She shrugged. “We’ll have fun. We can talk about the wedding, and Isandro, and your business. And I’ll do whatever I can to help, because I don’t want to be lonely all day. I have to go to dinner with Mother.” She rolled her eyes. “But you have me until then.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
Her smile brightened. “Really?”
“Hell yes, you are.”
“You’ll have to show me what to do.”
“Gladly. Come on back.”
* * * *
Isandro ran to the store after work and did some quick shopping. Marissa had told him that Arianna seemed tired when she went by the shop. And Arianna confirmed it with her call a few hours before, telling him she was going to take a nap when she got home and to call her when he was on the way.
Instead, he’d run to the store and was finishing up dinner when Marissa let herself in. “Hey, what’s going on?” he asked.
“Where is she?”
“Sleeping in my bed, where she belongs,” he said with a smirk.
“Did you keep her up all night?”
He chewed his lip and shrugged. “I guess. I couldn’t help it. Every time she snuggled her ass closer, my dick woke up, and I had to have her again. She wasn’t complaining, so I didn’t think about the fact she’d worked all day and had to work again.”
“Oh God, I don’t need to know this.”
“Then don’t ask stupid questions,” he insisted.
“Right, cuz it’s my fault you’re a perv.”
Arianna giggled. “If he is, I am too. I have no complaints.” She yawned and leaned her head against the entryway to the kitchen. She looked fucking scrumptious in tiny shorts and his T-shirt.
“Sleep well, beautiful?”
Blushing, she nodded. “I did. Thankfully my sister came to help. I’m not sure about tomorrow yet, but I’ll manage.”
“I have the next two days off. Want my help?”
“Hmm, I like it when you’re there.”
“Then I’ll be there.” He nodded to the stove. “Hungry?”
“Very. I planned to cook for you, though.”
“Too late now.” He winked.
Marissa rolled her eyes. “I’ll see myself out. I have a date.”
“Ooh, with who?” Arianna asked.
She shrugged. “Let’s see how it goes before I tell you.” Marissa hurried out the door.
Arianna watched her go and turned back with a smile. “You didn’t call.”
“You were tired. Even Marissa noticed. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to cook.”
Her eyes narrowed. “If I tell you to wake me up, then wake me up.”
“Or what?” he taunted.
“Or I’ll shut down the pussy shop, and you’ll have to go without.”
His lips pursed. “You did not threaten to take away something you enjoy as much as I do.”
“To teach you a lesson, I would.” She smirked, backing up out of reach.
He stalked her across the living room, until she fell onto the couch with a gasp. He dropped to his knees, pulling her hips until her ass was at the edge of the couch. “Even if I do this?” he murmured, slipping his fingers under the shorts, finding her core panty free. He flicked her clit and a moan escaped as her eyes slid shut. “Didn’t think so.”
“Next time, wake me,” she said, breathless.
He nibbled her inner thigh, reaching up to tug the waistband. She shifted her hips, letting him rid her of the shorts. “You don’t want to shut this down,” he told her before leaning in and licking through her slick folds.
She curled one leg over his shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair. His favorite dessert, and after that morning, he needed to taste her.
He lapped at her, fucking her with his fingers as her body writhed with pleasure. The sounds she made drove him wild. Every time he touched her he needed more.
She came, her essence coating his hand as he sucked on her clit.
“Please, Isandro. Fuck me,” she begged.
He rose up and pushed his pants down enough to slide deep inside.
She sat up, gripping his arms, then wrapping her arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted.
His mouth collided with hers, their tongues dueling as she shot over the edge. He followed and held her. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Move in with me. Make this permanent. You belong here, with me.”
Her eyes watered as her mouth pulled into a smile. “Promise to wake me if I ask you to.”
“Yes, I swear. Next time I’ll call.”
Her face lit up as she closed all distance. “Yes.”
He kissed her again, unable to resist. “That easy?”
“I did have this tattooed on me.” She pointed to the bulldog. “I thought that was a good sign I want you forever.” Arianna held her breath.
He smiled. “Didn’t want to assume. Now, you hungry? Because I’m starving.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
Chapter 26
Marissa came to the shop early, while Arianna was busy making orders. She wasn’t kidding about the insane amount coming in. As much as Miley seemed like a good kid, Isandro didn’t trust her. He couldn’t put his finger on why, so he didn’t bother mentioning it to Arianna.
Isandro let his sister in, and she looked around. “Where is she?”
“Making chocolate. Come on.” He locked the door and took her back.
Arianna wore skinny jeans and a sexy tank that clung to her curves. He had to grin as she bent over, showing off the ass he couldn’t get enough of.
Marissa started in the second Arianna turned to face her. “Talbot still isn’t talking. We get to hold him since he broke bail. He’s not going anywhere, but we still don’t know who sent him after you. Your mother is no longer high on the suspect list. She’s been busy with a new man.”
Her face pinched. “New man?”
Marissa shrugged. “A financial guru. Martin Tormei. Lives in the same neighborhood.”
“Maybe that’s why she’s so interested in what I’m making and everything to do with my business.”
“I don’t know about that. It seems romantic.”
“My mother isn’t the most loving person, but I don’t honestly believe she could put Talbot up to all of this. Maybe that’s wishful thinking.”
“We’re looking into Antoinette,” Marissa added. “Right now, she seems more likely than your mother. Her husband has bankrupted them. Seems like she needs the money. And she’s recently hired Talbot to do things around the house. Neither of them will say what.”
Arianna shook her head. “What the hell would she hire him for?”
“Exactly. But she’s written checks to him. And with him in jail, we can’t follow him to find out. However, if she did put him up to it, and she knows he’s in jail, she will either cease and desist, or she’ll find someone else.”
“Comforting.” She sighed. “But if she doesn’t have money, how is she paying him?”
“She has her own trust fund. Appears she was smart enough to keep it separate from their shared account.”
“She’s not going to be able to get enough from here or my condo to make a dent in financial troubles. My money is invested, and in accounts. I don’t keep that information where it’s easily accessible.”
“Because you’re smarter than most people in your position.” Marissa sighed. “I’m only giving information. This may be over, but she may find another way to get to you. Especially since Brian and I have been questioning her.”
“I’m surprised she hasn’t said shit to me.” Arianna sighed and dropped her head back to look up at the ceiling. “Then again, the only time I talk to her is at family events, which I avoid as much as possible.”
“If you do hear from her, let me know. I’m curious what she says.” Marissa looked at her ringing phone and sighed. “I need to go. I’ve got to take this call.”
Isandro walked her out. At the door he asked, “Thin
k Enrique or Estevan might want to work here? At least temporarily. Maybe if someone is here with her, there will be less chance someone trying to get to her.”
“Good idea. I’ll ask.”
* * * *
The light slap on her ass brought her head up as she looked over her shoulder with a smirk. “You helping? Or holding me up, Bulldog?”
“You’ve been at this all day. I’ve been helping, but you need a break.” He was right. They’d been there two hours past close.
She sighed and crossed her arms under her chest. “Can’t. Almost done. Then I have the rest of the night with you.”
“True.” Isandro stacked the boxes with a sideways glance at her. “About dinner. I want to take you out to pizza. My brothers are coming.”
“No Marissa?”
He shrugged. “She’s still working. She may have a lead.”
“Besides Antoinette?”
“She’s being cautious. She wants to find whoever put Talbot up to his crimes. Whether that’s your sister, your mother, someone unrelated, I don’t know. I didn’t ask. She said she had a lead. That’s it.”
“Sorry. I hate this. Could it be them? Sure. Could it be someone unrelated? Of course. I don’t like thinking about it, but it’s all I think about right now. I can’t stop. Except when I’m with you. You get me so muddled up, making everything so damned good, I can’t think of the crap in my life.”
“I like getting you all hot and bothered,” he murmured.
“So, pizza?” she asked while cleaning up the counter.
“You like pizza, right?”
“Mmhmm. You ready?”
“You don’t have a million more things to do?” he teased.
“Nope. Not at the moment. We got it all done. We’re closed.”
“Finally.” His brow arched in challenge.
“Thanks to you, everything is done. I put an ad in the paper, looking for another employee. I can’t complain about more business, but if this keeps up, it’s too much for me to handle. And Miley is still in school full-time, so I can’t bring her on for more hours.”
His jaw tightened and her head tipped to the side.
Her eyes narrowed. “What is it?”
He shook his head.
“No, seriously. What is it?”
“She seems okay, but I don’t trust her.”
“Why?” Arianna asked in all seriousness.
He rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. Just my gut.”
Her eyes closed. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye on her. So far, though, she’s been great.”
“I know, which is why I hadn’t said anything. So, forget it.”
“No,” she stated, moving closer. “I trust you, and that scares me because I didn’t get a bad vibe from her. What if you’re right?”
“What if I’m not? She’s been a good employee, right?”
“She has.”
“So maybe it’s me being paranoid right now.”
“Maybe.” She grabbed her purse. “Let’s get pizza.”
* * * *
Isandro felt like a bastard. He made Arianna doubt her judgment and now she sat in the booth, leaning against the wall, staring out the window.
He wrapped his hand around her thigh and leaned against her side. “Sorry, beautiful.”
“Don’t be.” She turned with a soft smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “What kind of pizza did you order?”
He smiled. “I know you like spicy. I went for spicy Italian sausage and roasted garlic. And ordered a pizza for Enrique and Estevan.”
Nodding, she changed the subject. “Think we could invite my sister and Bentley over for dinner one night?”
“Of course. Tell me when.”
Enrique and Estevan slid into the seat across from them. Both smiling like they had a secret. Shit, were they both going to try to help her out? How well would that go?
Enrique’s mouth stretched into a grin. “I’m taking Miley to dinner and a movie tomorrow night.”
Isandro’s brow arched. What the hell had his sister told the twins?
“Oh, really?” Arianna grinned at Isandro, then looked back at Enrique. “Sounds fun.”
Isandro coughed. If she was thinking about their night at the movies, he hoped like hell his little brother didn’t take it that far, because he didn’t think the little shit would stop at making out.
Estevan shook his head with a laugh. “I hear you’re getting busier in the shop and need some help. Most of my classes are online. The rest are night classes. I’m free all day. If you need someone.”
“I thought you liked your job at Barnes Hardware.”
He shrugged. “They aren’t giving me many hours lately. I’d rather have something with a set schedule. Your shop is open certain hours, and I know there’s prep and closing work, but none of that would interfere with school. I’m responsible. You did put an ad in the paper. And I figure since you know my brother, I could skip the application process.”
Her head tipped slightly as she took a long look at Estevan. “Come in tomorrow and we’ll discuss the details of the job. I’ll walk you through what I’d expect and you can decide from there.”
“He can handle it,” Isandro promised. “I do fine when I’m helping out.”
“Oh, I go easy on you, Bulldog. You aren’t an employee, and I know you’re there to flirt and make sure I’m safe.”
His brow cranked down as he turned to look her in the eye. “If I’m there, it’s because I truly want to help. There are added perks.” He shot Estevan a glare. “Which you better not take part in.”
“Fine,” Arianna interrupted with a laugh, “next time, we’ll see if you can keep up, but you work the next couple days, so calm yourself.”
His brow arched and he leaned in to whisper, “You going to discipline me later?”
“Hmm, I think I need to.” She turned back to Estevan. “I’ll give you an out, in case this isn’t your thing.”
“Don’t write me off yet. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 27
Two nights later, Estevan leaned against the counter with a frown. “Are you absolutely sure you have this covered?”
Arianna smiled. “I’m positive. I have run this shop for years now. Mostly by myself. I’m almost done labeling packages to ship in the morning. Get to class already.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going. Tell my brother hi.” He hurried out the door, and Arianna locked up before going back to the office to do the bookkeeping. As much as she was willing to let her new employees learn the chocolate aspect and handle the till, she couldn’t convince herself it was wise to let them do the bookkeeping. Not so soon anyway.
“I’m taking off,” Miley said from the door. She’d been bubbly and cheerful since her date with Enrique the night before.
“Have a good night, and thanks for all the help.”
“That’s my job.” She grinned and waved.
“Lock the door, please,” Arianna shouted.
“Of course.”
Sighing, she put the money in the safe and pulled out the ledger. She always entered the information by hand, then into her laptop to calculate the weekly numbers.
Settling into her seat, she turned on the radio. Her phone buzzed, and she opened the message from Isandro. When are you off?
30 minutes tops. Just need to do the boss’ job. She slid the phone into her pocket and reached for her laptop.
Something pressed to the back of her head and she froze.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Arianna,” Derrick hissed.
Her heart thumped in her chest as she considered her options. If he had a gun…fear flooded in and she tried to remain calm. He stood there, pressing the object harder against her skull without a word.
Swallowing hard, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I was willing to wait for you to take me back like you always do and swindle the money away from you without violence. I would h
ave treated you better this time, at least until I fixed my fuck up. Then I would have left.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I need money. You have money. My father will prosecute me if you don’t help get me out of the country.”
“Get out of my shop. I’m not helping you.”
He shoved the gun or whatever into her head, pushing her head forward. “You will, or I’ll splatter your brains all over the wall.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, she breathed through her nose and out through her mouth. Then she lied through her teeth, “Already deposited the money. You’re not getting a dime from me.”
“Bullshit, you haven’t left the shop.”
“Didn’t have to. I do have new employees. I asked Estevan to take the money to the bank.”
“Fuck.” Derrick leaned into her, pushing her forward. “Then we need to come up with something else.”
She reached the silent alarm. Thanks to Ella who hooked her up with a new security firm, she had upgraded the system and had hidden panic buttons in every room of the shop. Shannon O’Neil didn’t mess around.
Derrick gripped her hair and slammed her face down into the desk. She cried out and got her phone out, unlocking it. Then she hoped like hell she had the right place pressed as she tried to speed dial Isandro.
The asshole grabbed her hand as she turned the volume down and dropped the phone. If he heard, he’d come. Not that the police would take long, she hoped.
The asshole wrenched her arm back, then the other. She tried to yank away, but he pulled something tight around her wrists. Probably a damned zip tie that was too fucking tight.
She tried to twist out of his grasp, but her hands were locked behind her back.
“You realize you aren’t going to get away with this, right?” she taunted.
He yanked her upright and rolled the chair backward, letting her go.
She hit the wall hard and gasped. Arianna pinned him with a glare. So damned much time wasted on this asshole.
He moved closer, malice shining in his dark eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. You fucking love me.”
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