Page 5 of The Queen's Vow (Ruthless Games 2)

I put Anthony to work on the two beautiful eggplants while I shredded onions. “Slice them in thick wedges, Messina,” I said to him.

In a hot skillet with basil-infused olive oil, I caramelized the onions, removed them from the pan, and then browned the eggplant.

“What smells so good?” Rebecca came in wearing the red shift dress that pinched at her waist, the one she had on earlier under her trench coat.

“Onions?” Giancarlo said, trailing in behind her. “We’re gonna smell this for days.”

“Who cares, it will taste delicious.” Rebecca leaned her head on my arm. “Is there wine?”

“Of course,” I said, and bent down to kiss her mouth, a sensation that would never stop thrilling me.

Rebecca opened the wine with the one-hand opener like a pro, impressing the hell out of me. Spoiled, she was not. But I intended to spoil her. She was mine. And I took care of what was mine.

With the steaks sizzling to perfection in the wall oven’s broiler, I prepared the eggplant and the caramelized onions. I layered in fresh mozzarella with a pinch of salt and added a drizzle of fresh balsamic with more of that basil-infused olive oil.

I loved to cook and kept my mother alive in my heart by going through her recipe box. Cooking all the meals she’d made for my father and me had also kept my childhood home smelling like she was still there with us.

Only, lately, my father and I were not the same anymore. I pushed that fractured relationship out of my mind. I had my Rebecca back.

And I would do anything to keep her this time.

Anything.

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