Page 20 of His Two Hidden Masks

“What did you tell her?” I asked.

“I gave her a small bag and let her take home six,” Paolo said, winking. “I thought you would approve.”

“Yes, I approve. I love that,” I said. “Thank you so much for sharing, Paolo. And did you happen to mention this compliment to my parents?” I leaned over the marble countertop.

“Oh, you know I stay out of the family business,” Paolo said.

“You work for the family business.”

“True,” Paolo said, laughing. “Bella, your candies, they are delicious. You stay committed to your dream, amore.”

“Grazie,” I said, giving him a quick curtsy.

The phone at the front desk rang. “Pronto, welcome to the Mia Sorella.” Paolo held a finger in the air and nodded as he listened to the voice on the other line.

I placed another black salted caramel in my mouth and chewed, enjoying the way the caramel dissolved with every bite. The hint of black salt was a surprise, a layer that made the sweetness unbearably good. I intended to expand well beyond black sea salt.

I had more exotic flavors ready, like lavender rosemary, earl grey, cappuccino, and jalapeño. I had just the perfect jalapeño. The balance between the sweetness and the heat was critical.

“I should go,” I whispered to Paolo, as the click of steady and even footsteps snapped me out of my sexy daydream. I froze. I knew that walk. Paolo looked up, as well, hanging up the phone.

A voice cut through the lobby. “Paolo, has housekeeping started on the third floor yet? We have VIP guests in our suites this entire week.”

Damn. And I knew that voice, too. I had lingered too long and run into the one person I didn’t want to see, besides James.

“Bella,” Roberto said, standing beside me at the front desk. He couldn’t even be bothered to say good morning to me anymore.

“Buongiorno, Roberto,” I muttered. I was so weary of his ice-cold shoulder. When would he stop punishing me? Apparently, never.

I wondered what he would do if he had any clue that I had fucked a stranger named James in the Lover’s Suite the night before. Knowing that it would enrage him made me feel even better about my wild night.

“Lissa has already started on the third floor,” Paolo said.

“Excellent,” Roberto said.

Roberto rarely compromised his Venetian style. He wore a tailored dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt and no tie. Hisshirt was unbuttoned just enough to showcase a gold necklace and cross. His salt-and-pepper hair looked newly shaved and he’d re-grown his carefully groomed beard.

Roberto was handsome and polished, and for years I had stood beside him as his friend, his girlfriend, and finally his fiancé, until I wasn’t.

Still, looking at him made it easy to remember the feeling of his hand wrapping around mine. It had, at times, felt like a second skin, but that spark died. Roberto set a file folder on the marble desk and pushed my bowl of caramels to the side as if they were in the way.

“Paolo, please make copies of these materials right away.” Roberto’s voice was nonplussed but his body language said otherwise. He kept his back toward me as he spoke. “Do you have business at the hotel this morning, Isabella?”

“Excuse me,” I said, reaching past Roberto to move the bowl of caramels back to the center of the desk. I glared at him, daring him to move it again. I could do this all day, I thought.

Roberto did not acknowledge our candy showdown, and turned to face me, eyebrows raised. “I dropped by to say hello to Paolo and to check on inventory,” I said.

My comings and goings were no longer Roberto’s concern. He made me feel guilty and broken, as if my inner compass was off. I told myself it wasn’t entirely his fault, as he was twelve years older than me and he had often played the role of the wise older boyfriend. I had loved this part of our relationship at times, until it became a straight jacket.

I left Roberto at the altar, but that didn’t mean he was leaving my life anytime soon. His family’s involvement in my family’s business was rock solid. Our break-up couldn’t touch that bond.

“Yes, we need one hundred boxes,” Paolo said. “I am expecting a rush for Carnival.”

“You got it,” I said, giving Roberto a smile.

“Priority one, please make the copies,” Roberto said. “I need a set of documents at each seat in the upstairs dining room. Also, after the meeting, we will be hosting a dinner in the ballroom. Andiamo will cater.”

“But we have reservations in the dining room for a seated dinner,” Paolo said.

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