Page 81 of Empire of Temptation

She didn’t argue, just flipped her hair out of the way as she settled on my thigh. “Why am I always sleeping on you?”

My chest expanded on a deep breath and I smoothed her hair, letting the long strands run between my fingers. The night of her book club she’d begged me to sleep next to her.I won’t feel safe without you.What demons haunted her? Segreto? Or had something happened in her childhood?

I vowed to find out.

Now that I have secured D’Agostino’s help, I might be able to locate my cousin quickly. This would keep Valentina out of this mess. Because no way was I letting Palmieri or the GDF get their hands on this woman.

Minutes passed and Valentina’s breathing evened out. I stared down at her profile while my fingers continued to stroke her head. Part of me didn’t want to return to Paesano. I didn’t want her in that tiny home all the way across town. The place wasn’t safe, not to mention that I wanted her with me. Could I move her into the mansion?

“Never thought I would see it,” Aldo murmured in Italian from the front seat. I glanced up and met his gaze in the mirror. “Like a teenager.”

“Fuck off,” I said quietly.

“She’s a good kid. Works hard. Cares about people.”

I knew this about her. It was part of the reason I like spoiling her. Ungrateful, entitled people thought the world owed them everything. But this world didn’t owe any of us shit. Valentina knew this and she was a fighter, tough like me. Yet she was also sweet and innocent, and that twisted me up inside.

“I want her things moved into the mansion,” I ordered. “See that it’s done.”

Aldo shook his head. “She won’t like that. The house belonged to her dead mother. You’ve seen it. The mother might as well still be living there. Your girl is not ready to let go of the past.”

I sighed. I would need to handle this carefully. But after our stay in New York, I was confident that I could convince her.

My phone buzzed with more messages. I eased the rectangle out of my pocket and spent the rest of the ride answering questions and checking in with my brothers. Then I texted Leo, as he’d been quiet the past few days. That wasn’t uncommon for my first born. He was responsible, more serious and independent than his brother. Leo answered immediately, saying he’d booked a trip to Sardinia for a few days. I told him to have fun at the beach with his girlfriend and ring me when he returned to Catanzaro.

Valentina stirred when we were a few minutes out of town. I rubbed her back and continued to read a quarterly report from one of our legitimate businesses.

“Where are we?” she murmured sleepily.

“Just outside Paesano.”

“Damn. I hadn’t expected to sleep that long. Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Because you’re obviously fucking tired.”

She pushed herself up. “More like I’m tired because of fucking.”

A huff of laughter escaped my lips. “Madonna, that mouthof yours.”

“Are you saying you don’t like it?”

The devilish glint in her eye called to me like a cape to a bull. I leaned in and gave her a deep kiss. “I like it very much,” I said when we broke apart.

She patted my chest then glanced down at her watch. “I really should get to the restaurant. Aldo, can you drop me at the trattoria?”

He looked at me in the rear view mirror for confirmation. I supposed it was only fair. I’d monopolized her time enough for today and I knew she was reopening tomorrow. I gave Aldo a subtle nod.

“Of course, miss.” Aldo began pressing buttons on the car’s navigation.

I pulled her close to my side and kissed the side of her head. “I’ll take your packages to my house.”

“Or you could drop them at mine, seeing as how locks are no issue for you.”

Ignoring that, I said, “Come to the mansion when you’re finished today. We’ll have dinner together.”

“Just dinner?”

A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Maybe more.”

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