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“Okay.” She gives the taxi driver the address, and we both sit back.

I look at my phone, and I see that she’s staring at hers. I wonder what she’s thinking. I wonder what’s going on. What the hell is her father thinking about setting up an engagement party for her? That’s absolutely crazy talk. I need to get to the bottom of this. I feel like I’m somehow caught up in a spiderweb that I didn’t even realize was being spun.

I bite down on my lower lip. This shit is getting way more complicated than I anticipated. All I wanted to do was have a hotel empire and make my next billion. To prove myself. To show everyone that I’m a man who shouldn’t be toyed with.

We pull up outside a building, and the cab stops.

“This is me,” Elisabetta says.

“Okay.” I slide out of the cab and hurry over to open the door for her.

She gets out and frowns. “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s okay.” I ask the cab driver how much and give him a fifty dollar note. I tap the back of the cab, and he drives off.

“You’re not coming up,” she says, staring at me. “You know that, right?”

“I know,” I say, though I’m slightly disappointed. A part of me hoped she’d invite me up for part two.

“So then, why did you send the taxi away?”

“I can walk from here. I like walking.”

“Uh-huh, okay.” She says, staring at me.“So…”

“So…” I say. “Hug?”

“I don’t think so,” she says, shaking her head. “Not appropriate.”

“Of course,” I say, grinning at her. “It would be extremely inappropriate for me, as your boss, to give you a hug goodbye after watching you masturbate about an hour ago.”

“Are you going to keep bringing that up?” she asks me, raising a single eyebrow. “Have you never seen a woman masturbate before?”

I stare at her and smirk.

“Perhaps I was the first naked body you’ve seen.”

“Perhaps.” I grin. “And if you were, it was a marvelous first body to see.”

Her face tinges pink, and I grin.

“Very marvelous.”

“Whatever!” she says, rolling her eyes. “I’m going up now.”

“Have a good evening.”

“You, too,” she says, holding out her hand. “We’re going to shake hands.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “Really?”

“Yeah, unless you don’t want to.”

I reach over and shake her hand. “It was a pleasure working with you today, Elisabetta.”

“You, too, Mr. Gallagher.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow at 8:00?”