Chapter 1
“Fuckingperfect.”
Tomasso Moretti sat quietly in the corner as he watched the object of his desire milling about the grand ballroom as she directed staff and appraised their execution of her orders.
Gone was the quiet, studious girl who’d stolen his heart the moment he’d seen her freshman year of high school. In her place was a boss, running her business, getting the damn job done. Watching her run shit with a clipboard in one hand, a pen in the other, while on a pair of do-me heels, was divine.
After fifteen years, Najah Temple wore her confidence like a badge. That in and of itself was enough to keep his eyes glued to her. But the sight of her full curves in that red romper meant he couldn’t pull his gaze away from her if he’d wanted.
Tomasso came from a big Italian family that loved everything in abundance. Food, family, and fun were all big, brilliant, and fabulous things to be thoroughly enjoyed to the fullest. It was how he lived his life, and how he loved his woman. And as the fitted material of the romper caressed Najah’s voluptuous curves and put all that ass on display, there wasn’t a chance in hell Tomasso was going to give up the glorious view he had.
He’d waited fifteen years for this moment, to reclaim what was always his. Fifteen years of fulfilling a promise that had kept him away from her, and now that this moment had arrived, he was going to enjoy every damn second of it. Too bad poor Najah hadn’t a clue what she was in for.
***
Najah Temple took in a breath as she surveyed the work she and her team had done.
“Perfection.”
That was the only word to describe the way her team had turned the ship’s grand ballroom into a tropical oasis with billowy tulle-covered pillars, soft uplighting of blues, greens, and purplish lights that made the room look like it was submerged beneath the Caribbean Sea.
The tables were covered with light blue linens, and the large centerpieces of tropical florals were the perfect accents to the themed decor.
Najah stood back, taking it all in, loving what her vision and her team’s execution had created. She had a right to be proud. Not just of the decor of this room, or any of the events she’d organized for this alumni cruise, but of the business she’d built one brick at a time.
Her business was thriving after a rough start, and now she was slowly moving her way up to larger and more prestigious accounts. The Excelsior High School Alumni Association was her largest client to date. After the terrific way things had unfolded over the last week, she was sure she’d be adding another repeat customer to her client list.
“You always did enjoy admiring your own work.”
Najah’s entire body stilled at the sound of that familiar voice. It was deeper, richer than it had been when they were teenagers, at the exclusive Excelsior together. Then, it made her heart dance and her insides bubble with giddiness. Now, it made heat tickle her skin as it washed over her.
Has it been so long since you’ve had any that the sound of an old flame’s voice makes your lady parts tingle?
“It’s good to see you again, Najah.”
She slowly turned around to find all six feet four inches of Tomasso Moretti’s solid and brawny frame standing in front of her.
In a tailored Armani suit that hung perfectly on his large shoulders, he sucked up all the air in the room, making it hard for her to focus on anything else but him.
“Tomasso,” she whispered, afraid that if she spoke louder, her nerves would betray her, and her voice would crack. “I wasn’t aware you’d be here. Your name wasn’t on the manifest.”
“Considering my family’s company owns the vessel, I felt it was finally time for me to show my face at one of these things.”
He smiled, and his crisp blue eyes lit up, softening the hard plains of his face. He touched his hand to his neatly trimmed beard that gave his classically handsome features a bit of a rugged edge.
As sexy as he was with his beard and big body, it wasn’t either of those things that had her fighting to stay upright. It was those bright eyes of his, specifically, how they moved over the length of her with visible appreciation.
“Time has been good to you,” he said as he lifted his gaze and met hers. “But then again, you were always the prettiest girl in the room at Excelsior.”
His comment broke whatever spell he’d cast over her that made her stand still, waiting for his next word.
“Me? The prettiest girl at Excelsior? I think you might have some kind of fever clouding your memories. Everyone except you avoided me like being poor was contagious.”
He stepped closer, snaking his fingers around hers as he picked up her hand.
“Najah, always so book smart, yet oblivious to the world around you. The boys kept their distance because once we started dating, I threatened to snap anyone’s neck who even glanced at you.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a whisper of kiss there that had her ready to swoon.
