“Reunion .” She laughed a little under her breath, but the sound didn’t mask her anxiety. “Is that what this is?”
“You have been in the wind for five years, Teresa,” he said, his voice low enough that only she could possibly hear him. “I think we both deserve to mark this…occasion.”
In seconds, a waiter appeared tableside and uncorked the champagne. After pouring some for Rico and getting a nod of approval, he poured two glasses and then disappeared, leaving them alone again.
Teresa took a long sip, then sat back, closed her eyes and sighed.
That soft, breathy sound shot through Rico like a bullet. His body was hard as stone and his mind was struggling to keep the memory of her betrayal sharp and clear so that his body and heart couldn’t surrender again. He’d already lived through that once. He wouldn’t do it again.
“I’m surprised your father agreed to the deal I offered him.”
Her eyes opened and brown eyes met blue. “Did you think he wouldn’t?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea how a thief thinks.”
She sucked in a breath. “Are you going to be throwing that word around for the whole month?”
“It’s appropriate, don’t you think?” He paused for a sip of his champagne and let the bubbles slide down his throat. In the flickering candlelight, her golden-brown eyes glittered. “If not for your family’s occupation, we wouldn’t be here.”
Her eyes never left his face. “And you’ll never let me forget it.”
“Why would I?” He set the crystal flute down and stared at her, meeting her accusing glare with one of his own. He was the one who had been cheated, lied to, stolen from. How she had the nerve to act like the injured party was beyond him. But he wasn’t going to let her get away with it. “You don’t like the word thief? Which would you prefer? Criminal? Burglar? Or perhaps cat burglar would be more specific.”
Her fingers swept up and down the slender stem of her champagne flute. His gaze caught the motion and fixated on it. He imagined that small, dainty hand sliding across his body and it took everything he had not to reach out and grab her. Drag her to him across the bench seat and haul her across his lap where she could feel what she was doing to his body. He wanted his hands on her again. He needed to feel the flash and heat of her body against his.
This month was either going to satisfy his need for payback—or kill him.
“The Coretti family has been doing what they do for generations.”
Just like that, it was as if ice water had been poured in his lap.
“And that makes it all right?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You used me for your family’s sake and then left when the job was finished.”
Her eyes went soft and then hard again in a blink. As if she’d deliberately shut out whatever it was that had caused that momentary weakness. “I’ve told you. I didn’t know they were going to take the dagger until the job was done.”
“Very convenient.”
“Nothing convenient about it,” she muttered, then lifted her chin and met his gaze squarely. “If you think it was easy for me to leave you, you’re crazy.”