Page 54 of Dante
“You sure about that?” Haley asked softly, pointing at Dante’s face in the photo.
As she let her eyes drift, her heart skipped a beat. She had been so focused on herself in the bathtub, as it was humiliating to be undressed on the front page of the newspaper in her city, that she hadn’t really gotten a good look at him.
The way Dante looked at her was the way any woman would dream to be looked at. There was so much care, tenderness, and … love in a single look that it had Nadia wanting to run back to the casino hotel right now.
“By the way, you forgot to mention how hot he was in that folder of yours that you made of him. I would have picked him if I kne—”
“Desmond!” Nadia gasped, remembering Haley had had her own meeting. “How did it go?”
“Well …” Haley started, not knowing where to begin, “I think I might have gotten you more than just a donation.”
“What?” Nadia screamed in excitement. “Spill!”
“I will, but not tonight,” she told her. “Your story is enough for one night, so we’ll save mine and Desmond’s for another day. Now, I’m going to bed before you make me spoil it.” Haley laughed, quickly starting to leave. She knew if she stayed there,Nadia would have it out of her in five minutes, and they needed to get some rest.
“No fair!” Nadia yelled at her friend before she disappeared behind her bedroom door. The silence hit her hard, reminding her that she was finally alone.
Nadia slowly brought her eyes back to the black and white photo. Only she no longer saw herself in it anymore.
Had he been looking at her like this the entire time, and she had simply missed his glances? Or did the photographer snap the picture at the perfect moment, making it look like more than it was?
I have one night to decide.
SEVENTEEN
MARIA FUCKING CARUSO
Getting to sleep had been hard for Nadia, but she had woken up this morning refreshed and knew exactly what she had to do. She now walked onto the casino floor with a clear mind, planning to go through with her decision. After she hit the elevator button with certainty, it took several moments before it dinged, and the doors slid open. The person on the other side had her star bound …
“Hello.” The beautiful woman in five-inch heels smiled brightly. “It’s Nadia, right?”
The little girl in Nadia, who had been bullied by beautiful girls in the past, wanted to wait for the next elevator, but grown Nadia had learned to handle herself, so she took a step onto the elevator. “Yes. And you are?” she asked, really hoping it wasn’t one of Dante’s women who had been sexting him.
“Sorry.” She laughed, realizing how weird it might’ve come off that she knew her name before they were introduced. “I’m Maria. Maria Caruso.”
Oh, thank God.Nadia breathed, suddenly feeling the warmth come off the girl. “You must be … Dante’s daughter?”
“Yep.” She smiled, raising a perfect brow. “Who did you think I was?”
“Honestly, I was scared you might’ve been one of Dante’s—” She paused, not knowing the proper word for “one of his booty calls.”
“Oh no.” Maria practically gagged in understanding. “He’s my dad, but not that kind ofdad.”
“Okay, good.” Nadia laughed it off, knowing a girl Maria’s age would consider a guy at Dante’s age a daddy.
“Yep, you’re totally safe with me,” Maria assured her. Then, moving to the elevator buttons, she lit one up that would take them down instead of going to the top to Dante’s office.
“Uh … I was actually on my way to see your fath—”
“I actually thought we could hang out for a bit.” The woman’s teeth sparkled even brighter. “I’ve heard so much about you from Leo and Amo. I’d love to get to know you myself.”
Nadia swallowed hard, looking at the numbers falling to the basement floor. She had never been so frightened of a woman until this fucking moment. It was weird to fear a tall, legged blonde goddess in a dress, but something in her told her to run, like it had with Lucca. Honestly, maybe more so, because if there was one thing women knew how to do, it was how to hurt another woman much worse than any man ever could.
Maria fucking Caruso looked like she belonged to the plastics onMean Girls… except somehow richer and prettier. No, worse than that. It looked like she ate Regina George for fucking breakfast.
“I-I-I should really go see him.” Her survival instincts tried to kick in to save her, but the gorgeous girl wasn’t having it.
Maria locked her arm with Nadia’s just in time for the elevator door todingopen. “Oh, he can wait. Plus, I have something fun to show you.”
