Page 54 of Empire of Temptation

No way was I reacting to that compliment. I was already fending off one Italian. I didn’t need to deal with two.

My hand had just reached the door handle when someone grabbed my arm. “Wait a minute,” he said, angling me toward him. “What is the hurry, bella?”

I could feel my jaw drop.Oh, my god.A younger version of Luca stood in front of me. Equally handsome, the same chiseled features, olive skin, dark hair. His eyes held a confidence only found in incredibly attractive people, like they knew everyone was staring at them. “You’re his son,” I blurted.

The young man blinked a few times. “I am. My name is Gabriele.”

Of course. The one who vomited on his father. “I’ve heard about you.”

“Then you have me at a disadvantage. Tell me your name, bambina.”

“I’m Val.”

Confusion marred his perfect face, but only for a second before he was grinning at me. “Ah. Va bene, va bene. You are her, the one from the restaurant. Valentina.”

Had Luca mentioned me to his son? I would need to consider this later. “Yes, that’s me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to return to the trattoria.”

He chuckled and took a step back. “You were here to see my father. This explains why you look—” he gestured to his face “—so flushed.”

Damn it! Did I look like a woman who’d just orgasmed twice? I dipped to look into the car’s side mirror, which only caused Gabriele to laugh harder. “Don’t worry,” he said. “No one will know by the time you drive into town.”

I straightened and sighed. Maybe I should run home first to clean up, before going back to work. “Nice to meet you. See you around, Gabriele.”

“Everyone calls me Gabi.” He snatched my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back. “And I look forward to seeing you again, Val.”

The charming yet knowing twinkle in his eyes grated on my nerves. “We won’t be seeing each other again. So enjoy your time in New York.”

I opened the car door and got in. But not before I heard him say, “Dai, bella. I would not be so sure.”

Luca

I frowned as my son entered the house. After Valentina left my office, I followed her quietly to make sure she departed safely, which meant I caught Gabriele arriving outside.

He left the house when I specifically told him not to.

Not even here a full day and already my son was causing trouble.

“Where the fuck were you?” I barked when he stepped inside.

He jerked, clearly startled, but then composed himself and closed the door. “I went out to grab a bite to eat.”

“I told you not to leave.”

“Except there’s no food here.”

Was he arguing with me? I ground my back teeth together, struggling for calm. “The kitchen is not bare. You want something, you prepare it.”

Gabriele tossed the Maserati keys onto the entry table. “You mean cook, like on the stove? Dai, Papà. You know I can’t do that.”

Unfortunately, I did know this. Both of my boys were spoiled this way, thanks to my housekeeper and cook in Catanzaro. “I suggest you learn. I won’t have you running around in town, putting yourself at risk and alerting everyone to your presence.”

“There’s no risk here. No one knows who we are.”

There was always a risk for a Benetti. “That isn’t the point. The point is I told you to stay here and you disobeyed me. And stop arguing with me.”

He held up his palms. “Mi dispiace, Papà. But please, can we hire someone to cook for us? I need food—good food. You wouldn’t believe what people eat here. It’s disgusting.”

“This is not a vacation, Gabriele. I’m here for business. And if you don’t like it, then I suggest you return home.”

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