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Jack snorted. “I tried. Just like I tried last night. You slept through dinner.”
The second he mentioned food, my stomach rumbled. Oh, I wasn’t sad. I just needed to eat.
He thrust the bag out, and I took it. Inside were two foil-wrapped items. I grabbed one and opened it, sighing with joy when I saw a panini filled with prosciutto, mozzarella, a fried egg, and tomato. My mouth watered, and I took a huge bite. Jack sat on the edge of the bed next to me and pulled the other sandwich out of the bag. We ate in silence, and when we’d both finished half of our sandwiches, Jack stood and grabbed the coffee cups, passing one to me.
“What are all those bags?”
Jack looked at where he’d dropped the small pile. “Clothes Reuben ordered. They were waiting downstairs. I told Carlo I’d spare him the hassle of bringing them up. There are some new dress shirts and lightweight sweaters for both of us and a couple pairs of jeans.”
“Nice.” My gaze flicked to my duffel, where I’d hidden Jack’s ruined shirt. I probably should have gotten rid of it, but I liked having something of his, so I’d shoved it into the bottom of my bag. “What’s in the box?”
Jack finished chewing the bite he’d just taken before he replied. “Pistachio cornetti.”
“Oh, yum. Yes, please.” I stood, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to the bed.
“Not for you.”
“But why?”
“We’re taking them to the hospital. For Azzura.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Bribery?”
“Goodwill.”
“Fine.”
Jack nodded at where I’d crumpled up the wrapping from my sandwich and tossed it on the bed. “Are you ready to head out?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.”
Ten minutes later, we were back in the borrowed boat, motoring down the canal toward the hospital. We took a different route than we had from Piazza San Marco the day before, and I was grateful I didn’t have to return to the scene of the crime.
Didn’t stop Jack from being an ass as we went through a series of smaller, narrow channels.
“Hey, remember that time you shifted and chased a boat through the Venice canals and got yourself stuck?”
“I fucking hate you.”
A shit-eating grin spread across his face, and I hated that I loved seeing him smile, even if it was because he was making fun of me. “You have to admit it’s pretty funny when you think about it.”
“Whatever.”
Jack’s expression dropped into something a little more serious. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. Or rather, really hurt. With all the boat traffic, it could have been bad.”
“Uh-huh. I’m sure.”
He took one hand off the boat’s wheel and grabbed my wrist. “I am glad you’re good.”
The heat from his touch blazed through my body, and I looked down at where he held me just to make sure there weren’t flames.
Jack let his touch linger until he had to pull us into the dock behind the hospital. I missed the moment of warmth the second it was gone, but it did make me wonder if Jack felt more than sexual attraction between us too. But the moment or whatever it had been was over, and Jack’s all-business mask slipped into place.
It was easy enough to find the maternity ward, and Jack gave Amarena’s name at the small reception desk. We were shown to a small waiting area near the nursery, and five minutes later, Azzura Scivolo walked into the room.
The mink shifter looked like she had every day since we’d started following her—she wore a tight-fitting sweater and slim black pants. Her hair was twisted up in an elegant chignon, her oversized sunglasses perched on her head, and her scarf draped lazily around her shoulders. She prowled toward us with predatory grace and perched on the edge of a low chair.
