Page 17 of The Mafia's Surprise Gift

And then I saw it. The same bone-creaking, soul-crushing grief that came from losing a parent. No one could understand just how heartbreaking it was until they experienced it themselves, and in the few moments of standing here, I’d forgotten what my mom had told me.

Rocco shared that pain now, and my arms ached suddenly with the urge to comfort him.

Until I remembered why we were strangers.

“He was killed in the city,” I said tightly, trying to maintain eye contact and not stare at every detail of his face. “Carjacking.”

The corners of his mouth dipped down. “Mae. I’m so sorry.”

That apology carried more weight than I could bear. An offer of condolences, yes, but there was something else there. Another apology I didn’t want.

I wanted to walk away. I yelled at myself to do just that—to turn around and walk away—but my body wasn’t listening to the sensible part of my brain. For seven years, I had ached for this man, heartbroken that he'd left me without a word, and now, suddenly, he was back.

“Are you?” I snapped, unable to stop myself. “I would have called you, or even texted you to let you know, but there was this really fucking weird thing.”

Once I started, I couldn’t stop.

“Where you fucked me and then just vanished off the face of the earth, never to be seen again. Not even a forwarding address. So, forgive me if I don’t care about your worthless apologies. Keep your sympathy.”

Rocco appeared completely unfazed. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he took a single step forward, rapidly closing the gap between us.

“Mae,” he said softly, like a plea. “I am sorry. You won’t believe me, but I swear on everything I have and everything I care about that I didn’t mean to leave you in the lurch that night. Or ever.”

“But you did,” I snapped, wetting my lips as his presence turned my mouth into the Sahara. “You did leave. And then you were nothing but a ghost.”

“It was painfully necessary,” Rocco explained, taking another step forward. “There was a family emergency, and from there…” He sucked on his teeth, and when he inhaled, his broad chest seemed to double in size. “I had to attend. I had to take care of things, and by the time I had a moment to myself, I was certain it was too late.”

The world around me melted away. Breathing in, all I could smell was an enticing mix of freshly chopped wood and something fruity. Somehow, Rocco smelled exactly the same as that night, and my stomach flipped. He stepped forward once more, and now he was so close that if I took a deep breath, my chest would rub against his ribs.

This close, the brim of his hat blocked out the glare of the sun and made his eyes strikingly clear.

“By then,” Rocco continued, “I was certain you had a new life. New people. I was nothing more than a memory. Or a nightmare.”

“Family emergency kept you away from the phone for years, huh?” I said, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my spine. Everything about Rocco was inviting me in and it was taking all my mental strength to remain angry.

“If you knew my family…” Rocco’s tongue tsked behind his teeth. “Which is why I’m in town. My father wants to be buried here, so here he shall be. I was so ready for everything about this trip to be nothing but pain, and then here you are, looking as good as ever.”

Warmth flushed across my cheeks and I swallowed hard, finally tearing my eyes away from his honey gaze.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said tightly, trying to look anywhere but at him.

Rocco leaned forward and immediately drew my gaze back to him with just a breath.

“Mae.” Once again, he said my name like he was savoring the taste, and my heart punched up to my throat.

It was like my dream. He was so close that I could kiss him. I could slap his stupid face for leaving me and then pull him into a biting kiss with the same breath. Seven years had passed, and my body still ached for the fire he had ignited across my skin. No one else had compared.

Ever.

I slowly licked my lower lip, and the temptation grew. Rocco’s eyes darted down to my mouth, and his white teeth snagged his own lower lip.

“Rocco,” I said hoarsely, wrestling with what I ached to do and what I knew I should do.

Luckily, my responsibility to Zack won out. Rocco was here for his father's funeral and then he would fuck off back to wherever he came from. I did not need some flake coming into my life—and Zack’s life—just for some good sex. Especially not when that man was Zack’s father.

“Mae…”

“I have to go.” With wavering steps, I backed away from Rocco. Away from his presence, the outside air was surprisingly cool.

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