Emily: Sex and Sensibility Read Online Free PDF

matter?
    Ending what had become a stalemate was what he wanted.
    “Let me amend that,” he said, trying to maintain a light touch. “I am completely harmless to puppies, kittens, small children and drowning females.”
    Her chin rose. “V-v-very amusing.”
    So much for light touches. He could feel his composure slipping.
    “My aim is not to amuse you, signorina . It is to make you see reality.”
    “ You try s-s-seeing reality. Go a-a-away!”
    “Marco! It’s late and I am freezing to death back here with the damned door—”
    He reached back, his expression grim, and slammed the door shut.
    “This,” he said, “is absurd. I have offered assistance. You have refused it. Fine.” He dug in his pocket, took out his iPhone and held it out. “Take it. Call someone. Or I’ll call someone. The police. An ambulance. Madre de Dio, woman!” His voice rose to a roar. “I would not abandon a dog on a night like this.”
    Or a tigress.
    She didn’t move.
    OK, he decided, basta. Enough was enough. Moving fast, he whipped off his jacket. The woman gasped; the silly tube of lipstick fell to the sidewalk as he grabbed her and wrapped the jacket around her. She aimed a fist at his jaw and missed, missed again, and he swung her around and shouted for Charles.
    Charles must have been waiting for the call.
    He was out of the car in a flash, marching briskly toward Marco, holding a furled black umbrella by his side.
    The woman moaned.
    “It’s an umbrella, dammit,” Marco said, tight-lipped. “And this is Charles, my driver. I am going to let go of you. Charles is going to hand you the umbrella. You are going to stand still and listen to me. Do you understand? You will listen. When I am done talking, I will do whatever you ask, including leaving you here on this sidewalk. Yes?”
    She hesitated. She was breathing hard, and trembling. He fought back the desire to put his arms around her and draw her into the warmth of his body.
    After a few seconds, she gave a quick nod. He took a deep breath, lifted his hands from her shoulders and stepped away.
    “Charles,” he said softly.
    Charles opened the umbrella and held it out. She looked at it as if it were going to detonate, but at last she reached out and snatched it from Charles’s hand.
    Marco nodded. Step one, he thought, and cleared his throat.
    “Charles. The lady does not trust my good Samaritan instincts.”
    The woman looked at him as if he were certifiable. Maybe he was, or maybe he’d simply pushed things too far to back down now.
    “Charles,” he said again. “How long have you worked for me?”
    “For six years, sir. Seven, come this July.”
    “And in all that time have you ever known me to do anything illegal?” A tiny silence. Marco swung toward Charles. “Have you?”
    “Well, I have seen you drive, sir. The speed limit—”
    “Have you ever seen me mug an old lady?”
    “No, sir. Certainly not.”
    “Have I kidnapped anyone?”
    “Of course not.”
    “Are there bodies buried on the terrace around my condo, Charles, or at any of the other homes I own?”
    “Absolutely not.”
    “Am I a thief? A burglar? A swindler? Do I cheat retirees out of their hard-earned savings?”
    “No!”
    Marco nodded. “And where were we tonight, Charles?”
    “At the Hotel Deville, sir.”
    “For what reason?”
    “You attended the mayor’s annual charity dinner.”
    “Dinner, and raffle,” Marco said grimly.
    “Of course.”
    “And I was there because?”
    “Because you were invited.”
    “Because?”
    “Because you were one of the guests of honor.”
    “Because?”
    “Because you are the founder of the Step-Up Foundation for Boys.”
    “Does that mean I am a good guy, Charles?”
    “It means you believe in charity, sir.”
    Despite everything, Marco laughed. “Nice phrasing.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    “And what are we doing now?” Marco said his smile fading.
    “We are trying to be of assistance to a lady who appears to be in some