“All right, all right,” I said. “I think you’re going to be seeing her around. That’s all I’ll say.”
She was quiet over the line, probably hiding her tears or muffling the phone as she jumped up and down with Aunt Chiara, who pretended not to be there. I was pretty sure that’s exactly what happened, because when she spoke again, she was so deadly calm. “Oh, that’s great.”
“Oh, that’s great?” I teased. “All you’ve got to say?”
“I just don’t want to pry.”
“This whole phone call is a pry,” I said with a laugh. “But you know what, it’s fine.”
Her voice suddenly changed, and then it was Aunt Chiara on the phone. “Con, we love her. We love her hair—”
My mom was in the background now. “Give me back the phone. That’s my son.”
“She’s so beautiful, Con. Like a mermaid.”
I chuckled. “If you put the phone on speaker, I can talk to you both, you know.”
“Speaker?” my mom asked in the background. “Ugh, I can’t remember.”
“Right on the screen.” She refused to keep up with technology. She’d had a rotary phone for the longest time before I forced her to get a cell phone. No matter how many times I taught her how to use it, it always baffled her. “Just hit the button.”
“Let me try it,” Aunt Chiara said.
They fought back and forth.
I stopped outside my bedroom door.
“Give it back—”
Click.
“Well, so much for that.” I put the phone in my pocket, then opened the enormous golden door that led to my bedroom, a door that cost fifty thousand euros, completely bulletproof and impenetrable—and stunning.
My wing of the house had a private bedchamber with its own dining room and living room, basically a luxury apartment within the villa. And the second I opened the door, I heard Medusa jump off the bed and sprint across the room toward me with the speed of a jet.
I took a knee right when she crashed into me. I let her knock me over as I laughed. “That’s my girl.” She licked my face as she moved over me, her paws on my chest, looking down at me with those brown eyes that always made me a sucker. I gave her a good rubdown behind the ears before I pulled her into a bear hug. She let me hold her for a second before she was anxious to break free.
I got back to my feet, grabbed a tennis ball from the floor, and chucked it across the large room, watching her sprint after it. She was quick like a racehorse, grabbing the ball and running straight back to me like she was in training.
I played with her for a while because I hadn’t seen her all day. My butler took care of her walks and made all of her meals from scratch, so she was well taken care of. She hung out with the security guys during the day so she would feel like part of the team. But like everyone else at this time of day, she got a little tired and retreated to my room for some peace and quiet.
I sat on the couch, and she immediately jumped with me, cuddling into my side and resting her chin on my thigh, her eyes glancing up at me every few seconds. I gave her a pat before I rested my arm on her back.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out, hoping it wasn’t Rocco or more bullshit for me to handle for the day. I hoped it was one person, the person I always hoped to hear from, the one who made me smile in a way I hadn’t since I was a boy.
Hey.It was her.
The woman who was falling in love with me.
Looks like I wasn’t the only sucker in this relationship.Hey, sweetheart.
Can I take you to dinner?
Damn, she really was into me.No. But I’m happy to take you out.
So you’re one ofThoseguys ...
Yep. I’ll be there in an hour. And let’s stay at my place tonight.
