Page 52 of Attraction (Mobsters + Billionaires 3)
“Will do,” I say, chuckling to myself.
Me:He says hi. Wants you to know that he’s “beating my ass.”
Luca:If I used emojis, this is where I would use the cry-laughing emoji because that shit is funny.
Me:
I laugh at my joke and set my thumbs to add a few more emojis to the mix when a familiar voice tickles my ear and sets my skin on fire.
“You really are incorrigible.”
I look up, and Luca has snuck in from the side, fucking dangerous in jeans and a sharp blazer.
I jump up and throw my arms around him, unable to help myself. “You’rehere.”
He takes a deep breath and looks at my lips. “I’m here.”
I feel a little shy about public displays of affection, and he must know my every thought because he kisses the back of my hand.
Damn, that never gets old.
He then leans over, extending his hand across the playing table.
“You must be Mr. Sterling. It’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Luca.”
Mr. Sterling’s eyes go a little wide, and he grabs Luca’s hand, shaking firmly. “You’re kind of good-looking for a mobster,” he observes.
Luca cracks up, shaking his head. “Man, I needed somebody like you on my crew.”
“You couldn’t afford me.”
“If I double your pension, can I hire you to say mean things to me?”
Mr. Sterling snorts. “Sure. Why not?” Turning to me, he looks at the board. “Take a picture of this with your fancy phone, and we’ll get back around to it later this week.”
I pull out my phone and do as asked, then laugh as he shuffles over to where Kej is sitting. Luca, grinning, takes his place across the small table from me.
“He’s got you in seven moves.”
“He does not,” I say, offended. I was, after all, NYU’s top-rated chess player my senior year.
“Look again.”
I do, and…damn. That old bastard never lets me win.
“So this is a surprise,” I say, changing the subject.
“A good one, I hope.”
I fiddle with one of the chess pieces, holding back a smile. “Always.”
That puts a little color on his neck.
“So, uh, have you ever heard of the Rogues’ Masquerade?”
I tilt my head to the side, thinking through the litany of galas and balls I’ve been associated with. “Can’t say as I have. Is it new?”
Luca shakes his head. “It’s been around forever, and it’s a fundraiser for disreputable people. You know, people who made their cash in creative, mostly extrajudicial ways and now want to ensure the kids in their neighborhoods don’t have to resort to the same means to survive. We hold it the first weekend of November.”
