Page 189 of Sins of the Orchid

“Second week?” he suggested.

I narrowed my eyes on him, pressing my lips together. He couldn’t demand I sit at home and wait for him like a good Italian girl?

“Damn it, wife. Where did this stubborn streak come from?” he grunted.

“If I don’t stand my ground, husband,” I retorted dryly, “... you’d walk all over me.”

He shook his head and pulled the phone out of his pocket, then dialed. Twenty minutes later, Carrera and Renzo were my bodyguards. DeAngelo went with Santi, much to both of our dismay.

So on my first day back to work, I was married and heavily guarded. I sat through the board meeting with Gabriel Carrera and Renzo breathing down my neck as we went through our quarterly reports and next year's projections. Thankfully, that was the peak of excitement.

So far my second day was just as uneventful, and I had DeAngelo back as my guard. He was in his office, right next to mine, and I had designs spread all over the floor of my own office, narrowing down selections when the sound of my phone beeping brought me back to earth.

Standing up, I grabbed my phone and saw five missed messages from Santi.

*You have five minutes to answer. Or I’m coming for you and punishment won’t be pleasurable for you. Only me.*

My lips curved up. Jesus! I had it bad for my husband. A threatening text message and my response was a throbbing ache between my thighs.

Without delay, I typed up a response, my fingers flying across the screen.

*Leaving now. You can punish me.*

I pressed the send button and a naughty idea snuck up on me. Smirking, I immediately started typing.

*I’ll get on my knees, tie my hands behind my back, and you can fuck my mouth. And my ummm… back hole.*

Feeling smug, I pressed send again and shoved the phone into my purse. I couldn’t wait to get home. I had no doubt Santi wouldn’t let me off the hook for that one.

Five minutes later, my heels clicked against the hallway floors of Regalè Enterprise as I hurried across the quiet building over to the elevators. I hit the button several times, an eerie feeling tingling down my neck, which I couldn’t shake off. The building was empty, and we were among the last to leave.

DeAngelo was waiting for me in the garage. I sent him ahead while I cleaned up the last bit of the paperwork. I was happy, deliriously so. The only thing missing was Adriano. I had to make things right with him.

He had been MIA, and it started to agitate me. We used to talk and text every day. And lately, nothing. Admittedly, we didn’t have much to say since this whole engagement was kind of awkward. But we had been best friends and, as such, we should work things out. How many times had he left me alone at the party while he chased a skirt? I never gave him a hard time.

The elevator door slid open, and as I stepped into it, my thoughts were lost on the items I had to finish for the new design. It was easier to focus on design and business among all the chaos. Somehow, everything had gone quiet on the cartel front. I started to think maybe my theory of George Anderson was wrong after all.

It’s not like I’m a criminal mastermind,I thought wryly.

I hit the button for the garage as someone else stepped into the elevator and hit the lobby floor button. The door closed as I lifted my gaze and met Adriano’s eyes.

“Adriano!” I exclaimed, surprised to find him here. “What are you doing here?” I asked hesitantly.

Something flickered in his eyes, though I couldn’t home in on it. Before I could think further about it, he responded, “Santi sent me.”

My brows scrunched, confusion flooding all my senses. He literally just sent me a text. Why wouldn’t he have mentioned it? “Why?”

“He wanted to make sure you were safe,” he replied, a smile spreading across his face. Good, maybe they hashed out their disagreements. “He’s in the lobby.”

Adriano was dressed in a black three-piece suit. I didn’t usually see him in a suit and his appearance threw me a bit. He looked even more like Santi like this. I studied his face and noted he wore his usual carefree expression.

“Wonderful,” I retorted. I’d see Santi even sooner. “Maybe we could all go grab dinner or something?” I suggested hopeful. I wanted us all to talk through what happened. I had some apologizing and explaining to do. My actions hurt my best friend, and I wanted to make it up to him.

The elevator made its way down, floor by floor. My eyes traveled to Adriano, noting traces of perspiration across his forehead.

Hmmm, maybe it’s hot in here.My black Chanel dress was light, made out of silk. I imagine it would be hotter in a suit.

Ding.The elevator slid open to the empty lobby. A wide-open space, the marble floors and panoramic door to ceiling windows on the opposite side of it, looking out to 5th Avenue.