The King (Gentlemen Rogues 2)

I blinked slowly, fighting against the urge to say you can't change a person, because that's what Saff would say. But here, I wasn't Saff. I was Saffron. “I mean, that's what love can do for you, right?"

“You guys are such a sexy couple. It's just so delicious watching you together."

I frowned at that, unsure of where she was going, but I let it go. In my com, I could hear Lock's choked laughter and then he muttered, “I told you I was sexy.”

I resisted, just barely, the urge to roll my eyes.

“I mean, you two are young. I feel like getting married young means that you're a little wilder and a little more open to everything, you know?"

I had no idea where this was going. Graciella still had her arm wrapped around my waist. What was shedoing?

Her hand stroked my hip, and I frowned at the contact because I wasn't usually comfortable being touched by someone. "Um, yeah, you know, Lock always does push me to think outside my comfort zone."

“I love to hear that because Massimo has me doing the same."

"Oh, really? Like what?"

I kept the conversation going the best I could, because at the end of the day, she was giving me yet another place I could bug. We reached the edge of the balcony and I gently slipped my finger into my clutch, palming the little keys that held the listening devices. “I mean, you're young too. And God, you're a movie star."

"Only in Spain. I haven't really broken into the international market yet, but I’m working on it."

"That's honestly impressive. I'm still trying to figure it out. I work at King Media for Lachlan’s family."

"Right, King Media. Let me guess, you're in marketing or something where the cute girls hang out?"

I ground my teeth together. “You guessed it."

"Ah yes, young and impressionable. I could see the appeal."

“I don't understand."

“You know, powerful men do love a young and impressionable woman around."

“I suppose so." Where the hell was this going?

Lock's voice was in my com. “Incoming."

"There you are, Graciella. And our guest of honor. I was just talking to your husband, reminiscing about our days at Eton and some of what we used to get up to."

"Oh, you know, he doesn't really talk about his school days much."

"I wouldn't imagine he would. You know, he was a bad boy then."

I shuddered at the way he said it. “I'm sure he was."

“Graciella, why don't you be a dear? I left my drink."

I knew I didn’t want to be left alone with him. "Oh, I’ll get it. I want to check on Lock anyway."

Massimo wrapped his arm around my waist where Graciella’s had been. "No, you stay. I want to get to know you better."

I swallowed hard. This was not good.

When Graciella was gone, he turned his attention to me. "She's beautiful, yes?"

“Graciella? Yes, but of course she is."

“You know, before she was an actress, she was a model. And she was a muse at Valentino."