Page 73 of Hidden Ties

“I think I found a new job for you to do here at the Casino Hotel in the meantime.”

Valerie almost couldn’t believe the suggestion; she’d tried and failed at multiple different jobs already. Sal couldn’t even find her a computer job underneath him, as she had almost driven him crazy. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I think this time, I finally found the perfect job for you. There’s absolutelyno wayyou could fuck this one up.”

Yeah, right!Not even Valerie’s own mind was so sure. All she knew was that Sal was on a time crunch to find her a job that would keep her busy enough so he could spend time working for Lucca and less time fucking her.

Taking her to the elevator, Sal hit a series of buttons to take them to the casino without stopping. When the doors closed them inside, he pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

Valerie adored his kisses. Actually, she adored absolutely everything about him. He was sweet and kind, just like she had told Justic—ermKent—those words were the best way to describe Sal once she got to know him. While she herself verged on sour and deranged.

Before him, she had lived inside video games; he, himself, inside a computer. But when they left those worlds and enteredtheir own reality that they were beginning to create together, it was no longer like the oil and water mixture they had at the start. It had become that sweet spot where the moon met the ocean.

Parting her lips for his tongue to enter, she captured it appreciatively, turning his gentle kiss wild, much like she always did. When the elevator opened, he groaned before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Valerie couldn’t help but smile to herself. It was just another thing she had come to adore about him. Sal loved showing the world that she was his, and while he did his best to keep his jealousy in check, she didn’t mind being reminded of the fact that she had fallen in love with a protective made man. She especially loved it when it was The Great Salvatore who used his talent for her protection.

What can I say?Valerie couldn’t help it; she was weak for a man who wore glasses and sat behind a computer screen.

Besides, he had absolutely nothing to worry about. She would never want another man. Even the men she’d put in her video games were only for inspiration, as not a one could rival the diamond she had secured.

Plus … Maria was already taken.

“Didyou ever decide what you want to do with our houses on Prairie Drive?” he asked, beginning to lead her through the busy casino after exiting the elevator. “We could always just topple them both and build one large home?”

“And show our faces in that neighborhood again?” Valerie scoffed at the thought. “Hell no. You burned the last bridge by stealing Katie’s car.”

Okay, so, Sal didn’t end up being Mister fucking Rogers, but it definitely wasn’t his fault why they couldn’t live there anymore. The bridge had been first dosed in gasoline the night her ass had gotten arrested and she acted like she belonged in the looney bin. Even with the charges against Valerie being officially dropped, and the real cyber attacker being revealed, the “figurative” bridge had actually burned to a crisp the day they got into a fight. Her excessive honking down Prairie Drive as she flicked him off had every neighbor coming outside to join him. And an awestruck Katie, who had spread the word that Sal had stolen her car, might not have done them any favors in being able to return, but—

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he finally agreed, giving in to that fact. It was always better to just agree with Valerie on certain things that didn’t matter much anyway. It was actually something he was beginning to learn rather quickly. “You want me to sell them, then?”

“Sure, if you can get someone to buy my shit hole of a fire hazard house, that’d be great!”

That, Sal didn’t doubt. His home had been more or less the same in the wiring department. Thankfully, he had bought it to unplug himself from the outside world and had no intentions of looking at a computer screen there after sitting in front of one at work all day.

“I might know some people interested …” He laughed at the thought. Their new neighbors on both sides of the penthouse were beginning to loathe them.

Sal had absolutely no problem showing off who he was with behind closed doors now. He had gone from the least laid made man to the most overnight, and every occupant on the top floor knew it. They also had no plans to move out of the Casino Hotel anytime soon. They were both perfectly content where they were in life, as each one of them was dedicated to their passions andwork. They also enjoyed the close proximity to his demanding job being right down the hall. Not to mention, Valerie was beginning to enjoy the perks of living here as well. She could visit him for a quickie anytime she wanted, and there were endless amounts of electricity and working outlets. To top it all off, he was about to reveal possibly the biggest perk of all.

“Here we are,” Sal said, showing her his last hope of finding her a job at the Casino Hotel.

As she stared up at the sign, Valerie’s mouth dropped open. “How did I not realize the Casino Hotel had a gift shop?”

“Must’ve forgotten to mention it, I guess.” That definitely wasn’t true. Sal had always been sure to even take them the long wayaroundit.

With her going inside and heading straight for the candy section, Sal couldn’t believe he didn’t think of this sooner. This was the absolute perfect job for Valerie. Her working here meant he no longer had to personally fund her snacking and sugar addiction; he could make Lucca pay for it through the Casino Hotel. If Lucca wanted Valerie to have a job so badly after putting Chloe in her video game, then he was going to get it.

Hell, Lucca wanted him to get back to work, right? He had barely gotten a thing done that didn’t involve screwing, and this was the only option left that would not only make his boss happy but meant his pant size could return to normal. Keeping snacks and candy in his place was starting to come at a severe cost to more than just his wallet. Valerie had an endless metabolism as one of her superpowers. He, however, did not.

Giving a wave to the kind young girl behind the cash register who had only just started working here herself, he began to worry a bit. “Winnie here is going to teach you everything you need to know. Do you think you’ll be okay?”

“Are you kidding? This is heaven!” she squealed with delight, going up to her toes to place a kiss on his lips after already cracking open a bag of Twizzlers. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, don’t thank me yet,” he muttered under his breath, glad he had already given Winnie his contact number in case this went south. “Let’s see how today goes.”

“But you said so yourself; there’s absolutelyno wayI could fuck this one up.”

“Right,” he said, giving her goodbye kiss on the lips. “I’m going to my office to try to get a few things done.”