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A sob cracked my chest. Snot and spit accompanied each ragged gasp. I was crying.

“Ssshhh,” he whispered. “You need to listen to me. You’re safe. Do you hear me? You. Are. Safe!”

I shook my head.

“Yes, Rosetta, I’m not going to hurt you,” he cajoled. “I’m just here to set up the stupid fucking Christmas dolls for Signora Finnocchiaro.”

I stilled. He knew my name. He knew Nonna’s name.

“The elves?” My question was garbled against his palm.

“Mhmm, she asked me to help her,” he responded, but his whisper was packed full of annoyance.

“She asked you to break in?” I huffed.

His fingers loosened then fell from my face. “She gave me a key.”

My shoulders slumped. As the adrenaline began to wane, reality set in. Things started to make a lot of sense.

“She did?” The question sounded lame, but there still wasn’t enough oxygen in my brain for any of this to make sense.

“Yeah. She told me to use it when she gave me the elf.”

As I sagged against the counter, processing the twisted turn of events, my body relaxed. Unfortunately, that meant the fiber began to rumble low in my gut. I clenched my muscles quickly, just in time to avoid an embarrassing booty squeak.

“Okay, well, it’s still creepy,” I huffed and shoved back against his body.

His hand around my middle trailed up my side. Electricity shivered across my skin at the contact, despite the clothing. I inhaled sharply. His touch was far from casual.

“Next time you use a pan, aim a little higher,” he murmured, grazing my shoulder before his touch ghosted down my arm.

“I would ask if you were okay, but you kind of deserved that,” I grumbled.

I hated what he was doing to my body. I’d sworn off men for the time being, especially the bad ones!

And yet the physical interest spiking through every nerve ending taunted that decision.

“Did I?” he chuckled. The sound was rough. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like scraping against my skin.

“Yes! I have a family to protect,” I snapped and shoved.

That body might as well have been a stone slab. He didn’t move an inch. But my brain was coming back online, and I realized that I could feel every hard knot of muscle as he continued to cage me against the counter.

I rubbed my face, thankful for the dark so he couldn’t see the embarrassing drops of moisture. A deep breath filled my lungs. And with it came his scent. Luxurious and spicy. It was a sensual musk with a hint of masculine floral. It was cool darkness. It was not something I should enjoy.

“You can let me go now,” I protested.

I needed to get away from him! This proximity was suddenly too intimate.

The tip of his glove slid back over my arm, pushing up the long-sleeved tee and exposing my skin to the night. His fingers pressed against the pulse on my wrist.

“Promise you won’t try to do anything stupid?” he rasped.

I rolled my eyes. “Like what?”

What could I possibly do against this giant of a man?

“Oh, I don’t know, carina.” He smiled against my ear. I heard it in his words. “You seem a little bit stabby these days.”