Two opposing mob families are hardly buddies.
“Right.” She smiles now, and I can admit, my stomach clenches in response. Yes, Nadia is breathtaking.
Fucking her won’t be a hardship.
“I’m quite sure I can change my plans. What did you have in mind?”
“Something simple. Quiet so I can talk with you. Catch up. Meet me in the lobby at seven?”
“I’ll be there.”
I stand to leave, but before I can, her quiet voice calls me back.
“You look better than I remember,” she says with a half-smile as her eyes travel down my torso to my swim-trunks-covered dick and back up again. “You grew up well.”
“I could say the same for you.” I nod and turn to leave, then toss over my shoulder, “Don’t be late.”
* * *
She strides into the lobby at three minutes after seven, wearing a long, black gown with a dip in front that falls almost to her navel, displaying her cleavage. She’s in shimmering silver shoes and carries a small clutch in her hand.
I don’t doubt that she has a small pistol strapped to her inner thigh.
“You’re late.” I lean in to kiss her cheek.
“Am I?” She smiles coolly. “Well, I never was good at taking orders. I’m starved.”
“Excellent. We’re staying here for dinner.”
I lead her into the hotel’s steakhouse. The hostess shows us to our table, discreetly located in a quiet corner of the restaurant so we can be alone.
Once the wine has been poured and our appetizers and entrées ordered, Nadia sits back and studies me over the candles on the table set for two. She swirls the wine in her glass. Her mind is clearly whirling.
“What is it?” I ask her.
“How did you know I was here?” She doesn’t miss a beat, and she’s not coy.
Nadia is a clever woman.
I don’t falter as I set my wine glass on the table. “I didn’t. It was a happy coincidence.”
“Bullshit.”
I quirk a brow. “I’m a lot of things, Nadia, but I’m not a liar.”
She sneers into her wine glass. “Right. The Martinellis are known for being upstanding citizens.”
I laugh and then shrug as if to say: “What can you do?”
“I’m not here on behalf of the family. I’m here for some peace and quiet. And I ran into a beautiful woman that I happen to admire and find appealing. It’s really that simple.”
“Handsome and charming,” she murmurs. “What a lovely surprise, indeed.”
Dinner is lively. We talk about people we both know. We flirt and laugh. And we both drink a little too much wine.
So much that two hours later, once we’ve consumed the food, and I’ve paid the hefty check, I don’t bother asking her where her room is. I simply take her up to mine.
“Are you planning to seduce me, Carmine?”
“Yes.” The answer is simple. And it might be the first truth I’ve spoken since I saw her at the pool.
“Excellent.”
* * *
“Where are you going?” I catch Nadia’s hand in mine and tug her onto my lap as she walks past me to the balcony.
“I need to make a call.” Her voice is smooth as silk as she leans in and presses her lips to mine. She takes it further than just a peck, and just when I’m about to grab hold of her and tumble her onto the bed, she pulls away. Wearing nothing but the hotel robe, she saunters through the open glass door to the balcony beyond.
We moved from Miami to St. Petersburg last week. I rented a sexy little car, and we road-tripped across the state and up the west coast of Florida with the top down, enjoying each other’s company and the views.
Now, we’re checked into the Don Cesar resort, settled in another top-floor suite with magnificent views and top-notch service.
I watch Nadia pace the patio for several moments, her phone pressed to her ear, and then decide to get in a quick shower. We might actually leave the hotel today and do something besides each other.
I’ve spent the past two weeks with her, and I know our time together is running short. Aside from every inch of her delectable little body, I haven’t learned anything about her family’s secrets. She’s a tight-lipped woman.
It’s frustrating as fuck.
And, I can admit with reluctance, admirable.
I just finish washing my hair and turn off the water when she opens the bathroom door and grins when I step out of the glassed-in stall.
“Did your call go well?”
“Not exactly.” The smile falls from her face, and her lips turn into a pout.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, exactly. I just won’t be able to go home tomorrow as I originally planned. It looks like I need to book a room at the Ritz in Paris.”
I dry my legs and wrap the towel around my hips. “Why Paris?”
“Paris is always a good idea, Carmine.” She laughs and boosts herself up onto the countertop. “My house is being remodeled, and it won’t be ready for at least six more months. So, I’ll be living out of hotels for a while. And why not do that in my favorite city in the world? I’ll shop and take in some culture.”