guys suit.” Sofie looked out the window.
“I’m not interested in Tara.”
Sofie felt him eyeing her. She made an unconvinced sound.
Fingers gripped her chin and turned her to face him. “You jealous, Princess?”
She glared at him. “Are you enjoying this?”
“A little.” He paused. “I haven’t been interested in anyone else for several months now, because my head’s been filled with a beautiful princess who’s way out of my league.”
Sofie gasped, then sucked in an unsteady breath. The air in the vehicle thickened.
“A princess who kissed me, and left me with the smallest taste of her. One that’s been driving me fucking crazy.”
Oh. God. Her pulse jittered. “You…didn’t kiss me back. I was embarrassed. I thought—”
Rome sucked in a breath. “We should go.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “That’s the sensible thing to do.”
“Yeah.” But he didn’t start the SUV.
“Rome—”
They both moved at the same time. Sofie practically leaped over the center console, but Rome’s muscled arms were there, wrapping around her.
She saw the scorching hot glint in his eyes before his mouth crashed down on hers.
Oh.
Oh, boy.
One kiss wouldn’t be enough.
Sofie leaned into him and moaned. Rome’s tongue slid into her mouth, his hand cupping the back of her head. He was thorough, like he wanted to absorb every bit of her.
“You taste so good,” he growled.
She scraped her hands over his short hair, trying to get closer. “Kiss me,” she panted.
“I am.”
“More.”
His lips took hers, and the kiss deepened, sensations bombarding her. She felt like she was drowning and she never wanted to come up for air. A groan rumbled through him, thrilling her, and his arms tightened on her. Then he tore his mouth off hers, trailing lower down her neck.
Oh. She arched up. His lips traced along the neckline of her sports top. Her nipples were hard beads under the soft fabric. Desire was an insistent throb between her legs.
A car pulled in to park beside them and Rome lifted his head.
Sofie panted, her hands tightening on him. “Is this where you freak out and tell me this was a mistake?”
He sighed. His hand slid up her jaw, his thumb brushing her kiss-swollen lips. “It was a mistake, but I’m not sorry.”
Thank God.
“But you aren’t safe here, and I need to get you home. You have interview calls soon.”
They stared at each other.
“Later…we’ll talk,” he said.
A little ball of warmth bloomed in her chest. “Talk. Okay.”
He settled her back in her seat, and she zipped up her sweater and pulled her belt on.
She kept glancing his way. Desire made it hard to think. She desperately wanted to touch him again.
Suddenly, Rome reached out and turned up the radio. It was a news report.
“A daring jewelry heist in broad daylight today will leave the upcoming Glittering Court jewelry exhibition short some gems.”
Sofie gasped. The words were like a bucket of cold water to the face.
They’d struck. The Black Fox gang had slunk out of the shadows. And while the jewels were being transported. So brazen.
She listened, gripping the edge of her seat.
“Sounds like some of your exhibition jewels are missing,” Rome said.
“It’s terrible,” she said.
But her mind was already whirling.
She needed to get them back. Which meant sneaking out from under her bodyguard’s watchful eye.
Guilt pricked at her. One, she hated lying to Rome. Two, she’d been so busy thinking about Rome, she’d forgotten about her work.
But it was time for Robin Hood to make an appearance in San Francisco.
Back at the house, Rome purposely went outside to check with the guards.
He needed some space from Sofie. Before he dragged her onto the closest flat surface, tore her clothes off, and fucked her.
“Dammit,” he muttered.
He forced himself to study the garden and trees. They were a little too close to the Palace of Fine Arts for his liking. Too much open space, which made security harder.
His gaze narrowed and he looked back at the camera locations on the house. There was a small blind spot. He made a mental note to ask Ace to plug it.
He looked up. Sofie was upstairs somewhere and he wondered what she was doing.
The taste of her was still on his tongue. And he wanted more.
Rome’s hands flexed.
Thankfully, the vibration of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts.
He saw who the caller was and smiled. “Hi, Mom.”
“There’s my boy. Would it kill you to call your mother more often?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Tell me you’ve met a good girl, and you’re planning to get married and have babies.”
Rome rolled his eyes. “Busy at work. Why don’t you