An instant scowl appears on his wife’s face, and I pay more attention. “Do I have to?”
“Be nice, Di. You know she doesn’t have many friends here.”
“I wonder why that is,” she murmurs in a nasty tone under her breath.
“Invite her.” Vitto levels his wife with a stern look. “And be nice. If you welcome her into your circle, the other wives will too.”
“Why do you even care?” She folds her arms across her chest and glares at her husband.
Some silent communication passes between them I can’t read. “She’s my underboss’s wife, and she doesn’t get out much. Would it really kill you to invite her occasionally?” he says a few beats later, and I can’t help thinking that’s for my benefit.
“She doesn’t fit in, Vitto, and the others don’t like her. You don’t need me to spell out why.”
“That’s enough, Diana,” he snaps, unfurling to his full height until he’s towering over his much shorter spouse. “I don’t like giving you orders, but it’s necessary. You will invite her, and youwillinclude her.” The “or else” part is left off, which is a shame as I’d love to know what he’ll do to her if she doesn’t play ball. And why he seems so invested in Valentina. Knots twist in my gut at the thought he might be sleeping with her.Is this why Diana is so hostile and resistant?
I don’t know Valentina, but something tells me she would hate that Vitto is going to bat for her like this. Especially if sheisfucking her husband’s boss. I doubt she wants to spend time with Diana either. They seem like oil and water.
“Fine.”
“Good girl.” Vitto grabs his wife and plants a hard kiss on her lips before swatting her on the ass.
She stalks off with a face like thunder.
Vitto reclaims his seat, cocking his head and expecting me to ask. But I’m not going there with him.
“Right.” I lean forward, pulling the paper toward us. “Where were we?”
4
VALENTINA
Staring out the window, I block the inane chatter surrounding me wishing genies were real and I had three wishes. Though I’d only need one to free myself from this hell that is my so-called life. We’ve been here hours, and I swear I’ve lost a few brain cells listening to these women. We have nothing in common, and I know they don’t want me here. They’re being forced to accept my company because I’m Dom’s wife.
“Oh, look,” Diana says, pointing one long slim finger at the window. “There’s Fiero.” We all swivel to watch the glorious specimen that is Fiero Maltese as he jogs along the boardwalk in the tiniest pair of training shorts I’ve ever seen. Sweat glistens on his bare chest, and my previous assumption wasn’t wrong.
I could easily eat my dinner off his six-pack.
Damn. There is no point denying it. He’s sex on legs, and I’m so screwed next weekend.
“He’s so fucking hot.” Darlene’s dreamy tone matches the nauseating expression on her face.
“If I got my hands on him, I’d handcuff him to my bed and ride him to death,” Kim announces to a chorus of giggles.
“I want to run my fingers through that gorgeous hair and drag my nails down his back as he pumps me full of his cum,” Beth adds with drool clinging to the corners of her oversized lips.
“I bet his dick is huge.” Kim fans herself as Fiero moves out of our line of sight.
“I bet he more than knows what to do with it too,” Vanna says before slurping the dregs of her cocktail through a straw.
I agree, which is one of the reasons I’m so screwed.
“He’s finding more and more excuses to drop by our house.” Diana preens like a peacock. “He’s constantly eye-fucking me, and it’s only a matter of time before I give in to him.”
A laugh bursts from my lips before I can stop it.Does she honestly believe any of us buy that bullshit?Everyone at our table turns to look at me with expressions ranging from shock to disbelief to disgust. To hell with their judgment. I’m only thinking what they’re all thinking, but none of them will ever have the balls to say. They suck up to Diana like she’s royalty and it irritates me to no end.
“Finally have something to say,Tina?” Diana’s cutting glare drills into me, but I’m used to fending these kinds of looks from her. She isn’t subtle in her dislike of me, and the feeling is mutual.
Time to end these forced lunches once and for all. “If it was true he wanted you, you’d be throwing yourself at him the first chance you got.”
