Page 27 of Seasons of Sin

Rocco shook his head. “That idiot accountant of mine has misplaced half a million euro.”

Thad’s laugh was unexpected. “You were supposed to fire him.”

“He’s the friend of a friend.” The admission was said with an accompanying roll of the eyes.

“He’s Marissa’s friend,” Thad corrected. “And that’s the only reason you haven’t fired him. You do not suffer fools, and he is undoubtedly just that.”

Rocco waved a hand in the air dismissively “It will turn up. He has no doubt just forgotten which account he deposited it into.”

Platters of food began to arrive, and while they ate, Rocco and Thaddeus chatted and Saphire reclined a little, inviting the sun to warm her skin and the food fill her stomach. Thad’svoice was like liquid lava on her veins. She let it run over her, relaxing her, soothing her, until she couldn’t help but believe that somehow, everything would work out.

Rocco, while appearing intent on a light-hearted discussion with his friend, kept a large part of his focus on the beautiful English woman. There was no doubting her appeal – Thad hadn’t exaggerated her physical charms – but she was also duplicitous. The way she pawed Thad’s hand the whole time they sat left him in little doubt she had her own agenda, and fooling his friend was at the heart of it.

When Saphire stifled a yawn and then straightened Thad turned to her immediately. His eyes were so full of concern that something snapped inside of Rocco. The image of his friend, vulnerable and grieving the loss of Aristotle, being taken in by a woman such as this was too much to bear. He’d come to the island to protect Thad’s interests, and the time had come to follow through on that.

He transferred his gaze to her pointedly, wondering if she knew the hammer was about to drop.

“Arana is an interesting name, Saphire. Is it Italian?”

Her eyes flew to his. She was instantly wary. “Spanish.”

Rocco’s gaze clung to her. He enjoyed the way mottled pink marred her perfect ivory skin. “You don’t look Spanish.”

“I’m not.” Her smile was tight. Her eyes were starting to sting; blood was gushing through her body.

“What are you getting at, Rocco?” Thad asked with silky warning, for he knew his friend well enough to know when he was hedging around a point.

“Would you like to tell him? Or shall I?” Rocco’s eyes didn’t leave Saphire’s face. She was as white as a sheet suddenly, and Thad felt a bolt of antipathy towards a man he had always loved as a brother.

“Tell me what?” Thad demanded in a tone his enemies knew to fear.

Saphire felt like the whole world had lost its gravity. She was weak and hot and cold and exhausted. “Please don’t.”

“Someone tell me what the hell is going on,” Thaddeus exclaimed.

Rocco knew that the words would bring his friend some pain. But temporary pain was better than letting the likes of Saphire Arana run all over a man who usually exhibited far better judgment.

“Your lover is married. Saphire Arana is, in fact, Mrs Jordan Arana of Notting Hill, London.”

CHAPTER 7

“Ican explain,” she said, but the words were hollow even to her own ears.

Thad turned to Rocco, trying not to focus on Saphire at all. He wasn’t sure he could trust himself to speak to her until his temper returned to earth. “What are you talking about?”

“I had her checked out,” Rocco said, as though it were of little importance.

“You had me investigated?” Her look was one of abject horror. “What the hell?” She pushed up from the table, shaking now from rage. It was a welcome relief from embarrassment and guilt. “Who the hell are you to think you haveanyright to meddle in my life like that?”

Rocco’s tone was impatient. “I have no care for your life. But as for my friend …”

“You don’t think he’s a big enough boy to take care of himself?”

“Apparently not,” Rocco responded harshly. “Or he would know better than to get mixed up with a woman like you.”

Thaddeus held a hand up to silence Rocco. Slowly, he turned to face Saphire. “Is it true?”

Guilt was back, bouncing through her like a fast-paced ball. “I’m not going to talk about it in front of him.”