Maria only smiled, her eyes warm, her chin lifting with that stubborn grace of hers. “Of course I did. It’s my pleasure as Maid of Honor.And Zach’s, as best man, to supply the card.”
We all laughed, leaning in to give our ex-assassin turned lover girl a ‘thank you’ hug for the dresses.
We collected our bags, adjusted our sunglasses, and swept out through the glass doors into the brightness of the early Hawaiian afternoon.
And there they were.
The men were waiting for us, lined up casually near the curb. Armani shopping bags at their feet, probably filled with sharp suits. Trevor and Zach were the first to peel away, their gazes locked straight onto their women. Maria and Natalia practically floated into their arms, radiant in the sunshine, disappearing into soft laughter and kisses.
I hung back, my bag hooked over one arm, when Kali tugged me closer.
“You know,” she said lightly, her eyes darting over me like she was sizing me up. “Your skin is ridiculously soft. It’s unfair.”
I snorted. “You’re insane.”
“No, I mean it,” she insisted, brushing her fingers over the back of my hand, testing the silk of it. “Smooth. Like you’ve never worked a day in your life.”
“Girl, please!” I teased, leaning in, “ Says you. We have to exchange the entire routines at the hotel.”
She laughed, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. “You’re crazy, I love you.”
I pulled her into a hug, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek and leaving a faint mark of my red lipstick. “I love you more.”
Kali’s perfume still lingered faintly when we pulled back, both of us laughing under our breath. I smoothed the hem of my sundress, ready to follow the others – until I looked up.
And froze.
Matteo was across the sidewalk, hands tucked casually into his pockets. But it wasn’t his stance that held me. It was his eyes.
This time, he didn’t look away.
His gaze locked with mine, sharp and unrelenting, the kind of look that stripped me bare even in the middle of a crowded street. There was something in it – hungry, burning, as though the space between us was a thread he could snap with a single step forward.
For a heartbeat, everything else blurred – the chatter of my friends, the sweep of palm trees in the wind, thegolden sunlight painting the storefront glass. It was just him. That look. That impossible pull.
My chest tightened, heat flooding my cheeks in betrayal. I hated it. Hated the way his attention seared through me, the way it made my skin feel too tight, my pulse too fast.
I looked away first, my jaw tightening as I forced myself back into the group. Still pissed.
“Alright,” Maria announced brightly, as though nothing in the world was tense. She and Zach, maid of honor and best man, gathered up the shopping bags with ease, ferrying them toward the waiting SUVs. Natalia fussed over Gìo being annoying, Kali teased Zane, and everything slipped back into its usual rhythm.
Without sparing Matteo another glance, I slid into the cool leather interior of one of the cars, pulling the door shut firmly behind me.
I told myself the faint flutter still in my chest was nothing but the Hawaiian heat.
Chapter 14
Present
Hawaii
I MANAGED TO IGNORE MATTEO for exactly five hours.
During theabsolutely beautifulwedding, I stayed as far away from him as possible, probably only managing to avoid speaking because the dreamy afternoon was all about Natalia and Trevor and their love.
My luck ran out once we got to Nobu for dinner.
There were two empty seats by the time it was my and Zach’s turn to sit down. Both across from Maria and Matteo, at the end of the table.
