Page 143 of Wicked Rivals

The one that made me fall for him in the first place.

Then he slapped the stack of menus down on the countertop beside me.

“Not quite. We’ll order something in.”

As I sorted the menus, he filled a glass with cold water from the pitcher in the fridge and handed it to me.

“Red meat,” I said. “Steak. Or a burger. Something juicy.”

“Smart. The iron will help your recovery. Steak it is.”

I gulped down the water while he placed an order and sent one of his men to pick it up.

The room spun. I set down the glass and shut my eyes, willing it to stop. Maybe a distraction would make it go away.

“Tell me what happened, Stefano.”

When I opened my eyes, he stood right there, studying my face, my bandaged arm, touching my cheek.

“You feel warm. We should get you back to bed. I’ll bring the food up to you.”

I shook my head, adding to the dizziness, damn it.

“No, tell me what happened. Please, I need to know.”

Placing his hands on my legs, he went over his version, filling in some blanks for me. Then I told him mine, starting with Con Amore. I explained how that weasel broke in while Enzo and I were upstairs in the apartment.

“That wall full of Benedetta’s photos in the basement,” he said. “Some creepy shit.”

A dry chuckle slipped out of my mouth.

“That was probably the least creepy thing about the psycho. Where is he? He’s been taken care of, right?”

The little line between Stefano’s eyes grew deeper.

“What? Val, you shot him,” he said. “Several times. You don’t remember?”

“I don’t want to remember, not yet,” I whispered.

He brushed over my cheek with the back of his fingers, so softly, and gave me a slight nod.

“There are other things we should talk about… for one, you tried to leave me.”

“Please, Stefano, not that, not now.”

Then I rested my head against his shoulder and opened my legs for him to step in closer to my body. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me, his heat warming me.

“Okay, not now,” he said, “but soon.”

“Soon,” I promised, pulling him closer.

Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't have pulled him in like that. It revealed too much about my feelings, but just this once I didn't have the strength to resist.

He held me until our food arrived.

Savory aromas filled the room, making my stomach rumble as Stefano pulled plates out and set the table. Then he lifted me from the counter to carry me to the table. When I wrapped my legs around his hips, he stopped for a second.

“Don’t do that kind of shit if you don’t intend to finish what you start.”

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