Certainly, the post-breakup Angelo they knew would never have smiled that way at any woman, and that same Angelo would not have been the kind to use an endearment.
Julieta looked at Angelo, who was completely focused on Lane. Poor girl. Lucky girl. She wasn’t quite sure which was true, she only knew that Angelo Valencia always got what he wanted...if he really wanted it.
And right now, Julieta had a feeling that Lane was Angelo Valencia’s greatest desire.
Poor girl. Lucky girl.
Angelo was now handing the rest of the bills he had in his hand to the bodyguards.
Julieta frowned. Now what was that for?
Seeing the same thing, Lane was equally confused. Or at least the tiny functioning part of her mind was. The rest had been lost in a mushy, dreamy state since the moment Angelo had called her ‘my Lane’ in front of the entire staff. It had gone a long way in easing her tension, and she was almost able to forget he was an extremely rich man now. Almost.
“This,” she heard Angelo murmur, “is to illustrate a point.” He showed the guards his wallet. “It’s empty, as you see.”
Fico and Umberto nodded warily.
Lane was stunned when Angelo turned to her again. “There’s nothing left,” he drawled.
“I can see that it is.” Did he mean she should pay him back?
“Then...”
“Then?” she asked warily.
“Am I poor enough for you now?”
Oh.
His eyes gleamed. “Am I your fallen angel again?”
Gosh.
It took another moment for the staff to catch on, but when they did, they all laughed and clapped their hands.
“If you want to be poorer, Signor V,” Julieta called out, “I can so help you with that. Just give me your credit card.”
There was more laughter, and Fico and Umberto managed to grin, both of them finally allowing themselves to breathe now that they knew they weren’t in danger of getting fired.
Lane wanted to laugh with them, but right now she had a greater urge to cover her face and cry.
He had known, she thought, and she wanted to cry even more.
He had known she had started feeling afraid of him.
He had known, and it should have turned him off, should have made him think that she was too much trouble.
When he offered her his hand, she didn’t even hesitate, going to him with knees threatening to fold under her. The moment he had her hand in his, he yanked her to him without warning.
She stumbled into him with a gasp, and everyone laughed.
She couldn’t help smiling as well, but then she looked up, saw him smiling down at her, and she got all choked up instead.
“Why?” she whispered.
He raised a brow.
“Y-you could have asked me what was wrong,” she mumbled. “Most would have.”
“Naturally, they would,” he said reasonably. “You didn’t belong to any of them, after all.” He bent his head, his mouth brushing her ear as he said, “You’re my Lane, and so I know what’s best.”
Oh.
Lane didn’t dare blink now. If she did, she knew the tears would never stop. She tried pulling away, but Angelo pulled her closer, and this time he bit her ear.
“Angelo,” she gasped. Had he forgotten the staff?
But her fallen angel only laughed, and oh, it was that laugh, and her heart smashed against her chest at the exquisite sound of it.
His breath fanned her ear as he asked huskily, “Surely you didn’t think I’d let you get away so easily?”
Chapter Ten
“Is it over yet?” Lane asked in a small voice.
Angelo’s movements were of languid grace as he checked his watch. “Ten more minutes, tesoro.”
Her head snapped towards him. “That’s not possible! It must have been—-”
“Are you insinuating that I’m lying? Because I can easily show you the time, but then I’ll have to punish—-”
“I believe you,” she said quickly.
“Good girl.” Angelo leaned back against the chaise. “You can lean back against me, you know.”
“N-no, thanks.” She stayed on his knee, stiff-backed, hands primly clasped in front of her. It was Lane’s punishment, and according to Angelo, she had ten more minutes to go before she could leave his lap.
Ten minutes, she thought and tried not to groan. That felt like forever, with the whole staff working around them, snickering and giggling, and of course that only kept her cheeks red as tomatoes.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”
“Yes.” She nodded obediently.
“Which is not to flirt with the staff,” he finished.
She gasped and protested in a low voice, “I do not flirt with the staff!”
Angelo shrugged.
Her eyes widened. “Are you actually...jealous?”
Not wanting to answer that, Angelo distracted her by placing his hand at the small of her back. She jerked on his lap, and he smiled. He ran his fingers up her spine leisurely and watched with pleasure as her cheeks turned the deepest shade of red.
“Tell me about your day,” he murmured wickedly.
“Umm...” Did he really think it would be easy to think while he was touching her like this, and in full view of the staff? She stole a suspicious look at him and let out a mental groan when she saw the gleam in his silvery gaze.