Chapter 17
I woke up to a text from Luca saying the office would be closed for observation and to let the staff know.
Observation? What was being observed? There must be something big my brother has planned today, and he wants the building cleared.
Thinking of something on the spot, I sent a blast e-mail letting everyone know the office would be closed, only to get hit with questions I didn’t have answers to.
Doing my best to give vague answers, I got frustrated and called Luca directly, but he didn’t answer.
No one would question Luca if he sent that out himself.
The next best option was Emilio, but I wasn’t going to reach out to him; plus, if they were in the middle of something, I shouldn’t be interrupting.
“What is going on?” I asked Alfie when he answered my call.
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Sorry,” I huffed, “I’m getting pushback from a few people needing to log into the system to get a few things done today. Luca won’t answer.”
“He’s not going to. He’s spending the day with Aria.”
“Why would they be working but close down the office?”
“Who said they are working?”
“So what the hell are they doing?”
“For a smart girl, B, sometimes things go over your head.”
I paused for a moment, and then it hit me. “You got to be kidding me. How do you know?”
“Emilio has me following them to make sure things run smoothly. This is my shot to prove myself.”
“So what is Emilio doing then?”
“Probably waiting for me to fuck up and boast about it. The guy hates me.”
As Alfie was speaking, I got another call. To my surprise, it was Emilio. A jolt of joy shot through me, and I quickly got off the phone with Alfie to answer Emilio’s call.
“Hello,” I casually answered, even though my stomach was in knots.
“Get your ass here.”
I gulp. Did I mishear him? “Where?”
“My place.”
“You weren’t satisfied last night? That woman was all over you.”
“No one ever told you to never believe anything you hear and only half of what you see?”
I found myself in front of Emilio’s door.
Closing my eyes as though it would give me confidence, I stood there for a while before I knocked on the door.
His condo had a doorbell, but I was too nervous I would seem desperate to use it.
No answer. I should be making him grovel but I’m too weak for that.
The door opens, and there he stands shirtless, wearing sweatpants that hung on his hips, fully exposing his v-cut.
Measuring me with his eyes while his face showed no emotion, he leaned against the door frame.
He looked like a mix of sex and power. I’ve always seen Emilio perfectly put together with his hair nicely combed back.
But I was in his personal space now with his undone, dirty blonde hair that fell onto his forehead.
“Come in,” he said, teetering on the edge of seduction.
I follow him into his kitchen. His entire back was covered in a large mural skull tattoo.
The look gave him a completely different tone—like he wasn’t scared to bury you in the backyard.
Taking my focus away from his body, I observe his place which wasn’t what I expected, although I wasn’t sure what to expect from him.
The color scheme was grey, white, and cream.
“Coffee?” he asked, breaking the awkwardness.
“Okay.”
As he made a pot of coffee, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Looking at his back as his muscles flexed with each movement, I started breathing heavier and needed to look away.
No one has ever set foot in his condo; I doubt even Luca.
It was as though I unlocked a secret code.
The layout of the condo was an open concept.
Walking around the place, I look at the art on the walls.
“I didn’t take you as an art fanatic.”
“I have my interests,” he voiced from the kitchen.
There was one piece that caught my eye. It was in the dining room—DaVinci’s mural of The Last Supper painted onto the stone wall to replicate the original. The center of the room had a long, dark wooden slab table with a chandelier that hung over it.
“For someone from the South Side, you’ve grown accustomed to nice things,” I comment.
“When life changes, you need to keep up with it.”
I saw him looking at me as he leaned against the wall with his shoulder.
“What made you call me over?” I asked.
“You think showing up in that dress last night wouldn’t get my attention?”
“Did it?”
“The only time you should wear something like that is when you see me. No other pair of eyes should see what I see.”
Thinking back to last night I place my hand on my hip, “And if they do?”
He smirked, “I’ll rip their eyes out myself.”
Getting bored as we stared at one another, Emilio pushed himself off the wall and walked away. Confused and unsure of what was going on, I walked in the direction he went. Emilio turns down a hall and into a room, all without checking if I was following.
My feet took me to the door opening, which led into his bedroom.
It was minimal, only containing a bed with two nightstands on each side.
The black bed frame is made from kiln-dried solid mahogany with intricate foliage, scroll and fretwork carvings, and molded accents.
It had a sense of Greek-Roman inspiration, and the headboard had a carving in the center with a Gothic gargoyle face.
Watching him, he stops at the edge of the bedframe and removes his pants before lying down on the mattress. He was completely naked. Stuck on whether he didn’t wear undergarments in general or this was an at-home thing, I stood in shock at the door entrance.
“If you want it, Bethany, you’re going to have to come get it.”