Illicit Craving (Bend To My Will #5) Read Online Free Page A

call.”
    Thank goodness Vivienne had told Michele not to interrupt her.
    “Will she be long?”
    Milo was really getting ballsy. Vivienne would need to keep an eye on him.
    “From what she said, the call will take a while,” Michele said. “But I’ll tell her that you said hello.”
    After a couple of minutes, Milo said, “Thank you, I’ll see you soon.” The door dinged, signaling that he’d left. Vivienne allowed another minute for him to disappear, as it wouldn’t do for him to see her through the windows. He’d probably turn around and come back in. Maybe if the man encountered Michele a few times and didn’t see Vivienne, he would chill.
    Vivienne’s stomach rumbled, reminding her that lunch was very late. She went out to the counter, and Michele looked up. “Did the call go well?” her assistant said.
    “Yes, it did. And now I need to eat before I faint.” Vivienne laughed, only half joking.
    “Enjoy,” Michele said. “Can you bring back an iced tea for me?”
    “Sure, and I’ll bring extra lemon, just like you prefer it.”
    It was the least Vivienne could do, considering that Michele had run interference with Milo, even if she wasn’t aware of it. It would be prudent to bring her assistant up to speed on that situation, so she wouldn’t be caught off guard. But right then Vivienne needed food, so that discussion would have to wait.
    Lunch ended up being a sandwich to go, and Vivienne was back at the shop pretty quickly. She handed off the tea to Michele, then got back to work, and dealt with business issues until after the others had left for the day. This time she had asked Michele to lock the door behind her, not wanting to face any after-hours customers.
    It was still light out when Vivienne headed over to Luciana’s Italian Restaurant to see Lana. Her friend was working the late shift at the restaurant, with a break at seven. Since she had to finish her shift after dinner, Vivienne suggested that she come by the restaurant, instead of taking time to go someplace else. They could sit at one of the back tables to visit.
    The family-oriented place was busy. The framed photos on the walls, candles in wine bottles with colorful wax drips down the sides, and the wood booths were welcoming. Even if it wasn’t owned by Lana’s parents, it would have seemed warm and inviting.
    When Lana spotted Vivie, she took off her apron and waved, then motioned toward a back table. It was away from the main area, so not as busy with customers. On the way by, Vivie gave Luciana a quick hug, and Lana’s mother said, “Good to see you, honey.” She was tending to a customer, and unable to chat more. Vivienne didn’t see Lana’s father right then, so assumed he must be in the kitchen.
    At the table, Lana gave her a quick squeeze. “Since I don’t have a long dinner break, I ordered for us. The chicken Marsala is still one of your favorites, right?”
    “The way it’s made here? Yes.” Vivienne slid into the booth, and Lana sat across from her.
    A waiter came by and they ordered iced teas. “The food is coming up,” he said, then left.
    “So this is the weekend I go to Hudson with Trace. We leave Friday afternoon,” Lana said. “My parents took me there once, a long time ago, and I remember there was an incredible view of the Hudson River from Parade Hill.”
    “Take your camera and send me pictures,” Vivienne said. “When do you get back?”
    “My dad didn’t put me on the schedule for Monday, so we don’t have to return until early Tuesday.”
    “Nice.” Vivienne sipped her tea. “I can’t wait to hear about the theater, and how you like Hamlet .”
    “It’s going to be so romantic,” Lana said. “This is our first trip away together.”
    “You’ll have a great time,” Vivienne said, knowing that Trace was a fun guy. Hopefully, he was more than that to her friend, because she didn’t want to see Lana’s heart get broken.
    The food arrived, and for a while they focused on