He pursed his lips to hold his laughter and said, “And what was this stranger’s reaction?” “He just handed me the belt and scooted away. He was so cute, and I was… just dumb. I didn’t even see who was passing me because I was busy holding my pants from falling in the middle of the road.” “That wou
“I know my reasons for marrying may seem selfish, but I won’t have anyone less perfect than you, Rosaline,” he whispered. “The rumours have never bothered me as I’ve told you before, and they never will. I wanted to come clean today and tell you that no matter what the reason, marriage is not just a
ROSALINE I slammed the door shut behind me and my eyes snapped to the familiar figure seated on the couch. Luciano was here as he had promised. A sweet something fluttered in my chest, but I shut it down, realising how wrong it was. I did not feel it for the man I should have. Instead, that stupid
“What happened, Rose?” He angled his face and looked down at me, but I did not meet his eyes, only stared at his chin. “What happened on the date?” he asked. “It’s everything that happened,” I said, my voice shaking. “He was nice. Nicer than I had thought. Everything that I had always wanted in a m
Tipping my chin up, he leaned in and brushed his lips on mine oh-so-gently. He was not a gentle person, but with me, he was and I appreciated his efforts. A kiss landed on my cheek and I closed my eyes to feel the warmth of it. His lips traced down to my chin and then the other cheek. Last, when the
Let him go—the voice deep in my head said as he pulled his fingers out of me. We were only making this more complicated. One day, there would not be a way out for either of us. My feelings could cloud my better judgment and common sense. His belt and zipper came undone, and he pushed them down, fre
LUCIANO Last night had been like every other night I spent back at my penthouse. The only difference was that, despite having Rose beside me, it had felt empty and cold. She had not snuggled up to my chest, as she usually would. She had remained on her side of the bed, her back turned to me, even t
Expectation—that damn thing had the power to kill, make men wretched. I was part of it, and so was Rose. All my life, I had worried about what Pa would think of me and when I became Capo, my image to my men kept me worked up. “Is that why you wanted to break this off?” She nodded at my words. “I w