Page 95 of Casanova LLC

I smiled tightly. “Give Violetta my love.”

“I always tell her how much you hate her.”

We left each other laughing and I escorted Claire over the nearest bridge. “I have a great place in mind for dinner, but shall we have a Spritz first?”

“Only if you stop stalling.”

“What was it you asked?”

“Have you met your Forever?”

“How, um…” I made a show of peeking into a small taverna, seeing how busy it was. I held the door open for her. “I’m assuming you heard about this from Jacopo?”

“Yes. He mentioned it over coffee this morning.”

“Ah, right, okay.” Of course. Of course! I led her over to an open table. “And, uh, what did he say? Exactly?”

“That each Casanova encounters their Forever at some point and has their resolve tested. And so far you’ve all passed. Your legacy has persevered against all comers. That was the gist of it.”

“Due Spritz, per favore,” I said to the waiter before he landed at the table. I shook out my napkin. “Wow. Quite the little chat.”

“It was.” She was watching me too closely for comfort.

“Have I mentioned my uncle has a flair for the dramatic?”

“It is kind of a big deal, though…?

“I mean.” I forced a laugh. “It’s just a thing, a normal thing, a thing that—it comes with the territory. And when it happens…it does. So it’s really not a big deal.” Stop talking. You’re making it worse. “Where are those—Ah! Grazie.” The waiter set the drinks down on the table and I took the opportunity to shut the fuck up. We lifted our glasses to each other. “Salute.”

But right after she drank, she was back for more. “So, you have or you haven’t?”

“Who doesn’t? You know? Ask a priest if they ever met anyone who made them want to give up the cloth. Right?”

“Alessandro. Can you just answer?—”

“No. Okay?” It came out edgier than I would have wanted. So I tagged a smile onto it.

She went still. Contemplative.

I’m gonna kill him. Why would he tell her about that? Why would he put that in her head? He had to know she would tell me.

I reached over and clasped her hands. Played with her fingers. It only took her a second to give me a smile. “Let’s talk about the actual big deal. How do you want our last night to go?”

* * *

We walked hand in hand back to the palazzo, my mind not nearly as focused on Claire as it should have been. As she deserved. But she was oblivious. Giggly and talkative and generous with her touch.

This was our last night and I wanted her to remember it forever. I wanted to remember it forever. So when we got to the gate, I pushed her up against it and took her mouth. She melted into me immediately. It was obvious we were both so ready for this.

She said she wanted to “freshen up” and suggested we meet in the salon in fifteen minutes, if that was fine with me, and that was more than fine with me. I had my own fifteen minutes to deal with. In parting, I leaned into her ear. “I love the image of you freshening up for me.” She flushed. “And I love how you flush.” I traced a finger down her neck. “Your body can’t keep secrets from me.”

“It doesn’t want to,” she whispered back. Then kissed my throat, right where my collar separated. I shivered. At her mouth, at her words, at her.

I waited as she went into the house…and then went right for the dock. As I approached his boat, I called out, “Jacopo? You here?”

His head emerged from the depths of the cabin like a rabbit checking his surroundings. I could tell he’d been expecting me, even if he didn’t know what, exactly, to expect. “Sandro! Shouldn’t you be entertaining?—”

“Permission to come aboard?” But I was already climbing on.

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