Page 122 of Urgent Vows
"I guess you don't think I'm the mole anymore."
His beautiful face goes hard. "I never did."
He'd said that before, but I hadn't believed him.
"If you didn't think it was me, why that whole scene?" If he is and was telling the truth about never believing it was me, it reframes that night.
"Because I am me." His lips quirk in a sexy, teasing smile. "According to you that means an asshole and not very smart."
Heat climbs into my cheeks. He remembers that. "I shouldn't have said those things." Even if I thought them.
"I should not have woken you out of a deep sleep to grill you. It was an asshole move toward my wife and reflected a definite lack of higher cognitive reasoning on my part."
"True."
He laughs. "You will keep me on my toes, won't you,mi dolce bellezza?"
"I'll do my best."
"Your secret room was filled with information about so many subjects." He gives me a quizzical look. "Why?"
I don't mind the shift in subject. The whole trust thing is doing my head in and my heart too, if I'm honest.
"I wanted to go to college like your sister. But that was never going to happen. I was determined to learn though, so I studied anything I wanted to and could find information on. Despite its restrictions, my computer made so much of that learning possible." I smile at the memory of the day I realized there were university level classes I could audit online. For free.
"I took courses in psychology, ancient history, economics, world history, and even counter interrogation techniques."
"What is your favorite?"
"I don't know if I have one, but I enjoy studying politics because of the real world application."
"You're that invested in who wins elections?" he asks.
"Sometimes, but it's another way of gathering data on the Cosa Nostra and other crime syndicates."
"Politics?" He sounds disbelieving.
I nod. "Definitely. I could tell you which politicians are in your pocket."
"I doubt that very much."
"Want to make a bet?" I ask, feeling daring.
Learning he took the time to make a place that is all my own in this home and having him give me access to this vault, that only he and Miceli even know about? It's done something to me. Made me look at my place in Severu's life differently.
"What are we betting for?" he asks, sounding intrigued.
I like that, so I'm not about to pick something as mundane as money. "If I'm right, you pleasure me with your mouth. If I'm wrong, I'll do the same for you."
His eyes darken with passion. "It sounds like I win either way."
Could he be any sexier? My ovaries don't think so. They are dancing the macarena.
"I guess we both do," I sass.
He makes that growling sound he does sometimes. He's seconds away from forgetting about the bet and taking me on the table.
I rush to start listing names. "I don't think you have the senator in your pocket, but I think you donate a lot of money to his campaigns. He doesn't seem like the type of person who can be bought, but he can be influenced."
