"He touched you," Nico said.
His words weren't a question; they were a low, feral accusation that shattered the quiet of the car.
Mara kept her eyes on the dark glass of the window. She was very much aware of Luca sitting in the driver's seat, sitting stiffly and pretending he was completely deaf to the conversation happening behind him.
"His hand grazed mine," Mara said, keeping her voice perfectly even. "It was a business dinner, Nico. Not a tryst."
"You are the Ferrante Regent," Nico replied, dropping his voice to a terrifying, quiet volume. He shifted closer to her on the leather seat, and Mara could feel the heat radiating off his body. "Men like Marco Vitale do not graze your hand, Mara. They do not drop hints about pulling you out of your fortress. He was testing the fence."
Mara turned her head to look at him. His dark eyes were pitch black in the shadows of the cabin.
"He was negotiating," Mara countered.
"He was looking at you like you were his date for the evening."
