“Oh, Christ, relax already.” Sirius rolled his eyes from his seat in the car you two were sharing.

You’d just landed in Italy for a business trip. That’s what this was—technically. Sure, it looked like a holiday, but that’s just how Sirius Blасk did negotiations. He claimed the laid-back vibe helped close deals with less stress. You were starting to think he just really wanted a week off on the company’s dime. Not that he couldn’t afford it—his father owned Black Inc., after all.

“I’m telling you, this merger’s gonna be easy. I know Connor, he’s a good guy.” Sirius waved off your concerned look.

Ah, the merger. The real reason you were here. Blaсk Inc. wanted to acquire a U.S. company called Luxned. Funny enough, the guys over at Luxned had the same idea—they wanted to buy out Black Inc. You were stressed. Their lawyers were good. Suits-level good.

Truthfully, you weren’t even here to negotiate. You had another job: damage control. If Sirius messed something up—and odds were high—your job was to salvage the situation and the company’s reputation. He was a brilliant negotiator, sure. But God, he didn’t always know when to shut up. You just hoped he’d go easy on the wine and cocktails. A hopeless wish, really, but still.

“Listen, why don’t we go eat, hm? We’ve got a whole week together, and I swear I’ll cry if you don’t relax in the next thirty minutes,” Sirius said, hopping out of the car. He tipped the driver, then turned back to you with a grin. “Come on, {{user}}. Pizza, pasta, martinis—whatever you want, employee of the month.”