Page 8 of His Obsession
Most of all, I’m irritated because Nico knows exactly how to make me feel twelve years old no matter how old I actually am. One remark from him about family obligation, and suddenly I’m grinding my teeth in the car like I’m on my way to detention.
Nico’s house sits in the hills in a quiet, expensive neighborhood. The landscaping is perfect, the windows glow warm against the dark, and two black SUVs are parked out front that must belong to his boss, Sebastian.
I know who Sebastian DeLuca is, of course. Billionaire owner a massive conglomerate of nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels. Always ranked on Forbes’ 100, considered one of LA’s most eligible bachelors.
What Nico never talks about are the rumors of Sebastian’s Mafia ties. In another life, I might have laughed them off and said people need to mind their business, but that was before Adrian. Now I don’t discount anything, and the SUVs parked out front don’t give me any peace. Neither do the guards standing by Nico’s gate.
I grab the bottle of wine I brought out of politeness, check my lipstick in the mirror one last time, and tell myself I’m being ridiculous. This is dinner with my brother, not a death sentence. He’s all I have now, so these dinners matter.
I walk up to the front door which he opens before I can knock twice.
“You’re late.”
I hold up the bottle. “You’re welcome.”
He takes the wine and leans down to kiss my cheek. “You’re still late.”
“By like five minutes. It’s LA, you’re lucky I’m not an hour late.”
He looks pleased to see me, which takes some of the heat out of my annoyance. Nico always was handsome in that easy, social way that makes people trust him instinctively. Dark hair like mine, the same green eyes, broad shoulders, and a smile so charming he could talk his way out of murder charges.
I step inside and slip off my heels by the entry rug before he can remind me that this is a shoeless house.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing.”
I blink at him. “Nothing?”
“Try not to sound so suspicious.”
“It is suspicious,” I marvel.
He laughs and starts toward the back of the house. “I had dinner catered, so tonight is really chill.”
“That feels like a trap,” I grumble.
I follow him into the kitchen that’s three times the size of the one we grew up with. His floors are wide-plank, and the low, warm track lighting always makes his living space feel like an art gallery. The massive marble island is full of already-plated food, and the glass doors open to a patio where the last of the evening light has bled out over the hills.
“I thought we’d have dinner on the patio tonight,” Nico says casually, grabbing a bowl of pasta from the island. “It’s such a nice night.”
I nod and go out to see two men sitting at the table already, each nursing their own glasses of red wine.
“Gentlemen, this is my sister Valentina,” Nico says behind me. “Val, you probably remember my best friend Sebastian. And next to him is his cousin, Matteo.”
“Valentina,” Matteo says, standing up and stepping forward to kiss my cheek. “You’re way too beautiful to be Nico’s sister.”
“I got all the looks,” I joke, instantly liking him. I turn to Sebastian. “Nice to see you again.”
Frankly, I don’t remember ever meeting Sebastian. I know he came to our parents’ funeral, but I’ve blocked out most of that day. It takes all my willpower not to gawk.
It’s not that I didn’t know, in theory, that Nico’s best friend was attractive. He’s not one of LA’s most eligible bachelors for nothing. It’s that nothing about the vague idea in my head prepared me for the actual reality of Sebastian DeLuca in person.
He’s bigger than I expected, built like a defensive lineman. He doesn’t stand, but even sitting I can tell he’s several inches taller than Nico and Matteo. Black hair and dark eyes that make his face look sharper, harsher than the pictures in the gossip magazines. Undeniably, unbelievably hot. Also, apparently, the rudest man in the universe.
He doesn’t smile when I look at him. He just watches me. My skin prickles under his gaze.
“Valentina,” Sebastian finally says, his voice low and deep. “Nice to see you.”
