my menu down and sipped my wine. Something about the way he’d left that morning made the guilt suffocate me. I thought about my father every single day, but now that I spent most of my time with this man, I felt torn. Betraying him didn’t feel right anymore. Maybe he did criminal things, but he seemed like a decent human being to me.
He stared at me for a long time, his powerful gaze drilling into mine without a single blink. If this was how he stared down his clients, it was no surprise he always got what he wanted. A man was truly powerful if he could negotiate in silence. That was something I learned from my father, but Cato was a better example of it. “How was work?”
My job at the gallery was so simple it was boring sometimes. “Good. I’ve found a few pieces for your home. I’ll show you the next time you’re available.”
“I’m always available for you.”
My pulse quickened even more. “I’ll bring them by tomorrow afternoon, then.”
“Alright. Pack a bag.”
The only time I’d slept over had been awkward. I was in a hurry to get out of there, but he wanted me to stay. I’d remained detached and indifferent, and that attitude worked well. It made Cato more interested. Perhaps if I hadn’t been that way, I never would have been special to him. “Should I just barge in?”
When he smiled, he looked so ridiculously handsome. It was a rare sight because he hardly ever grinned, and when he did, it was breathtaking. Made him look more like a man than a villain. When we first met, he was such an asshole, but when he dropped his arrogant exterior, he was charming. It was the real him—and it was obvious he didn’t show that version to anyone. “I think that’s fair.”
I took a sip of my wine then examined the bottle. “Barsetti Vineyards again.”
“Can’t go wrong.”
“Do you know the Barsetti family?”
“I met Crow Barsetti once. It was a few years ago.”
“Were you buying wine from him?”
“No. It was related to business.” He didn’t elaborate, no doubt because it involved money and threats. He didn’t share that information with me, probably because he just didn’t want to talk about it.
“How was your day?” I asked to be polite, not because I expected a real answer.
“It was another day,” he said noncommittally. “I have a lot of projects going on right now, and I’m keeping everyone in line.”
“You’re probably going to be pissed at me for saying this—”
“Then don’t say it.” His voice was as cold as ice. His blue eyes shared the same arctic temperature.
I stilled at the subtle way he threatened me, and I was reminded who I was dealing with. “Life is too short not to be happy. You’re so rich that you don’t have to do any of this anymore. Do you ever think about handing everything over to your brother and just walking away?” I shouldn’t care about his safety, but there were dozens of men who wanted him dead at any moment in time. How could he sleep at night?
“Who said I wasn’t happy?”
I didn’t answer because it seemed rhetorical to me. I took another drink and gave him a knowing look.
“Bates and I are in this together. I would never turn my back on him.”
“That’s noble.”
“We’re family. You do anything for family.”
“Yeah…” I stuck out my neck for my father, and the blade was so close to sawing through my skin. “So, what do you think about my bed?”
He cocked his head slightly like he didn’t understand the question.
“I know it’s small and old. Your bed is like…three times as big.”
“I’ve never paid attention to your bed—just the naked woman in it.”
I smiled. “Good answer. Where are we screwing after this? My place or yours?”
His eyes narrowed at the ballsy question. “How about yours?”
“That’s fine with me.” I was always worried that Damien would show up at the wrong time, but if he saw the perimeter of fifty men, he should be smart enough to stay away and not blow my cover.
“Good. Now I have the rest of dinner to consider exactly how I’m going to fuck you.”
When we walked out of the restaurant, Cato’s phone rang. He glanced at the name on the screen before he answered. “What?” He listened to whoever was on the other end as his car pulled up to the curb. “You’re sure? Yeah, I’ll be there in a second.” He hung up and