the top of my bucket list, and I may never come to Italy again!”
Everyone in the group laughed. The bride and groom’s friends and family—sixty-five loud, boisterous people in all—entered the Campanile, the city’s oldest and tallest building. But Rafael noticed Paris ducking into one of the nearby bakeries.
Curious, he entered the pasticceria and took off his Ray-Ban sunglasses. A fruity, spicy aroma sweetened the air, stirring his senses and rousing his appetite. With its sultry lights, timber chandeliers and glass sculptures, the shop looked more like an art gallery than a pastry store. Italian music was playing, and the servers looked as chic as the decor.
Rafael looked around, but couldn’t find Paris anywhere. As he sat down on one of the raised, wooden stools, he spotted a buxom waitress climbing the circular, white staircase. Rafael contemplated heading upstairs to scope out the second floor, but decided against it. Trailing Paris was a bad idea. They had plenty of time to get reacquainted, and since he didn’t want her to think he was stalking her, he’d hang out on the main floor, have a cup of coffee and watch the world go by from his window seat.
His cell phone chirped, alerting Rafael that he had a new text message. He took his iPhone out of his backpack and punched in his password. Reading the message from Gerald Stanley gave him a surge of adrenaline. His security advisor was one step closer to single-handedly cracking the case.
I just got off the phone with my source at Miami PD. Gracie O’Conner has no alibi for the night of the arson, and neither does her ex-con brother.
Rafael was pleased with the work Gerald had done, and sent a short, quick response.
The suspects in the case were obvious, so why hadn’t the police made any arrests? he wondered. Why were they taking their sweet-ass time bringing the perpetrators to justice? Gracie O’Conner, Nicco’s former assistant, was a scheming manipulator with an ax to grind. And although she was a petite, soft-spoken woman, Rafael’s gut feeling was that she was involved in the crime. But Gracie wasn’t the only one who hated his family. His father had made a lot of enemies over the years, and Rafael wouldn’t be surprised if one of his dad’s old business rivals was out to destroy him.
His cell phone rang, and the sound yanked Rafael out of his troubled thoughts. He didn’t recognize the number, but saw the area code, and knew the person was calling from Washington, D.C. “This is Rafael Morretti.”
“Hello, Mr. Morretti,” said a husky female voice. “My name is Danica Lyons.”
The name didn’t ring a bell, so he waited for the woman to explain who she was. It was 5:00 a.m. on the East Coast, and Rafael couldn’t image why someone he didn’t know would be calling him first thing in the morning. After a moment of silence, he asked the question at the front of his mind. “How did you get my phone number?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’d like to speak to you privately, and the sooner the better.”
Rafael frowned. He turned her words over in his head, but they still didn’t make any sense. “I’m sorry, Ms. Lyons, but I’m afraid I don’t understand what this is pertaining to.”
“I’d rather not discuss the matter on the phone,” she said in a crisp tone. “I’d like to come to your office tomorrow to speak in person.”
“I’m out of the country, and won’t be back in Washington until January 3.”
“Don’t play games with me, Mr. Morretti, or things will get real ugly for you.”
Taken aback by her abrupt rudeness, Rafael stared down at the phone, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Are you threatening me?” he asked, struggling to control his temper. “Because if you are, this conversation is over.”
“I’m not threatening you, Mr. Morretti. I’m simply stating a fact.”
Rafael struggled to not lose his cool. Keeping his head was paramount, so he took a deep breath and cleared his voice of emotion. “Call my office, and my secretary will book you an appointment.”
“Very well. I look forward to meeting you.”
What the hell? Rafael hit the end button and immediately dialed Gerald’s number to tell him about his bizarre conversation with Danica Lyons. He suspected she knew something about the arson investigation, so he asked Gerald to do a background check on her. Everyone everywhere wanted to get their hands on the Crime Stoppers reward, and although Rafael didn’t put much faith in the Washington PD solving the case, he refused to leave any stone unturned.
Seconds later, when he’d ended his phone call with Gerald, Rafael felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had nothing to worry about. By the end of the week he’d have a detailed, comprehensive report on Danica Lyons, and he was looking forward to reading every salacious word.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder and slowly perused the circular glass cases in the upscale pastry shop. After ordering a latté, he bought gourmet chocolates for his mom, Italian cookies for his father and amaretto brownies for his brothers, and paid to have them delivered to the villa.
At the cash register, Rafael spotted Paris. She was standing in front of the elaborate cake display, snapping pictures of it with her cell phone. Tapping her foot, she swayed to the beat of the music, rocking her hips provocatively from side to side. Her moves were hypnotic, and like a drunk guzzling Cristal, he was hooked. She was close enough to touch and caress, but instead of reaching out to stroke her sinuous curves, he looked away, stuffing his hands deep into the pocket of his blue jeans.
He picked up on the whispered conversation of two dark-haired men nearby as they pointed at Paris, obviously admiring her beauty. His chest automatically puffed up with pride. An odd response, considering she wasn’t his girlfriend, but Rafael couldn’t help the way he felt. Nothing had changed. If anything, Paris was more captivating and appealing. She was as vivacious as ever, and everywhere she went people gravitated to her. As he continued to watch her sway and groove to the music, he could see why.
Rafael glowered menacingly at the cocksure businessmen, who were speaking in rapid-fire Italian. His hands balled into tight fists and his heartbeat thundered inside the walls of his chest. The men were discussing how to lure Paris into bed, and even joked about filming the encounter and posting it online. Their conversation was none of his business, but Rafael felt compelled to say something. Had to before he lost his temper and pummeled them both into the ground.
Rafael spoke to the men in an authoritative voice, and scowled for good measure
Back off, fellas. The lady’s with me? his conscience repeated. How original!
“W-we’re sorry,” stammered the man with the mustache. “We didn’t mean any disrespect. We were just joking around.”
The two took off through the side door, and Rafael sighed in relief. Crisis averted. Nothing wrong with telling a little white lie, he decided, tasting his coffee. It was either that or lose Paris to someone else, and he wasn’t about to let that happen. Rafael didn’t want anyone to ruin his chances with her—
Your chances of what? his conscience questioned.
Paris must have sensed him behind her, because she glanced over her shoulder, then hit him with a pointed look. But when she spoke her tone was rife with amusement. “See anything you like?”
Do. I. Ever! His mouth watered
