Page 58

RHAIM

I happened to be looking over at just the right moment to see Lia walk in the door.

She’d arrived fashionably late, so the room was almost at capacity and the band had started, playing songs from yesteryear—but she was scanning for me, I knew it, by the way she rose up on her toes.

She’d also arrived alone. Well, with Trevia, but her presence at Lia’s side was the punctuation to a sentence.

Things had changed.

For the better.

So I cut through a swath of people—and at seeing me, Lia could barely hide her glee.

And, even more telling: she didn’t feel she had to.

“Oh, Rhaim,” Trevia said, happy to see me, and totally oblivious to Lia’s grin. “Where’s the bar?”

“Behind that column—they’ve got plenty of the good stuff,” I said, tilting my head.

“I know, I saw the rental contract for this place—I intend to help Mr. Ferreo earn out,” she said, then looked at Lia, who tamed her expression at once.

“Remember our conversation?” she prompted, and Lia nodded.

“If you feel the need to give anyone lip—give it to Mr. Selvaggio here. No free-range social interactions with non-family.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Lia said, which made Trevia roll her eyes and mutter “Ma’am? Oh Jesus,” as she walked off.

Then Lia smiled at me. Fully. Unrestrained. And for a moment, my heart stopped.

“You okay?” I asked, instinctively.

“Yeah,” she said. “Thanks to you,” she said, color rising on her cheeks, as she bowed her head, acting slightly shy. “Do you like my dress?” she asked me, before peering back up, this time with a wicked flicker in her eye.

I took a moment to ponder all of her in her perfection. “You’re the color of blood and carrying a weapon. Of course I do.”

She bit her lip a little, and just like that, I was certain that she’d kept her word, and she wasn’t wearing underwear.

“Do you want a drink?” I asked her, offering her my arm.

“Yes,” she said, looping her hand around my elbow. “I do.”