“Would you have done anything to make her yours?”
“Si.”
“And did she fall in love with you because it was inevitable?”
“Perhaps,” he answered.
I raised my bottle in the air. “Then you understand me.”
He grumbled, tilting his head back against the ceiling. “Gio isn’t going to like this plan. Alessio will have something to say about it, too.”
“And neither of them will have a leg to stand on because they are the biggest hypocrites of all. If I have to burn Rome to the ground to have her, I will. Just give me a few more days before we tell them.”
He glanced back at me with a smirk and a shake of his head. “Crazy fucking bastard.”
I grinned, hitting my bottle against his. “What did you expect? Look at my role models.”
“So it’s our fault, is it?”
“I’m a product of my environment.” I grabbed another beer from the fridge and slid it towards him. “Now, want to come on an adventure?”
“It’s five a.m., Sani. I’ve been waiting for you all night. I want to go to bed.”
“Old man, you’re not dead yet. Come on.”
“Do I dare ask?”
“I need to get a tattoo. Then we’re going to pay Piero’s secretary an early morning visit.”
He blinked at me. “Those two sentences don’t belong together.”
I slid the file I had on the man across the island, and Max opened it, finding the images I had my PI take of him balls deep in his wife’s barely legal sister.
“He’s our ticket to finding out where they’re keeping Simone Doria and who tipped Piero off about the shipments.”
Max grinned, nodding. “Not just a pretty face, Santino."
Piadina Doesn’t Count As Stalking…Right?
“Lunch was lovely, and so is your home,” I said as Callum helped me into my coat by the front door of his villa. I wasn’t lying. I’d had a lovely afternoon with him. He’d hired a private chef to cook for us and given me a tour of his immaculate, modern home. It lacked any personal touches and felt more like a show home, but it was still stunning.
“Thank you for coming,” he replied, shoving his feet into his designer shoes and grabbing the keys to his Porsche.
“Oh, you don’t need to take me to work. My driver’s outside.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind. I’d like to make sure you get there safely, with everything going on.”
I glanced down at my feet, cursing the heat that was crawling up my neck at exactly what was going on. I’d once again allowed myself to be seduced by Santino Buccini in a very inappropriate place at a very inappropriate time. But that was yesterday. This morning, I woke with a newfound determination to ignore the man and hope this whole thing would disappear. I had no future with a criminal at war with my father, so what on Earth was I doing?
“Grazie, but that’s what mypapiis paying the driver and bodyguards for.”
His fingers slid under my chin, and he gently guided my head until I met his gaze. He really was attractive. Short, light brown hair, green eyes, and a sharp nose that gave him a bit of character. He was also well-built, as I could tell from the way his suits moulded his body like a second skin. And there hadn’t been any awkward silences all afternoon. He’d been an open book, telling me about his upbringing in the UK, how he’d loved the sound of living in Italy before finally deciding Rome was the place he belonged. We really had a lot in common. Callum D'Ardenzi was a catch. He was exactly the type of man I should want to be with—someone stable and safe. So why the hell couldn’t I stop thinking about the forbidden gangster tormenting me?
“Aria, I know this isn’t ideal and may feel rushed or forced, but I wanted you to know I like you. I’m not doing this as a favour to your father. I believe this could genuinely be something if we gave it a chance. I have a very secure estate and just as many resources, if not more, than your father to keep you safe. I realise it probably feels too soon to consider marriage, but... the offer is there.”
I blinked at him, stunned. We’d just had our first official date, and did he… just propose?
“I–um.”
