Shadow Rider Read Free Page B

much more able to accept the coat from someone who had far less. She caught her lower lip between her teeth. Of course that wasn’t the only reason, but she couldn’t enumerate those reasons, either. That he was gorgeous, superhot. Or that he was dangerous and she thought he might be a member of organized crime.
    â€œFrancesca.”
    Her stomach somersaulted. He said her name low. Commanding. He was used to deference. Obedience. She took a breath.
    â€œLook at me.”
    She let her breath out slowly and forced her gaze up his handsome face until her eyes collided with his. Then the breath slammed out of her lungs, leaving her fighting for air.
    â€œKeep. The. Fucking. Coat.” He bit out each word.
    He scared the crap out of her. He wasn’t touching her or threatening her, but she felt menace rolling off of him inwaves. There was no use fighting him on it. He was going to get his way. Both of them knew it.
    â€œThank you.” The words tasted a little bitter, but she managed to choke them out.
    He nodded his head and glanced at his watch again. “Get something to eat,” he added, turning away from her. “I’ll be back for my coat.”
    She cleared her throat. “Mr. Ferraro?”
    He spun back. Graceful. Impatient. “Got things to do, Francesca.”
    She didn’t care. She had to know the truth. “Why is everyone afraid of you?”
    His blue eyes held hers captive for so long she heard her heart pound. “Because I’m not a man you ever fuck with.”
    She blinked up at him, a little shocked at the honesty in his answer. She was fairly certain he was right. He’d brought an entire roomful of people to a standstill. No one had moved. No one had spoken. He definitely looked like a man no one would dare fuck with. Least of all her.
    She cleared her throat. “I don’t like that sort of thing.”
    He pressed one hand to her belly again, pushing her back against the wall, stepping in close to her until his heat and the scent of him surrounded her. “What sort of thing?” His gaze dropped to her mouth. Held there.
    Her lips trembled, and a million butterflies took wing in her stomach. Her heart pounded. God. He was so close. Too close. He was taller than her by at least a head and a half. His shoulders blotted out the street behind him. He smelled—delicious. She didn’t know a man could smell that good. It was freezing cold outside and he wasn’t even shivering though she had his coat.
    â€œThe F-word sort of thing.” She blurted it out, saying the first thing that came into her mind without thinking.
    His eyebrow shot up. She hadn’t thought that anyone really could do that. Shoot up one eyebrow. It was incredibly hot—at least on him.
    â€œâ€˜The F-word’? ” he repeated. “
Dolce cuore
, you can’t even say
fuck
, for fuck’s sake.”
    She felt the color creeping into her face, although she didn’t know why. She wasn’t the one spouting off inappropriate language to a complete stranger. She wasn’t staring at his mouth, although she wanted to. She resisted, because that was what was polite. She wasn’t pressing him against a wall and holding him there with a hand on his belly and another by his head. She wouldn’t dare touch him.
    There was nothing to say to that so she didn’t say anything. She just stood there, waiting for him to release her.
    He glanced at his watch again. “I really have to go. Eat. I mean it, Francesca. Don’t give the money or the coat to anyone else. I’ll know, and I won’t like it.”
    She made a face. “Should I be afraid of you?”
    For the first time amusement softened his features. “Only if it keeps you from giving away my coat and ensures you eat today.” He reached out and bunched her hair in his hand and then allowed the strands to slip out of his fist. “Don’t forget to buy a decent