His Dirty Promises (Dirty Billionaires 2)

“In desperate need of caffeine. Yourself?”

“Already caffeinated. I’ll get you a cup. Espresso?”

“You don’t have to, I can do it.”

“It’s no bother. While I get it going, have you had breakfast?” I don’t bother arguing as I shake my head. “You like your eggs over medium, right?” I nod, not surprised in the least she remembers. “Dante doesn’t have bacon, he prefers pancetta. Okay?”

“Fabulous, although with how thin pancetta is, I think the pancetta cut up and mixed with scrambled eggs sounds yummy.” I sit down at the counter on the side of the living area. Leaning on the warm butcher block, I run my finger over a deep split in the wood. “This place is so different from Cesare’s condo. It’s like a house in the ’burbs. I like it.” I noticed the difference the moment I was inside when I spent a Thanksgiving weekend here, as there was no extra bed in Cesare’s condo and Dante was out of town with the ex-girlfriend. This place is out of a Pottery Barn catalog with the two point four kids and the golden retriever on the carpet.

While it starts with the same foyer and long hallway just like Cesare’s condo, unlike Cesare’s place that opens into a massive living room, kitchen, and dining area that feels cavernous, here the hallway ends with a large library which also contains a piano. To the left are the same rooms of a gym, office, and guest room and the hallway ending with the master bedroom. To the right are the same living room, dining room, and kitchen, but because of the large library it cuts into the open plan and doesn’t feel quite as empty. There is also chair railing, paint on the walls in soft blues and muted reds, and soft, cozy furniture everywhere. The kitchen is farm style with white cabinets and butcher block compared to the heavy dark brown cabinets and marble countertops in Cesare’s place. I prefer Dante’s place over Cesare’s any day.

Claudine nods. “A lot of work went into this place. It was a mirror image of Cesare’s. I started two days after they moved in and a day after the designers were called in. I’ll admit I was surprised by his choices. Enzo shared with me this place looks much like the home they grew up in. Especially this space with the kitchen, dining room and living room all open as one.”

A pang of sadness hits me. “I could never imagine what they went through.” The words slip out of me unheeded.

I look up to find Claudine studying me. Crap, why am I blushing? “I don’t think anyone could. They are strong men, though. They wouldn’t welcome tears for them or a post-mortem on the event.”

“I’m not an idiot, I would never ask him.”

Her smile is kind. “A warning, dear. It’s easy to want to coddle him, with those dimples of his and his big brown eyes he uses without any repentance. He wraps a woman around his little finger without breaking a sweat. The only problem is, as soon as he’s done it, he gets bored. I think, like Cesare, he needs someone with a spine who doesn’t let him get away with anything, but a soft heart to accept his failings of which he’s sure he has none, only the things he thinks are not ar

e the most trying.”

“Like what?”

“The tendency they all have to be overprotective, old-fashioned thoughts on a woman’s and a man’s role in a relationship, and the most annoying of all, the way he uses money to paper over problems.”

“Hmm, he’s a lot like Cesare.”

“Very much so, yes.”

I consider her words as I eat and sip the heavenly espresso. When I try to clean up after myself, I get a gentle push out of the kitchen. “Okay, fine. Thank you for breakfast and my yummy espresso. I need your help for something else. I ruined Dante’s suit yesterday. Now I need to replace it. Would you please order one and when it’s ready let me know so I can pick it up and pay for it?”

“You ruined his suit? How?”

“I, um, threw my coffee at him after he yelled at me.” Her eyes go wide. “He scared the crap out of me. I don’t regret it, he deserved it. He admitted as much when I offered to replace it and he turned me down. But I pay my bills so I want to pay for a new one.”

Claudine laughs. “Let me go take a look at the suit, you’d be surprised at the miracles his cleaner can do.”

Staying put isn’t easy, I really want to go into Dante’s room. Only I don’t trust myself to act normal in front of Claudine when all I want to do is climb into his bed. I might have climbed onto his huge-ass bed when I stayed here at Thanksgiving. I might have inhaled and fallen in love with the scent of grass, and rain, and leather, and something else I couldn’t define.

“Oh my goodness, yes, the suit is a goner. I’ll order one today. A suit can take anywhere from three days to a week. Would you like me to order a new shirt as well? Those are quicker for them to make and only take a day, sometimes two.”

“His shirt is handmade to fit as well?” The idea boggles my tiny plebian mind.

“Yes, as well as his jeans and shoes. I do buy him off the rack for his polos and khakis though.”

“Wow, just wow. Yes, please on the shirt too. Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“No problem at all, dear.”

With a last goodbye I go back to my own space as I wonder what I’m going to do with myself for the day.

***

Dante

My phone goes off with a text. It’s Enzo.