Book 3
PROLOGUE
“Don’t turn your back on me. Look at me. I think I deserve at least that little bit of decency, Dante.
Tension radiated from him as he turned toward me.
He did not approach but looked at me. For once, he didn’t pretend I was invisible. His blue eyes roamed over my exposed body.
My nipples hardened in the cool air of his office but I did not close my silk robe, despite the overwhelming need to cover myself from Dante’s cold gaze. His gaze lingered on the apex of my thighs slightly longer than on the rest of my body, and a small burst of hope filled me.
“Am I your wife?”
Her blond eyebrows came together. “Of course you are.” There was a hint of something I couldn’t place in her voice.
“Then claim your rights, Dante. Make me yours.”
He did not move, but his eyes slid over my erect nipples.
His gaze was almost something physical, like a phantom touch on my bare skin.
I was not above begging. I knew I almost had it. I wanted to have sex tonight. “I have needs, too. Would you rather I found a lover to relieve you of the burden of touching me?”
I wasn’t sure I could go through with it. No, I knew I couldn’t go through with it, but this act of provocation was my last option. If Dante did not respond, then I would not know what else to do.
“No,” he said abruptly, something angry and possessive bursting through his perfect mask. He tightened his lips , his jaw clenched, and moved closer to me. I trembled with need and excitement when he stopped in front of me.
He didn’t reach me, but I thought I noticed a hint of desire in his eyes. It was not much, but enough to encourage me . I bridged the remaining distance between us and rested my fingers on his strong shoulders, pressing my naked body against his chest. The rough fabric of his suit rubbed delightfully against my sensitive nipples, and I let out a little moan. The pressure between my legs was almost unbearable. Dante’s eyes flashed as he looked at me. Slowly he wrapped an arm around me and placed his palm against my lower back.
Triumph flooded over me. He was not ignoring me now.
CHAPTER ONE.
Of course I knew this was going to happen. My father had made his point clear the moment my first husband Antonio was buried .
I was too young to remain unmarried. But I did not expect my father to find me a new husband so quickly, and I certainly did not expect my new husband to be Dante – The Boss – Cavallaro.
Antonio’s funeral had taken place only nine months earlier, which made my new engagement teeter on the brink of inappropriate . Mom was usually among the first to pounce on those who committed a social faux pas, yet she saw nothing wrong with the fact that today, less than a year after saying goodbye to Antonio, I was going to meet my next husband. I had never loved Antonio the way a woman loves a man, even though I had once believed it, and our marriage had never been real, but I hoped to have more time before I was forced into another union, especially since this time I could not even choose for myself .
“You are so lucky that Dante Cavallaro agreed to marry you. It was a surprise to many that he decided to take a woman who was already married.
After all, he could have chosen from a line of eager young women,” my mother said as she brushed my dark brown hair. She did not mean to hurt my feelings; she was just stating the obvious.
I knew it was true. They all did.
A man in Dante’s position did not have to settle for the scraps of another, inferior man. This is what most people probably thought, and yet I should have married him. I, who did not even want to marry someone as powerful and cunning as Dante Cavallaro. I, who wanted to be alone, if only to protect Antonio’s secret. How could I have continued to lie? Dante was known as a man who always knew when someone was lying.
“In two months he will be the head of the company, and when you marry him you will be the most influential woman in Chicago and the Midwest. And if you keep your good friendship with Aria, you will also have ties to New York.
As usual my mother was way ahead, already planning world domination, while I was still trying to convince myself that I should marry The Boss. This was too dangerous. I was not a bad liar. In the years of my marriage to Antony I had continuously improved my skills, but there was a big difference between lying to the outside world and lying to one’s husband. Anger toward Antony resurfaced as it had so many times in recent months. He had forced me into this situation.
Mother stepped back, admiring his work. My dark hair fell in soft shiny curls over my shoulders and back. I stood up. For the occasion I had chosen a cream-colored pencil skirt and a plum-colored blouse tucked into my belt, as well as modest black pants. I was one of the tallest women in the Outfit at 5’7” and naturally my mother feared that Dante would be discouraged if I wore high heels. I didn’t bother to point out that Dante was at least six inches taller than me anyway; I wouldn’t have been taller than him even in high heels. And anyway, it was not the first time he had seen me. We had met a couple of times at mob events and had even shared a brief dance at Aria’s wedding in August, three months ago. But we had never exchanged more than the expected pleasantries, and I certainly had never gotten the impression that Dante was the least bit interested in me, but he was known to be closed-minded, so who knew what was really on his mind about his?
“Has he been dating anyone since his wife died?” I asked. Usually this kind of gossip spreads quickly in our circles but maybe I missed it. Often the older women in the family were the first to learn about each other’s dirty laundry. To be honest, for most of them, gossiping was the main occupation.
Mother smiled sadly. “Not officially. Rumor has it that he couldn’t let go of his wife, but it’s been more than three years, and now that he’s about to become the head of the outfit, he can’t cling to the memory of a dead woman. He needs to move on and produce an heir. He put his hands on my shoulders and smiled radiantly. “And you will be the one to give him a beautiful son, honey.”
My stomach dropped. “Not today.”
My mother shook her head laughing. “Soon enough.
The wedding is in two months. If it were up to Mom and Dad, the wedding would have been weeks ago.
They were probably worried that Dante might change his mind about me.
“Valentina! Livia! Dante’s car stopped right now.” Mom clapped her hands, then winked. “Let’s make him forget his wife.”
I hoped she wouldn’t say something so insipid when Dante was around. I followed her downstairs and tried to assume my most sophisticated expression. Dad opened the door. I could not remember the last time he had actually opened the door. He usually let my mother, me, or our maid do it, but even I could tell that he was practically hopping with excitement. Did he really have to make it so obvious that he desperately wanted to marry me again? It made me feel like the last puppy in a litter the pet store couldn’t wait to get rid of.
Dante’s blond hair appeared on the threshold as my mother and I paused in the center of our lobby. It was snowing outside, and the soft veil of snowflakes on Dante’s head made his hair look almost golden. I understood why some people were frustrated with Aria’s marriage to Luca. She and Dante were going to be the golden couple.
Dad opened the door wider with a broad smile. Dante shook Father’s hand and they exchanged a few low words. Mom practically hopped on her feet next to me. She turned on her thousand-watt smile when Dante and Dad finally made their way toward us. I forced my lips into a much less radiant smile.
As was tradition, Dante greeted my mother first, with a bow and a kiss on the hand, before looking at me. He gave me a brusque smile that did not reach his blue eyes, then kissed my hand.
“Valentina,” he said in his soft, emotionless voice.
From a purely physical point of view, I found Dante more than attractive. He was tall and slightly muscular, impeccably dressed in a dark gray three-piece suit, white shirt, and blue tie, and he had thick blond hair, loosely combed back. But everyone called him a cold fish, and from our brief encounters I knew they were right.
“It’s wonderful to meet you again,” I said, tilting my head slightly.
Dante let go of my hand. “Yes.” He turned his empty gaze toward my father. “I’d like to talk to Valentina alone.”
As usual, no pleasantries were wasted.
“Sure,” Dad said enthusiastically, taking my mother by the arm and already leading her away. If I had not been married before, they would never have left me alone with a man, but as it was they thought they no longer had to protect my virtue. And I could not tell them that Antonio and I had never consummated our marriage. I couldn’t tell anyone, least of all Dante.
When Mom and Dad had disappeared into my father’s office , Dante turned to me. “This is acceptable to you, I presume.”
He seemed so reserved and controlled, as if his emotions were bottled up so deep that even he could not reach them . I wondered how much was the result of his wife’s death and how much was his natural disposition.
“Yes,” I said, hoping he could not see how nervous I was. I pointed to a door to our left. “Would you like to sit down for our talk?”
Dante nodded and I led him into the living room. I let myself fall onto the couch and Dante sat in the armchair across from me. I would have thought he would sit next to me, but he seemed content to keep all the acceptable space between us. Except for the brief kiss on the hand, he made sure not to touch me. He probably found that inappropriate until we were married. That’s what I hoped for at least.
“I assume your father has told you that our wedding is scheduled for January 5.