Page 44 of Gin & Trouble

Me:Where are you?

Sophia:Where are you?

Me:Where do you think?

Sophia:Sleeping with the enemy.

Me:Sleeping on the couch. No enemy in sight.

Sophia:Join him. Could be fun.

Is she kidding?

Me:Are you seriously telling me to sleep with him?

I waited for what seemed like forever for her to reply, but she never did.

Typical Sophia.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep on the world’s most uncomfortable sofa because a sound echoed in the back of my mind. I fought the urge to wake. Some dreams, especially the ones starring Dante, were too good to give up. However, keys jangling and the front door opening worked better than a bucket of ice water to force me back to reality.

Bolting upright, I took in the light filtering in through the gaps in the blinds and the leading man of my naughty dreams. “What time is it?”

“A little after noon. I come bearing gifts.” Dante set a bakery bag and an enormous coffee on the kitchen island. Oddly, the scent of pine followed him through the apartment.

“Thanks, but you didn’t have to do that.” I stood and did my best not to wince at the ache in my back. Whoever had designed that couch had a career in medieval torture devices. “Why do you smell like a Christmas tree?”

“I bought one this morning.”

“Oh, wow. I wish I could have gone with you.” I hadn’t celebrated the holidays since I’d left Sicily, but decking the halls with Dante could be fun.

I must not have been fully conscious, because I slipped into one hell of a daydream. A day dream of Dante in red silk boxers and a Santa hat reaching up to hang ornaments on the top branches. Muscles straining, the deep V from his hips to his—

“Ground control to Julia?” The real, fully-clothed and hatless Dante handed me the coffee. “Drink. It’ll help with the game-hangover.”

“Thanks.” I took a sip but doubted a caffeine infusion would cure what ailed me. “Is the tree downstairs? I’m pretty good at decorating.”

“I bought it for Leo.” He turned to the cupboard, but not before I caught his frown. It wasn’t his typicalwhy-are-you-arguing-with-mesort of frown. This seemed more distant, as if the memory of a lost loved-one had crossed his mind.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” He waved as if to physically change the subject. “What time is your friend dropping off your bag?”

“I’m not sure.” I walked back to the couch and checked my phone. It struck me as odd that Iris hadn’t reached out. The woman was one of those annoying morning people. “Nothing yet. Let me send her a text.”

Dante didn’t reply. In fact, he hadn’t moved a muscle since I’d walked away. He stood there staring at the cabinet door.

What’s going on with him?“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“No. I’m decidedly not all right.” His words came out in a hushed growl as if keeping the volume down had taken the last of his patience.

My chest tightened. Had he gone to my apartment? No, that wasn’t possible. I’d used a fake address on my application. Then what? Had he somehow figured out who I was? Was it his father’s health? Marco? Had Tommaso made an attempt on one of his brothers’ lives?

Dante set a plate in front of me and narrowed his eyes. “We’re good, right? You and me? We’refriends?”

I could hardly breathe. “Yes. Of course. What’s wrong?”

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but sighed and waved his hand. “Family crap.”

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