggered across the room, pulling his shirt over his head as he went.  “I was hopin’ you’d keep me company while I eat,” he suggested conversationally.

She spun around with a frown.  “You insult my intelligence with your false charm.”

He conceded her point with a quick dip of his chin.  “I apologize.”

Her glare pierced across the room before she reached for the door.

“I have something you might be interested in.”

Again she faced him.  Again she frowned.  “I am not interested in you at all, Mr. Sanders.”

Increased defensiveness in her voice raised his hope another notch.  He smiled, sat, and reached for the bitter cup of espresso he’d discovered the Italians preferred over regular coffee.  “I didn’t say you were interested in me.  The
information
I’ve obtained, well, that’s a whole other matter.”

Her fingers wrapped around the door handle.

“Life and death.”

She didn’t move.

“Mine
and
yours,” he added softly.

“Is that a threat?”

“I’m trying to protect you.”  He took a bite of one of the pastries on the tray, but underneath his calm façade, he discovered he really did want to protect her.  The thought of Nino
‘taking care’
of her made the food hard to swallow, no matter how good it tasted.

Eva spun around.  “I need no man’s protection.”

“Everyone needs protection at some time or another, Eva.”

She strode closer, mouth opened to protest, no doubt, but he kept talking.

“Take me for example.  I’m a pretty tough guy, normally more than capable of taking care of myself, yet here I sit.  I admit I need you, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that if what I’ve learned is true, we could help each other.”

She slapped both hands on the table with a loud jangle of bracelets and leaned forward.  No fair.  Her cleavage distracted him to the point that he almost didn’t hear her question.

“What information could you possibly have that I would find helpful?”

Ben swallowed his lust with a gulp of espresso. 
Ow.  Damn.  Still hot!
He sucked in a cooling breath and then cleared his scalded throat.  “Keep your voice down, please.”

Her gaze darted to the window and then back to him.

“Who’s out there right now?” he asked quietly.

“Tony.  Zucchi stands in the hall. 
Perche? 
Why?”

Ben leaned closer, lowered his voice.  “Nino was outside on the balcony not more than an hour ago.  Before it got light.”

“So?”

“He was on the phone with some guy named Roselli.”

Eva’s eyes went wide.  She shook her head.  “Impossible.”

“I heard him through the window—saw him, too.”

“Roselli is dead.”

“Not from what I heard.  Now listen, your
‘partner’
is planning something all on his own.  He told this guy he’d take care of you and Alrigo and that you, specifically, wouldn’t be a problem.  My parents landed in jail when they trusted someone better at the con game than they were, so believe me, I know a double cross when I hear one.”

Her gaze narrowed as she considered his words.  Watching her face, he could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

He reached out to cover her small hand with his.  “You can’t trust him, Eva, but you can trust me.  Let’s help each other.”

She jerked from his touch and straightened.  She’d gone poker-faced again, retreating behind an indifferent mask.

“You misunderstood.  I know where Nino’s loyalty lies.  Say nothing more to anyone.”

Again with the door.  Damn it, she was going to get herself killed if she ignored him.  Ben surged to his feet and followed her across the room.  Two steps from the door, he reached for her shoulder.

Next thing he knew, he was kissing the wall, arm twisted mercilessly behind his back.  Christ, she was fast.  With the painful vice grip she had on his arm, her slight weight had no problem holding him in place.

Twisting his head to the side, he uttered a few choice words and then demanded, “How the hell’d you do that?”

“A woman in my line of work learns to take care of herself.”

“What exactly is your line of work, by the way?”

“That is not clear?”

The only thing that was clear right now was her warm body tight against his.  Her spicy exotic scent wafted up to tease his nostrils.  Damn it, he needed to focus here.

“It’s clear you can cook like nobody’s business, and equally clear you have exceptional defense skills, but none of that tells me what a nice, smart girl like you is doing with scum like Alrigo and Nino.”

“You are so sure I am a nice girl?”

Her voice had dropped a notch and Ben turned his head as far as possible to see her face over his shoulder from the corner of his eye.  “You want to help me.  I’ve seen it all along in those beautiful brown eyes of yours, Eva, and the eyes don’t lie.”

She applied pressure to his arm, her gaze downcast.  When her lashes lifted again, the warmth he was so sure he’d glimpsed had shriveled under a thick sheet of ice.

“You have no idea what you are involved in, but trust me when I say if you wish to survive the next twelve hours, you will cease your arrogant attitude and
keep your damn mouth shut
.”

It was more of a warning than a threat, yet a shiver ran down his spine anyway.  Fine, she wanted to trust the scumbags, let her roast her own ass.

Yeah right.  Cheap talk, buddy
.

“My arm’s going numb.”

Her grip loosened a fraction.  Ben shoved away from the wall, throwing her off balance enough that he was able to wrench free.  Moving as fast as she had, he grabbed her and spun so her back pressed against the wall, wrists imprisoned above her head.  A preemptive hip swivel blocked her knee to his groin.  Not going there again.

He fought the urge for a long, deep inhale of her unique scent and focused on meeting her furious gaze.

“Just like that, the tables turn,” he murmured.

Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, only to be blinked away.  “You said I could trust you.”

“You can.”  His gaze dropped to her lips, pressed together in determination. 
No kissing
. 
Look up
.  “I can’t get out of here alone, I know that.  I’m equally certain Nino is not who he seems and you’re going to get screwed.”

“Why do you care?”

Good question.  He was still searching for an answer when her expression softened slightly and she tilted her head.

“If I agreed right now to help you…you would trust me?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I could be lying to obtain my release.”

Staring into her eyes, heat simmering between their intimately aligned forms, his body began to react.  There’s no way she didn’t feel the insistent pulse epicentered below his waist.  But damn, the woman was good; her gaze never faltered.

He leaned his body further into hers, pressing his chest to hers.  “We both know if you wanted to be released, all you’d have to do is scream.”

“You do not think I will?”

“You would’ve already.”

“You are much too…how do you American’s say? 
Cocky
.”

Ben gave a slow smile, bent his knees slightly to align his hips with hers and pressed closer still.  “Guilty as charged.”

Her gaze narrowed.  “You walk dangerous ground.”

“You won’t hurt me, Eva.”

“Do not be so sure,” she warned.

A decidedly dangerous glint sparked in her eyes.  What the
hell
was wrong with him that he was more turned on than ever?  Her lips beckoned, recently moistened with a torturous swipe of her tongue.  A slip of his gaze caught a rapid flutter beneath the tanned skin at the base of her throat.

His smile widened to a grin.  “My gut tells me deep down you’ve got a good heart.  You won’t let anything happen to me.  Over the years, I’ve survived a number of close-calls by trusting my instincts.”

Another flicker in her eyes, only this time he couldn’t define it.  Before he could sift though possible emotions in his mind, her lashes lowered and her attention focused on his mouth.  Whether he closed the distance or she did, he didn’t know.  Didn’t care.  Rational thought deserted him the moment their lips met.

He released her arms to pull her closer, taking full advantage of having free hands for this kiss.  As her tongue swept along the seam of his lips, her hips brushed against his, back and forth, and back again.  It registered that she’d hooked her left leg behind his calf a split second before she pushed on his chest and swept his feet out from under him.

He tightened his hold, bringing her to the floor with him.  Expecting a strike where it’d hurt most, he tensed for an onslaught of pain.  Instead, she slid up along his body and covered his mouth with hers again, hands braced on the floor alongside his head.  She put her whole body into the kiss.  Surprise held him immobile for only a few seconds, then he kissed her back, lifting his head, using tongue and teeth.  His palms swept down her back to squeeze her butt as he surged up against her.

A move to roll her underneath was hindered by her firmly planted hands and then completely halted when she straddled his hips.  Despite the frustrating barrier of clothing between them, the intimate contact stimulated a low growl of approval.  She pulled back a few inches and stared down into his eyes.  One hand lifted to gently thread her fingers through his hair, brushing it back from his forehead.  He swallowed hard as his chest tightened with her unexpected gesture of tenderness.

“Are you a man of your word, Benjamin Sanders?” she whispered with that throaty Italian accent of hers.