Page 81 of Unravel Me

The next moment, he jumps into the pool right beside us, doing a cannonball and sending a huge splash of water in every direction.

Mauro surfaces and immediately lets out a growl.

"Okay, I guess we're not going to be friends," Veyron says with a laugh, simultaneously wiping his eyes and drifting around us.

"But really… Relax, I prefer more… mature brunets," he adds, then finishes in a dreamy tone, "with beautiful black eyes."

Mauro rolls his eyes slightly.

"But I bet you only go for blondes, am I right?" Veyron says with a mischievous smile.

Mauro rolls his eyes even more, but also nods with an expression that says it should be obvious, and I immediately feel my cheeks heating up.

Veyron's presence makes me swim away from Mauro so I don't provoke anything more intense. It's a little disappointing, because I was so into making out, but maybe this really is for the best. Every time I get too close to him, something takes over me, something so powerful that it's able to break through even the strong sexual block during heat recovery.

After my previous heat experiences, I felt so awful and so broken that Mark had to keep his distance from me for three days straight after my heat ended. I couldn't stand even the thought of being touched, and those brief moments when he actually did touch me were almost painful. It amazes me that somehow it doesn't work that way with Mauro. It's almost like some strange kind of magic…

I go back to gently floating on my pool float while Veyron starts swimming, not doing an intense freestyle, just moving through the water in a relaxed way.

Silvio seems pleased by Veyron's unexpected company. He swims closer to him and asks, "Is it true that you used to be a detective?"

Veyron lets out an amused chuckle.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, but for almost all of my college years, I worked as an assistant to Detective Daniel Arnold."

Silvio raises his eyebrows.

"Daniel Arnold? He's a famous detective from Florida. He solved several high-profile criminal cases before the police could even get ahead of them. I sometimes read crime columns, and his name has appeared there more than once. His brother is also a well-known detective, only working in law enforcement, right?"

"That's right. He and his brother both worked in law enforcement, but Daniel preferred working independently, so he left the force and opened his own agency. I had the pleasure of working alongside him, and it was incredibly educational. Daniel has an exceptional mind. I learned a lot from him."

"Why did you leave?"

"Well, my uncle died and made me his sole heir, much to my brothers' disappointment. I inherited a significant amount of money and a yacht. I decided to invest that money and bought several sites around the city where I placed electronic billboards. I also own tiny plots of land scattered throughout the area with traditional advertising boards on them. I run my own business, I'm independent, and the billboards practically work for me. It's a pretty good life. People pay me, and I don't have to do much besides monitor the electronics. My employee usually handles changing the advertisements."

Silvio swims even closer to Veyron, as though something about the conversation has caught his attention.

"For a long time, Renato has been looking for a way to advertise our vacation home business in the city. Something easy, affordable, and capable of reaching large numbers of people. Florida is a perfect place to promote our properties. Many people want to get away from their usual surroundings, especially during hot summers, so they can come here and relax."

Veyron grins.

"I think we can work something out. I can offer a good discount and favorable terms. Your company is already doing well here, but there's always room to reach even further."

I notice Mauro raise his eyebrows slightly, his expression shifting as something like interest appears on his face.

He makes a few hand gestures toward Silvio, who gives a sly little smile.

"Mauro also owns twenty-two vacation homes in a very attractive area. They're not always fully occupied, but he'd like to change that."

Mauro lets out an annoyed huff and starts signing toward Silvio with clear frustration. I immediately realize that Mauro never intended to ask Veyron to advertise his properties too. Silvio simply decided to take the initiative himself.

The elderly omega smiles mischievously.

"I know, I know, calm down." He glances at Veyron and adds, "Mauro really wants to emphasize that no, he absolutely does NOT want to use your services. He was only trying to suggest the idea of advertising the construction of turnkey vacation homes on plots in the surrounding forests, because Renato's company also handles that kind of work."

Veyron grins and winks at Mauro, who gives him a slight grimace.

"No problem. I'm always open to cooperation and happy to offer discounts. And Mauro," he adds, turning toward the other alpha, "if necessary, I'll advertise your vacation homes too. No problem, man."