“Damn. That ass.”

The aroused utterance did not fall on deaf ears, which was exactly what Giorgio Vincinatti wanted. The female in question, a gorgeous caramel skinned goddess with a mouthwatering figure, a sassy, full mouth and sharp, mean eyes—just his kind of woman—stiffened from where she’d been bent over the cooler at Dante’s Coffee.

Her name was Tia. Tee-huh. A name a man could sigh to.

Slowly standing up she turned around with her eyes already in full-on “hate” mode. He’d seen that look before. He was growing rather accustomed to the hostility. Not that he minded. In fact, he rather enjoyed their barbed interactions..

He grinned and adjusted his belt as he took in her outfit today. She always dressed well, and sexy, and he liked that.

“Did I ever tell you I take my coffee black, baby?” Her mixed skin tones had his overactive imagination running wild picturing their two bodies pressed all up against each other. His lighter, hers darker. Ain't a thing wrong with that picture.

Eyes narrowed, nostrils flared. A small fist was curled. He had yet to realize his fate had already been decided by a pair of gloriously shiny brown eyes.

“You need to learn how to speak to a woman.”

“You need to learn how to wear clothes that fit properly.” He held up his hand quickly in a defensive posture. “Not that I mind. I like my women tall, dark and sexy.”

“And I like my men intelligent.”

He whistled low. “List ain’t long, babe. Shouldn’t be hard to make it.”

“And yet you fail miserably.”

He winced at the burn. “Come on, Tia, don’t you think it’s time you finally accept my offer. Let me buy you that coffee.”

“Hell. No.”

“Your breakin’ my heart, sweet thang.”

“I’ll break something all right,” she muttered.

“Coffee for Tia,” a chipper cashier said behind the counter, completely unaware of the battle taking place. The beautiful Tia leaned over and grabbed her drink while Gio crossed his arms, stood back and shook his head. Damn but that ass was incredible.

When she moved to pass him, she paused at his side. “Too bad for you. I like my coffee creamy, white, and a whole lot sweet.”

She sauntered away, swaying those hourglass hips side to side and breaking his heart all the while.

"I got something creamy and sweet for you, baby!" he hollered after her.

The door slammed closed but she spun around and gave him such a scowl so fierce he was fairly certain she might storm back in here and toss her coffee at him. He felt marginally at ease when she got into her little car and sped away like a speed demon.

Gio adjusted his belt for the second time. Damn but he liked that woman. Fast, feisty, and sexy as hell. What a combination. Too bad he was on her shit list. The cashier handed him his tray of coffees and Gio headed to the office. Superior Protective Services was a bodyguard service owned by Frank Harbinger, a divorcee with a dour disposition and a head of pitch-black hair rapidly graying at the sides. You wouldn't know it that the man was only a mere forty-two years old, even though some days he looked closer to fifty.

Inside the conference room, Gio set down the tray of coffees as the team gathered to snatch theirs up. Jace Mathews, a good friend who recently married a sweet little sex toy operator, eyed him knowingly.

“Saw Tia again?” His new wife also happened to be close friends with Tia. This particular conversation was a frequent one.

Gio nodded. “Yup.”

“Didn’t go well, I take it.”

“Yup.”

“When are you gonna apologize to her?”

Gio almost spat out his coffee. He stared at Jace like he was a crazy, crazy man. “What do I have to apologize for? She’s the tease and she damn well knows it. It’s her fault we don’t get along.”

“The way you talk to her, man. It’s antagonizing. She doesn’t like it. What woman would?”

He scoffed. “Like hell she doesn’t like it. She wouldn’t wear those kinds of clothes and come to the same exact coffee shop day after day if she didn’t reckon on running in to me. She does it on purpose. You’re too generous to overlook it. Not me. I’ve seen her kind before.” He hesitated. “Maybe not exactly like her. Tia is different.”

Something about her eyes got to him. Like she was always defensive. And it wasn't just because of him. The look was always there. Always bristling with fiery energy. From what? Why did he have a feeling it wasn't his over-the-top flirtation that got under her skin, but something deeper? Why was she so hardened? What was she protecting? A broken heart? Shit. Who hadn't experienced one of those?

Hell, and why did he care anyway? He was a no-commitment kind of guy. He'd made it thirty-five without ever getting married and he'd like to keep it that way for another thirty-odd years. He enjoyed living alone in his modern loft, animal and wife free. Even though his family never let him hear the end of it. The moment Gio turned eighteen his mama and papa had been on him like hounds, constantly setting him up on dates with "a good Italian girl". He shivered. No thanks. The only thing worse than having two parents grooming you to breed an heir is having them choose your dating prospects. Being single was better. Much better.

Admittedly, some nights were too quiet. But every situation had its drawbacks.

“Listen, it’s Friday and Mara and I are having a barbecue/movie night over at our place. You’re welcome to come. I've invited the rest of the gang.”

Gil's eyes lit up. This was the first good news he’d received all morning. “Will she be there?” She being Tia, of course.

“You know she will.”

Gio’s smile was sly as a fox. “I’ll be there. You can bet on it.”

“You know she hates your guts, right?” Jace sat down at the conference table as their boss, Frank, coughed in a meaningful way that said it was time to get started.

“I’ve made women stop hating me before.” Gio smiled broadly, a smile that women wished he’d cast their way. But only lucky ones got it. He was a man with selective tastes. He wouldn’t slip his dick in just any tail. No. He liked his women refined, strong, and sexy—the tougher the better. Tia fit that bill to a T.

“You might have done it before, and how was that accomplished, smart ass? By apologizing, which you haven’t done to Tia.”

“Man, you’re out of your mind if you think apologizing to that woman is going to suddenly clear shit up. Nah, it’d take something drastic and not easy.”

Jace looked uncertain. “Like what? A bloody miracle?”

“Sure, that or…lots of alcohol.”