Page 12 of Bastard Prince
However, I was more than a little unwilling to leave the house, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, I had spent all day Saturday and Sunday with my brother, which was something I never thought I would be able to do again. We spent hours out by the pool, talking and catching up. He told me about his life in Chicago, about Goran, the man who had taken him in, and about his pseudo brother, Darko, who he was very close to.
I had to admit, I was jealous. Antonio had been away from our circle and was welcomed like family by people who had been strangers to him.
Meanwhile, I had been abandoned by the very people who were supposed to have my back.
It was such bullshit, but I was trying not to dwell on it anymore. The sunshine and steady flow of drinks certainly helped with that.
And, while Tony and I had talked for hours and hours, I couldn’t help feeling like he was holding something back. Some part of him that he didn’t want to share with me. I had no idea what it could be and he didn’t seem inclined to tell me.
At least not yet.
The second reason I didn’t want to leave the house was much more personal and a little selfish: sex with Enzo.
Because, holy fuck. We couldn’t seem to keep our paws off of each other, using every spare moment to explore with hands and tongues, learning every inch of the other person. Enzo was like an animal, staking his claim with his teeth and his scent, and I loved every minute of it. I was no less aggressive, and there was something so very satisfying about seeing the red tracks left behind where my nails had scratched down his back the night before. Our nights were passionate and explosive, and I was coming to hate the sun, because in the light of day, our responsibilities kept us apart and all I wanted was to spend every moment enjoying the deliciously sinful things my husband could do to my body.
Stepping out of the passenger seat of my Velar, wincing at the delicious ache in my thighs, I gingerly walked to the doors of the building, glad when I entered the air-conditioned lobby ofA Taste of Eden,withVinnie right behind me. I did my best to ignore the tingling between my shoulder blades that made me think someone was watching me. Since the events of the weekend and the revelations that Eric dropped, I couldn’t deny the small sliver of paranoia that lingered in the back of my mind. I hated to think I was giving someone that kind of power over my thoughts and actions, but there was no denying the fact that there was a target on my back.
Shoving those thoughts away, I made my way across the entryway, headed directly for the frosted doors behind the reception desk. I wasn’t surprised when my favorite receptionist popped up from behind her desk like her ass was on fire.
“Stop right there!”
Pasting a slightly bitchy smile on my face, I turned to face her. “Hey. Candy, right?”
“It’s Mindy,” she growled, clenching her teeth. “And you can’t be here.”
“Really?” I asked. “Says who?”
“Says me.” Mindy smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. “You had no right to go back there last time. Almost got my ass fired with that stunt you pulled.”
I could just imagine Enzo reading her the riot act, all indignant about my presence in the super secret back room, knowing full well he intended to take me there himself. He just had to do things on his own terms, the jerk.
I meant that in the most affectionate way, of course.
I huffed out a laugh, marveling at the fact that it had only been a week since I was here last. So much had changed. Throwing Vinnie a smirk, I shook my head at her agitated ranting.
“Listen, Kimmy.” She growled again, but I ignored her. “I assure you, I have every right to be here. So why don’t you sit down at your little desk and answer your phone and let the grownups work, alright?”
“You bitch,” she snarled. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Before I could respond, the door to the back room opened and Lexi came barreling out, looking considerably less frazzled than the last time I had seen her, but still not quite like her usual bubbly, carefree self.
“There you are,” she said, completely exasperated. I smiled apologetically; I wasn’t that late.
“Sorry, I was tied up.”
Lexi barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I bet you were.”
Turning away from her to try and hide my blush at her comment, I gestured to Mindy. “I would have been earlier, but Mimi here doesn’t seem to want to let me into the building.”
Whirling on Mindy, Lexi glared. “Is there some reason you are preventing Mrs. Argenti from entering the business she owns?”
I wished I had a camera. The look on Mindy’s face was just too priceless, somehow shocked, horrified, and furious all at the same time. She gaped, her mouth opening and closing like a trout for several moments before she stuttered, “N-no. Of c-course not. Please, my apologies.”
I could see she would have rather chewed off her own tongue than say those words to me, so I cut her a break. “No worries, Mindy,” I said with a wink, watching as she caught on. “Have a great day.”
And with that, Lexi led me through the doors and deeper intoEden, leaving Vinnie to linger in the lobby, standing guard.
