Page 165 of Risky Obsession

“No, before we got here, Archer flew him to Nonna’s place in Tuscany,” Rosalina said as she ferried a board carrying a perfectly baked loaf of bread to the table.

“Nonna spoils him rotten, so he’s always hounding us to visit,” Archer said.

Rosalina playfully slapped his arm. “You’re just jealous that Luca gets Nonna’s attention now.”

“Hell, yes, I am.” Archer winked at me.

The tension in Kane’s shoulders was palpable, and not at all suited to the upbeat vibes coming from his friends.

Archer popped the champagne cork and cheered. “So, we want to hear all about how you tracked down that gold. Don’t we, babe?” Flashing Rosalina a spectacular smile, he poured the bubbles into my crystal champagne flute.

Rosalina sat and raised her glass. “What shall we toast to?”

“Treasure hunting,” Archer said.

“Surviving a treasure hunt,” I added.

“Oh yes, we can relate to that.” Rosalina fixed her gaze on Archer, and I had a feeling they’d survived many deadly situations in their quest for ancient relics.

Archer winked at me. “To surviving a treasure hunt.”

We clinked our glasses together and after Rosalina explained the meal that she seemed to have made in minutes, Archer told us to dig in.

Dinner was a feast of food and stories, and as Kane and I bounced the details of our treasure hunt between us, he seemed to relax.

Rosalina’s penne with a fiery tomato-based sauce was bursting with flavor, and her homemade sourdough was divine. I ate much more than I anticipated, and Archer made sure I didn’t run out of champagne. I was beginning to feel normal again and more than a little tipsy by the time the meal was over.

After dinner, I went to the bathroom, but when I returned, Kane was gone, and Archer and Rosalina were cleaning up the dishes.

“Let me do that. You have done enough.” I muscled my way past Archer.

“Hell no,” Rosalina said. “Nobody comes into my kitchen but me.” She shooed me away.

“You’ll have to excuse her,” Archer said with a laugh. “She’s Italian.”

I chuckled.

“Kane went up to the spa deck,” he said. “Go join him. We’ll come up in a sec.”

I frowned. “Are you sure I can’t help?”

“Absolutely,” Archer said. “You’ll find him up that way.” He pointed to a set of stairs.

As I made my way to Kane, a knot tightened in my stomach. He took a long time to relax during dinner, and I was certain it was because of something I’d done or said.

I found him leaning against the railing with his gaze fixed on the faint glow where the sun had set on the horizon. His muscles rippled beneath the simple white shirt he wore, which must have been provided by Archer.

As I approached him, he turned to face me and our eyes locked. The weight of unspoken words hung between us, but I had no idea what to say.

“You look stunning tonight,” his tone was as gentle as the breeze.

His comment surprised me.

“Oh, thank you.”

His gaze lingered, sending a shimmer of warmth through me, easing the worry that coiled in my stomach.

My heart raced as I stepped closer. “Kane, I sense that I said something earlier that pissed you off?”