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I steal a kiss from her tea-warmed lips. “That’s enough. Hurry up.”
She lingers on my lips, savoring the kiss before she leans back and opens her bright green eyes.
“Or, you can go shower while I finish my tea and then we can switch. How’s that?”
Karessa watches me as I rise and let my clothes fall to the floor. She’s scowling at me by the time I’m naked. Her eyes follow me to the bathroom.
“Oran?” she calls out. I turn to her before disappearing into the bathroom. “Very nice ass, you big tease.”
I wink then dip out of sight. She has no idea how big of a tease I can be.
* * *
The last week in Italy flew by with our enhanced relationship. I’ve taken her several ways, yet it’s not enough. The last night there, she wanted to make love under the stars again. I was more than happy to fulfill that request. Glancing over at her picture on my desk, I realize I miss her. It’s my first day back and I need to readjust to going hours without seeing her. Even still, the knocking on my office door gives me fantasies of Karessa strutting in here and demanding some dick.
Once I bellow my permission to enter, Dondi glides into my office. He’s so smooth, even his walk looks effortless.
That’s awkward. I keep my amusement of having sex fantasies of the daughter of the man who’d just entered my office to myself.
“What brings you away from your busy banking day?” I greet him. I no longer feel the irritation I’d felt towards him in the beginning of this. Part of me wants to thank him for making such a stupid bet.
I rise to shake his hand when he nears. One perfect eyebrow shoots up, matching one of the many expressions Karessa has thrown at me. It’s obvious Dondi and I need to talk; he still doesn’t know where we stand.
“I just left lunch with my baby girl. She’s glowing and I had to come see if you two matched.” An enormous smile stretches across his face, flashing his perfect teeth. I know he knows the answer without my words.
I offer them anyway. “I love her.”
“Good. Good,” he nods. “I just knew you two would be good together.”
“How?” His blind faith in my kindness still confuses me.
“Well, It’s like I said. I knew you when your mother was around. She raised you. You may have hardened yourself over the years to deal with your loss and take over the family business, but you are her at the core. You care. I knew if my daughter could get around your shell and you’d love her.”
I place my hands on my hips and stare at him. “What made you so sure?”
He shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. I’ve watched both of you for the last few years and felt you’d fit.”
“And the prenup?”
Dondi waves it off like it’s a thing of the past. “Elmer’s bullshit. I only allowed it because I saw your potential.”
“Meaning?”
We take our seats, settling in for a longer conversation. “We had two different focuses. He was planning your break-up, I was planning
your future. The promises kept him happy, but I was thinking long game.”
“In other words, you expected we wouldn’t need it.”
Dondi nods. “Do you see you two breaking up?”
“Hell, no.” My conviction is powerful and border lining angry at just the thought of it. “Is this why you took the bet.”
“Yes, and no. I was aiming for what I’d gain if I’d won.”
Not knowing what’s at stake has been plaguing my mind the entire time. What was so important that he was willing to sacrifice my wife? I can see the weariness in his face when he remembers that night.
“Your dad had pissed me off again. He’d undercut a deal and didn’t deliver as promised. Even retired, he’s still fucking with dealings to make himself relevant. He doesn’t mess with Andres because he’d come up missing, or the Hanlon’s by extension. Which leaves me. Andres and I respect each other and get along well, but your dad fucking up a LeClaire venture isn’t his problem.”
