He wanted to get things settled with her and needed to know her situation. "You live in Vidor?" He named the town he'd read on her driver's license.
"Not anymore. My mom and her boyfriend live there still, but I'm using my cousin's couch while I try to get a job here." Here, of course, meant Houston, and now he knew she had no insurance, no income, and probably no money of any kind to repair the damage she had caused.
"So how, exactly, do you propose working this out?" he asked stiltedly, referring to her previous offer.
"I can make payments to you as soon as I get a job," she offered quickly.
Marco took a deep breath and looked toward the heavens in disgust. She must have interpreted his annoyance to mean an imminent phone call to the police, because she began speaking again in a rush, trying to appease him. "In the meantime--I can clean your house--do your laundry. I could even cook meals and freeze them for you--you know, instead of money?"
Her voice was soft and frantic, and sexual heat filled him from her nervous appeal. A vision of her in his home, cleaning for him and trying to keep him happy, hit him between the eyes and hard, in the groin. Oh, yeah. He was a sick bastard. "Domestic help as restitution?"
"Yes." Her eyes held his for the count of two seconds and then dropped to the ground.
He continued to look her over while he debated the idea. The suggestion would certainly keep her in his radius; that was for certain. He tried like fuck to ignore the incendiary heat throbbing in his pants that demanded he agree at once, but it wasn't working. He had a cleaning service that came in once a week and was scheduled for the next day. After six days since the last visit, his place was a mess as usual. He quickly made up his mind to cancel the service, and lock her in to the offer before he talked himself out of it. "You'll have to start today. If you're serious about this, and you don't want the police involved--" Going to Hell, Donati-- "you'll need to prove it by starting today. I've got plans for the weekend and my place needs to shine. You understand?"
"Yes. Okay, but--"
"You really aren't in a situation to start with the 'buts', Natalie."
She licked her lips. "I know, it's just that--"
"Just what?" he asked darkly.
He watched as she took a deep breath and held it in a second before letting it out with a trembling hitch. She looked directly at him with unwavering blue eyes. "It's just that--I don't know you. I want to make it up to you--go with you. I'll do a good job, I promise, but I don't know you and I--" she hesitated, "need to be careful." She took another quick breath and let it out with a deflated sigh as she dropped her eyes from his.
Marco studied the downcast head momentarily. "You're scared of me?" He hadn't quite thought of it from that angle, but now that he had, he couldn't blame her. She'd be stupid to leave with someone she didn't know and be sequestered with him in the seclusion of his home.
"Yes. It's just that--"
He interrupted what she was going to say. "Yeah, I know. Good girl." He handed her his phone once again. "Let's get this over with. Dial four and ask for Joy. She's my personal reference."
****
Natalie pressed the digit and put the phone to her ear, turning away from him slightly.
It was answered on the first ring. "Donati Banking and Investments. How may I direct your call?" A smooth, professional female voice asked.
Natalie felt flustered from hearing that name again so soon. So her cousin had been correct. She gave Marco Donati a searching glance and then quickly looked away again. "Joy, please."
"Just one moment and I'll connect you to the office of the C.E.O."
C.E.O. Shit. "Thank you."
Natalie listened to soft music for approximately five seconds. "Marco Donati's office."
Once again, Natalie's eyes flew to his and saw that he was watching her very carefully. His dark brown eyes were running over her features and he was standing indolently as if he had all the time in the world. This guy was somebody, obviously. Crap. A freakin' CEO. But that didn't necessarily mean he could be trusted, did it? "May I speak to Joy, please?"
"This is she."
"Oh. Hi. My name is--" Shit, he had her so flustered. What was her name? "Natalie Lambert. And I--I'm considering taking Mr. Donati on as--" Her mind searched frantically for what to say. ". . . a client. He's in need of a housekeeping service and has supplied your name as a reference." Natalie glanced at Marco again and the small, quizzical smile that appeared on his mouth along with the single eyebrow that lifted diabolically made her heart beat faster. She finished up quickly with her question. "Do you believe his home would be a safe working environment? He's not--like a felon or anything, is he?"
"Marco? A felon? Noooooo. He's the CEO of this bank, the perfect boss and a perfect gentleman in every way, and he can be trusted with anything and everything up to and including state secrets. So yes, I'll vouch for him. Is there anything else?"
"No, thanks very much." Natalie ended the call and handed the phone back to Marco. "You passed."
"Good to know," he deadpanned. Instead of pocketing the phone again, he dialed another number and arranged for a cab and two tow trucks.
Natalie tried to interrupt him and give him Justin's address, but it was impossible. He continued with his conversation and only when he'd pocketed the phone again did he turn to her. "What?"
"Justin told me to have it towed to his driveway. He's going to be offshore working for a while."
She couldn't interpret the look he was giving her. "We'll figure it out later. Right now we need to get you home. You've had a shock."
She'd had a shock? Really? That was putting it mildly. She cleared her throat. "That's crazy having it towed twice. Where are they taking it?"
"For now, to the dealership for an estimate."
"Estimates are free?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes."
"Okay, because I really can't afford a bunch of towing and repairs and--"
"We'll add it to what you owe me." His voice sounded rough and determined--completely serious.
Her eyes widened. "No! I already owe you too much--"
Natalie's words faltered and then stopped entirely. Her breath hitched as he turned to her and very softly lifted her chin with two fingers and then grazed those fingers up her cheek, pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear, and then released her just as swiftly from his touch. "I'm teasing, sweetheart. I've got this one."