Novels by Antonia Sass

Cosimo would hear our conversation if I called her. So I typed a brief email instead, hoping he wouldn’t catch what I was up to. Hi. How are you doing? I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I need background information on a certain Irina Vlad. She’s in close relations with the Medici family, she does modeling in Florence, and she’s a Romanian national. That's all I know. Dig up the skeletons in her closet, will you? Looking forward to your reply. Regards, Tamira. I put my phone away, somewhat relieved. We work with an old-school private detective. He might be outdated, but he’s just as resourceful as McGyver when it comes to sniffing out dirt on a client. The best thing is, he works for us incognito. And considering the fact that the Medici pretty much-controlled everything, not just in Citta del Salvatore and Pontefici but also globally, we had to do it without their knowledge. Then I remembered it would be beneficial if I knew a bit more about Luca too. I pulled my device

I didn't want to sound desperate but otherwise, I'd burst without some answers. "Can we talk in private?" I asked, mustering the courage to yank on his vest. Cosimo nodded and showed the way to a corner table. But just as I stepped away from the second station, the security officer sitting at the fourth desk raised his hand. Cosimo went to him and they whispered something back and forth in Italian. He then signaled towards me to step closer. "Put it on the screen," he said in a serious tone. The young man eyeballed him with a baffled look on his face. "Presto, presto (faster, faster)," Cosimo said, noticing the man’s hesitation while reaching a headset towards me. He took a step back, placed the gadget on his ears, and waited with his hands in his pockets. I did the same. This wireless technology canceled the external sounds quite well. Instead of the typing and clicking, my fast heartbeats and quick breaths stuffed my ears full. Great. I probably have a booger, I th

I looked at my watch: five minutes to eleven o'clock. One hour had passed since we entered the guest parlor—one painfully long hour. Sitting down didn't suit my nerves, so I walked around studying the decor. No dust, just a bitter scent of old reigned all throughout the opening. And even though the walls showcased amazing portraits and incredible landscapes, the atmosphere inside stayed undeniably rigid. Four large windows let the warm sunlight in, the abundant brilliance reaching into all four corners of the room. Beautiful, except I didn't find it romantic anymore. I pondered in silence, lost in my thoughts. I noticed the police captain approaching only when the floor screeched beneath his footsteps. "You resemble the Bella Dona di Pontefici," he said with a straight face. "Did you know that?" "It was painted over four-hundred years ago. So... I highly doubt that." "You can't take a compliment, do you?" "It's an unrealistic one at best. Because of the style of the arti

I knew I had no reason to be jealous. We had sex. It was fun. That's it. We haven't discussed anything concrete, so I was clearly overreacting. But I could barely control these consuming flames, and I found myself raging inside me. I cleared my throat with a loud cough and stepped in. "Miss Vlad, a pleasure to see you again," I said, interrupting them boldly. Cosimo wiped his lips down as the woman turned in my direction. With a smirk on his face and a hand in his pocket, he walked up the marble steps and entered the greeting hall. Arrogant much? I thought, my gaze following him in. Irina's eyes narrowed, and her expression changed. "I can smell your cheap stench on him," she said with clenched teeth. Holy shit. I shouted inside me. Poker face, Tami, you got this. "Don't know what you're talking about," I replied quickly. Some of my words slurred on their way out, but all I cared about was avoiding a fiasco, so I hurried after Cosimo. But she grabbed my elbow. "No.

I have never been so close to a helicopter in my life, and neither have I ridden in one before. My legs turned into jello as I climbed in, and I left sweaty handprints all over the cold leather seat. I was worried I'd throw up or faint. Making a fool out of myself wasn't a nuisance in Cosimo's eyes, but I wanted to keep my cool and not ruin this adventurous day. The driver, who was a boat captain, turned out to be also the copilot. I wouldn't be surprised if the man turned out to be also the chef and his masseur as well. He had chiseled features and always wore sunglasses, so he might very well be Cosimo's bodyguard. He fit the profile with his tall, buff figure. I stared at the two, holding my breath as they carried out all the safety checks, looking like professional pilots with years of experience. Cosimo rotated his seat a bit towards me and smiled. "Non aver paura, signorina (don't be afraid, miss). It will be just a short ride," he said, his tone ringing full of enthus

I locked gazes with him. His hooded eyes shimmered with desire and his lips begged to be kissed. And that thin smile behind the stubble on his face made him look even more appetizing. "Sex is taboo in the eyes of many. Why is it such a feared topic when it feels so heavenly?" he asked, breathing onto my shoulder. My heart skipped a beat when he brought his lips real close, but he didn't touch my skin. You teasing bastard. I know what you're up to, I thought. "What are you talking about? Are you trying to seduce me?" I asked. "First of all, you let me peek between your legs so boldly... Then these nude pics... Too bad they're a bit blurry. So, I don't know who's seducing who." "Neither of those were done intentionally," I said, pulling back into the corner of my seat. "That makes it more fun. You're alluring without even trying. I'm curious, what kind of lover are you?" "And I'm curious, why are you hitting on me when you have a girlfriend?" "Irina is... not my girlfri