The fingers of one hand curled in his hair, making him glad his hair grew long and thick and he detested taking the time for haircuts. Her other hand slid up his chest, inside his shirt, tracing patterns with the pads of her fingers. It took him a minute to realize she wrote her name on his skin, over and over in invisible ink. She did it often. The thing was, that signature sank through the skin straight to his soul.

“He did that? Came to check on me?”

“Right through enemy lines. Got him downstairs. He refuses to leave without talking to you. Says he has to see you’re staying here because you want it. Says he’s your soldier, and Paolo—or anyone else—isn’t going to get to you.” Again he kept his voice neutral. He believed the man, but if she didn’t . . .

“Wow. I remember him before the nightmares as always staying close. I knew he was my bodyguard, and I felt safe. I really did. Until the nightmares. And then Nonno started acting as if I had to choose either Alonzo or Paolo as a husband. I really watched Alonzo because I didn’t like the way Paolo looked at me. I realized how dangerous Alonzo was, way more than Paolo. The other men steered clear of him. Paolo bullied, using threats, but Alonzo never threatened. If something happened, he went into action and he was always cold, Elijah. Stone-cold.”

There was nothing cold about the way she was pressed against him. Or the movement of her hand. It had slipped lower. Caressing his hip bone. Moving over the material of his jeans to rub the thick bulge there. He became acutely aware of the gun tucked into the waistband at the small of his back.

He strove to keep his mind on saving Alonzo, but her hands both had dropped to the buttons of his jeans. “Baby, you’re making me hard as a fucking rock. I got that man downstairs and he wants to talk to you.”

“I know,” she replied softly, without looking up at him.

Her hands stayed busy, forcing him to reach around and withdraw the weapon.

“Can’t walk around with a hard-on, Siena.”

“If you’d stop talking and cooperate, I’m pretty sure I can figure out a way to take care of that for you, Elijah. You need to take care of me.”

Hot blood rushed through his veins, drove out thoughts of anything but her body. He bent to her breast, wrapping his arm around her, keeping the gun at his side, his mouth pulling strongly, tongue stroking her nipple. He suckled hard. The moment he did, she gave him her weight, the air leaving her lungs in a gasp. Her breasts were that sensitive.