Page 15 of Bene

And sometimes, outright broke them.

Expectations came along with those freedoms, however. And they all revolved around Mario, and what he and his family wanted for the two of them. Vanna couldn’t say she felt the same, but for now, she had what she wanted. Wasn’t that the most important thing? She thought so.

“Of course, I’ll go,” she told him.

Mario nodded as he parked the car. “Good. They love you.”

No.

They loved the idea of her.

They loved that Mario wanted her.

A prize to be won.

Very little else.

Vanna said nothing else, picking up her bag from the floor of the car, and opening the passenger door to step out. By the time she rounded the front of the car, Mario was standing there to walk into the building with her. Or so he fucking thought, anyway.

She had news for him.

“Tell your parents next week for dinner, okay,” she said, “I need a nap, I think. It’s been a long day.”

Mario arched a brow. “It’s one in the afternoon.”

“And it feels like five.”

“Not feeling well? You should let me walk you in, and—”

Nope.

Vanna smiled a blinding sight.

An angel with the devil’s intentions.

That’s what people liked to say about women who were exceptionally beautiful and could dazzle and distract with nothing more than a smile. Vanna was absolutely one of those women, and she held no shame about using it, either.

“Another day, okay?”

Mario shrugged, and nodded. “Sure, another day.”

He leaned in, and she let him press a quick kiss to the side of her cheek. His hand found her side to squeeze. Both touches lingered a beat too long, but the man wouldn’t take a fucking hint a long time ago, so he certainly wasn’t going to get it, now.

“You know,” he murmured, his lips still grazing her skin as his words whispered into her ear, “pretty soon, this game is going to get tiring.”

Vanna stiffened. “Pardon?”

“Don’t play coy. This thing, Van. This shit you do. Dangling yourself like a treat in front of me, and then pulling it away at the last minute. Someday, I’m just going to lean in and … take a bite.”

His hand flexed on her side.

She swallowed hard.

“But not today,” she replied.

Mario took a step back and winked.

Like it was all fun.