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“Not in a place like this. Not likethis.” She ran her hands up my jacket lapel, slipping her fingers around my tie. “I like the pinstripes.” A devilish grin emerged on her face. “I still owe you.”
My grip tightened on her waist. “I’m in work mode. Now isn’t the time to—” I crashed my lips into hers, unable to resist her in any situation. It was dangerous. She was beginning to influence me, and I wasn’t sure I was okay with it.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Fuck. I took a step back, erasing my lips of any residue of her lipstick. “It’s unlocked!”
The door cracked open and one of the female employees, Holly, stuck her head in. “Mr. Falzone, I’m here to help you with that…um...private matter.” She bit her bottom lip, winking.
Elizabeth took a step back, glancing back and forth between us. The door pushed open further, and Holly stepped in, proudly revealing her attire. Elizabeth’s mouth curled into repulsion.
I didn’t realize what was going through her head. Holly was one woman who went undercover for Dimitri and me. She was only here to meet with us to get approval and wired before we sent her into the lion’s den of a rival family we were currently at war with.
“I’ll go wait for my friend in the car.” Elizabeth arched a brow at me. “Thank you, Mr. Falzone, for…I need to go.” Dropping her head, she rushed past Holly and out of the room.
I followed her to the door, but Maddie was exiting Dimitri’s office just as she stepped into the hallway. The moment she spotted me, her eyes swelled in shock. She zipped by, following Elizabeth down the corridor and out the door. I still didn’t understand why she left in such a hurry. That is, until I spun back around, slamming the door, and my gaze settled on Holly. She was tugging at some of the fabric hanging from her revealing lavender lingerie. Her nipples were clearly visible through the top.
Shit. She thought she was here for me.
“You haven’t spoken since we got in the car.” Maddie groaned.
“It’s fine.”
“Did Vinny hurt you?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then what happened?”
Not wanting to rain on Maddie’s parade, I twisted in my seat. “Did you get the job?” I tried my best at sounding enthusiastic.
Smiling, she kept her eyes on the road. “I hope so. He’s supposed to call this evening or tomorrow. He’s hot.”
I snorted, gazing back out the window.
“So, why was Vinny even there?”
I shrugged. “The owner is his friend.”
“Ahhh,” she sang, “Dimitri. Okay. Those hot Italians have to stick together.” She giggled.
The rest of the drive to my house was mostly her talking about the interview, what her duties would be, and her plans for the weekend. While she was genuinely excited, she was also great about trying to distract me from things that bothered me. It’s part of what made her such a good friend. When she sensed me being overly quiet, she made up for it by filling the silence.
I really needed to get Vincenzo out of my mind. We weren’t a couple, so I had no right to question anything he did, but seeing another woman there stung a bit.Who was I kidding? It hurt like hell!The crush I once had turned into something a little more each time we interacted. “Do you want to stay for dinner and swim?” I finally got in a word.
“Sure. But we have to go by my place so I can grab my stuff.”
Early that evening, Maddie and I were by the pool before dinner. She sat with her legs crossed on a chaise lounge scrolling through her phone, while I laid on my stomach. Knees bent, I hooked my ankles together in the air, thumbing through the pages of a fashion magazine. Fashion had always been my obsession, and at one point, I’d wanted to be a designer.
My mind was still riddled with questions about Vincenzo. It wasn’t like I ever had a real chance with him. He was forty-five. I was twenty-one. With each turning page, I tugged harder on the corners, frustrated about today. The sound of the back door closing summoned our attention. I flipped over, seeing my father emerging from the back door with Vincenzo. I turned back over to the magazine.
“Girls, Vinny just got back in town.”
“Yeah, right,” I huffed under my breath.
“We’re going to be over here but won’t bother you. Dinner should be ready soon.”
I offered a lazy wave in the air, choosing to ignore the fact Vincenzo was staring in our direction when I made brief eye contact.
