I wear a white dress. That seems like the color I should wear to meet my future husband. It's short enough to be flirty, but still long enough that my aunt won't give me the evil eye. It's classy. I combine it with white pumps and I make sure my hair and makeup look amazing.Now that it's time to officially meet him, I'm nervous. Ethan says that the men who assaulted Sara were definitely Russo's.It makes me wonder who I'm getting into bed with.Not to mention that he's not expecting me. He's expecting a stranger. Someone who doesn't play piano. It should be a good surprise, but not everyone reacts well to surprises.We stopped throwing surprise parties for my grandfather after he pulled out his Glock and shot the balloons. I just hope that Dante takes surprises without a gun.Ethan picks me up outside my apartment. He tells me he hasn't heard anything new about Sara. He tells me that I better behave myself. Aunt Sophia and Uncle Tony have a lot riding on this. This meeting isn't abou
My smile fades. I know that the moment we just had wasn't necessarily a sign that he forgave me, but I hope he has anyway. I quickly walk over to the piano, taking a seat at the piano bench. He follows, then stops and crosses his arms with out sitting.“I'm sorry I reacted the way I did at the hotel,” he says after a moment. “I thought it was a prank. I told my brother Frank that I'd met someone that had me reconsidering marrying the Savio family. It would be like him to put you there just to watch me squirm.”“I should have told you,” I tell him. “I just didn't know how. It wasn't fair to surprise you.”“It would have been a nice surprise if I hadn't told Frank,” Dante admits with a small smile.“ I've never met a woman like you. You make me feel things..."His words take my breath away. I can hardly speak, but I manage to whisper, "I've never met a man like you either."Dante puts one knee on the ground, taking my hands in his.“So, you want to get married?” he asks me. “I don't have
I wake up the next morning at ten am, exhausted.Dinner went well. Dante and I had spent most of it quietly eating our food while my uncle and his father discussed terms. Our mothers didn't say much, but that wasn't strange. While the women in our families were powerful, they deferred to the men in public.After dinner, Dante and I came back to my place. There had been no taming Dante's seemingly insatiable appetite last night. Now he lays there, snoring softly on my bed. He looks adorable, which was probably his intention. I could deal with waking up to this every morning...I start up my coffee maker and hear a sound like a Nintendo game go off in my room. That's weird, I think. I don't even have a TV in there. I'm halfway back to the room when I hear Dante talking."Yes. Yes. I know. I'll be right in," he says, talking into what had to be a cell phone. He hangs up and tosses the phone on the bed just as I step in the doorway. Blue eyes look up at me. "Business. The word is out abou
I have the taxi driver drop me off a few blocks from my house, knowing that I need the time to think things over. The cold, crisp air outside feels good against my hot cheeks. It smells like it might snow later and I secretly hope for a blizzard. A physical cage of snow sounds better than the threatened cage Victoria Russo has just put me in.At least if there was a blizzard, I could spend the time going through my apartment searching and removing the recording devices that were probably hidden in my apartment. That was the only way she could have known that Dante had left or was even there in the first place. She would certainly have the motive and the funds to do so.I kick an empty can down the sidewalk, listening to it plink and ping against the frozen concrete. There's the steady hum of traffic beside me and the cold wind of winter whistling through the buildings. I take a deep breath, focusing on how the cold feels in my lungs. I'm only wearing the skirt and blouse, but I'm hot
The lobby of Dante's office is almost eerily quiet, which given that it was the middle of the day isn't that strange, but the silence is still unnerving. A lone security guard looks up from the desk as I open the door and approach. There isn't another way to get to the shiny silver elevators, so I go straight up him.The desk is situated in such a way that it makes it feel as though the guard is looming over me. The big man stares down his long nose as if I were a bug on the floor, but I don't care. I have done this enough times to know how to behave."I'm Vesper. I'm here to see Mr. Dante Russo. He's expecting me." I stand with my hand on my hip, confident and tall. Nobody intimidates me.The guard blinks slowly and then nods toward the elevator without saying a word. The silence actually makes him more daunting than if he had spoken, but he isn't my problem anymore. I walk to the elevator, feeling his eyes on my ass the whole way. I make sure to sashay just a little bit.It's a long
"Where exactly are we going?" I ask two days later, peering out from the limousine window. My breath is fogging the icy glass and making it hard to see."I told you, it's a surprise," Dante answers nonchalantly, leaning back in his leather seat. His white button-up shirt is open at the collar and I am strongly considering opening it further. The backseat of a limo has plenty of room and privacy for where I want this date to go. He shakes his head slowly, his brown eyes knowing exactly what I am planning. I have to wait.I slump back in my own seat and cross my arms. I know I look like a irritable, spoiled brat. Dante rolls his eyes, but a sliver of a grin cracks his face. I can tell at least he is considering my idea."We're here," he says as the car pulls to a stop. "Behave and later we can play."The way he says the word play sends a small shiver down my spine. I like it when we play.The door to the limo opens and the driver helps me out. I leave my coat in the car and my breath ca
The heat when I open the door makes me sigh in relief after hurrying through the cold morning fog. Sara is waiting for me in our usual booth at the diner. The whole place smells like pancakes and coffee and it's making my mouth water."You're late," Sara chastises me as I sit down across from her and wrap my chilled hands around the cup of coffee she has waiting for me. The heat burns through my frozen fingers but I don't let go."Sorry," I mumble. "I had a hard time getting up this morning.""Late night?" she asks, sipping on her own coffee. She's gorgeous again today. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail that curls down her back. Her dark maroon shirt is long sleeved but low cut enough to display a generous amount of cleavage, but not to the point of being slutty. The haggard, frightened girl I met last time in this diner is gone."Actually, I went to bed early last night. I just didn't sleep very good." I pick up a sugar packet and play with it. "Too much on my mind."“Yo
After breakfast, I wander around the city for a little while, looking at shops and doing my best not to think. The Christmas decorations are out on display and it's easy to lose myself to the green and red of the season. I don't buy anything. I'm a ghost just floating through the city, trying to figure out what to do next.I head home once I'm cold and tired. My bed welcomes me with open arms and the promise of release from my thoughts. When I lay my head down on the pillow, I smell Dante. He had just been here two days ago, and his scent still lingers all over the place. I smile as I snuggle into the pillow, imagining his hard body is what I'm holding onto.My dreams are terrible, as they often are. Dreams of my mother, dreams of the car accident, dreams of the worst futures I can imagine for myself.I wake up at what seems like dawn to my phone ringing. I answer it with sleep still in my voice. "Hello?""Cara." It was Mrs. Russo's horrible voice."Can I help you?" I ask, ready to ju
JacksonHis mouth twitched like he wanted to smile at her. She raised her hand and tried to appear like this wasn’t breaking her heart. If anyone was looking, they would think she was here for moral support and that nothing was wrong.“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for joining me today. First, I’d like to address the vicious rumors going around that I am involved with a woman other than my fiancée. I want to state expressly that this is a bald-faced lie.” He paused and smiled around the room. “And I have proof.”Emma couldn’t help but gasp. So did several reporters.“If you’ll please turn your attention to the screen here,” Jackson said, motioning to a flat screen TV near him. He clicked a small button and the screen came to life. “This is security footage from a small sailboat in the dock. It was overlooked at first, but as with many good things, it warranted a second look.”Emma wondered if he meant something more by that statement, but didn’t have time to ponder it as the securit
JacksonJackson went back up to his apartment, got in the shower, and cried.He hadn’t cried since he was five years old and his pet turtle died. He hadn’t cried like this when his parents died. He didn’t know that it was possible for a grown man to feel this much hurt inside.He had screwed up. Big time.Why hadn’t he just told her? He could have come home from the party and told her then. He could have mentioned it the next day. It would have been so easy.He wanted to say it was to protect her. He wanted to believe it was because he was keeping her calm for the baby.But that was a lie.He was doing it to protect himself. He was afraid she would leave him. That she wouldn’t smile up at him like he was the best thing in the world. That she wouldn’t tease him or make him laugh because she would finally see his true nature.And he had made it a self-fulfilling prophecy. By not telling her, he had ruined things. He had broken their trust.He should have told her that he loved her the m
EmmaEmma didn’t know it was possible to cry this much. She didn’t know that she had this many tears inside of her. She didn’t know that it was possible to feel this much pain from just one lie.He kissed another woman.He didn’t love her.She was obviously nothing to him.She sat on her couch in her tiny apartment, mindlessly eating a pint of ice cream that she stole from his fridge, and cried.The worst part was that she didn’t even feel like she had the right to cry. It was in the contract that they could see other people. Their relationship was never meant to be about love. They were a business relationship. It was always supposed to be a way to keep the bad boy’s business happy. She was only ever supposed to be the good girl image.Yet, it still hurt. It hurt more than she ever thought possible.He had cheated on her. Just because she had suspected this day might come didn’t make it easier. When they had first started this arrangement, she thought she could handle it. She had tho
JacksonJackson sat at his desk, head in his hands. He didn’t know how to fix this one. He had screwed up. It wasn’t really his fault, but now that it was happening, he could see a million different ways he could have prevented this.‘If onlys’ whispered through his mind. He could have pushed the woman away sooner. He should have never been alone. He should have told Emma right away.That was the one that hurt the most. He should have come straight home and told her that a strange woman had kissed him. She would have forgiven him then. She would have understood.He sighed. Now it was too late. He’d kept the kiss to himself. For the first twenty-four hours, he thought he was safe. There were no news stories, no leaks. He had thought that it really was just an over-eager business student.And then came the phone calls. Nearly the instant it hit the tabloids, he was deluged by phone calls.Now there was a note from his housekeeper that Emma had moved all of her things out.He ran his han
EmmaEmma groaned, finally giving up on her nap. Exhaustion still tugged on her, but her phone simply wouldn’t stop buzzing or chiming. Unfortunately, it was on the kitchen table and a good ten steps away from the couch she currently was very comfortable on.The chime went off again. She thought about just leaving it there, but it was plugged in. The chimes would never stop since it would never run out of battery. Besides, that many text messages, emails, and phone calls had to be something important.With a groan, she threw her feet to the floor and sat up from the couch. She just wanted to nap today. This being pregnant thing was harder than she expected. She remembered her friend Grace’s pregnancy being easy. The only thing Grace had was an aversion to the smell of cooked chicken. Emma seemed to have an aversion to everything.She stood up and walked zombie like to the kitchen table. She picked up her phone and started making some ginger tea while she checked what was making her ph
Jackson“I don’t have to go,” Jackson told the beautiful woman laying in bed.Emma rolled over and hugged the bowl closer to her chest.“And what are you going to do if you stay here? Sit and watch me throw up?” she asked, motioning to the bowl.Morning sickness had hit her hard. He’d been surprised to learn that it really should be called All Day sickness as it didn’t occur just in the morning. It actually seemed to be worse for Emma right before bed.“I don’t like leaving you,” he said, softly. He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her hair. She hummed slightly, leaning into him.“I’ll be fine,” she promised. “Honestly, I just want to lay in bed, drink the ginger tea you got me, and watch horrible, trashy TV. There’s a new episode.”Jackson rolled his eyes and then narrowed them. “You aren’t hyping the morning sickness so you can stay home and watch the new episode are you?”“Me?” Emma’s eyes got big and innocent as she held up a hand to her chest. “I would never.”“You so woul
He looked down at the picture again. He was a father.“What are you thinking, Jackson?” Emma asked. He looked up to see her biting her lip and looking like she was about to cry. “Please, tell me what you’re thinking.”“I’m thinking you are the most beautiful woman in the entire world,” he told her. He stood up and put his arms around her. She was shaking. “I’m thinking that I am the luckiest man in the world.”A shudder of relief went through her and she collapsed into him, tucking her face into his shoulder. He rubbed her back.“I was so afraid...” Her words came out muffled, but he understood them.“Why?” he asked, pulling her back.She shrugged. “I don’t know. Your reputation?”“It’s in our contract.”“Yeah, but so are sales taxes and membership fees. Just because it’s in a contract doesn’t mean that it’s something you want,” she replied.He took her chin in his hand, making sure that she looked up at him. She was so beautiful it made his heart catch. If he had felt protective befo
JacksonJackson woke feeling more rested than he had in months. He lay in bed for a moment, his eyes closed and body still, enjoying the lack of exhaustion. He wasn’t sure what had woken him, but it wasn’t his alarm. It wasn’t a need to move or a desire to get the day started.It was that he just wasn’t tired anymore.He peeked open one eye to see the world bathed in sunlight. It was strange that he’d slept so late. Usually, he was up and running by dawn. There was too much for him to do in the world to lay around sleeping all day.Yet, he had relaxed today. He looked over to see Emma curled up beside him. Her chest rose and fell with easy, deep breaths that told him she was still fast asleep. He smiled, watching her for a moment.When she was here, he felt at peace. There was no need to push for the next thing. He still wanted to excel, of course, but the need for better stopped when she was around. She was the best. He was content.It was a strange feeling. Usually, when he woke up
Emma“You must be Emma. It’s so wonderful to meet you. You look just like your pictures in the magazines.”Emma stood at the door of Jackson’s apartment and suddenly wished very much that she didn’t have to do this. But, she didn’t really have much of a choice. This had to happen.“Yes, I’m Emma,” she said, forcing herself to smile as she opened the door a little wider. “Please come in. Your name is Becca, right?”“That’s me, Becca the wedding planner,” the woman chirped. Becca wasn’t much older than Emma, but was several inches shorter. She had beautiful blonde hair in beautiful wavy curls down her back. The woman looked like she just stepped out of a beauty salon.She wore a light pink dress that looked like 1950’s vintage. Her makeup was perfect. Her hair was perfect.Even though Emma wore nice slacks, a button-up dark blue silk shirt, and light makeup, she felt incredibly unprepared. Becca just looked so put together.“Now, I have some samples of other weddings so that I can get y