Page 28 of Now and Forever

“Aren’t people supposed to be scared of you? Isn’t that how you do what you do?”

“Not you, Catalina. I don’t want to scare you.”

I nodded. “I’ll eat.”

I managed a few bites of the delicious meal. As we cut the cake, the sun set over the mountains, leaving a crimson hue in the western sky. Next, Dario led me onto the dance floor illuminated by strings of overhead lights. More twinkling lights seemed to go forever into the surrounding forest, giving it an almost fairy-tale appearance.

With my hand in his, Dario wrapped his arm around my lower back and tugged me against his hard body. Ignoring the hardness of a pistol beneath his jacket, I craned my neck to see his handsome face.

His deep tenor rumbled through me. “You look magnificent, Catalina. When I saw you coming down the aisle, I wondered how I was lucky enough to have you as my wife.”

“I suppose that was Patron’s doing.”

Dario’s eyes darkened. “It wasmydoing. Never confuse the two.”

The music began and Dario led me around the dance floor. Despite his change in expression and tone, I concentrated on the way it felt to be held in his strong arms. Whether a predator by day or a criminal by night, Dario exuded power, strength, and control. It was almost natural to allow my body to follow his lead. By the time the music faded, Dario’s expression was back to unreadable.

We walked to our seats. My rest was short-lived. Vincent Luciano asked me to dance—an offer I couldn’t refuse. Thankfully, he held me at a respectable distance and didn’t require much in the way of conversation. After Vincent, Dante and I waltzed. I lost count of the number of partners until Aléjandro tapped my shoulder with a bow.

Taking my hand, he pulled me closer than necessary, increasing my anxiety.

His lips were close enough to blow warm air on my ear and neck. “Dario is a lucky man.”

I pulled back, meeting his stare. “From what I understand, he’s a deadly man. Luck had very little to do with it.”

Aléjandro acted like I’d just told the funniest joke he’d ever heard before he said, “The next time I’m in KC, we should go to dinner with you.”

“We?”

“Jasmine and me. She’s something. I’m sure Dario told you about her.”

I’d worked too diligently to wear a mask to let it fall now. “She’s a child.”

Before Aléjandro could respond, there was another tap, this time on his shoulder. We both stopped dancing as Dario glowered at Aléjandro. “I believe the future dances are mine,” my husband said, spinning me away from Aléjandro. I landed against his chest, where he possessively held me in place. Before I could say goodbye to my dance partner, my husband had me moving about the floor. “What did you say to him that was so funny?”

I tried to recall. “He said you were a lucky man.”

“And you?”

“I told him you were deadly, and luck had little to do with it.”

Dario’s lips curled upward.

“He also said something about having dinner with us the next time he’s in Kansas City.”

Dario’s dark stare bore into me. “Did he mention Jasmine?”

“He did.”

Dario tensed as his lips pressed together.

“Who is she?”

His expression softened as he leaned down and brushed his lips with mine. “Not tonight, Catalina. Tonight is about us.”

Is she one of his whores?

“She’s a child, Dario.”

---