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“Yes, do you remember when I spoke of Rockwell Academy?”
I nod and his voice softens. “There were seven of us living in a house. Angelo, me, Ivan, Flynn, Malik and Emma, your friend.”
“I don’t remember.” I wish I did because it sounds as if I was happy there and he says gently, “You wanted your freedom, but Angelo made that impossible. He forced you to move in with us and insisted you brought your roommate to keep you company.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he loves you and, well, your father had a different future for you mapped out.”
“My father?” I am struggling to picture him and Alessandro snarls, “After graduation you were to be married to a man your father chose.”
“My husband?”
He nods. “It turns out your father promised you to his friend Massimo Delauren and one night you never came home.”
“What happened?” I’m so afraid for my past self and Alessandro growls, “We learned you were taken by a teacher to Massimo’s house, where he married you and kept you prisoner. The only time we saw you was when the occasion dictated it and to the world, you appeared happy.”
“Maybe I was.”
Alessandro hisses, “You were far from happy. It was evident in your eyes and I’m guessing you were made to put on a show for our eyes only. What hold did he have over you, Winter? What did he threaten you with to make you do everything he asked?”
His words bounce around my mind like the draw for the lottery and yet none of them comes up with the answer I need.
“I don’t remember.” I place my head in my hands and whisper, “I hate this, Alessandro. There is something holding me back from seeing through the fog. It’s as if it’s so important to remember. I have nothing but anxiety and a fear of being punished, but I don’t remember why.”
I turn into his chest, allowing his strong arm to wrap around me as I struggle to remember. As his hand rubs low circles on my back, he says with a catch to his voice, “Would you like me to tell you how we became friends?”
I nod, just grateful for any bit of information he can give me, and he says in a softer voice, “When you came to Rockwell, Angelo warned us not to touch. You were under our protection because of the future waiting for you. You were to be a mafia bride and must remain untouched because if you went to your marital bed any less than a virgin, you wouldn’t wake up the next morning.”
I stiffen as Nonna’s words come back to haunt me and Alessandro laughs softly, “You were so strong, Winter. So curious and so afraid that you would never discover what it was like to experience the passion of your first kiss.”
“What are you telling me, Alessandro?”
I pull back and stare up into his dark eyes that are brimming with passion, and he tilts my head to face him and whispers, “You went there, anyway.”
“With you?”
I hold my breath as he smiles. “One night only, that was your request. Give you a memory to treasure in the dark days ahead.”
The expression in his eyes and the emotions that swirl inside me are telling me he’s speaking the truth. One night only sounds so familiar to me. Even a little of the fog clears in my mind as I let him inside and I’m discovering he has every right to be there.
“Show me.” I whisper the words so quietly he raises his eyes. “What did you say?”
“I said show me what happened next.”
I edge a little closer and, as his strong hand wraps around the back of my head, I lean in for something I want more than anything. His lips hover tantalizingly close to mine as he says, “Are you sure?”
“Kiss me, Alessandro. One night only you said. Why do I have the feeling that it was the best night of my life?”
As our lips touch, I close my eyes and my soul sighs with relief. His gentle pressure makes my heart ache as if he is frightened I will break. As I reach out and cup his face, I love the rough stubble against my fingers, and I lose myself in a kiss that’s been a long time coming.
CHAPTER19
ALESSANDRO
Icouldn’t stop now if I tried. Finally, Winter is in my arms where she belongs and despite everything, I believe we were always destined to find our way back to one another. Two years of torment after one night of passion tells me that night meant everything, to me, anyway. As I hold her in my arms, I feel so scared I will break her. I should be treading a careful path, but I can’t resist the magnetic pull she has always held over me.
It’s the sweetest sensation in the world kissing the woman I love and despite her fragility, I want this more than life itself and I always did.
