Deadly Games - Cate Noble [42]
“Um, we didn’t get snow days in South Texas.” And Gena never would have been allowed to follow a plow.
“Bummer.” He sounded sincere.
“If we’re not going somewhere cold, then I packed all wrong. I might need to go shopping.”
Rocco grinned. He picked up her hand and kissed the tops of her knuckles. “I’ve got everything you need, princess. Trust me.”
His thumb rubbed slow circles in the center of her palm. The sensation made Gena hyperaware. Sensitive. There was only one thing she needed and it had nothing to do with clothes.
By the time their plane reached its destination, Grand Cayman, Gena was ready to throw Rocco down on the terminal floor and jump his bones. The two glasses of wine she’d had on the plane had eased her inhibitions.
Rocco took her to a marina where he had a small speedboat waiting.
More wine, more roses, were arranged inside a small but elegant cabana on a private island.
Gena giggled as she spotted the stretch of gleaming white beach. “The sand does kind of look like snow. Please tell me you brought me a swimsuit.”
“If I said no, would you swim without one?” Rocco pressed another glass of chardonnay into her hand.
She drank deeply, pondering his question. “Depends on who else was around.” The wine made her feel bold. Naughty.
“Better not be anyone around but me.” Rocco growled as he drew her close. Then he pressed her fully against his body and kissed her.
Gena felt his erection strain beneath the fly of his jeans. She rubbed, thrusted against it, not nearly as wary of his size as she’d been the first time she’d felt his erection. Her hands shifted to tug at his waistband. Wanting more, wanting him …
“You,” she whispered. “I only want you.”
Out of nowhere came the memory of his absence the last three weeks. Confusion washed over her.
“What’s wrong?” Rocco cupped her chin, made her meet his intense gaze. “You pulled back. Tell me what you’re thinking. And feeling.”
“I’m scared,” she blurted. “I mean … apprehensive.”
“That’s understandable. We’ll slow it down.”
“I don’t want slow. I want—”
“Promises?”
The word surprised her. “No. Yes. I mean, maybe. I want a promise of communication. I don’t want to wonder if you’ve disappeared for a few weeks—or for good.”
“Do you think you could actually shake me so easily? Here’s my promise, princess. We’re not going any further with this relationship until we’ve reached an understanding. I want you to know exactly how I feel about you, so you’ll never worry when I’m gone. And I want to know you’re home, waiting for me. Only for me.”
Chapter Fourteen
Brownsville, TX
October 4, 8:37 P.M.
Loose gravel churned beneath his tires as Harry pulled away from the Cactus Rose Inn.
In addition to his regular fee, Edguardo had just been paid a bonus to lie low for the next twenty-four hours. Harry wasn’t so much concerned about police alerts as he was about keeping Edguardo available in the event he needed help on short notice.
Edguardo had railed about the disastrous day. He’d been pissed over having to fend Rocco off alone, losing Gena in the process. “You said you’d handle him while I got the woman!” he’d hollered at Harry.
Yeah, well, that was before some asshole backed into Harry’s car, right in front of the freaking hospital, leaving Rocco free to speed off, oblivious to his would-be tail.
The accident had caused little damage to Harry’s rental car, but the swapping of his fake driver information had taken long enough to allow Rocco to catch up with Edguardo and Gena.
After fleeing Sugar Springs, Edguardo had bonfired the stolen black truck, a fast way to destroy trace evidence. As it turned out, the cops had nothing but a handful of conflicting accounts about a gun being fired from a truck. No one got a good description of Edguardo and the license plates had come back stolen.
None of the eyewitnesses had even mentioned Rocco’s vehicle. And while one person claimed they saw a blond woman in the