Page 186 of Dagger in the Sea

“Are you telling me my own son and daughter don’t need me?” she said, her fatigued eyes tightening, lips pursing.

“No, God no. I’m telling you your son and daughter need each other now and please give us this time.”

She fell on me, hugged me, and for the first time in what seemed like a long time, neither of us cried. Just held on tightly.

Today the sky outside my bank of windows at the office was streaked with puffy gray clouds. Raindrops still streamed down the glass from a quick shower earlier today. Bloody hell, it was the height of summer and it was cloudy here with a chance of rain this afternoon. I stretched out my neck and lower back and went back to preparing for my meeting with Mr. Khalid.

“Miss Lavrentiou?” the receptionist’s voice rose from the intercom on my phone.

“Yes, Claire?”

“A man is here to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he’s quite insistent.”

I groaned inside. Greek reporters still tried to talk to me at the office, but I didn’t go anywhere without my security team. To gain access to me at the office, you had to go through a two stage check and pat down.

“His name?”

“Marino Dandolo.”

My heart stopped then banged in my chest. My fingers tightened around the pen in my hands, and I let out a laugh.That perfect sense of humour of his.The Venetian lord of Andros had arrived. My conqueror, my crusader was at the castle gates.

“He says you know each other,” Claire said. “And that he’s just flown in from Chicago to see you.”

I tossed the pen on my desk. My insides ached, knotted. My mouth dried, my fingers suddenly cold as they pressed down on the intercom button. “Yes, Claire. I know Mr. Dandolo. Please send him through.”

I ran a hand through my hair. Checked myself in the tiny mirror in my top drawer and dabbed on a swipe of my favorite plum gloss. My once long hair was now a little shorter and still stick straight after my morning blow out. His beach naiad was gone.

I swept the folders, newspapers, pens, my cell phone into neat piles and stood up, my legs shaky in my heels. I smoothed a hand down my snug charcoal gray pencil skirt, across the chest of my silk, sleeveless, beige blouse.

I waited. My lungs burned. I burned.

The door opened.

Those sharp eyes of his held mine, taking me in. I could feel the swell and pull of them, and I took in a breath. That crooked smile broke over his lips and my pulse leapt. A dark suit. Crisp pale yellow shirt. Spotless leather shoes. And that fantastic scruff on his angular face.

That heat reverberated between us, created a buzzing thing that had a life all its own, sending groans, touches, kisses of another lifetime now dancing in my chest, trying to break free.

“Signor Dandolo,”I said, and my blood stirred to life at that dark look that passed over his features at the sound of my Italian. “Are you here to seize and conquer?”

He stood there, still, as if he were overwhelmed by the sight of me. “Have you missed me?” he asked.

Cheeky sod.

My fingers grabbed the edge of my desk. “I miss you all the time,” I replied.

His smile transformed into something wicked that filled the room, wrenched at my insides, swelled in my soul. “I miss you all the time too,” he said, his voice low. He smoothed a hand down his lapel. “Thorough security check.”

“Oh I do hope they didn’t muss you up too badly.”

“I’ll live.” His smile got huge, brilliant once more and my breath short-circuited. I couldn’t move.

“Your mother is well?” I managed.

“She’s very well and back at work.” His gaze returned to me, his eyes blazing with a dash of his signature wickedness. “She kicked me out, in fact.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s time for me to pursue my true passion.”

---