The Boss Assignment (Rogue Protectors Book 3) by Victoria Paige (summer beach reads .TXT) 📕

the room Bristow mentioned, she was surprised to see Antonio’s things sitting on the floor. Before she could figure out what that meant, his voice sounded behind her.

“How’s your hand?”

She spun around and Antonio was leaning against the door jamb. “How did you sneak up on me like that?”

He smirked. “Former thief.” He nodded to her hand. “Well?”

“It’s acting up.” She grinned sheepishly. “You don’t have any of the good stuff, do you?”

“As a matter of fact.” He straightened from his lean and walked into the room which was the third of the size of the one she had at his villa. Not only that, Antonio’s presence seemed to have sucked up all available space and air. He unzipped his large duffel, picked up a Saran-wrapped bottle, and tossed it on the bed. “Ida thought you would need this.”

“Bless her,” Charly whispered.

“Why don’t you freshen up? The bathroom’s decent at least.”

“Uhm, are you sleeping here? Should I move to another room?”

A flash of anger crossed his face. “What nonsense are you talking about? Of course we’re sharing a room. In fact, I insisted.”

“But you sleep alone.”

“Who told you that?”

“Ida, or maybe you did. That notion just stuck in my head. Is that not true?”

Antonio exhaled heavily. “I prefer to sleep alone. I didn’t say I never slept in a bed with a woman.”

“I’m tired.”

He scowled at her. “Do you think me a monster? Do you think the reason I came in here is for sex?”

Charly didn’t have an answer to that. She closed the door and moved further into the room and sat at the edge of the bed. “Good. Because sex is the furthest thing from my mind right now.”

His scowl deepened. “I didn’t mean that we wouldn’t have sex eventually.”

She snorted a laugh. “You’re so predictable.”

Antonio was suddenly beside her. He picked up her hands. “I want you to rest.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

He massaged the pad of her thumbs. “I’ve only given that massage one time. Ida said it should be every night to be effective.”

“It was effective that one time.”

“No. So that the tremor won’t come back.”

She smiled sadly. “It’s permanent, Antonio. I’ve tried physical therapy for a long time.”

His stern face softened, one could even say it had morphed into tenderness as her own exhaustion seemed to fade. A spike of adrenaline related to sexual attraction heated her blood.

“I believe western doctors should give eastern medicine a chance.”

“Oh, I believe in it. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be centuries of tradition.” Her mouth quirked. “But I’m all about the science.”

“A microbiologist with a PhD in virology,” he murmured. “Did I tell you I was very impressed with your résumé?”

“No … oh my God,” she moaned, eyes closing, when he deepened the kneading in her palm. “That feels so good.” Orgasmic even.

He stopped. “I’ll give it thorough attention tonight. Why don’t you freshen up? I need to make a quick call to Ida.”

Her eyes flew open. She felt awful for not even asking after them. “Any news on Renata?”

Antonio’s face hardened. “Martinez is tracking several leads. I just spoke with Bristow. He had narrowed down Skoryk’s last known location. He thinks he’ll have something for us by tomorrow morning. He’s running some cross-reference searches right now. He said it might take a while. They used to be faster with this shit when Nadia Powell was the analyst.”

“What happened to her?” Charly rummaged through the few belongings she had.

“Not sure. Bristow said Garrison needs to do some groveling.”

Charly gave a short laugh. “I don’t think that man is capable of it.”

“Let’s not talk about the spook. Go take a shower. I’d offer my services, but I might forget my good intentions and fuck you against the tiles.”

Her nipples responded to his dirty words and she gave him a look.

“Charly,” he groaned and shot to his feet. “Please don’t give me those eyes.”

He headed toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

He yanked it open. “Giving Ida a call and making sure I don’t give in to temptation. You, Charlotte Bennett, are a challenge to my self-control—be back in fifteen minutes.” Without another word, he left the room.

Charly didn’t need fifteen minutes. She was fresh and clean in five, but it did give her an opportunity to rehearse some lines in her head by the time Antonio returned.

Her eyes widened as he started to strip in front of her. He took off his sweatpants and his tee but left his boxer shorts. This man’s body was carved in stone. Muscles rippled as he walked toward her. He was built on top, the ridges of his abs defined. His thighs bulged with power and his calf muscles were impressive.

“My dear Dr. Bennett,” he said in amusement. “I believe you’re ogling my body.”

“I’m a doctor, and I know for a fact that majority of men’s muscle mass are set before the age of twenty-five. Unless you’ve been taking supplements …”

Antonio chuckled as he sprawled on the bed and scooted against the headboard. Charly was sitting on the edge of the mattress and turned toward him, brow arched.

“I biked a lot … and you’ve seen the hills in the favela, that built my legs. Swimming built my shoulders,” Antonio said. His eyes grew distant in that nostalgic way, a hint of a smile touching his lips. “The Três Mosqueteiros. Sometimes Jacaré would get so pissed at us he’d take us out in a boat and drop us in the middle of the ocean. Make us swim back.”

“Oh my God.”

“It’s no big deal. The three of us swam like fish. Although Ida said we didn’t seem to get the hint and he was trying to get rid of us.”

“Was he?”

“No. We were his best pickpockets.” He patted the spot beside him. “Come over here. Might as well get started.”

“Antonio, are you sure you want to stay together in this room?”

His eyes darkened. “I believe it’s not me who has concerns staying in this room together. It’s you. You feel we’re