Page 19 of The Devil Can Be Kind

This was wealth in a league unto its own.

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed my time with Lucia. She had a motherly, warm way about her, and I couldn’t help but feel reassured with her mere presence by my side walking through the mansion’s halls. If someone as gentle as Lucia could survive here, then it meant there was a chance Jesse was right about Don La Torre not being entirely monstrous in how he managed the family business.

When she left for the kitchen, I skipped upstairs to ‘my’ room and found a neon pink bikini amongst one of the many drawers in the closet. I quickly changed and threw on a sheer black cover up with some sandals before raiding the bathroom for a large towel, content to spend my day by the pool. I headed back outside to one of the rattan loungers by the pool and set down my various items, stretching out and basking in the blazing midday sun.

After only thirty minutes, the heat had started to become suffocating, and I decided it was time to take a dip into the water. The pool was cool and refreshing as I swam several laps along its length before floating idly along the surface a while.

After I had cooled down sufficiently, I heaved myself onto the side and laid back against the hot stone.

I wonder if there are any inflatables?—

A shadow stretched over me.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

My eyes jolted open in surprise.

I gulped when I saw whose shadow it was.

The Don stood over me, hands on his hips in an obvious display of exasperation. He was glaring and if looks could kill…then this man could have had the world on its knees in less than thirty seconds.

Heat thatdidn’tentirely originate from the sun lit my skin ablaze.

“Do you ever say anything else?” I asked absentmindedly, like my stomach wasn’t doing nervous somersaults at his sudden presence.

Despite the heat, he was wearing the same outfit I had seen him in before: black slacks and a black, collared shirt. The only difference now was that the cuffs of his shirt were rolled to his elbows, revealing two muscular forearms that were covered in intricate black ink.

I pulled my sunglasses down slightly, raking my eyes over his body in a way that was intended to unnerve him.

“You know you would be quite handsome if you ever stopped scowling.” I said as acerbically as I could.

Men rarely looked bored when surveying me. I wasn’t exactlyMargot Robbie, but my toned waist and bubble butt weren’t wholly uninspiring, especially when I was in a skimpy-ass bikini like I was right now…and yet, I had seen flies look more interested. I swallowed back my irritation.

“I wouldn’t have to scowl if you just behaved.” His voice was as bland as his face.

“What is your problem? I’m not doing anything!”

He was being completely impossible.

“The problem is that I have some…difficultvisitors arriving in a few minutes and you are pissing about in a bikini.” His words were calm, but I could hear an undercurrent of anger seeping through.

I looked down at my bathing suit, inspecting it. It was a cute pink string set and while it did leave little to the imagination, it concealed all the important parts of my body.

“There is nothing wrong with my bikini.” I protested, crossing my arms angrily while glaring up at him.

“Oh, really? Because that there,”—he pointed over his shoulder to one of the nearby windows—“is my office and I can assure you that it hasn’t covered up a whole lot since you got out here.” His lips twitched as if he found that information humorous somehow.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

The Don’s gaze suddenly dropped from my face, roaming down my neck before settling on my chest. He quirked a brow and I glanced down.

Frustratingly, my crossed arms had disturbed the material of my bikini, revealing the dusky pink of my nipple.

“Perv,” I muttered and yanked the material back into place.

His gaze fell to the side, and he smirked before picking up my towel and tossing it at me.

“Go inside. Now.” He ordered, smirk vanishing as quickly as it came.

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