Page 51 of Dagger in the Sea

My phone pinged. I blinked at the screen in the glare of the sun.Jesus. Two texts from Francesca.

Francesca: Turo! Sorry about Dad. He’s such a bulldog

A bulldog? She had no fucking clue. Mauro was a bull with two swords stuck in his neck on a good day. When the going got tough, he bucked, roared, trampling anyone in his way. Stubborn, intractable to the very end. An end of his own making.

Francesca: I’ll be at Crawfish tonight at 11. Let me make it up to U with a drink?

Crawfish. One of my and my mother’s successes from my era with the company. A New Orleans style bar restaurant featuring craft beers from all over the country with a performance area for Zydeco artists. Crawfish had been my brainchild, my baby. And, obviously, it was still a hot spot.

That tight thread of concern for my mother that I hadn’t been able to let go of since I saw her the other day ticked against my chest. I should check in with her.

I deleted the texts.

My gaze fell on Adri’s relaxed body next to mine, and I let out a heavy breath. The desire to lose myself in her curves gripped me by the balls. My muscles tensed, and I tore my eyes away from her hot little body.

I needed to make sure that Gennaro was going to play ball with Mauro, and then I should be getting back to Chicago, shouldn’t I?Should. Should. Fucking should.

“Bad news?” Adriana’s eyes squinted at me.

“An interruption.” I shut down my phone.

She turned over, her nipples hard and begging to be bitten. “Work or pleasure?” she asked putting on her sunglasses, her masked gaze directed at me.

I tossed my phone to the edge of the towel. “Right now, Miss Lavrentiou, you’re my one and only work and pleasure.”

“Lucky me.”

“You are. Very lucky.”

“Women must fawn all over you.”

“They do, honey.”

She laughed.

My hand itched to cup the round fullness of her breasts, to knead their soft firmness. I wanted to see her face morph with pleasure and shock at what I’d do to those ripe tits.

I cleared my throat. “I don’t think I can have a conversation with you two inches away from me in a state of near nakedness.”

She grabbed her bikini top and fastened it over herself as I watched. “Better?” she asked.

“Such a shame.” I let out a lazy laugh, silently urging my cock to settle down.

“Was the text from a woman?” she asked, taking a sip of her iced coffee.

“Yes.”

“Your lover?”

“She wishes.”

“But you don’t?”

“Absolutely not.”

Her eyebrows popped up at my swift, sure reply. “You’re already involved with someone, is that it?”

“With you.”

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