Page 60 of Mafia Wedding

That's when I finally get it.

So that's why.

The reason Thomas thinks this guy is my perfect match is all spelled out in the way his eyes simply don't stop twinkling no matter what I throw at him.

This man will never be scared of me, and I'll never be scared for him.

It's all a person like me can ask, really, and it helps me muster the courage to look straight into his eyes as I strive to meet his first condition.

"I promise."

I won't ever think of myself as a mess.

"And now it's your turn," I add.

Don't keep pushing people away, Kay.

"Kiss me."

Chapter Five

A WEIRD THING HAPPENS as soon as I say the words, and when I see his dark eyes start to twinkle—-

This can't be happening.

"I hate to be the one to break this to you—-" It's his gentle voice again, and since I've always been a quick learner, I now know that sound means I'm in trouble.

"But yeah, asking me to kiss you made you blush."

I touch my cheeks, and my skin absolutely crawls at how hot they feel.

Yuck.

Just yuck, yuck, yuck—-and whoa!

I almost have my gun out from under the table when he suddenly grabs hold of his chest like he's been shot.

"What is it?" I demand.

"You really are a killer, aren't you?"

Has he suddenly lost his mind? Or his memory, at the very least? That we both know what it means to kill is the main reason why Thomas has set us up for a blind date, duh.

"And what makes it even more incredible is how you have no idea of what you're doing." He looks at me with chagrin, and it's my first time to feel intellectually disadvantaged. What, darn it? What am I missing?

"It's your cheeks—-"

Aaargh!

This guy is unbelievably fast, and before I even realize he's done something that can get his fingers yanked out of their sockets, he's already managed to lean forward, pinch my cheeks, and chuckle as he leans back against his seat...and out of my reach.

"What do you think you're doing?" I hiss.

"You only have your cheeks to blame." He shrugs as he says this, and I'm weirdly distracted by the massive breadth of his shoulders. "Seeing them all rosy like that has been fucking killing me."

The penny finally drops, and my skin doesn't just start crawling.

The last time I felt this strongly was when I learned about Brenda and my brother-in-law being murdered. It was like having rage completely consume me, but this time...

---