Page 13 of Stolen Kisses
Tall, dark, and handsome with a face all angles and planes, that you knew God took his own sweet time with when he made him.
The rest of him, Dante had made for himself. Muscles upon muscles, the kind a military man would have, except Dante never served in the military. He was into bikes and being crazy.
The worse thing for me was running into a guy like him, who I’d turned down repeatedly for anyone I had thought was better, and here I was standing in front of him with nothing.
No life, no man to speak of. A child who had a murderer for a father and yes … I was very aware that I was just staring at him and not saying a word.
“So, you don’t talk anymore?” He raised a brow.
“Hi.” I thought I would start simple. Then I looked back to the bar to see if there was any kind of opening to give me another chance at speaking with someone in charge.
“That’s it?” he asked.
I returned my focus to him when he walked around, stood in front of me and leaned against the pillar. My gaze landed on the cross on his neck and stayed there.
It was another reminder I didn’t need tonight.
The tattoo was for his sister; Christina, my best friend.
She was my best friend and every time I saw him after her death, I was fully engulfed by my guilt for the whole terrible tragedy. My guilt in not being able to protect my friend.
And again, I’d gone silent. Just looking at him.
“You okay, doll?” He waved his hand in front of me. “I swore you used to talk a lot more than this. Five years and all you can do is stare?”
“I’m fine thanks. Can I help you with something?” I really didn’t want him to see me asking for a job.
He smirked. “Jesus, woman. Five years and that’s all you can say to me? No Hi Dante, how are you? It’s been awhile. Nothing like that?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Well since you provided the questions you can give the answers too.”
“Hello Maria, I’m fine, how are you?” He decided to say instead.
“Glorious. You can leave me now.” That was the old me talking. I must have slipped and knocked my head somewhere, taking myself back to the snobby teenager I had been. “I have an important meeting with the owner of this place.”
It sounded better to say that even though it was a blatant lie.
His eyes widened. “Really, you do? Damn. You’re lucky to get a meeting with a guy like that. I hear he’s a busy person. Exceptionally hard to get a hold of.” He shook his head.
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“Yes, great guy. Very successful too with a fuck load of money, and the kind of deep pockets a girl like you would like. I mean look at the place. You can tell that guy has some serious coins.” He nodded.
I knew better these days. I knew better than to go after a guy because of wealth and riches.
My little boy came first now.
“That’s great. Do you know when he’ll be here? It would be nice to know who I’m seeing.” Now I just wished I’d said I wanted to see the owner instead of fabricating the lie about the meeting. Maybe Dante could have arranged something for me. Men like him had influence, busy as he’d made the owner out to sound.
“What’s this meeting about?” He held my gaze and narrowed his baby blues at me.
“You don’t need to know that.” I gave him the one shoulder sassy shrug I used to sport when I was putting someone in their place.
His lips curled up into a smile and he tilted his head to the side allowing a stray lock of hair to drift over his eye. He had one of those cool haircuts with the top longish and the sides almost clean shaven. It went in tandem with his beard that had been stylishly trimmed too.
He looked sexy, and he knew it. I could see he knew it, the same as he probably saw through my bull shit.
“Maybe I do need to know.”
