Chapter 1

At two a.m., Matteo opened the front door.

The entryway's motion-sensor light caught his right hand. He had removed the ring Isabella had slipped onto his finger.

When he saw me, he paused. His voice was a little rough. "Why are you still awake?"

I crushed my cigarette out in the ashtray. "Waiting for you."

Matteo pulled off his tie and came toward me with a smile, bending to kiss my forehead. "Worried about me? It was a minor problem. It's taken care of."

The perfume on him was not mine. I frowned, set the pair of wedding bands I had prepared on the coffee table, and looked up at him. "Matteo," I said carefully, "let's get married."

The smile froze on his face. He dropped onto the sofa across from me. "I just became Don. Every rival out there is watching for weakness. Getting married now would be reckless. We've been together for ten years. Married or not, I'll love you for the rest of my life. You're the only woman I'll ever marry. Please, just wait a little longer."

Wait?

I had waited ten years, only to hear him tell another woman how happy he was.

He still wanted to marry me?

I did not want to marry him anymore.

I picked up the rings and stood. "Fine. Then let's not get married."

Matteo shot to his feet. "Are you mad at me?"

I shook my head. "No."

He crossed the room and gripped my upper arms, irritation tightening his face. "Every time I come home, the first thing you do is get up, kiss me, and check me for wounds. You strip and inspect my gun before you do anything else. Tonight, you just sat there staring at me. This marriage proposal is a stunt to punish me. You know I can't marry you right now, but you used it to corner me anyway. Aurora, what's gotten into you? You've never acted like this!"

I wrenched free and stared at him with open contempt.

"Did you really go to Chicago?"

Matteo hesitated, then kept lying. "You know Chicago's in trouble. I had no choice but to..."

When had he started lying to me?

I parted my lips to call him out, but before I could, the doorbell rang.

Matteo's head snapped around. He moved me behind him without thinking, one hand on the pistol at his waist, and edged toward the door.

The video intercom showed Isabella outside. Matteo relaxed and opened the door at once.

His voice softened. "What are you doing here?"

Isabella tipped her face up at Matteo, but the sidelong glance she gave me was pure provocation. "Did I leave my hair clip with you?"

Matteo reached into his jacket pocket. A diamond-studded butterfly barrette rested in his palm, delicate enough to look alive.

Isabella took it eagerly, then turned an apologetic look on me. "Sorry to bother you this late, Aurora, but this barrette means a lot to me."

I said nothing.

Isabella gave a little wave. "Now that I have it, I'll head out."

Matteo grabbed the car keys from the entry table. "I'll drive you home."

Then Matteo turned back to explain. "Don't get the wrong idea. We ran into each other on the flight home. She was wearing a dress and didn't have anywhere to keep the clip, so I put it in my pocket for her."

I held his gaze and smiled without warmth. "Got it. Drive safe."