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  Without so much as a bat of her eye, she does just that. Fluent English with only the trace of her native Italian influence gushes forth from her mouth. She leans forward and kisses him on each side of his cheeks. Her expression is euphoric as her face touches his and her eyes close. When she pulls back, she looks him in the eye and gives him a very intense searching gaze. He stands tall, and is unintimidated by her piercing look. After a moment, she smiles at him and reaches up to touch his arm, intimately laying her hand on him. Ice flows in my veins looking at her hand resting on him. Her voice is sweet, but filled with hurt as she speaks. Her expression matches it while she looks at him. "You have been gone too long, my old friend." She doesn’t wait for him to answer and he doesn’t. "I have missed you. Have you been well? Is business good? Tell me, why have you been absent for so long?"

  Aurei’s response is perfect and her reaction is priceless. He simply stares at her with a polite smile on his face and allows her to discover for herself. She looks from his face to her hand on his arm, longing flashes across it, then she looks back up at him. His expression is even. No emotion. He watches her though, and I get the distinct sense that he is tense under the surface and ready to respond if she so much as steps over an invisible line. They have intimate history. Her eyes fall down his muscular arm and her expression is soft until she sees that when he stood, he didn’t let go of me. He kept my hand securely in his. Subconsciously, I squeeze his hand as her expression changes instantly from warm to cold and if eye daggers could kill, I would be dead. Angry words escape her mouth in Italian, and Aurei stuns me with his response. He simply sits back down, turning his back on her. My mouth falls open but I quickly shut it when he gives me his killer wink and I feel his finger tickling me again. He isn’t the least bit effected by this outburst. I look around the restaurant and realize no one is paying any attention, not even the waiters.

  When she marches around to stand between us, more angry words erupt from her mouth and her hands start to gyrate too as she spews. Aurei lets go of my hand and sits back in his chair. Looking up at her expressionless, his face looks calm, but his body language says a storm is brewing. I watch, feeling like a tiger poised to pounce if the prey moves the wrong way. Adona appears not to be aware of this as she continues her Italian rant.

  Damn lady, you are rude.

  Never once cutting his eyes my way, Aurei ignores me, and continues to listen to her tirade appearing to sit patiently allowing her to vent, but I know him better than that already. His jaw is set tight. There is a slight narrowing in his eyes. His full heart shaped lips show a little compression. The longer she goes on, the angrier I get. When I see his hand clench air, then open and flex....

  That’s it! I’m done with you!

  I jump up out of my seat and my chair falls over backwards. I startle her so bad, she jumps and her eyes bug as she finally looks away from Aurei and acknowledges me. She looks at me like I’m crazy, but at least she has stopped talking. My turn to fill the air.

  "I don’t know exactly what the fuck you are saying and frankly, I don’t fucking care! I don’t give a damn who you are, or what history the two of you had, but no one deserves to be talked down to like you are talking down to him. Especially this man, my man, who sits here too much of a gentleman to stop you, but I’m standing here, not enough of a lady to let you continue." I point my finger at her, poking the air. "You need to shut the fuck up!"

  She looks from me back to Aurei and says to his smirk in perfect English. "Who is she? Ah ... ah...." She struggles with the word.

  If she says ho, I’m gonna kick her ass.

  He smiles as he gets up, walks around to me, and picks the chair up. He gestures with his golden hand for me to sit as he pushes it under me, then he kisses the top of my head.

  "A bimbo! Is she your bimbo?"

  Bimbo? I almost lose it. My poker face slides down to keep from laughing out loud. Bimbo? Really?

  Aurei chuckles as he walks back around to sit down again. When our eyes connect he sees mine twinkling at him and he laughs. "No. She is def not a bimbo." Then he leans back and flags the waiter to bring our food. The waiter rushes into the kitchen to get it.

  He is enjoying the bimbo remark. Good. I wiggle to scoot back in the chair. She’s lucky she used bimbo. Otherwise I might have opened the can of whoop ass I was about to tell her about.

  Adona turns her back on me again and addresses Aurei. "Is SHE what has kept you away from me, Maximus?" Her arm flings her hand in my direction for emphasis.

  Bitch! Give it a break! I move to the edge of my seat, ready to pounce if she crosses his line.

  He has eyes only for me as he answers her and they hold the unspoken word. "Yes and no."

  "Who is she? Your new assistant?"

  I pooch my lips, tapping my foot, working on my anger management, and only the look in his eyes keep me in my chair.

  "No. She doesn't work for me."

  "Who is she? Some relative from America?"

  "No. Def not." He smirks.

  "An old army buddy?" Her accent exposes itself with those words.

  His smirk busts into a grin. "She is a buddy, but not from the military. She's a bosom buddy."

  My lips smirk in spite of my anger.

  "Bosom buddy? I do not know this term." She looks over her shoulder my way, but doesn’t look at me. "She is not a model. She is too short."

  He corrects her. "She's petite." I wink at him and he smiles his beautiful smile.

  She turns now to look at me down her haughty nose. "She is fat."

  My lips flatten into a hard straight line and my blood pressure shoots up.

  He winks that killer wink again, still smiling. "She is voluptuous."

  Only his smile, his words, and his expression keep me in my seat.

  Belittling bitch!

  "She is ugly."

  With that remark, he cuts his eyes at her. His look tells her 'you and I both know that isn’t true.'

  She takes advantage of his eye contact to shift her weight onto her foot closest to the table. She cocks her ass and puts her hand on her hip. She blocks my view of Aurei. She tosses her hair, rolls her shoulder and the look of triumph at having his attention, flares my wild anger again.

  Oh no! Bitch! This ain’t happening right in front of me! I push my chair back, slowly and carefully, then I stand.

  She doesn’t notice my movement lost in his eyes, but she changes her ugly remark to keep his attention, knowing she has struck a nerve. "She is plain."

  His eyes bore into hers and the same narrowing of them, the tight jaw and the slight pressed lips study her before he tells her. "She is flawless."

  "She is not a model!"

  "No. She is a dancer." His lips relax with the words.

  "She is not a ballerina."

  "No. She is not a ballerina." His eyes relax with the words, but his jaw remains tight.

  That’s my cue. Showtime, Bitch. I’m an exotic dancer and proud of it!

  I flip my hair and roll my neck around as I step around the table. Aurei’s eyes lock instantly with mine. I give her an eyeful of my Divine Diva-ness as I strut my stuff, rolling my hips, the short distance to him. He looks up at me and his expression says it all. I am his Bella Signorina. His erection is back, but it’s blocked from her view. Smiling down on him, I lay my hand on the opposite side of his face and draw it across as I strut my stuff behind his chair, leaning my head over so that my hair caresses his head as I walk to stand between him and her. I rest my cocked ass on his pecs and put my hand on my hip. His hand slides up my leg, inside my skirt. I smile at her then turn my back on her, rotating slowly towards Aurei so his hand slides onto my ass. He grins at me when he feels my panties. Turning to him and bending over, I place a sweet peck on his lips. His hand slides back down my thigh and rests intimately there. "Sugar Bare, I got this." I whisper on his lips.

  "But not as a badass." He whispers his command, then he tells me. "We know I’m already yours."

&nb
sp; Those words mean everything to me.

  Chapter Five

  My eyes set firm in Diva mode, and I stand using my stripper roll, dipping my shoulder and letting the arching motion run down my back and end in my hips, then I slowly turn to face her and stare her down. Her view of Aurei is completely blocked by me now and she stands tall to tower over me. But I flash her a wild, evil look as I smile into her eyes, challenging her, then I dismiss her and confidently strut around to my chair. She rotates following me. When I sit back down, I glance at Aurei. He is leaning back and looks, for all the world, like a Dom whose Sub just satisfied him.

  Adona hisses at me, but speaks to him. "She is wild!"

  He chuckles, and the sound with his words is sexy as hell. "Yes. She is that!"

  "Maximus, what has happened to you?" Adona looks at him bewildered, but doesn’t turn her back on me. "Your needs are more than one woman can handle! You are unquenchable."

  He sits up straight in his chair with her words. His brows draw together, marking the return of the brewing storm.

  She is about to cross that unspoken line.

  She desperately continues. "I have a couple of new girls who want to do your next ... photo shoot. I will call Antonio and set it up." She tips her head my way. "She can participate if you so desire. I will make sure they understand that."

  "I do desire her participation, but only her." He tells her and relaxes again.

  I reach for the pot of cappuccino and hold it up to him silently asking if he would like another cup. He smiles, but waves it off. I pour myself one. I wish I had a shot of Crown to toss in.

  "Surely you joke." She sounds annoyed. "You have never been to Rome without using my girls." She looks me up and down again, then decides on a different argument. "The camera will not be pleased with her size."

  I set my cup down hard and the liquid splashes out. She flinches and I roll my eyes at Aurei. "But my camera is very pleased with her size." I adjust my tits then, pick my cup up and toast him.

  Her voice is getting high pitched now. "I know your taste, Maximus. I will send you my two new girls. They will do whatever you like." I cross my eyes at him over the rim of my cup.

  He grins. "But Siri does whatever I like."

  I slurp the liquid loud. And Siri likes to do whatever too. Our eyes twinkle at each other as the innuendo hangs in the air.

  The waiter comes out of the kitchen with our food. Aurei and I turn to look at him. He stops. His face is priceless. He is unsure whether to bring the food or retreat from the battle still being fought. Aurei motions him to bring it and Adona steps back away from the table as he places the food on it. When he leaves us, Aurei tells her. "The truth is Adona, Siri has set me free from that life. I won't be needing your services any longer."

  "You cannot be serious?" She is screeching now at him.

  "I am very Siri-ous." He winks at me as he takes a spoon full of sausage and puts it on his plate. "She is Mio Bella Signorina." He tells her. The sweet way he says the title sends a wave of warmth over me and I remember the first time he said 'My Lady.' It felt so good to be treated with that level of respect and here he is announcing to the obvious Madam who he has been using for his hook-ups for years that I’m his, I'm beautiful and I’m a Lady. He hands the plate to me.

  "Thank you for that." I tell him and he gives me that sexy smile.

  "If it’s true, you can say it." He tells me softly, making me melt.

  Adona clenches her teeth and looks out the window, but still doesn’t leave. She takes a deep breath then exhales exasperatingly loud, then she pouts. "I’m hurt Maximus."

  Aurei ignores her as he asks silently for my empty plate, takes it and scoops himself a large helping. I pick my fork up and push my sausage around, waiting for her to leave, but she doesn’t.

  "I’m not leaving until you promise to call me when you need me." Adona crosses her arms in front of her body and taps her toes. "Because you will need me. She will not last long. You will become bored with her."

  Bored? I almost laugh out loud. I’ve NEVER been called boring!

  I sit straight up in my chair, take my spoon, pinky poised out and stir my coffee, but instead of proper etiquette where the liquid doesn’t noticeably move, I stir it so the coffee dances in the cup for me, and I smile at it. When Adona looks down her nose at me, I lift my eyes to her as I open my mouth and bring the spoon to it. As it travels through the air, I flip it over. Her eyes flare when she realizes what I am about to do. Holding her eyes, unashamed and unafraid, I do it. I insert the spoon in and slide it all the way down my throat, then slowly draw it out, demonstrating my lack of gag reflex. She rolls her eyes, and we both look at Aurei.

  He grins at me. "Ah.... I don’t think so."

  I daintily set the spoon down then pick my fork up to continue my eating exhibition. With my pinky finger poised, I take a very small, dainty bite of sausage. I chew and chew, moaning softly, seductively rolling my head and slightly shrugging my shoulders. After I swallow, I work my tongue in and out wetting my lips. "Umm. I love sausage." I grin at Aurei.

  "It obviously taste very good." Aurei chuckles.

  "Disgustingly so." Adona whispers under her breath.

  "Yes, Sir. It was good, but not as good as yours." I bat my eyes at him as I bring the napkin up to tap my lips.

  Aurei laughs out loud. Even the busboy clearing the table next to us laughs. Adona snaps her head at him and barks something in Italian, making him practically run to the kitchen. She stares after him, enjoying her power.

  Bitch! I hate mean bitches.

  Confident again, she turns on me. I can feel her silent growl as her eyes narrow. Time to introduce you to my redneck side, and my southern charm. I stand very slowly, being careful not to push my chair over and turn into the badass my man asked me not to be. My ladylike posture is relaxed and nonthreatening, but my eyes are hard as steel. "HI. My name is Siri Wright. I’m his Miss Wright. Thanks for stopping by our table. Please excuse us while we finish our meal. We have a busy day planned together exploring each other. Oh, excuse me. A little slip of the tongue." I laugh in her face then lick my lips. "I meant to say exploring the Eternal City together. It’s nice to have met you." I hold my hand out for her to shake and I wait. "No?" I shrug my shoulders.

  Adona’s fists ball up, as she stares down at my hand, then it opens, flexing and for a split second I think she is going to slap me. I brace myself if she tries. A bloody vision flashes quickly across my mind in preparation. Her face, after I catch it and snatch her to me, then face plant her, hammering the table, busting her nose, is covered in red.

  "Watch yourself, Adona." Aurei says as he slowly stands too. His voice has lost all laughter.

  I see Carlo power walking into the restaurant, making a beeline for our table. "Ah, Adona. There you are. I need your assistance immediately." He nods at us. "Excuse me, Maximus. Siri. But I need to steal Adona away. I have an emergency."

  "Certainly," Aurei says.

  "Please do," I tell him with emphasis.

  "Thank you." He says to us, then speaks to her in Italian. She smiles a cold smile at both of us but when she looks at Carlo her charm is turned on high. She answers him and he puts his hand on her elbow, then gestures her in the direction of the door. I watch him lead her out as Aurei steps back to my chair. I can’t help myself. I stick my tongue out at her back making Aurei laugh.

  "I thought I was going to have to break up a cat fight."

  I wipe imaginary crumbs out of my lap, and straighten my dress, then allow him to push it in for me. "Nah! I was going to smash her face on the table and break her nose."

  "Damn. Tough girl." He laughs surprised.

  "Yep. Brutus says always be on the offensive and fight to win."

  "I’m looking forward to meeting him." He says as he sits down.

  "He’ll like you. I know he will."

  "Have you heard from him?" He asks as he starts to eat.

  "No. Have you heard anything from your bro’
s?"

  "No. Nothing."

  I change the subject. "How are the eggs, Dear?"

  He chuckles. "Fine, Honey. A little on the cold side."

  I sit back to watch him eat. "Adona was very upset she lost your fucking business."

  He laughs at that. "I hired her models for legitimate photographs. Eat up. We will have a long day exploring."

  I take my fork and push my sausage around. "But hers are the models you told me you fucked here?"

  He looks up, then sets his fork down. "Siri."

  I smile at him. "It’s ok, Aurei. Really. Straight line." I take a bite.

  He picks his fork up and continues eating. "Yes, but fucking isn’t her business. She runs a legitimate modeling agency."

  "But she knew you were fucking them."

  "Yes. I’m sure she knew."

  "Did you tip them?"

  "Why?"

  I cock my head. "Never mind. I know you did."

  "Yes. I did."

  "They gave her a cut."

  "You sound sure about that."

  I smirk. "I absofuckinglutely am. There is no way she was that determined to keep you as a client for only her measly cut from photographs. I don’t care if they were super models or not."

  I wipe my mouth and put my napkin in my plate.

  "Are you full?" He asks surprised.

  "As a tick."

  He chuckles and shakes his head. "When the redneck girl comes out of you, it sounds so strange."

  "Why?"

  "Because I don’t see you that way."

  I smirk. "How do you see me? As the sex pot, working the crowd in Vegas?"

  He sets his fork down, wipes his mouth and puts his napkin on his plate. "No. I see you...." The waiter returns to clear the table. He smiles and says something to Aurei. They exchange pleasantries while he works, then Aurei stands and holds his hand out for me to take. When I rise, he hooks it in his arm. "I see you as Mio Bella Signorina."