Page 14 of Hard Lessons

David pulled in a deep breath and looked at his watch.

“You got to be somewhere?” Serena asked.

“No, not really. But I’m sure you have.”

“Si, you’re right.” Luca wrapped his arm around Serena’s waist. “We have. Nice doing business with you, Mr. Watson, good luck with all that campaigning shit you guys do.”

David didn’t answer.

The next thing Serena knew she was being marched along King’s Road at a rate of knots and gripping a bag containing two hundred thousand pounds. “Slow down, I’ve got heels on.”

“What the hell do you think you were playing at back there?” Luca took the bag from her.

“What are you talking about?” She glanced over her shoulder and clutched her small purse. Giovanni’s man, Beardy, was tailing them as planned.

“Him, David fucking Watson. You fancy him or something?”

“Jesus Christ, of course not.”

“Don’t piss me about, Serena. Kissing him, touching him every chance you got, running your damn fingers through his hair. And I saw the smile on your face when he touched your thigh, when he pushed your dress up, his fingers inching closer to your pussy. Wet for him, were you?”

“No, of course not.” She shoved his arm but he kept his hold on her elbow, steering her through the mass of people weaving in and out of shops. “I was doing my job, one your uncle asked us to do.”

“Putting on your lipstick,” he went on, “your mouth an invite for a guy to ram his cock in it.”

“If that’s what you think, you have a dirty mind.”

“All men think that way when a woman puts on her lipstick. Why the fuck do you think it was invented?”

“Jesus Christ.” His words infuriated her.

“We’re going back to the apartment and you’re going over my knee for a sound spanking,” he said by her ear. “Your pert little bottom will be red raw by the time I’m finished with you.”

“No fucking way.”

“And then you’ll think twice next time about flirting with a target to the point I want to fucking kill him. Not only that you’ll consider the risks when you double a fucking price on hush money.”

“You’re hardly a prime example of professionalism, Luca, you said my goddamn name back there.”

“Sorry to break up your happy fucking party, but I got a bad feeling about this gig.” Giovanni’s lackey appeared beside them. “Two police officers on the other side of the road just gave us a longer stare than is ever good.”

“What?” Luca twisted to look over his shoulder.

“Don’t eyeball them,” Beardy muttered, quickening the pace. “I don’t trust that little weasel not to squeal, that’s all.”

“Like he said, he’s not going to want police attention on his dodgy dealings,” Serena said. “He’s hardly clean.”

“We’re not far from the apartment.” Luca increased the pace. “We go left on the next street. We’ll lay low for a bit.”

“Yeah, well, hurry up,” Beardy said. “The hairs on the back of my neck are tingling and that gives me the shits.”

As the pace sped up, Serena became out of breath and her feet hurt. But that was nothing compared to the searing rage inside her. How dare Luca think she’d been turned on by David Watson? Wasn’t what they had together strong enough to survive her doing her damn job? She’d thought it was, but now...

Your pert little bottom will be red raw.

Well, he could think again if he thought she was going over his lap for a spanking.

“Bollocks, I hope that’s not for us.” Beardy glanced behind.

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