“My friend doesn’t seem interested in talking to you,” Erik said with a defiant tilt to his chin.
“She’s not your fucking friend. You just met her.”
“Do I need to call security?”
“Do that, and I’ll break each one of your fingers before I break your neck.”
Erik’s hands fell away from my waist.
For God’s sake.“Excuse his twisted sense of humor, Erik. He doesn’t get out much.”
“She’s the only one who knows how to handle me.” Romolo’s tone was infuriatingly smug. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, your presence is no longer required. Leave.”
Erik glanced at me, clearly unsure what he should do.
I gave him a terse nod. I didn’t want to cause a scene and draw attention to myself. “It’s okay.”
Erik stepped away, and Romolo wasted no time. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. Warm fingers brushed against the bare skin of my upper back, lightly nudging the clasp of my necklace.
“Fifty carats look good on you,” he murmured.
My eyes widened. Fifty carats? Fifty?!
He was certifiable.
“Take. It. Off,” I said through clenched teeth. “I don’t want it.”
“And yet here you are wearing it.”
I reached for the clasp, but he caught my wrists and held them between us.
“Shhh. Calm down,” he said and then leaned forward and kissed the tops of my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine.
My pulse skittered, and I stared at him in shock.
We were in public. There were hundreds of people around us. Someone would see us and?—
The masks.
That’s right. We were hidden in plain sight.
And yet he'd recognized me. Just like I'd recognized him.
“How did you know I’d be here?” My voice shook.
He released my wrists and settled his large, warm hands on my waist. My palms flattened against his chest.
“I made sure you’d be here.”
“Excuse me?”
“Eliza and I are connected through a mutual friend. I asked her to let her date stay home and invite you instead. I needed to find a way to talk to you in person, and you wouldn’t have agreed to that if I’d asked.”
My eyes widened. He’d set this up. I'dknownsomething was off when Eliza had been so pushy when she called. She'd probably been instructed to get me to agree to come or else.
“Did you threaten my client if she didn’t go along with your scheme?” I demanded, appalled at the thought.
“I didn’t need to,” he said. “Most smart people in this city know it’s good to have a Ferraro owe them a favor.”
