Curious about what this could be, while simultaneously praying it’s not a parcel bomb, I tear off the brown paper. Inside, there’s a note resting on a black box.
A gift for you to help keep those men of yours in line. Use judiciously! lol Thea xxx
She and I have been messaging. She added me to a group chat with her sister, Verity, and her best friend, Eden. They’re all hilarious. Thea has a very dark sense of humor, while Eden’s is pure filth. Verity seems way more innocent. I promised to visit them once Angelo stops trying to smother me to death.
The man needs to get a grip on his raging paranoia or he’ll end up with a stomach ulcer.
I pull open the box and laugh. Thea has sent me a taser.A fucking taser. Oh my god. I picture myself tasering Kane when he annoys me, and laugh even harder. He’d kill me. Angelo, too.
Still, it’s a useful accessory.
Luka walks in wearing a faded pair of jeans with sneakers and a Henley. He had a lunch meeting with his agent but refused to say what about. From the lightness in his step, he’s had some good news.
He stops dead when he sees me holding a taser. Dominic slides the quiche into the oven, sets the timer, and wisely leaves the room.
“Why do you have a taser, cupcake? Those things are fucking dangerous.”
“It’s a gift from a friend.”
He chokes on a laugh. “Is this friend a psychopath?”
“Not far off,” I chuckle. “Thea Orliov. She and I are now besties.”
“I bet Angelo’s thrilled to know that.” Luka snorts before taking the taser from me and placing it to one side. “I have news,” he said with a grin.
“Ooh, what?” He’s practically fizzing with excitement.
“I’ve won a part on a daytime soap!”
I scream with excitement and throw my arms around him. This is a new career arc for him. He’s desperate to move away from the meaningless bullshit of brand deals and promo events. Acting is something he’s been talking about for a while, but his former agent dismissed the idea. Probably because she knew his income would dip until he found his feet.
The bitch.
“You deserve this, Luka,” I tell him. And I mean it. He’s gorgeous and talented, and I want the world to see how amazing he is.
“Thank you, cupcake.” He presses his mouth to mine, and we kiss. It doesn’t take much for the kiss to deepen, and before long, he cages me in against the counter, his hands exploring beneath my loose tee.
“Hands off my wife,” a voice grumbles. When we break apart, Angelo and Kane are there. Angelo wears a dark suit with a pale gray shirt, his expensive Italian leather shoes so shiny I have to squint to avoid being blinded. The man’s an asshole, but he always looks like he stepped off the cover of a magazine.
Kane’s dressed in his usual attire of black tactical pants and a polo shirt. His hair is cropped short and his beard is neatly trimmed. My core throbs at the memory of his bristly chin rubbing against my clit as he licked me to an orgasm.
There must be something in the water here because I’ve been feral this last week.
“I’m congratulating him on his new role on a daytime soap.” To make the point that Angelo can go fuck himself if he expects me to keep my hands off his sexy half brother, I pull Luka down for another heated kiss.
Angelo grumbles some more before muttering something congratulatory.
“I need coffee,” he gripes. “Chiara?”
He switches the coffee machine on and a few minutes later, the scent of coffee drifts my way. I usually love coffee; it’s the only thing that gets me moving in the morning.
But not today.
My stomach revolts at the smell. I shove Luka back and swallow hard. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“You okay, peaches?”
“No.” I gag some more and then, realizing what’s about to happen, run toward the nearest bathroom. Five minutes later, Angelo hammers on the door.
