Page 132 of High Roller

She laughs and shoves at my chest. “I don’t think there is any danger of anyone believing you would ever go soft, Master Victor. Thanks for the giggle.”

I reach out and tug a lock of her long blond hair. “You got it, hotness. Now get inside and let Matteo fuck the sad out of you in his office. I have an appointment.”

Her mouth drops open and Matteo growls at me, but I walk to my car, feeling a little lighter than when I first stepped into the parking lot.

All of my colleagues have made complicated relationships work. Grace has been my friend for years, and all we’re doing now is expanding the boundaries of our relationship. It doesn’t have to be anything more complicated than exploring what we do and don’t like with each other.

Lili, on the other hand, is another matter entirely.

Chapter 38

Lili

“Where’sGrace?”

I startle at the sound of Victor’s voice and set my book aside as he walks into the living room and pulls his jacket off.

“She was tired and wanted to rest before you got home.”

Victor nods and drops onto the couch next to me, moving the book to the coffee table. “How would you feel about filing for divorce?”

My heart skips a beat as I stare at him. Has something happened that I don’t know about? I lift my hair off the back of my neck and contemplate his question.

“I guess we’re just jumping right in, then aren’t we? My day was just fine, thanks for asking.”

Victor frowns as he loosens his tie and pulls it off, setting it on top of my book.

“I apologize for the lack of social niceties, but this is urgent. Please answer the question, Spitfire.”

I tilt my head and observe his body language. No more tense than usual, but something is definitely different, and my gut tells me to humor him, so I tuck my legs under me and settle in for what is bound to be an interesting conversation. “I have a generally positive view of getting a divorce. But unless I want to face financial ruin on top of having my reputation dragged through the mud by the mayor and her precious son, I have to be strategic about it.”

Victor nods and picks up my hand. “I understand that. But we’re running out of ideas for drawing Phineas out, and the tabloids are starting to get unhinged with their stories and speculation about where you are. We also have a Hunter Novak problem.”

I raise an eyebrow. “That’s never a good problem to have. The tabloids can be ignored, Novak, not so much.”

He chuckles. “Tell me about it. We want to keep him on our good side, and Phineas is privately breathing down his neck and threatening some of his contracts with the city if he doesn’t get information on where you went after you left the casino that night.”

I lay my head against the back of the sofa. “And you think filing for divorce will somehow get Hunter off your back because it takes the heat off him and puts it on you all?”

Victor nods. “Something like that. Plus, we kind of implied to Hunter that you came to us for help leaving your husband. Filing for divorce would lend credence to that.”

I lift my head and raise an eyebrow at him. “Didn’t want to tell him you kidnapped me and carried me out of his casino naked at gunpoint, huh?”

He grimaces. “Yeah, I’m hoping we can keep that little detail just between us.”

“You’re lucky I like Grace so much,” I tease.

“I’m well aware of how lucky I am, Spitfire.”

The heat laced in his tone warms my core, and I squirm away from his intense gaze. “You’ve changed our lives, Liliana. And while my original intent in bringing you into our world was to take Phineas down once and for all, it has turned out to be so much more.”

Is he about to confess romantic feelings for me? I’ve never quite figured out where we stood. He’s all in favor of playing with me for Grace’s sake, but his focus is entirely on her. Not that I want it any other way, but something is different about the way he’s looking at me tonight, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. Would Grace be hurt if I fell for Victor? Could we make a complex relationship like that work?

“Lili?”

I blink, realizing I’ve zoned out to my thought spiral, and my face heats. “Sorry. There’s just a lot on my mind. What did you say?”

“I said, Grace is quite fond of you, and I want to make sure you’re safe and well taken care of after this is over, and make sure the two of you remain close if you wish.”

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