Page 29 of Spice and Revenge

I inwardly snort, surprised yet not entirely shocked that she's onto me.

My reason for not sleeping early last night was because of Leo. His gaze had stirred something inside me, confirming feelings I hadn't fully acknowledged.

If I had doubts about what my body felt for him, last night was a confirmation. The look in his eyes when our eyes met was intense. Despite the worries that plagued my mind, I couldn’tlook away from him. We had stared at each other for what felt like hours, even though it was only for a few seconds. And when I retired to my room, I totally forgot what had taken me outside in the first place. The only thing I could think about was what the look in Leo’s eyes meant, wondering how long he had been standing there, watching me.

Josie leans back and looks at me with a gleam in her eyes. “I knew it,” she chuckles to herself.

I roll my eyes again, focusing on rinsing the octopus thoroughly under the cold water. One of the ‘unique’ additions Leo made to the menu after the debacle with his sister was Polpo alla Luciana, a delicious Italian dish made with tender octopus cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce. It's served with spaghetti and has a rich and satisfying taste.

“You don’t know everything, Josie,” I retort, trying to steer the conversation away from my personal life.

Ignoring the dough she was working on, Josie fixes me with an intense gaze. Then, with exaggerated drama, she gasps. “Are you pregnant?”

Hilda and Blanco, who have been arguing about something since we started making lunch, immediately turn to look at me.

“Lorena is pregnant?” Hilda gasps.

“I am not pregnant!” I say in a sound between a groan and a laugh.“No, no, not even close. Josie's just being Josie. And if you don’t believe me, then bring me some wine and watch me drink it to the last drop.”

“So dramatic, and for what?” Blanco scowls at Josie before placing a large pot on the stove, ready to prepare the tomato sauce. He goes to grab a bottle of olive oil while Hilda resumes chopping onions and garlic. After that, she slices the plump tomatoes with precision and care.

“Well, thank goodness for that. You're way too hot to be tied down like that,” Josie muses, earning a genuine laugh from me.

Once the octopus is cleansed, it is time to move to the next step. I take charge and begin the tenderizing process. I massage the octopus by pounding and stretching against its hard surface until the flesh becomes tender and succulent.

“Speaking of hotness,” Hilda clears her throat, her eyes darting around to check if anyone is coming. “Have you heard thatSinz Swingis recruiting?”

“Nobody is sure about that yet,” Blanco murmurs as he joins Josie in preparing the spaghetti.

“I got the information from my friend. Her sister works there…”

“What isSinz Swing? And why are you guys whispering about it?” I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“You haven’t heard aboutSinz Swing?” Hilda looks shocked, like I’d just said something horrendous.

“Obviously, she hasn’t,” Josie replies, before turning to me.

“Sinz Swingis a notorious sex club that the elites all over Italy attend. It’s owned by one of Don’s friends, and it’s the most popular sex club here in the south,” Josie explains.

She said sex club, not nightclub. My mind runs as I imagine the kind of events that would go on there. As if she could hear my thoughts, Hilda starts speaking again.

“The illicit things that happen there…” She shudders. “Orgies, threesomes, role play, voyeurism, you name it.”

I gulp, suddenly feeling hot. I imagine Leo participating in all these activities and… I don’t even want to think about it. “And how do you know all these things?” I ask casually.

I don’t want to seem too interested in the conversation, even though my body is suddenly alight with heat, and it’s not from the stove I’m currently standing close to.

I shouldn’t be concerned with this, but if Leo’s friend owns the place, then he should be a frequent visitor too. It makes me wonder about the sexual acts he participates in.

“Like I said, my friend’s sister works there. Also, Don and his friends host orgies in their houses…”

“He hosts orgieshere? There’s a fucking teenager in this house!” I say, horrified.

Josie chuckles. “It’s not like that.” Then she lowers her voice to a whisper. “Don has a playroom where he takes his guests. It’s soundproofed and completely out of bounds to everyone else in the house. I have worked here for three years, and I don’t even know where the room is…”

“I think it’s in the same area as his office. He has a private elevator he uses to access that area of the house,” Blanco adds. “Nina is the only one who has been there.”

A shiver rolls through my body as I pour the chopped onions and garlic into the glimmering pot of golden olive oil. It makes a loud sizzling sound, and a pleasant aroma fills the air.

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