“You’re beet red.”
“Am I?”
“Why don’t you go lay down for a second? Emilio, make sure to make that call we talked about.” Luca was dismissing us.
“Will do,” Emilio replied.
As we headed toward the door, I stopped short to avoid colliding with Emilio, who reached for the door to open it. I just wanted to get out of here, but Emilio walked beside me as I made my way to my office.
“You didn’t tell Luca?” I asked, avoiding contact as I looked straight ahead.
“Of course not. You’d be locked in the basement til someone found your corpse.”
I tried to laugh, but the truth wasn’t funny. “Did you need something from me?”
“Wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re okay.”
“On me?” I question. “Usually, that’s Alfie’s job.”
“Last time we saw each other, I was close to fucking your brains out on my car. Just want to make sure there were no mixed or conflicting thoughts.”
I was stunned that he said it as loudly as he did in an open area. “What conflicting thoughts could I possibly have?” My body temperate rose to the point of making me actually sweat.
Sensing I was uncomfortable, Emilio chuckled, “Relax.”
I blurt out, “I am relaxed.”
“I can tell.”
A tight smile crosses my face, “What happened was inappropriate. I was out of line.”
“I agree. I would have liked to be taken out to dinner first. I’m not that kind of man, you know.”
Not wanting to appear as though I couldn’t handle a joke, I had to play something back. “You strike me as someone who puts out on a first date. Figured I’d skip the dinner part.”
“No hard feelings?”
“No,” I reply.
“Good.” A smirk crossed his face. He winked and went on his way.
I inhale the last bit of his scent before he walks off. Hard feelings? It’s more like sexual desires. I wish I had the guts to cross that line with Emilio without remorse, but I knew that wasn’t possible. Not having him, I was hoping wouldn’t become an obsession. To think I’d be able to get Emilio Pugliese was laughable. What could Emilio, the infamous Consigliere of Chicago’s mob boss, possible have to offer anyway? The imaginative thoughts I had of him became so vivid in my mind. It shook me to the core.
Chapter 9
My distraction was getting our staff ready for Aria’s arrival. It was a big deal for a few reasons. Not everyone on staff in the office was entangled in my brother’s illegitimate affairs, but there were enough to know this project was big, and it took a lot of pulled strings to get approvals and permits. Some were on edge about having Aria around, and I was curious to meet the woman who finally had everyone by the balls.
She was set to arrive today but would start working on Monday. Luca had her stay at his hotel, the Lagos. The hotel had a penthouse that was Luca’s second home, usually where he would take women for the night. My brother never let a woman into his home other than his family. I wasn’t expecting Aria to be placed in the penthouse, but it made sense since it was heavily surveilled.
On my way out, Luca calls me.
“Have plans tonight?”
“If I did, I’m sure you are calling to tell me to cancel them.”
“Good. We are going out tonight.”
“We?” I asked. “As in you and I?”
