Page 492 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

My jaw drops. “The celebrity chef from Sicily?”

“The one and only.”

Tommy walks back over to us with two plastic bags full of to-go containers. “Here you go. Make sure the animals at the rescue get a few good meals out of this, okay?”

A smile stretches across my face as I reach for the bags, but Zeno stops me and takes them instead.

“I’ve got these. You’ve got your hands full with Vito,” he says with a wink, and my insides light up like Roman candles.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Marcone,” I say with a nervous giggle. “I’m a big fan.”

“My pleasure,” he says with an adorable grin as he walks back into the restaurant. “Take care of my pal, Vito.”

“Will do,” I say just as Vito licks the bowl clean and tilts his head up toward us as if he’s asking for seconds.

“Later, buddy. I promise,” I whisper, rubbing the underside of his chin before I collar him and hook the leash into it. “You’ll get a good meal and a warm bed. You’re going to be safe, warm, and happy.”

I stand up again, looping the leash around my wrist. I catch Zeno’s eye as I flip my ponytail over my shoulder.

“You’re really great with him,” he says.

“It’s easy to make animals happy,” I reply with a shrug. “If you’re nice to them and you feed them and play with them, they’ll love you forever.”

“Unlike people, who suck.” He winks at me.

I nod. “Exactly!”

We walk back through the casino with Vito and the scrumptious-smelling food. Vito is hot on Zeno’s heels, trying hard to get close to the bags, and it’s making my path very dangerous since the leash keeps tangling around my ankles.

“Try not to take another spill, okay?” he says. “Because at this point, I really don’t know who’d be more threatening, you or the pit bull.”

“Oh, me for sure,” I say as we head toward the exit, and in my periphery, I see Rayleigh grimace at me as we pass.

Hm. I didn’t think her mouth could do that kind of thing.

I flash her a fake, toothy grin and give her a cheerful wave as we push through the revolving glass doors.

But once we step onto the cobblestone driveway, I realize that my time with Zeno is almost done, and a somber feeling settles over me, like some kind of dark, depressing cloud.

Maybe it’s because for the first time in a really long time, I felt something real with him. Something that made me feel alive and excited, something sparkly and glittery deep inside.

And once I get into the van, it will fizzle out.

Because this kind of thing doesn’t actually materialize in real life.

Well, at least, not inmylife.

And since Zeno clearly didn’t catch the same vibe as I did, it’s really time for me to go and forget him, once and for all.

I help Vito into the van and strap him in before taking the bags from Zeno. I place them on the floor in the front seat and turn to look at him. I have to tilt my head up because he towers over me, and his eyes glimmer like sapphires in the dim lighting of the overhang. “Thanks.”

“Thank you…Lily,” he says, his voice tight.

“You remember?” I ask with shock lacing my words.

“You’re hard to forget. But I have to.” And with that, he backs away and disappears into the hotel, never once looking back.

Oh, hell. What about me? How am I supposed to forget all ofthat?

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