Page 96 of Hot Momosa

Dahlia

I woke wrappedin nothing but the decadently soft sheets. The scents of bacon and coffee warmed me. Leo and Gunnar’s laughter, drifting down the hall was better than any music. I had no idea what they’d thought was so funny, nor did I need to know. That Leo could find joy with his son while our world spun out of control gave me hope.

We’ll get through this.

I hadn’t completely let go of my fears that Leo would trip and fall back into the Cosa Nostra, but I’d believed him when he said he didn’t want that life. Listening to him play with Gunnar reassured me he had his priorities straight.

The ringing buzzer in the front of the house ruined my good mood. Someone was at the door, which meant our bubble of domestic bliss was about to pop. Muttering to myself, I crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom to clean up.

One look in the mirror and I decided to hide out in the bedroom rather than greet whoever had stopped by. I’d fallen asleep with wet hair, which had dried into a complete mess. I had beard-burn around my mouth and chin, and unless I was mistaken, a hickey on my neck.

Hot sex did awful things to pale skin—and we’d gone at it numerous times the night before.

A knock on the bedroom door sent me into a panic.

“Just a minute.” I snatched the robe from the hook and hustled to get my hair into what I hoped would pass for a messy bun.

“We don’t have a minute. We need to go to—” Shanna stood a few feet inside the room with her hands on her hips and her mouth hanging open.

“Don’t.” I shot her a death-glare.

“All of this…” She motioned from the bed, to me, and toward the kitchen. “Is blowing my mind. I know you have a kid together, but you two have denied having sex for so long. It’s like waking up one morning and finding out unicorns exist.”

“Very funny.” As much as I tried to remain stoic, I grinned.

Her eyes widened. “Is that a hickey?”

My hand flew to my neck. “Where do we need to go?”

“Oh right.” She shook her head. “I found the former Mrs. Meriwether. She’s agreed to meet us for lunch.”

“Lunch?” I gawked at the clock.

“Yes, Sleeping-not-so-Beauty, it’s almost noon.”

“Where?” Not that it mattered, but I was too stunned to ask an intelligent question.

“A private room at Enzo’s.” She glanced at my crazy hair. “You need to hurry. She’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

Twenty hours isn’t enough time.

“What should I know going in?” I pulled a sweater and jeans from the closet and a clean pair of panties from the drawer. Rather than shouting through the bathroom door, I turned my back, dropped my robe, and stepped into my undies. Shanna was one of my best friends. She’d seen my ass more than I had. We’d shared clothes since high school.

Shanna cracked up. “Holy handprint, Batman. I never would have pegged Leo as the Fifty Shades type.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I arched a brow. “You’re teasing me when you’re the one who got her freak on with Enzo at the Mardi Gras ball the night you met?”

“We didn’t have sex-sex until months later.” She smirked. “And let me tell you…kink must run in their blood.”

“Way too much information.” I pulled the sweater over my head and shimmied into my jeans. “Talk to me about Elise Meriwether.”

“She’s in town a couple of days visiting her sister in Metairie. She goes by Elle McGuire now and hates Harrison with a purple flaming passion.”

Nodding, I went into the bathroom to tame my hair. “That’s understandable, but why did she agree to see us?”

Hate was a start, but I needed her to be willing to go public with the story. Most importantly, I needed her to be credible.

“I told her about Gunnar.” She followed me.

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