All that crazy family drama was another part of my chaotic year. Not one goddamn thing had been easy after Isla left me. Despite being absent from my life, she was everywhere. There were personal items of hers in my bedroom. Her talented design skills were woven through every part of my new casino. It was impossible not to think of her.
I was damn proud of how the casino turned out. Had a feeling Isla would be proud too. Prior to her dumping my ass, she’d been involved in the design to help build her portfolio for when she opened her own firm. Hopefully, I could convince her to return to Canada with me, so she could see her beautiful creation.
The casino meant a lot to me. It truly did, yet I ditched it for the woman who meanteverythingto me. Roman could manage the finishing touches in my absence. But I opened his message, regardless, to see what he wanted:Check your email. I need your approval for Ariel and Belle. And catering.
I snorted. Those couldn’t be their real names. We didn’t have a princess show.
And needing my approval on the catering was a lame excuse to text me. My nosy brother just wanted to find out how things were going with Isla.
Before telling Paolo to take me to the hotel, I watched the bistro.
This isn’t over, My-la. Be ready for round two.
An hour later, I was relaxing on the balcony of my suite, willing the brisk ocean air to calm and refresh me. My handswere rolled into fists and my nostrils were flared. I needed time alone to pull myself together before planning my next encounter with Isla.
What I wanted to do was throw her over my shoulder and carry her away. I could’ve forced her to talk, manipulated and threatened her, but I’d sensed an unfamiliar strength and resolve in her. Dominating Isla in a public place, in front of her co-workers, would have been a grave mistake.
My caveman tactics would’ve made matters worse. There was a right and a wrong time to flex my control. My unfailing instincts had forced me to leave the bistro without a fight. I needed to keep reminding myself to be careful with Isla because she meant more to me than anyone else in the world.
After I’d inhaled her into my lungs and touched her, I knew without a doubt we belonged together. The intense connection we had was alive and well, and strangely stronger than ever. I was confident she was single and not married as Roman had suggested.
I blew out a cleansing breath, lifted my wine goblet off the table, and took a drink. Isla and I would talk, catch up on what we’d been doing since we last saw each other, and I would convince her to return to Canada with me so we could start over.
And I would do everything in my power not to screw up my second chance.
Clapping my hands, I went inside to find Paolo.
“Are we leaving again?” he asked, getting to his feet and setting his glass of bourbon down.
“Relax. We’re staying in tonight.”
“We are?” He slowly sat back down on the white sofa and reached for his glass. “You don’t want to talk to Isla?”
“Oh, I most certainly want to talk to Isla, but I thinktomorrow would be better.” I went over to the bar, grabbed a glass, and poured bourbon into it.
“I must admit, I’m surprised to hear this.” Paolo watched me with a cautious glint in his eyes. “I mean, you seemed very determined to bring her back to the suite tonight.”
“Yes, yes. I know.” I waved him off and swallowed the amber liquid. “Sometimes I get ahead of myself.”
“Sometimes?” Paolo snorted. Because he was my cousin, I wouldn’t let his dig bother me.
“I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. And overwhelming Isla isn’t the right way to go about getting her back.”
“Oh, is that what you’re doing now? Getting her back?” He relaxed and sipped his drink.
I bit down on my back molars. Why was Paolo pushing me? Normally, he fell in line without complaint. After all, it was because of my family that he and his mother weren’t living in poverty on the streets. We gave them a respectable home and allowance. For a price, of course. Paolo’s job was to do anything we needed as payment for his father’s debt.
“Do you have a problem with my change of plans?” I narrowed my gaze at him, pinning him in his seat.
“No, sir. I don’t have a problem.” He visibly changed before me, realizing his offense.
“You obviously have an opinion.” I took a few steps in his direction. “Speak your mind.”
“I don’t have an opinion. I apologize for my comment.”
“Well, then…” I sat on the leather club chair across from Paolo and crossed my leg over my knee. “Tonight, I’ll put a plan together to romance Isla back into my life.” Possibly bounce ideas off Paolo, although he knew very little about women.
Paolo’s degree of engagement with the opposite sex was only physical, which was why he paid for sex. His debt to my family was so enormous that having a wife and children would be irresponsible. He couldn’t afford to give them a good life because he had no money of his own.
