Page 16 of Destino

The wait had been far too long. He’d sat in the noisy club for nearly two hours before his men told him that she arrived. He sent for her over twenty minutes ago.It was ridiculous!Then she appeared. He’d never seen a woman make white look so damn sexy. Those pants of hers were painted to her curves and the rhinestone belt made her hips sparkle as she approached. Her smoky brown eyes fell upon him, and he was captive again. This he liked. It was a bit more subdued than the flash and glamour he saw walking down the catwalk. Don’t get him wrong, he liked her sexy dress, but preferred a woman of her caliber not reveal so much cleavage and legs to an undeserving audience. If she werehiswoman, he’d never let her flaunt for others what was his only.

There appeared to be a problem with his greeting. She didn’t look please to see him. In fact her smile was thin, and she hesitated with her martini before she even accepted his hand. It made him a bit nervous. And Battaglia men were never nervous. Had she not received his flowers?

Nico pulled out her chair and she sat, placing her martini gingerly on the table, causing the olives to stir in the cloudy drink.

“You sent me the flowers?” she asked.

“I did.”

“Why?”

A soft chuckle escaped him. “This is different. I’m rarely questioned by a woman as to why I would send her flowers.”

She cleared her throat. “What I meant to say is I owe you gratitude.”

His brow arched.

“I know you helped us gain access to our building. I appreciate your assistance.”

He gave her a gracious nod. She swallowed and her gaze darted everywhere but his face. In a moment she would rise and end their meeting. He felt the decision brewing inside her. “I make you uncomfortable?”

“Your note did.”

“How so?” he asked.

“You said we had unfinished business? Other than the favor asked, I don’t know you.”

“But you do. We met.”

“Briefly.”

He tried to understand the reason for her open hostility. “Why are you so distrustful? Have I done something to offend you?”

She looked a bit thrown, then recovered. Her pretty eyes lowered to her martini when she spoke. “No.”

“And the flowers?” he asked. “Were they upsetting?”

“No.” She said in a flat tone. Her gaze returned to his and lingered before she spoke. “The flowers were beautiful.”

“Like you.”

A hint of a smile touched the corner of her glossed lips. “Let me guess, you summoned me because you’d like for me to design something for you and your wife, Signore Battaglia?”

Giovanni chuckled as he lifted his wine glass. Her gaze fell upon his ring and lingered. It was his father’s ring. At its center an onyx stone with a gold letterBin the middle. “What makes you think I have a wife?”

“I saw her. She was quite lovely,andyoung.”

“I’m not married. I have tailors if I want a suit, and she doesn’t need me to negotiate a dress.”

A waiter returned and offered to refresh her drink. She declined. He ordered his brand of malt, and the man slipped away. There was laughter from a neighboring table. Carlo and his boys were a bit loud. She glanced over causing her sparkling earrings to sway lightly. It gave him the opportunity to study her. She was different than most women. She possessed a gentle calm that mixed in with her beauty. Every man in the room had to lift their gaze when she passed by. He should have had this meeting with her much earlier. After all, she occupied a building that was rightfully his. Mancini was at the bottom of the little coup. He was certain of it. If the old Sicilian Don weren’t a needed ally in Sicily he’d send him a message for interfering with his affairs. But Giovanni was painfully aware of how men looked upon him and his leadership because of the mixed blood in his veins.

Her curious round brown eyes returned to him. “You don’t have an accent. Not as heavy as everyone else, are you—”

“My father is Sicilian and my mother is Irish.”

“Oh.”

She sipped her drink but again she averted her gaze. He’d prefer she look him in the eye the rest of the evening. There were moments when she came across bold and assertive and others when she was shy and uncomfortable.

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