He gives me a genuine smile. “That is good news. What is your field?”
“Cancer research, the genetic predisposition in particular.”
Sadness flickers over his expression for a moment. “My ma died of breast cancer.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, and I was. Seeing the bewilderment, the anguish on the faces of the families I’d interviewed for my thesis who’d lost people was always heartbreaking. “Hopefully, research can develop to a point soon that you won’t lose anyone else.”
He smiles gently. “I hope you’re right, Mrs. Toscano.”
When he leaves, my smile faded. I don’t want to get to know these men. I don’t want to get involved, to care about them. As soon as Dario takes what he wants from my father, I’m gone again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
In which there are old friends and new temptations.
Cora…
The night of the grand opening of Deconstructed…
Whatdoessomeone wear to the grand opening of a nightclub slash sex club? Was Dario going to take me into the sex club part? I don’t think I want to see it, but there’s part of me that’s churning with an uncomfortable sense of anticipation. I remember that night when we were there alone, how he tormented me with that vibrator and made me watch it all in the mirror.
I had never come that hard before.
“There you are…” my husband purrs like a panther, all sleek and satisfied as he kisses the top of my head. I finish my ‘night face’ makeup - red lips and darkly shadowed eyes - as he watches, and it’s oddly intimate.
“You look amazing. Of course,” I said, watching his reflection in the mirror. Dario is wearing a black suit I’ve never seen before, it’s gorgeous and fits his broad shoulders perfectly. A white dress shirt. An amber tie, the shade of his eyes.
“Trust meBellissima, you’ll be the one everyone’s staring at tonight.” He hangs a black dress on the rod next to me.
“Is that a dress or a handkerchief?” I said in alarm. The front wasn’t bad, but the back of the dress stopped barely above the dimples above my rear. It was a sleek, shiny material that looked very insubstantial.
“I want to show you off, my bride, but not too much of you,” he said, stroking my neck lightly. “I don’t want to have to kill anyone tonight for hitting on you.”
“I’m pretty sure your phalanx of bodyguards will discourage that,” I laughed.
“You’ll be with me most of the night,” he promised. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh?” My mascara wand halted. Dario’s surprises usually involved getting me naked and I didn’t think we had the time for that.
“You’ll see,” he said with a curious little smile. “Why don’t you get dressed and meet me by the elevator?”
Putting on that dress took some fairly acrobatic movement, though my flexibility after weeks of sex with Dario was better than my years of yoga lessons. Looking behind me, I try to pull down the skirt over my ass. The fabric is clinging to me like a cobra trying to devour a sheep. It is bad enough that I can’t wear a bra with this dress, and now the only undies that won’t look ridiculous is a silky thong. This will do nothing but give my husband naughty ideas... as if he needs any visual aids to do that.
Dario is waiting for me, but he’s not alone.
“Bitch you have so much explaining to do!”
Kelli throws herself at me and I promptly burst into tears. “Honey, what are you doing here?”
“Your hot as balls husband here flew me in as a surprise!” she says. Leaning back, she tries to dab at my tears before my makeup is ruined. “This is a good surprise, right? These are happy tears? Oh, fuck Dario, are these happy tears?”
“Yes,” I chuckle wetly, “definitely happy tears. Kelli, I am so sorry that-”
“Hey,” she shakes me gently, “we have a grand opening to attend. I have never looked hotter and I’m pretty sure you haven’t either, mate. So, we’re gonna go, get some shots, and dance our arses off. We can talk tomorrow, okay?”
How did I deserve a friend who is still willing to speak to me? After all, I not only ditched her, but she ended up in the clutches of the Toscanofamiglia.Kelli looks great, to my relief, there was definitely some salon time put in today. “Okay,” I whisper, hugging her again. “Thank you for not hating me.”
“Oh, mate. Guilt works so much better on you,” she smiles evilly.
