Page 25 of Convenient Mafia Vows

My heart melts as it always does whenever Abigail uses her manners. I watch her follow Frankie through the swinging doors to the kitchen and almost hit the ceiling when Caleb’s hand covers mine.

“Sorry.” He moves his hand. “I didn’t mean to make you jump. She’s a great kid.”

“Even when she isn’t counting cards and hacking into your computer equipment.” Maybe I should rein it in a little until he has transferred the money into my bank account for Abigail’s education, but my mouth has this habit of speaking before it engages with my brain. Perhaps Abigail is more like me than I realized.”

But Caleb laughs, and for one fleeting moment, I can hear it again. Danny Zuko appearing in front of me, that goofy smile onhis face when he spots the blond wig and the painted-on pants. “Sandy?”

What is it about him that has dragged that memory kicking and screaming back to the surface and is now refusing to let it go?

“She’s a credit to you.” He holds my gaze, and I’m transfixed by those green eyes.

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask eventually.

“My brother has drawn up the marriage contract.”

Now, I understand why this table is reserved for him—the tables nearest to ours are all empty so that no one can listen in on his conversations.

“He has also drawn up a prenup agreement.” His fingers sneak back across the table towards mine, and this time, I don’t pull away. “I meant what I said yesterday, Victoria. Vicky.” He pauses, getting a feel for the name on his tongue, and I can’t help smiling because I like the way it sounds when he says it. “I want you to name your price. Whatever you need, tell me.”

Tears sting my eyes, and I turn my face from him, trying to blink them away before he notices. Too late. He catches one on his fingertip and tilts my chin towards him.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because it doesn’t feel real. I keep thinking that any moment now you’re going to tell me that you’ve changed your mind and then…”

“And then you’ll remember that you’ve still got to pay the rent, and find your brother, and a new job, and Abigail will still have no school to go to.”

I sniff loudly; not my finest look, but Caleb doesn’t even flinch. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen to people like me.”

“People like you.” He holds my gaze, and I feel myself melting into those eyes. “Who are you, Vicky? Who is Victoria Callahan?”

Where do I start? I almost screwed this deal by bringing Abigail with me; just wait till he hears about my addict mom and how she left me and Mason to fend for ourselves while she was out of it in some dingy basement filled with other addicts, used needles, and battered tin pots.

I shrug and force a smile. “I’m just the kind of gal who never gets to go to the ball.”Sandy?“Well hardly ever, anyways.”

He watches me closely as if he can see right through me and knows exactly what’s going on inside my head. So, I force my thoughts away from Danny Zuko and back to the present. “You don’t need to worry about contacting the Academy. I know the head teacher there.”

“You do?” Why am I surprised? I bet Caleb Murray has contacts all around the city and even in the strangest places.

It occurs to me then that we’ve spoken about money—I’ve yet to mention the money I need to help Sienna; I’m building up to it—but we haven’t even scraped the surface of what this pretend married life is going to mean to both of us in practical terms. Heat floods my cheeks when my mind instinctively spirals down a rabbit hole in which Caleb and I are sharing his super king-size bed and we’re both naked…

“What happens once I’ve signed the contract, Caleb?”

“I’ll get a wedding ring made for you. You’ll need an engagement ring too. Have you ever thought about the kind of diamond you would like?”

I almost choke on my water, and I’m pretty certain some comes out of my nose as I splutter liquid back into the glass. A server appears from nowhere, whisking the offending glass away from me and replacing it with a spanking clean one.

“Um, no, not really.”

“It’s fine.” He dismisses the question with a wave of his hand. “We’ll go to Tiffany’s tomorrow. Discreetly. I don’t want anyone finding out until we’ve scheduled the press release.” The efficient businesslike tone is back.

But my mind is still stuck on Tiffany’s. Does he have any idea how expensive that place is? My brain catches up and I remind myself that, of course he does. He’s Caleb Murray.

“Press release?” I squeak. “With photos?”

“Yes. I’ll arrange for you to speak to my personal shopper. You can use the salon here in the Wraith any time you like. I’ll get Lauren to let them know to expect you. Perhaps we should arrange a wedding reception. We can hold it here in the ballroom. Or at the Titan.”

He must notice the dizziness taking hold behind my eyes because he hesitates then, trying to gauge which part of these arrangements I’m unsure of.

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