Page 128 of Empire of Seduction

It was sad, but that was life. I never blamed my mother. I hoped she’d finally found peace somewhere.

“Is this why you don’t want to get married?” Maggie eased back to see my face. “Why you wear the wedding band?”

I owed her the truth after all this time. “No, not entirely. I proposed to a girl when I was seventeen.”

Her body went stiff as her gaze searched mine. “You did?”

“I did. Her name was Simona and I was in love with her. Her family was poor, not anything like mine, but I didn’t care. I was going to marry her.”

“But you said you’ve never been married. So, what happened?”

“My father wouldn’t hear of it. And he decided to prove that Simona only wanted me for the money, the position.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but how did he do that?”

“Not very original, but he told her I’d be cut off. Said she could take a check from him and disappear, or marry me and live in poverty.”

“My god, it’s like something out of a Jane Austen novel. Let me guess? She chose the check.”

“She did.”

“What an asshole,” she spat instantly. “And your dad was definitely a dick for doing that—but it sounds like he saved you from a miserable marriage.”

I shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Vito.” Maggie squeezed my face in her hand and shook me gently. “A woman who takes money instead of you? Please. She didn’t deserve you.”

“This is nice of you to say,” I murmured before pressing a quick kiss to her mouth.

“So the wedding band was a way of, what? Protecting yourself from getting involved again?”

It sounded silly to hear her say it, but it was true. “It was always easier that way. What I do is dangerous and anyone in my world is at risk. I never wanted anyone to get too close.” I flicked her a glance through my lashes. “Until you.”

She bit her lip and we stared at each other. Emotions flickered through the depths of her brownish-green gaze and no doubt mine reflected the same. Fear and uncertainty, but also hope, like we were on the edge of something neither one of us understood. My chest expanded with it, and for the first time I could see my future staring back at me. Here was the person who understood me, who complimented me. Who was strong enough to withstand whatever was thrown in our direction.

The other half of my very soul.

“You’re going to make me cry,” she said, her lip trembling. “And I hate to cry.”

“Don’t cry, amore.” I leaned in to nibble at her lips with mine. “I don’t like to see you sad.”

“I’m not sad. I’m the opposite of sad. I’m so happy right now.” She removed my glasses and put them on the nightstand. Then she drew closer and draped her leg over my hip. “You make me happy, Vito.”

The sense of rightness settled over me again, and I kissed her until we both fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

twenty-two

. . .

Maggie

I wokeup to an empty bed. Again.

Vito had a bad habit of not waking me up in the mornings. By the feel of his cold sheets, he’d been up for some time. I checked my phone on the nightstand. It was seven-thirty, which was late but not horrifically late.

I rolled over and stretched, my muscles protesting as I moved. Mostly, my backside was sore. But everything about last night had been perfect. I was a goner.

“Everything about you matters to me.”

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