Page 46 of A New Days Don

“I can’t control her.” I stammer out before even collecting my thoughts, as I slip on my shoes as fast as I can.

“I don’t think anyone could,” Massimo muses as he pockets his phone, “I have a massive bouquet of flowers to pick up for you.”

Karmin nods, eying Massimo up and down, “Should have had them long before showing up, but I will only give you this one pass.”

“Karmin! I told you, it’s not… It’s not what you think it is.” I give her a pointed look, and she rolls her eyes.

“Buddy, you better not confuse my girl. Otherwise, I’m keeping her.” Karmin snaps her fingers at Massimo, “Now, go on and have a great evening. I expect you to drop her back off with a smile on her face and nothing less.”

I groan, grabbing Massimo’s arm and pulling him away from my crazy friend, “Bye, Karmin.”

“Have fun tonight.” Karmin winks.

Massimo opens his mouth to comment, but I shoot him a glare, “Don’t.”

I look down the street, but I don’t see his car. Not that I expected to be driven somewhere, but I didn’t take Massimo for a man who rides public transport. Massimo takes my hand, guiding me to the passenger door of the SUV sitting in idle on the side of the road.

He opens the door for me, and I give him a sheepish smile, “You really don’t have to do that. Karmin is just… Karmin.”

“I’m not doing anything for Karmin,” Massimo notes, gently pressing on my lower back to guide me in. Once I’m seated, he runs to the other side of the SUV and slides into the driver’s seat with effortless grace for such a big man. “You’ll come to find that not many people can make me do anything.”

Now that piques my interest. He didn’t say ‘nobody can,’ which means someone or some people can, so I suppose the question is… Who?

Massimo smirks at me as if the question I’m about to ask is written all over my face.

“If I told you the answer to that, then you would have too much power.” Massimo winks before pulling off the side of the road and navigating through traffic.

Whoever they are, I can only imagine how intimidating they must be to have that kind of hold on a man as unwavering as him.

“Tonight, I was hoping we could go back to that same street we walked last week,” I tell him as I adjust my crossbody purse to sit more comfortably in the seat.

His eyes dart between the street and me as he asks, “Why is that? There are plenty of hot spots to check out.”

“The woman I was speaking with the other night, the one who had scampered off, I need to find her.” I tell him, “Something in my gut tells me she will have the information we need.”

What I don’t say is that something in my gut tells me that the night it all went down may be connected to this somehow. I know I’m too emotionally connected to what happened to me, but if this woman cares for the streets as she suggested, then even if what happened to me that night isn’t connected, she will have information on the other women and more that we haven’t found. I know it.

Massimo is about to say something, but I can tell by the look on his face it won’t be something I want to hear, so I add, “What happened that night was the result of too much stress. I’m fine now. It won’t happen again. I need those answers, so either you join me or not, but I’m going.”

Massimo mutters a string of words under his breath, but all I can make out is, “Stubborn woman.”

He makes a sharp turn, and I clutch the side of the door, looking over at him with wide eyes, my heart racing in my chest.

“You realize I’m an officer?” I note as he takes off down the road, going well over the speed limit.

“You going to cuff me this time?” He smirks, knowing full well I don’t have cuffs on me as a civilian, though his suggestive tone tells me he wouldn’t mind.

My gaze drops to his strong, tattooed hands. Some veins trail down from his arms to where his hands grip the wheel. He must notice me checking him out because his right hand slides off the wheel to rest heavily on my bare thigh. My breath hitches at the contact, and I scramble to pull my hands away, watching carefully to see what he will do.

He squeezes my thigh, each of his thick fingers sinks into my flesh, sending shock waves of desire straight to my core, a deep rumble tearing through his chest. He rips his hand away, but I catch it. My cheeks flare with heat as I meet Massimo’s dark gaze.

I must be a masochist, enjoying the pure torture that is Massimo’s touch. Every little lick of fire it sends straight through me, bordering dangerously close to the line of panic.

“You can leave it there,” I stammer, “If you want.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. His hand lands back on my thigh, with mine resting on top of it, and pure pleasure softens his hard features.

“You feel so fucking good in my hands,” he all but groans, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”