Page 98 of Empire of Temptation

Aldo’s words ricocheted through my brain for the hundredth time. The more I considered it, the more I came to like the idea. What was holding her here? This restaurant? That wasn’t a good enough reason to live here in my opinion. And I wasn’t finished with whatever this was between us. “You will like Catanzaro. It’s known asCittà tra due Mari, city of the two seas. I have a private villa on the water?—”

“Luca! I’m not leaving Paesano.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the lines across her brow deepening. “But I don’t know, maybe I could come visit sometime.”

I didn’t want to argue with her, not tonight. So I dropped the subject . . . temporarily. But I wasn’t interested in a long-distance relationship. My schedule was too chaotic, too demanding for that. I needed someone available at a moment’s notice. Not to mention that anyone in my life needed protection, even a mistress. Flying back and forth, living here alone, would only put her at risk. “We’ll see,” I said vaguely.

The dishes began arriving then, little bites for us to try. Oysters, beef tartare, fried anchovies. Each plate was beautifully arranged, a small mouthful packed with flavor. Better than the food, though, was watching Valentina eat. I loved how much she enjoyed food, the little noises of pleasure she made. The way she licked her lips . . . I could stare at her all night. “You tried these before the opening, no?”

“Some of it, yes. But once I realized how talented Giovanni was, Ibasically stayed out of his way.” She reached over and stole my plate containing a scallop topped with prosciutto foam. “This is my favorite, though, so I’m stealing it. Sorry, not sorry.” She ate the scallop in one bite, her eyes nearly rolling back in her head as she chewed.

“I like seeing you enjoy it.” I sipped my wine, studying her mouth. “It makes me think of what I’m going to do to you later.”

A flush spread over her cheeks, but she shook her head. “Don’t get your hopes up. I don’t know when I’ll be finished, but it’ll probably be late.”

“Wrong. You’re leaving with me after dinner. Roberto can finish up.”

Her lips parted as her brows came together dangerously. “I’m not leaving early. It’s not fair to the staff.”

“Valentina,” I said seriously. “You have to learn how to be the boss. Treat your people well, but in the end they work for you. And if you can’t trust them to handle things in your absence, then you haven’t hired the right people.”

“I suppose next you’ll tell me that I make the rules.”

“At the restaurant, yes.” Leaning over, I brushed my fingertips over the shell over her ear. I was pleased to see her shiver. “But with me? No.”

“God, you’re so predictable.” She pushed her empty plate away. “Speaking of Catanzaro, how much longer do you think you’ll be in the States?”

“Not much longer, I imagine.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her lap and adjusted her napkin carefully. “That’s too bad. Your brothers seem nice.”

I was still pissed at Sergio for the way he spoke to me this morning. Our interactions today had been terse and angry, especially when our efforts to quickly locate Segreto failed. “They can be, yes.”

“Which one are you closest to?”

“Sergio. We are the two oldest and he is my advisor when required.”

“And what did he advise you about me?”

I slid her a glance, surprised. “Why do you think he said something?”

“Because I’m practically half your age and you’ve moved me into your house with all of them. I don’t have a brother, but it seems like this might be something worth discussing, considering who you are.”

She was very smart, my woman. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks, Valentina. And you shouldn’t either.”

“Well, I do. And I don’t want to cause trouble between you and your family. So I’ll sleep at home for the next few nights.”

“No, you won’t. You don’t need to worry about my brothers or my son.”

“Gabi said you made him move out to the pool house.”

Ah, so they’d been talking today. “What else did my son tell you?”

“He says that I’m your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend? I paused, my mind tripping over the word. In all my life I’d never had a girlfriend. Mistress, yes—there had been plenty of those. But no woman I shared emotional ties with. I was currently obsessed with Valentina . . . but that would soon fade, no?

Silence descended and I played with the stem of my wine glass. I couldn’t tell from her expression what reaction she was hoping for from me. Did she like the idea? Was she hoping I agreed? “And what did you say?”

“Nothing. It caught me off guard. I think I was too freaked out to respond.”

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