The Real Italian Alphas Read Free Page B

gone up by a thousand degrees as she thought about what it would be like in Gabriel’s bed. She knew she ought to tell him no.
    “I’d like that.” she whispered instead, as they bumped noses. Then he swooped in and gave her a brief kiss, just enough to tease. Betsy didn’t even have a chance to return it before his lips were gone, and he had her wrapped against his side with one arm. The pair of them went back down the stairs and headed for the door, where the two henchmen still stood, awaiting their departure.
     

CHAPTER TWO
     
    The Venetian Hotel was actually just up the block from where they’d dined and danced, and Gabriel opted to send the car away and take Betsy’s hand for the short walk there. It was obvious that he was well-known in the place before he even reached the entrance. The footmen who stood outside came to attention and politely bowed. The doorman hurried forward to open the way for the couple and their two guards. People in the area stopped to watch, asking each other who the man must be, and some of their expressions turned to awe (or disgust) once they knew.
    Betsy took in the enormity and grandeur of the place, almost dizzied by it. The tiles looked like three dimensional blocks all along the floor, and high, golden arched towered above them. Paintings resembling the work of Michelangelo covered the ceilings, and everywhere one looked, double sets of pillars joined the apses to the floor.
    They stepped in further, and stood near the most unusual fountain Betsy had ever seen. An open, globe-like pattern with some sort of writing dominated the piece, and at its center was an armless, bare-chested figure staring out into the room.
    “I can tell you have not come here before.” Gabriel said as he reclaimed her hand and turned her in the direction of the elevators.
    “I haven’t.” she confirmed as she followed him in. Other than the operator, they were left alone for the moment as his henchmen chose to take the other elevator. 
    As soon as the doors closed, Gabriel pulled Betsy into his arms behind the operator’s back and whispered into her ear, “I tipped him to stop the elevator partway up if we seem to be—busy, sweetheart. He won’t be letting anyone else in, either.”
    “Really?” Betsy said with a nervous little sigh. “What did you have in mind?”
    Flashing her a brilliant smile, Gabriel pulled off his jacket and draped it over his arm. He drew her close as his lips came down to claim hers. Betsy leaned up and into him, more than willing to discover just how good the man might taste.  She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but eventually the doors opened and the two of them stepped out into the hall.
    “We’re not at the top?” asked Betsy, surprised to see they’d gone only a few floors up.
    “The suites aren’t so high up here,” he explained as his two guards began to follow them at a respectful distance. Betsy glanced behind her and cast the men a brief smile of acknowledgment.
    “You grow used to them after a while.” he mentioned when he saw her do so, and she nodded. Gabriel put his arm around her, drawing her against his side as they walked. “Once we go into my suite, it’ll be just the two of us. I promise.”
    “Okay,” she said with a slight smirk. He smirked back as he slid his key-card in the lock.
    “Ready?” he asked with a bit of a smile. Betsy nodded and let him draw her inside and waited as he shut the door behind them. They stepped into the living room area and settled together on the sofa. Gabriel picked up the phone and spoke into it while Betsy looked curiously around the room.
    “What was that about?” she asked.
    “I ordered some champagne and strawberries.” he said with a grin.
    “Mmm, then I suppose we should probably be good till it gets here, huh?”
    “Not really.” he answered with another grin as he wrapped an arm behind her shoulders and started to run the thumb of his free hand back and forth over her bottom