Page 76 of Sweet Deception

"No. Kylie." I set my phone down before turning my attention back to the stove. After flipping a pancake, I glance at Rafael over my shoulder. He looks as rough as I feel. "I woke to a text from him earlier saying it was done."

"Good." He walks to the fridge to pull out the syrup and butter and placing them on the island.

"Yeah. Now we wait." Grabbing three plates out of the cabinet, I hand one to Rafael.

"Rome said it could take a couple of days for the final approval from Italy." Rafael fills his plate and moves back to the island to dig into his food.

I twist my neck from side to side, trying to work out the kinks before pouring more batter into the pan. "The evidence speaks for itself. The approval could come quicker." I refuse to think any differently. I want this done once and for all.

"Fuck man, that smells good." Gio drags himself into the kitchen, scratching his belly. He snatches a plate and stacks all the pancakes onto it.

"I knew I should have grabbed more." Rafael grumbles.

"I'll have more done in a few minutes." When Gio attempts to grab all the bacon, I smack the back of his hand with the spatula.

"Ouch. What was that for?" Gio shakes out his hand.

Rafael chuckles.

"That's all the bacon there is. You get half." I place his portion on his plate. "Now get out of my way."

"Fine, Ma," Gio mocks.

I smile, wishing Kylie was here. She loves breakfast with the guys when they can make it. She admitted to me the other night that she wishes she had siblings growing up. Despite all the crap we've had to deal with in our youth, we have a great brotherly bond. I wouldn't give this up for anything.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Rafael asks between bites.

I stack the rest of the pancakes on the serving plate and move it to the island before answering. "I want you to connect with Rome. See if you can help get things moving along. Gio and I need to do some work on the hotel."

I settle into my seat at the island and fill my plate while my mind is half on business and half on Kylie. Joseph has been giving me updates on Kylie's movements during the day, and I'm realizing how much she likes her espresso. I have a coffee machine, but nothing that offers a variety that she seems to enjoy. I text Joanna and ask her where I would go to upgrade my coffee machine to one with espresso options.

"Where did you tell Lisa you'll be this weekend?" Rafael asks Gio.

Gio responds with his mouth full. "I didn't. I told her I was unavailable." He pauses long enough to swallow the rest of his food and points his fork at Rafael. "You never tell a woman what you're doing. The minute you do, they'll demand to know every minute of every day." He shakes his head at Rafael. "Rookie move."

Rafael just stares at Gio.

I chuckle, because he's not wrong.

My phone dings with a notification. Joanna texts links to the espresso machines she recommends. I decline her offer to pick it up. I want to do this for Kylie myself. And that brings my mind back to the surprise Kylie said she has for me. An image of her in an all white lacy lingerie number pops into my head. My mouth edges upwards at the thought and I have to reach down to adjust myself.

I'm ripped out of my good mood when Gio groans and complains to Rafael about the look on my face. "Here we go again. Fuck, Rafael. Every time I turn around, he's got that look on his face." Gio points at me as he rounds the kitchen island to rinse his plate in the sink before sticking it in the dishwasher.

I sneer at Gio before swinging my gaze to Rafael. Seeing his blank look as he observes me has me shaking my head. "Let's head out. I have a stop to make." I don't give a shit if it's more fuel for Gio's fire. We're purchasing an espresso machine and installing it before work. I want it waiting for her when she comes tonight.

"Rafael, keep me informed."

Gio follows me outside and calls out, "I'll be ready in twenty."

***

"What's this for?" I hold up a hose from the box.

"Hell if I know. Why didn't you just pay someone to install this?" Gio grumbles, pulling the machine forward to look at the back. For what, I have no clue.

I toss the hose down with enough force that it bounces and rolls away. "How hard can hooking up a damn espresso machine be? Shouldn't it just be a simple plug in and go?" I wave my hand toward the machine before placing both hands on my hips.

"For asimplecoffee machine—yes, but you bought this fancy ass espresso machine." He pulls back and stares daggers at it. "Isn't coffee all the same?"

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