Benny waits for a response I refuse to give. I block out the replays from the mirrored ceiling, the courtyard, his desk, and Eden to stand on business. I prefer to be folded like origami, butthe principle is the principle. He insists on treating me and my emotions like a game night, despite me telling him not to play with me.
How do I know he didn’t go back to Eden to be with Vittoria? He could drop dick off around Sicily like a postal route while I’m still tingling from the attention he gave me before disappearing.
Absolutely not.
“What are you thinking about in that pretty head?”
Your mouth and penis.
“Coupons,” I lie. “I forgot to suspend my newspaper subscription while I’m gone.”
He grins. “Right.”
A dog sneezes. The other follows in a stocky march toward me.
“Hades. Ares.” Benny’s warning shifts their massive paws in reverse. They sprawl over the tile in a gruff. My G-spot stimulator is a casualty between their teeth.
“Hungry? You can stay mad after I feed you. Come here.”
My stomach flutters at the command.
Benny’s brow lifts.
“Don’t boss me around,” I say.
“It’s what we do best.”
Our stare down earns a growl. The dogs jump up, ears alert, barks aimed at Benny.
Laughter hammers my chest.
“They like you,” he mumbles.
“As they should. How do you tell them apart?” I kiss the top of one’s head. He snorts, tail wagging, booty shaking.
Benny reaches for more mango. “That’s Hades. He has a small patch of white hair on his left ear.”
I tease his cheeks. “Aren’t you cute?”
“They ate someone’s bones.”
My hands drop.
“Do you kill people often?”
“Only when necessary,” he says without hesitation.Okay, then!“You never have to be afraid of me.”
The image of Benny when he was younger with his family eases any tension. I believe him.
“Come here, Bianca.”
I pull a chair from the table. Not because I’m scared he’ll get up; I love mangoes. They’re grossly overpriced at home and I don’t mind the snack.
He brings a piece to my lips. “Open.”
Warmth pours over me at the timbre of his voice. I part my lips for the juiciest slice of mango. My tongue glazes his fingers.
He hisses under his breath and wipes the juice from my mouth with the thumb that he brings toward his. “More?”
