Page 8 of Third Crime’s A Charm (Princes Take New York #3)

Four

T heir first day at the beach house had gone smoothly and Matteo was being surprisingly cooperative.

They had lunch with Donna and Neville in the kitchen and she served their dinner on the patio before turning in for the evening.

She pinched Truman several times and whispered that Matteo was perfect and not to mess up and Neville ate his dinner in the den where he could watch a baseball game.

A bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket when Truman and Matteo came in with their dishes.

They shared it as they cleaned up and Matteo sat on the counter, swinging his bare feet as he drank and they discussed local shops and restaurants.

The conversation was pleasant and Truman had managed to make Matteo laugh and smile.

Once they’d come up with a loose itinerary for the week and finished the bottle, Truman and Matteo turned in.

If Matteo was nervous, he didn’t let on as he undressed, took a quick shower, and pulled on a pair of Truman’s pajama pants.

He chatted about the differences between American ice cream and Italian gelato, needing to pick up sunscreen, his oldest brother’s horses…

Anyone would assume they’d been a couple for weeks.

He even knew which side of the bed to get into and was waiting with his chin propped on his palm when Truman joined him.

Truman was a nervous wreck as he showered and dressed in a pair of silk pajama pants.

He usually slept naked but was afraid he’d break and maul Matteo as he slid under the covers.

His hard-on was obvious under the duvet so he immediately rolled toward Matteo.

“Thanks for today. I think it went well,” he said quietly and Matteo shrugged.

“I like Donna and it’s easier if she thinks we’re together. And I understand why this is easier and safer,” he whispered, gesturing between them. “The only reason you and I would spend this much time together is if we were planning something sinister or dating.”

“I resent that,” Truman pouted. “We could be friends and I do a lot of good, too. I have hobbies and philanthropy is one of them.”

“Philanthropy isn’t a hobby, Truman.” Matteo shook his head. “But it wouldn’t make sense for you to drag me to Chicago or to the St. Regis for a birthday party unless we were serious.”

Truman was relieved at Matteo’s change of heart and was glad to have cleared that hurdle.

Although, there wasn’t much doubt that Matteo would relish the opportunity to hit a target like Lonsdale if Truman could get the time and privacy to lay out his proposal.

Known as the Madoff of the Midwest, Lonsdale targeted smaller cities and financial institutions instead of global firms and millionaires.

His victims were small town merchants, teachers, nurses, and firemen.

Lonsdale had also laundered money for various mafia families in Chicago and New York, giving him a vast network of criminal connections.

“Good…” Truman agreed tentatively.

“We should do it in Manhattan.”

“Really? We’ll only have a two-day window there. We have almost three weeks if we move before he takes it to New York,” Truman cautioned but Matteo shook his head.

“It’s going to be too much of a coincidence if I was in Chicago when the star was taken and in Manhattan when all those parties were hit.”

“That’s a very good point,” Truman conceded.

“He’s going to suspect me because the only other person who knew about the deal, aside from Blanchard, is dead.

I’m not worried about Lonsdale pressing charges because he’d incriminate himself if he did.

That would be stupid but I don’t want him to blame the theft of the star on anyone else or have it lead back to you. ”

“There’s already a pattern in Manhattan and you can blame the leak on the feds,” Matteo suggested, making Truman smile.

“I’ll have to give the Justice Department a heads up, you can’t spring something like that on them without warning,” he agreed. “Marty’s going to hate that but what can I do?”

“Where will he keep the star? In a bank or the safe in his room?”

“The safe in his room.”

“Tell him you’ll be staying at the St. Regis too, so you’re just a few doors away while you’re working out the final details.”

“That will appeal to his paranoia. He rarely travels because he’s afraid he’ll get assassinated or arrested and he’s scared to move the star because he doesn’t want to get caught with it.

I’m the only person he’s ever shown it to but he’ll have it with him in case he needs to barter.

It’s in a red velvet bag and if anyone asks he’ll say it was his mother’s and a sacred family heirloom passed down from his great grandmother.

To anyone else, it would look like an old lady’s brooch and that most of its value is sentimental,” Truman explained and Matteo hummed in agreement.

“Lonsdale isn’t stupid. We’ll take it during the party or the morning after, before he leaves the hotel on Monday. We need to learn everything we can about the party, Lonsdale’s movements while he’s in Manhattan, and who he’ll be traveling with,” he whispered rapidly.

Truman was fascinated as he watched Matteo calculate. “He hates to fly and won’t risk security finding it so he’ll drive. It won’t be too difficult to get what you need. Give me a few days.”

“I’ll also need a notepad and whatever I can get on the hotel.”

“That should be easy enough but wait until we’ve got hard copies. Don’t do any internet searches for Lonsdale, the star, or the hotel while we’re here, in case there is an investigation,” Truman said and Matteo’s face twisted.

“What do you take me for?” he snapped. “Give me ten minutes while you’re making the reservation and have your minions get me whatever they can.”

“My apologies,” Truman said hastily. “I’m always thinking like an attorney.

Is there anything else…I can give you?” he asked hesitantly.

His fingers walked across the mattress between them and cautiously traced Matteo’s collarbone before his wrist was snatched.

“Goodness, you’re very fast,” Truman noted.

“ That isn’t happening and you’ve got a lot of nerve even thinking about it.” Matteo pushed Truman’s hand away, then rolled onto his other side and yanked the duvet over his shoulder.

“I just thought that since we were both here and we already had and it had been so good…” Truman rambled and leaned away when Matteo swore and flopped onto his back.

“He is truly out of his mind!” he whispered loudly at the ceiling, his hands waving wildly. “It was so good and yet he allows his thugs to treat me like a common criminal. Worse than that! I was treated like trash!” he hissed and flailed.

He was adorable and Truman wanted to croon and cuddle Matteo into submission but his instincts warned that he’d be lighting a fuse. “You tried to rob me.”

“What does that have to do with it?” Matteo demanded but Truman could only stare, stuck as he tried to discern if it was a translation issue or if one of them was broken.

“What does…? You had sex with me and then you tried to rob me.”

“Right!” Matteo smacked his own forehead and muttered something in Italian. “The sex was personal, the diamonds were business.” He used his hands to illustrate the difference but Truman still wasn’t following.

“And I took it personally when you tried to take them,” he confirmed, making Matteo whisper a string of curses.

“Obviously! This happened!” He pointed at his face, then at Truman when he rolled his eyes. “Don’t you dare say it isn’t that bad. My whole life, this is all that has ever mattered and I’ve made it work for me. What if I was a painter and you’d broken my hand?”

“I have conceded that I made a tactical error but look at how well it’s working out. By the time we return to the city, we’ll be the hottest couple of the year.”

“My family is going to love that! We’re going to lie to them and then I’m going to let everyone down by dumping you as soon as this is through.”

“ Too soon could be suspicious but they’ll probably be relieved,” Truman predicted and Matteo snorted.

“Probably, but first I’ll have to convince them you’re decent because they’re going to have questions and I doubt they’ll be happy.”

That was all fair but it still stung. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. If we’re lucky they won’t notice until after the party and that can be part of the reason you break up with me.”

“It definitely will be. We have rules and we don’t play with people’s hearts or lie about who we love.

We know how much that can cost us,” Matteo said, nodding at the ceiling.

“Your intelligence about my family is sorely lacking if you think it’ll take that long for someone to notice.

You were also misled if you think they won’t smell a scam.

God help you when Muriel gets wind of this. If she hasn’t already.”

“She’s out of the country and it’s only been a few days,” Truman observed but even he knew better than to underestimate Muriel Hormsby.

He did his best to avoid her whenever he was in town because she was so nosy and outspoken.

She was also a friend of his mother’s so word would get back to Chicago if Truman stepped too far out of line.

“We’ll cross that bridge when and if we get there,” he repeated, causing Matteo to chuckle sarcastically.

“I’ll let you worry about that potential hiccup. I’ve got a robbery to plan,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And we will never cross this bridge again.” He nodded at the space between them. “I have too much self-respect.”

“Come on!” Truman protested. “I admitted it was a tactical error. You don’t need to be petty. Sorry!” He patted Matteo’s shoulder and shushed. “I meant the implication that I’m not respectable. I work for criminals but I’m a…mostly upstanding citizen.”

“Mostly upstanding.” Matteo rolled his eyes. “I would feel gross after the way you and your criminal associates treated me. Upstanding citizens don’t do that, Truman.”

He loved the way Matteo pronounced his name. “Troo man. ” It gave him goosebumps, even if Matteo was only using it because he was angry and being petty. “You sound like my mother,” he sighed, then frowned. “No, you don’t. Forget I even mentioned her.”

“You know, I feel sorry for you. But not enough to have sex with you. Goodnight,” Matteo said with a soft laugh and rolled away from Truman.

“Goodnight.”

It was Truman’s turn to argue with the ceiling but he was silent about it. Matteo’s breathing settled quickly, leaving Truman with a hard-on and regrets. He had bungled his chances for a partners-in-crime-with-benefits relationship and had made everything more difficult with Matteo.

Instead of having fun and planning a heist, Truman would have to grovel to get back into Matteo’s good graces.

He couldn’t afford for anyone to be suspicious about them or for Matteo to change his mind.

The precariousness of the situation reminded Truman of the Olympic pole vaulter who was knocked out of the competition by an erection.

Too much was riding on this heist for Truman to trip over his own dick.