And then I came out of my drug-induced stupor as a prisoner in Dante Moretti’s bedroom.
And today…
The big, bad former mafia enforcer is taking me shopping.
I shake my head at the absurdity of it all.
Dante catches the movement, and his eyes flick toward me, dark and watchful.
“What?”he asks.
“Nothing.”
Obviously not satisfied by my answer, he raises an eyebrow.“Valentina…”
The way he growls my name…
A shudder runs through me.“I was just thinking.”I meet his gaze.“Remembering.”
He was my hated enemy.
But the truth is, the moment Dante slid his wedding ring onto my finger and the helicopter landed at the villa, something shifted between us.
He is not less controlled.
Not less dangerous.
If anything, that coiled power sits beneath his skin more visibly than ever.
But with me?He’s different.Easier, maybe.And more accommodating.
Almost as if the act of claiming me settled something in his mind and his soul.
Moretti, I’ve learned, is a man who is happiest when he has his life exactly the way he wants it.
And apparently, that includes me.
If I am honest with myself, I’d admit that I’m not objecting the way I thought I would.
The SUV slows as we roll into Fredericksburg’s downtown strip, where storefronts painted in cheerful pastels line the street.Hanging flower baskets sway gently in the warm breeze.
The driver pulls to the curb in front of a charming little shop with wide windows filled with glass jars, handmade soaps, and rows of candles arranged like tiny sculptures.
Dante glances at the sign.
“Will this do?”
I lean slightly toward the window.Handmade cosmetics.Lotions.Bath oils.Candles.
Everything I realized this morning that he hadn’t thought to provide.This is exactly the kind of place that will have everything I want.And maybe more.“It’s perfect.”
After his men nod the all-clear, Dante steps out and offers his hand to me.
Previously I’ve ignored him entirely, but not now.I want his hands on me.
For a few heartbeats, he pulls me against him.
This man.
