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in a good outcome in the end. “What’s her name again?”
    “Ms. Mantovani.”
    He shifted in his seat again. The Italian name resurrected his memories of Lia and how she’d murmured naughty-sounding things in that language while his tongue swirled around her sweet little nipple. His cock stiffened, and he pulled out his phone, wondering how much time would need to pass before it was safe to call her.
    Bates turned into the parking garage under the building and keyed in his entry code.
    Adam adjusted his tie and erased Lia from his mind. He didn’t need to go into a meeting with a tent pole in his pants.
    An elevator took them from the parking garage to the lobby. This was the last building his father had commissioned, but he’d died four months before it was finished. Still, Adam saw little pieces of his father in the building, from the marble tile to the rich mahogany of the receptionist’s desk. But since it was also the first property Adam had completed as head of the family business, he’d had added his own touches to it, such as the Chihuly glass sculptures that hung from the lobby’s ceiling three stories above. If he had his choice, he’d leave the day-to-day details of the family business to Bates so he could focus on creating new properties and reviving his current ones with fresh ideas.
    Bates pushed the button for the elevator that would take them to the top of the tower. The spectacular views would only enhance Amadeus’s cooking. In other words, it was perfect. He glanced at Bates and tried to read anything from the man’s stoic expression. “Did Chef Schlittler seem pleased when you mentioned this space to him?”
    “Yes, sir, but he still wants to inspect it personally next week.” Then, with an uncharacteristic tug of his collar, Bates added, “Mr. Kelly, are you sure you want to evict the current tenant? Ms. Mantovani has done an outstanding job of creating a restaurant here already, and she has established this as one of the hottest reservations in town in such a short time.”
    “She’s not Amadeus Schlittler.”
    The elevator dinged, and the doors parted to let them enter. As the elevator zoomed to the top, Bates continued, “Perhaps it would wiser to invest in local talent rather than bring in a big name.”
    “A big name will generate more interest, and therefore more money, than a relative unknown.” He tightened his hand into a fist. “This is business, Bates. Don’t let it get personal. I’ve made my mind up, and nothing is going to change it.”
    “Of course, sir. I was just merely making a suggestion.”
    The elevator stopped, and the doors opened into an entryway that reminded him of a Tuscan villa, right down to the cracked plaster. Not something Amadeus would like if the décor of his current restaurants was any indication. Adam’s mind immediately started calculating the cost to have it removed.
    As he scanned the walls, he spotted a framed cover of last month’s Food and Wine talking about the hottest new chefs in America. And right in the center of the photo was a breaded chicken breast with an arugula salad on top. His stomach dropped. “What was the name of this restaurant again?”
    “La Arietta,” Bates replied.
    His mouth went dry, and his palms grew damp. Shit!
    “Come along, Mr. Kelly.” Bates opened the front door to the dining room. “I expect Ms. Mantovani would like to hear your news before the lunch rush.”
    The waitstaff inside froze as he and Bates entered the room. A thin man with overly-gelled black hair and a gray suit approached them. “Ah, Mr. Bates, so good to see you again.”
    If the slightly feminine tone to the man’s words didn’t clue Adam into the man’s sexuality, the black eyeliner sealed the deal.
    “Good to see you, too, Dax. I hope we’re catching Ms. Mantovani at a good time.”
    “Please,” Dax said with a huff and jutted his hip out. “The girl never leaves this place. I’ll get her for you.”
    Once Dax