I didn抰 say anything. Her body floated closer to me and our arms brushed, and I snapped. 揑抦 not your friend, Anna. I抦 your bodyguard. Even if you can抰 act professional to save your damn life, I have to.?
Anna抯 expression turned frosty but she didn抰 get the chance for a comeback because Sofia began screeching. I jerked upright in the water, scanning the area as I grabbed Anna抯 wrist. She, too, had stopped floating and swam beside me.
Of course, it turned out to be a fucking seaweed that had wrapped around Sofia抯 leg. Anna smiled at me. For once not provoking. 揧ou immediately grabbed me to protect me.?
揟hat抯 my job.?
She nodded but still gave me that strange smile. I was glad when she swam over to Sofia to have a girl抯 talk.
I wasn抰 in the mood for swimming anymore, so I made my way over to the ladder. By then Sofia had climbed out and walked back up to the house, leaving only Anna at the deck. 揧ou should head to bed. I don抰 want to have to take care of you when you have a cold,?I muttered.
Anna rolled her eyes. 揑 was going to head to the lodge anyway.?
She grabbed the ladder.
揕et me go first,?I ordered. I didn抰 want to have her ass right above my head while she climbed out. Anna released the rail with a frown and made room so I could climb up first. When I was up on the deck and turned back to the water, Anna gave me a knowing smile. 揑 really enjoyed the view.?
揋et out.?I motioned at Leonas. 揧ou too,?Leonas grumbled but swam toward us.
Anna grabbed the rail and climbed out. Immediately goose bumps flashed across her skin. It was fucking cold. I headed back to the upper deck where we抎 left the towels and grabbed three then headed back toward Anna who was already halfway up the deck. I dropped two towels then unfolded one and held it out to Anna. She allowed me to wrap it around her shoulders and angled her body toward me as she peered up at me with a soft smile. 揟hanks, Santino.?
I released her shoulders quickly and nodded as I stepped back. I wished Dad hadn抰 taught me to be a gentleman. Most of the time, I managed to refrain from acting like one. Anna didn抰 move, only looked at me, still snuggled in that towel.
I dragged my eyes away from her, picked up the other towels and thrust one of them at Leonas抯 head.
揌ey!?he protested, then narrowed his eyes at me. 揥hy don抰 you rub me warm with a towel??
揑 didn抰 rub anyone, so stop talking shit,?I growled.
Leonas stalked past me, towel-drying his hair with a snort.
Anna too finally began to walk toward the lodge. I followed close behind her, drying my hair. When she stopped abruptly and turned, I couldn抰 stop anymore and bumped into her. Luckily she had the towel wrapped around herself.
揧ou know, Santino,?she said in a sweet voice, peering up at me through those fucking long lashes. 揇ad won抰 kill you for drying me off.?She pressed her palm against my naked chest. 揌e might kill you for all the other things we抣l be doing soon.?
What the fuck? I gripped her wrist and pushed it down, then stepped back. This was a game we wouldn抰 be playing. The stakes were too fucking high. 揥e won抰 be doing anything, Anna, and if you touch me like that again, you抣l regret it.?
She held my gaze and her smile widened before she turned around and headed into the house.
揊uck!?I snarled. 揊uck this goddamn job. Fuck it all!?
揥hat抯 your problem??Samuel asked.
I scowled at him. He was Anna抯 cousin, Dante抯 nephew and definitely not someone I抎 confide in.
This was a delicate matter, and there were only two people with whom I shared these kinds of things. Arturo and Dad. Unfortunately, their advices were usually detrimentally different from each other抯。
I met with Arturo as soon as we were back in Chicago.
As usual Arturo抯 advice had been impractical, so I decided to talk to someone not-crazy and whose moral compass wasn抰 quite as out of whack. Dad was surprised when I came over one afternoon. Usually, we only saw each other at work or for family festivities. Since Dad lived alone, it wasn抰 as if he ever invited me or my sister over for dinner or tea.
揑抦 thinking about resigning.?
揧our bodyguard position??Dad asked in alarm.
揥hat else??
揝antino,?Dad began in the same voice he抎 used on me when I was a small kid.
揂nna抯 pushing all my buttons. I think she抯 flirting with me.?
Dad抯 eyes widened in shock, then he gave me a disbelieving smile. 揂nna抯 a good girl, Sonny. She would never make advances on a man before marriage.?
揝he has everyone fooled.?
Dad shook his head again. 揗aybe you抮e misconstruing her behavior. She抯 inexperienced dealing with men, so she probably doesn抰 know what she抯 doing.?