admitted.
“I’m glad they have you,” I returned before taking a gulp of my champagne. I noticed Candice hanging on the arm of a potbellied older man. “Who is he?”
Vince followed my gaze. His jaw tightened when he spotted Candice and the man with his hand on her ass. “Poppy Porcini.”
I remembered the name from Marco’s meeting earlier in the week. “Is he a friend of Lucca’s?”
Vince shook his head. “It’s time to get you back to Mr. Carducci.”
Just like that, Vince shut down again. I held up a finger and finished one glass of champagne before sitting it on a nearby table. Still clutching my back-up drink, I nodded up at Vince. “I’m ready.”
Once again, Vince walked in front of me, clearing a path. As I walked from room to room, I considered the bits of Marco’s childhood that I’d learned from Vince. Marco truly had been raised to take over the family business. The isolation he and Lucca had suffered had obviously affected them in very different ways. From what I knew, Lucca was a playboy who preferred to be in the middle of a large group of people, while Marco seemed more content to spend his evenings at home with just me and Annie for company. A thought struck me. I placed a hand on Vince’s back to get his attention.
“Something wrong?” Vince asked.
I shook my head. “What did Marco do after work before I moved in?”
Vince appeared confused by the question. “He worked,” he replied as if I should have already known.
“All the time? What about other women?”
“You’ll need to speak with Mr. Carducci about his sex life. It’s not my place.” Vince continued through the crowd, leaving me to catch up or risk being swallowed by the throng. I followed Vince down a long hallway to a heavily carved set of double doors. Vince acknowledged the armed guards on either side of the doors before knocking twice.
Lucca was smiling when he opened the door. “Come in, Ella.” He glanced at Vince. “Marco would like for you to stay close.”
Vince nodded as I skirted around him and into the opulent office. “Are you finished with your meeting?” I asked as I walked toward Marco.
Marco opened his arms and welcomed me with a deep kiss. Pulling back, he glanced over his shoulder at Lucca. “Why don’t you step out for a few minutes while I speak with Ella?”
“Sure. You want something from the bar?” Lucca asked.
“My usual,” Marco said.
Once the two of us were alone, Marco guided me to a tufted leather sofa similar to the one in his office. When I moved to sit beside him, he shook his head and sat me on his lap.
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck prickled at the expression on Marco’s face. “Is there something wrong?”
Marco cupped my right breast. “Each year, I give my brother a special gift for his birthday. Lucca has enjoyed sharing women with me in the past, but I’ve informed him that wouldn’t be the case this year.”
“You share women?” An image of Candice naked and sandwiched between Marco and Lucca popped into my head. I winced at the thought of that bitch getting her hands on the man that had captured my heart so completely.
“Yes, but the women in our lives have never been more than playthings.” He moved his hand up to cup my cheek. “You’re not that kind of woman to me, so I told Lucca no.”
I scraped my bottom lip with my teeth. Although I was pleased that Marco thought more of me than he had the other women in his life, I didn’t like the somber expression on his handsome face. Never had I considered being with two men at once, but surprisingly, the idea didn’t disgust me. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Do you enjoy sharing women with Lucca?” I noticed his gaze on my chest and decided to give him what he wanted. I reached up and pushed the top of my strapless dress down, freeing my breasts.
Marco leaned toward me and swiped my right nipple with his tongue. “I have enjoyed sharing in the past, but
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