themselves at him. But his gut feeling was that his friend was telling him the truth. The realization that Sharleen wasnât the woman he
thought
she was made his heart ache.
Why should her past matter?
You havenât exactly been a Boy Scout.
âDonât get me wrong.â Antwan picked up his oversize coffee mug and took a swig. âI love Sharleen, and I think sheâs a fantastic woman, but I could never date someone with more lovers than me. Call me sexist, but thatâs just how I feel.â
âThen you wonât mind if I ask her out.â
Antwanâs face tensed, hardened into a dark, angry mask, but he spoke in a jovial tone. âWhy would I? Itâs a free world. You can date whoever you want.â
âI know, but I donât want there to be any bad blood between us.â
Antwan scoffed. âBad blood over a piece of ass? Man, please, Iâm bigger than that.â
âThis isnât about sex.â
âYes, it is. With you, itâs
always
about sex.â
âNot this time,â Emilio insisted. âSharleen has been incredible the last few weeks, and I think sheâs special.â
âHooking up with her is nothing but a game to you. Itâs all about the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline rush, and once you hit it youâll be on to the next girl.â
Images of making love to Sharleen bombarded his mind. His heartbeat sped up, pounded in his ears, and an erection grew inside his pants. He was attracted to her, sure, but he wanted more than just a sexual relationship. They had a strong connection, a tight bond, and he suspected she was interested in him, too. The thought heartened him, made his chest puff up with pride. It wasnât anything sheâd said; it was the way she looked at him, how her eyes lit up when he âaccidentallyâ touched her. Yesterday, after sheâd left his estate, heâd sat down and planned the perfect date for her, and he was anxious to put his plan into action.
Emilio heard his cell phone buzz and knew his latest text message was from Francesca. He pulled out his phone.
We need to talk. Iâll drop by the house once I finish at the beauty salon.
Feeling heaviness in his chest, he wondered how much money his kid sister wanted this time. Every week she needed somethingâa flashier, more expensive car, spending money for a girls-only trip to Paris, to-die-for diamond earrings from Cartierâand her constant financial demands were weighing him down. The problem was he couldnât say no to her. Not after what had happened to Lucca.
During one of their recent coaching sessions, Sharleen had said he was setting up Francesca to fail in the real word, and sheâd encouraged him to cut the purse strings. But Emilio didnât know if he could do it. He wanted his sister to be happy and didnât want to do anything to ruin their relationship. Heâd lost Immanuel, and he didnât want to lose Francesca, too.
âSince youâre here, I might as well bring you up to speed about my video conference with Ferrari this morning.â Straightening to his full height, Antwan slid his hands into the pockets of his dress pants and smiled broadly. âThey miss you, and theyâre willing to pay seven figures to get you back behind the wheel of one of their race cars...â
Leaning back in his chair, Emilio suppressed a deep sigh. He didnât want to talk about his careerâhe wanted to talk about Sharleen. Dozens of questions filled his mind, and the more he considered what Antwan had said the more confused he was. Was she serious about any of her other suitors? Was their âconnectionâ just wishful thinking on his part?
âAnd thatâs not all. Ferrari wants you to be their new spokesperson.â
Emilio surfaced from his thoughts. âIâll think about it.â
âDonât bother. They needed an answer right away, so I accepted on your
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