Page 20 of Dirty Hearts

“Yep, I sure do. Marissa’s great. She’s the fun one. Never get bored with her.”

As if on cue, Marissa started laughing, and I glanced over to the table.

She looked back to me and waved with that sassy one-shoulder shrug the guys always liked. I waved back and noticed her gaze drift to Claudius. Knowing my sister the way I did, I could immediately tell that of the three guys he’d held her interest the most.

I returned my gaze to him, finding that he was already looking at me.

“Did you get us mixed up?” Again, I had that momentary loss of what to say, so I thought I’d go with light conversation.

“No.” His gaze lingered on mine.

“I guess she has a tan. Mostly, people get us mixed up, and it takes about five seconds to realize I’m not her. It’s the outgoing charm she has, and her fashion sense. She’s more vogue, and I’m boho chic.” I was talking way too much, verging on babbling.

A smile inched across his full lips. “Do you want to go out with me?”

I blinked several times trying to process what he’d just said. “I’m sorry…what?” I had to ask. I really did because there was no way that this guy had met Marissa and wanted to go out with me.

He chuckled and moved closer to the counter. The ends of his hair swished over his shoulder as he cocked his head to the side. “Do you want to go out with me, Angel Doll?”

He kept steady eye contact, keeping his gaze trained on me.

“Yeah… yes. I do…” I kept my gaze on him too, almost scared that looking away would make him disappear. Like I’d just imagined the whole thing.

“Great, pick you up at eight.” A cocky smile brightened his face now.

“Eight? Tonight?”

“Uh huhh. Your dad said you go back to college tomorrow. I figured if we go to dinner tonight, I could fit in a lunch date tomorrow.”

I didn’t think ‘shocked’ was the right word I was looking for. And he’d spoken to Pa?About me?“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. Tonight first.” He moved back. “Wear this.” He motioned to all over me, at my blue summer dress, and nodded. “Your hair just like that. I like it.”

“Thank you.”

“No… thank you.” He winked at me, pulling me even deeper into the enchantment of him.

My heart fluttered, and my nerves scattered at the anticipation of tonight.

Tonight and tomorrow.

At what would happen next.

Chapter 5

Claudius

* * *

Present day…

I straightened as Amelia walked into the dining room. She smiled when she saw Luc. It was the kind of smile a wife gave her husband. The sort that told you they were happy and in love. When she didn’t smile at him like that, she had the look. The look was all there in her eyes.

She’d always looked like that. Right from that first day I’d met her.

That day when I’d rescued her, at the mall.

Amelia, the daughter of Raphael Rossi, our old boss.