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A sense of peace washed over me with a warm wind when I accepted the answer he’d given me, though.
The quiet between us seemed loud suddenly. I reached forward and turned the radio on. It was just a whisper in the night. The song playing was older, from the ’70s, and I went to change the station when Big stopped me by putting his hand over mine.
It was the eeriest thing that had ever happened to me, but I knew the song meant something to him. Maybe his mom had liked it. In one of those articles, it said she was a darling of Vegas and used to be a singer.
I wondered if he would take it as a sign. A sign of what, though? I had no clue.
Our eyes met for a second before I relaxed in my seat, leaning my head back. He still had my hand, and the warmth of it was…nice, especially with the song.
Before I realized it, I dozed off. My eyes fluttered open when the bright lights of Portofino hit them.
Umberto was taking Big’s place in the driver seat, and Big was already at my side. He opened my door and gave me his hand. I took it, and he led me into the Mecca that was his casino.
10
LEONORA
I was awake, but still sort of drowsy. Before I forgot, I set an alarm on my phone. I wanted to get up early enough to go to the hospital. That was one thing I tried not to do—be late.
Phoenix was more sensitive to it, the fear of being left behind a real thing, but I could tell it bothered Angelo as well. He just hid it better. I was excited about telling them about the new car, too, but I was also freaking out about this situation.
If Big did his own thing, fine, he could just leave us alone most of the time and get me in the bedroom, or wherever, whenever he wanted. But I refused to let him get close to my brothers and do more damage to their lives. Even if I had to steal from him again to do it.
He was so rich, he probably wouldn’t even notice.
I glanced at his profile as the numbers in his private elevator climbed higher and higher.
He’d fucking notice. He just seemed the type.
I sighed and he looked at me. I looked away.
We’d have to have that conversation soon.
Big’s penthouse was huge and fit for a medieval king. It had modern touches, like in the kitchen and bathrooms, but it looked like someone had lifted a villa from Italy and set it in the center of the strip.
The walls and floors were made of what looked like old stone, but fine Italian marble graced countertops and all the bathrooms. Light colored walls highlighted dark-stained wooden beams along the ceiling. Iron fixtures brought it all together. Exotic sprays of flowers had been placed in the most optimum spots.
It was just a continuation of the casino, but private.
While Big excused himself to make a phone call, I found my way to his bathroom. Since he was on the phone, I decided to take a shower. It felt like an entire days’ worth of sweat coated my body, and so did the dust from the ride out of town.
I’d jumped the gun a little after I undressed and couldn’t figure out how to turn it on. It was one of the ones that shoot out from both sides and trickles from above—like showering in a rainforest, sans bugs. Eucalyptus and spearmint hung heavy in the air.
“Shit.” I couldn’t figure it out. Did they expect only rocket scientists to take showers in these things?
“Like this.” Big’s voice was rough, and his body came behind mine, almost engulfing me. His hand slid down my arm, his fingers closing over mine, directing me.
A fine mist floated in the air once it turned on. The soft sprays touched my hair, face, and skin. It chilled me at first, until the warm water started to create humidity. It clung to me as much as Big was. I closed my eyes when his lips started to kiss a path down my body, his hands tracing the shapes of my curves.
“I love that you don’t ask. You just fucking take. You know what’s mine is yours already.”
All I could do was absorb his words like I was absorbing his touch. It was seeping into my skin like the scented water. He turned us to face the fogged mirror. Through the droplets running, our reflections were somewhat distorted. But the look of two people completely lost in each other stared back at me.
Maybe because together like this, we were not separate people who existed outside of these moments.
I sucked in a lungful of soggy air when he continued the path down, turning me toward him. Getting to his haunches, he parted me.
“I don’t think—” I trembled when his finger skimmed past my butt crack. “I should shower first—”
