Page 52 of Sin and Seduction

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I was too exhausted with both the designer and Javier helping with my restaurant plan that I didn’t have enough energy to cook dinner. Javier made one of his best dishes, and everyone ate in their offices while Gabriela and I ate in the pool hall. She retired to bed, and I did the same, climbing the stairs with heavy legs as I made my way to my bedroom. I run a bubble bath and sigh as I melt into the bubbles. The designer was extremely helpful, and we hired agents to come in and decorate the house this week. Everything should be done by Friday, and it’s taken so much stress off my mind getting that done that I was able to tweak my restaurant plan with Javier while Gabriela napped. After graduation, we are going to look at buildings on the coast to lease and hire contractors to begin with construction.

The kitchen we have in mind is going to be amazing. I’m worried that I’ll want to live there more than I will here. It will be a larger building, but not quite as upscale as Javi has been used to working in. I want this place to feel like home but also serve both amazing and elegant dishes. I told him about my future plans to offer cooking classes to local teens, and he said it was such an amazing idea that he would love to assist with that as well.

Having many of these people in my life is a blessing, but Javier is a partner that I cannot wait to start this journey with. I can tell we are going to accomplish great things together. I can also learn a lot from him, which is something I honor greatly. I miss those bonding moments I had in Michele’s kitchen growing up. So much that I even thought about naming a second restaurant after her if I grew my business enough.

I start to wash my body when Dante comes in and looks at me with tired but lust-filled eyes.

“Finally,” he says, and he begins undressing before stepping into the tub with me and pulling me into his arms.

I bring the washcloth up his chest and begin massaging the bubbles into his skin, loving his groan and the way it vibrates down to my core. He closes his eyes and allows me to wash him before grabbing my hand and kissing each of my fingers one by one. I rest my head against him and sigh, breathing in the moment of our final bit of peace and privacy.

“How’d it go with James? Did Sergio take him home?” I ask, and he opens his eyes, staring at me with an anxious expression.

I sit back away from him in the tub and frown. I’m not going to like this.

“What is it?” I ask, and he sighs, rubbing his face and sitting up to look at me.

“James agreed to the deal. He has a lot of intel on Flores, and with his help and Paolo’s men, we can initiate an ambush as soon as a week or two.”

“Well, that’s great news!” I say, smiling and moving back toward him to rub circles around his chest with my fingers.

He stops my hand and stares at me with that same anxious expression.

“There’s something else…” he says, and I tense.

“Tell me now,” I say, and he sighs again.

“James doesn’t have a place here in San Francisco, and the only way he was going to agree to the deal was if he could stay here in the west wing.”

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

“That’s bullshit! He’s only doing this because he wants Gabriela, and she doesn’t need his stress, not after last night!” I’m so pissed off that I can’t even sit in here with him anymore.

I get out of the tub in haste and throw on a bathrobe. Dante gets up and wraps a towel around his waist, trying to stop me.

“You don’t think I know that? I had no choice!” he shouts, and I shake my head at him with a sneer on my face before I walk away and into the bedroom.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he shouts, and I flip him off.

“Don’t worry about it. Just like you didn’t worry about consulting us before you made that deal with him downstairs,” I say, and he scoffs.

“What did you want me to do? Tell him no, and then we still have Flores as a threat on our hands?” he asks, and I roll my eyes.

“She’s six weeks pregnant, Dante! The first trimester is the most crucial. His presence and stress can cost her the baby! Does that not matter to you?” I say before walking to the balcony door.

“What matters to me is my family’s safety, Esmeralda! I will do whatever it takes to ensure that. Does that not matter to you? My pure devotion and protection that I will die to give you?” he shouts at me, and it hurts.

I feel like an asshole, but I’m also pissed because he’s an asshole. I wipe the angry tear that falls and open the balcony doors and step outside. The night air is warm, and as I place my hand on the railing, I close my eyes and breathe deep, trying to find peace and calm my sudden emotions.

Dante comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me, spinning me slowly so that he can hold my face in his hands.

“Look at me, baby,” he says, and I open my eyes and gaze at his earnest and amber orbs.

“I don’t like this either. I fucking hate it and have to watch him like a hawk until the job’s done, but make no mistake, the job will be done, and we will move forward. Safely and happily. I want to give you the world, Emmie. I can’t do that with the enemy still around,” he says, and I sigh before resting my forehead on his chest.

“I know, I know. I just worry about your sister and the baby. I can’t allow anything to happen to them,” I say, and he tips my chin up to rub his nose against mine.

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