Page 52 of Seasons of Sin

“She certainly loved you then,” Rocco amended, and Thaddeus’s heart groaned.

“Well, which is it? Is she over me or not?”

“Hard to tell, and I’m not sure you care.”

Thaddeus tapped his fingers along the top of his desk. “I care,” he conceded finally. “I was … harder on her than I needed to be, in the end.”

“She’s living in Rome.”

Thaddeus frowned. “Why?”

“For work.”

What could he say? What should he do? “She’s just someone I used to know, Rocco. Why are you telling me this?”

Rocco shrugged. “I got the feeling it was more serious between the two of you.”

“No,” Thaddeus intoned flatly. “It was just sex.”

He disconnected the call angrily and stood from his desk. He needed to work, but all he could think about was Saphire. Beautiful, cheating, sexy, sweet, dangerous Saphire.

CHAPTER 11

“His name is Thaddeus Konstanides and he’s drop dead gorgeous,” Melania husked, reaching for her water.

Saphire stared at her notepad, little stars dancing in her eyes. “And?” She murmured, her skin flushed with tiny goosebumps.

“And,” Melania coughed once more. “He wants to talk about coming on-board as a corporate travel sponsor of our events. He’d arrange flights for dignitaries, accommodation in his chain of hotels, that kind of thing.”

The whole entire world was swimming.

It couldn’t, surely, be a coincidence. So what did it mean?

“Would you like me to reschedule him until you feel better?” She asked hopefully without meeting Melania’s eyes.

“No!” She shook her head. “Lord, no. I need you to meet him. I can’t possibly. Not like this.” As if to prove her point she coughed again, this time having to pause midway through to blow her nose. “And we don’t want him to get away.”

“No,” Saphire agreed, her fingers fidgeting with her notebook.I used to love him.The words hovered on her tongue but there was no way she’d confess to the fact. After all, Mel wastrusting her with an important opportunity for the organization and Saphire didn’t want to stuff it up.

“I’ll call him,” she said, her heart dropping. “I’ll arrange everything.”

“Remember,” Mel said, leaning forward, “they can always be squeezed for more. Don’t let him go without getting everything you possibly can from him.”

Saphire lifted her fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. Her smile was grim. Everything she wanted from Thaddeus? Not blooming likely.

“Friday night went well,” Melania said as an afterthought. “That’s our biggest amount ever.”

“Yeah.” Saphire’s eyes widened as she recalled what she’d been meaning to mention to her boss. “Kate did great. Someone bid a huge amount on her.”

“Oh?”

Saphire scanned the figures on her page. “Two hundred thousand euro. It caused quite a stir on the night.”

Melania let out a low whistle. “For Kate?” She laughed. “Well, the girl can type like the wind, I suppose,” she coughed again. “Who bid on her?”

Saphire scanned the page again. “A Benedetto Arnaud. Do you know him?”

Melania was very still for a moment and then she nodded slowly. “Well, well. That is … interesting.” With a blink to clear her thoughts, she brought her focus back onto the situation at hand. “Make this happen, Saff. I’m counting on you.”