Page 171 of Captivated

Liliana smiled. “I missed you.”

“I know, my girl. Me, too.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

His last promise.

He only had one more to keep.

She didn’t need him to, but she wondered if he would remember what he told her that he would do when they met up again.

“I don’t think I need an introduction, but for you … It’s Joe Rossi,” he murmured, dotting kisses to the seam of her smiling lips all over again. “It’s far more than just nice to meet you again, Liliana.”

TWENTY-ONE

“THAT FELT LIKE a goodbye,” he heard Liliana murmur against his neck.

Joe held her a little tighter. “Not my kiss, I fucking hope.”

He swore his heart had jolted for a second. This goddamn woman was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it.

Liliana laughed a little, and then pulled back just enough to stare him in the eyes. “No, not you. Never you.”

“Then what?”

“The show, I guess. Dancing. Ballet.”

She shrugged, saying nothing else.

Joe didn’t really need her to. “It doesn’t feel the same, then.”

“I did it, though,” she said quietly, “and that’s what I wanted to do the most.”

He stroked her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs, and then dipped his head down low enough to catch her lips with a sweet kiss. “Then, that’s all that matters.”

“I don’t know what to do with my life now.”

Joe chuckled. “You’ve got all the time in the world to figure that out. That’s the best part about being young, Tesoro.”

And if she wanted him there—as long as she wanted him there with her—he would be right beside her to help her figure it out. Whatever she needed, Joe would be there to give it to her every step of the way.

A throat cleared behind them.

Ah, yeah.

Shit.

He’d almost forgotten about everyone else.

As much as Joe didn’t want to let Liliana go—not even for a single second—he stepped aside because he knew others were waiting to congratulate her. This whole night had been huge, even if she wasn’t going to say so out loud. Her first time back on a stage since everything had happened, and of course, she was amazing.

“You looked wonderful,” Lucian told Liliana.

She took the hug from her father with a wide smile, and the same from her mother, too. A kiss from both, as well. Joe hung back a little but only because he didn’t want to intrude on their moment together.

“We’re so proud of you,” Jordyn added.

“Thanks, Ma.”