“He’s dangerous. Isn’t that the second time you’ve sworn at him?”

“More like the hundredth. I don’t like him and I doubt if he likes me much.” He brushed his mouth over hers with exquisite gentleness. “Don’t worry about him. He won’t come after me. He wouldn’t dare.”

Her heart gave a painful jerk in her chest. “Why, Stefano? Why wouldn’t he come after you?”

His hand shaped her face, his thumb tracing her high cheekbone, down to her mouth to linger over her bottom lip. “I told you, dolce cuore, no one fucks with me. I’m that kind of man. Stop worrying and come meet my cousins. You’ll like them.”

She hadn’t been so sure of his other New York cousins, the ones that had definitely been interrogating her. She turned her head as Stefano once again shifted her beneath his shoulder, his arm locking around her to keep her close. She put one hand on his washboard abdomen as her gaze collided with Janice’s. The woman had stopped moving right in the middle of the dance floor and was staring at her with absolute venom. Francesca shivered at the concentrated hatred in the woman’s gaze. The dancers shifted and Janice was swallowed up by the gyrating crowd.

“What is it, Francesca?”

He was so tuned to her, but she wasn’t about to admit his past women were giving her nasty looks and upsetting her. How jealous and lame would she appear? She was just jumpy. She was out in the open and it was impossible not to see the curious and speculative looks the crowd gave them.

“I’ve been hiding from Barry Anthon for so long that this makes me a little nervous. I feel very exposed,” she improvised quickly.

He laughed softly, his arm tightening around her. “You are exposed in that little black dress. I can see that I can’t just call a shopper for you, I’m going to have to see you in something before I approve it.”

That distracted her immediately. She gave him her darkest scowl. “Seriously? You think you’re going to actually get a say in what I wear?”

“Of course I’m going to get a say. I’m bossy and controlling, remember? I’m also jealous, a trait I had no idea I possessed until I laid eyes on you.”

His voice held laughter so she wasn’t certain if he was serious, although he looked serious. She was saved from having to reply because four men walked up to them, two dressed in dark pin-striped suits. She recognized Lanz and Deangelo immediately and knew instantly the other two were Stefano’s cousins as well. All four men were extremely good-looking and fit, but the two new ones really stood out. Something about the way they moved made her think of Stefano. They could easily be brothers, not cousins.

Stefano stopped on the edge of the dance floor as the others came up to them. Francesca tried to step away from him, to put a little space between them, but he simply stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her rib cage, right under her breasts. The feel of his arms pressing so tightly on the undersides of her breasts made her feel needy. Achy. He was too potent and she couldn’t be so close, not with the spotlight so clearly on them. She couldn’t even take a breath without breathing him in.

“You know Lanz and Deangelo, bambina, right? These are two more of my cousins from New York. Salvatore and Lucca, this is my Francesca.”

Salvatore took her hand and brought it to his mouth. Before he could touch his lips to her knuckles, Stefano reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her hand away. Immediately his cousins burst into laughter.

“Damned swine,” Stefano said, without the least rancor. “Francesca, it’s best not to look directly at these New Yorkers. They may be my cousins, but they’re truly the devil’s best friends. Stay very close to me so I can protect you.”

She couldn’t help but laugh as the cousins looked pleased with Stefano’s assessment. Stefano waved his hand toward the VIP section and their table. Surrounded by the men, Francesca felt unbelievably protected as they moved up the stairs to their table. Stefano’s brothers were already there, seated with Emmanuelle, and they actually rose when Francesca approached the table. She found herself blushing at the attention they were getting.

“Where’s Joanna?” she asked Emmanuelle, a little worried that her friend might be upset that she’d disappeared.

“On the dance floor with Mario. They can’t take their eyes off each other,” Giovanni said. “I’m looking into that man. He’d better not break her heart.”

Francesca liked that, even though he really did sound menacing and the quick nods the brothers gave one another made them seem just as threatening. Still, it was Joanna, and she was grateful the Ferraro brothers took her protection seriously.