Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
She frowned. “It’s going to be hard to chat with him, then.”
“Richard is not a man you chat with. We’ll talk business. You can smile at him. Be my arm candy.” I kissed the side of her head. “Sweetest arm candy in the world.”
That got me another huff and a smile. “Your business is so man-driven. Such an old boys’ club.”
“At times. I deal with lots of women, but yes, men do tend to have the upper hand.”
“Fine. So, his name is Richard.”
“Yes. Richard Wiggles.”
She froze as she reached for her drink, carefully setting it back on the table. She turned and faced me fully.
“What did you say?”
“Richard Wiggles.”
“His name is Richard Wiggles?”
I crossed my arms. “Yes.”
A smile tugged on her lips. “And he is a big shot art dealer?”
“According to many, yes.”
“Named Richard Wiggles.”
“Yes, Little Bee. Is that so hard to grasp?”
She began to laugh. The laugh I loved. Loud, raucous, filled with mirth, some snorts thrown in for good measure and causing her to double over in delight.
I tried not to join her.
“What is so funny?”
“You have a business associate named Richard Wiggles. Dick Wiggles. Oh, I can’t. I can’t, Dante. Don’t make me go to this dinner.”
I glared at her sternly. “You will go, and you will behave yourself.”
“I can’t,” she gasped.
“It’s not that funny.”
“It is.”
She started to laugh again, and I had to bite back my amusement. It was rather amusing. No one would ever refer to him as Dick to his face, but the name was…funny. He, however, was not. He was always serious. Focused. I wasn’t sure I had ever even seen him smile.
“Little Bee,” I warned.
Maybe I should leave her at the condo. Except, after what happened today, I didn’t want to leave her alone.
“Will you behave?”
She stopped laughing. Wiped her eyes. Drew in a deep breath.
“I’ll try.”
“He has no sense of humor, Brianna. But he is important, and I need tonight to go well.” I ran a hand over my face. “Can you do that?”
She straightened her shoulders. “Yes.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“No pressure, then.”
I shot her a look but left it. I had a feeling tonight was going to be interesting.
She wandered into my den about two hours later as I finished up the paperwork. She was in her robe, her hair damp.
“Nice bath, Little Bee?”
“Yes. Very relaxing.”
I noticed a small bag in her hand. “What is that?”
She fidgeted a little, then held it out. “I saw this and thought you would like it.”
Curious, I took the bag and opened it. I unwrapped the tissue and stared at the letter opener. It was a fine specimen, beautifully crafted, and the enameled glass on the handle in perfect condition. The brass had a lovely patina on it, and the opener was a great piece. Useful and decorative.
I looked up at Brianna. “You picked this?”
“Yes. It caught my eye. The handle…” she explained, sounding shy. “The golden circle reminded me of your eyes. And you told me this morning you liked that enameling. I thought maybe it would be helpful to you. You could think of me sometimes when you used it.”
I slid it into the holder and moved it to the center of the desk. I wrapped my hand around her hip and pulled her closer. “I think of you all the time, my beautiful girl.”
“Oh.”
I tugged her between my legs. “I love it. Thank you.”
“It’s not a hunk of junk?”
“No. It’s a great piece. I told you that you have a good eye.”
She smiled, and I ran my hands up her arms, stopping when she grimaced. “What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replied, trying to sidle away.
I stopped her, closing my legs and trapping her. Frowning, I pulled up the sleeves of her robe, ignoring the way she tried to slap away my hands. When I saw the bruises that were forming on her skin, five distinct fingerprints, I was furious. “He fucking touched you. He marked you.”
“I yanked my arm away. I bruise easily. It’s fine.”
I met her eyes, hers worried, mine angry. “I will kill him.”
She cupped my face. “You won’t touch him or go near him. He means nothing. He is nothing but a braggart, just as you said. Do not interact with him, Dante. That’s what he wants. He wants to start a war. He wanted to scare me. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”
“He fucking touched you. I hate that he was close. I hate that he scared you. I want to end him.”
She leaned close, resting her forehead on mine. “But you found me. As soon as you held me, I knew I was safe. The marks will be gone in a day or two. I don’t want to think about him again. Promise me.”
I pulled her close and kissed her. The moment our lips touched, my anger faded. I would never show anything but tenderness to her. Even in our most passionate moments, I would never hurt her or cause her pain. Cupping the back of her head, I slid my tongue into her mouth, tasting her sweetness. Sensing her worry, I gentled my mouth, with long, sensuous passes of my tongue on hers. I pulled her to my lap, and she gasped when she felt me hard between us. I drew back, our eyes locking, my emotions rampant.