Page 78 of Immoral

She pauses and tilts her head when we get inside the kitchen. "You all right?"

I count to forty, staring into her blue eyes.

"Gianni, tell me what's wrong."

I slide my palm over her ass and tug her closer. Her floral perfume flares in my nostrils. Against my initial thoughts to not bring up any incident from this past week, I can't help myself and admit, "You could have died."

"I didn't. And you could have, too."

"If I lost you—"

"Shh." She puts her fingers over my lips. "It's okay. I'm okay."

"Nothing that's happened to you over the last week is okay," I blurt out.

She turns her head and closes her eyes.

Anxiety fills my chest. I move her chin so she can't avoid me. "You've been through a lot. Do you want to talk to someone? Dante found Bridget a great therapist. Maybe you should see her?"

Cara opens her mouth then shuts it. She shakes her head. "I'm fine, Gianni. Just sort out my security so I can run my business. I'm not missing Fashion Week after working so hard all these years."

I wrap my arms around her and slide my fingers through her hair. "I will."

"Promise me."

I nod. "You have my word."

She takes a deep breath and smiles. "Thank you. Now, what can we eat? I don't know why, but I'm famished."

I chuckle. "The chef can make you whatever you want."

She rolls her eyes, but her smile grows. She teases, "Of course he can. And he would be the Michelin chef, correct?"

Arrogance fills me. "Only the best for you, Mrs. Marino."

She laughs. "Well, if I'm Mrs. Marino now, I guess I should get the perks."

I lean into her ear, swiping my tongue on her lobe. "After your snack, why don't I show you the real perks?"

18

Cara

Two Weeks Later

Arianna beams."I thought a fresh juice and smoothie bar would be a nice touch."

"Yes! That's perfect," I agree.

"Great. There's a new company I already spoke with, and they're so excited to be part of Fashion Week, they agreed to discount their fee."

"Wow! That's even better."

"All that role-playing has come in handy," Killian boasts, wiggling his eyebrows and walking into Gianni's office.

Amused, I ask, "Role-play?"

Red creeps into Arianna's cheeks. "Killian thought my negotiation skills needed work."

---