Page 18 of Dangerous Vows

I miss the warmth of the floors in my parents’ house—the way they creaked beneath bare feet and morning light made the wood glow golden. But I don’t miss my parents.

I clear the clutter from the small kitchen table that seats four, my fingers lingering on a coffee ring like it’s a relic. A faint scent of cinnamon clings to the air, and for a second, I’m back in that old kitchen, listening to the hiss of the kettle and my mother humming under her breath.

Then the moment’s gone. I turn to the sink and begin washing dishes, chasing the past down the drain with the soap suds.

The day moves at a glacial pace. I binge-watch movies to keep my mind offhim. But as night falls, I’m still thinking about last night and watching the clock tick until I go to work.

I need to focus on my new job—it’s the first real break I’ve had in a long time. I slip into the navy pantsuit I found on clearance and straighten the blazer in front of the mirror. It doesn’t scream confidence, but it’s mine. And for the first time in a while, I let myself believe… maybe I belong.

Siobhan, the woman who hired me, was kind to me and said she liked my energy. She mentioned owning a restaurant on the Island and told me she wanted to give me a chance because someone had once taken a risk on her. Now, she was paying it forward.

I shared the entire conversation with Sarah. However, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I finally have a job that will pay my bills, and I’ll have some money left over.

I should be celebrating.

Instead, my mind keeps reverting to the stranger I should have forgotten.

The chemistry was instant—an undeniable spark that flared too hot, too fast, and too short. Way too short. I’m screwed. I’ll never find a man like that again.

I wonder where he is.

I have a million questions, but none will change the fact that I’ll never see him again.

I head to the subway for my first night at the new job, telling myself I need to get over the one-night stand.

It was one incredible, impulsive, toe-curling night.

It was just one night.

I repeat the five words like a mantra, but they ring hollow.

He was intoxicating—his hands, his mouth, his body. He was a storm I willingly walked into, knowing I wouldn’t come out unscathed.

But try as I might, I can’t forget him.

PIETRO

DISTRACTION AND DEADLINE

Her scent was still on my skin as I shut the penthouse door behind me. My steps carry me toward a world that doesn’t allow for distractions. But fuck if she wasn’t exactly that. A distraction. A spitfire with no fear, no hesitation, no pretense. Just raw, unfiltered sass. A rarity in my world. No one sasses me. No one talks back to me. Ever.

I roll my shoulders, trying to grasp the tasks before me as if they will force my mind back into the present. The streets blur as the guard drives me to the warehouse secluded far beyond the bleeding and damp pavement of the city’s center, which is alive with its usual hum of vice and violence.

Matteo’s office isn’t far—a nondescript warehouse on the city’s edge. It’s one of many, but this one is the backbone of our operations.

I walk in without knocking.

Matteo is perched against his desk, his eyebrows furrowed in thought with a tumbler of whiskey in hand, while Renalto sits sprawled in a leather chair, his boots crossed at the ankles, and he’s drinking the dog that bit him last night. He tosses back a handful of aspirin. Niccoló is lounging on the antique leather sofa. Their conversation cuts off as soon as I enter.

Matteo lifts a brow. “Look who finally decided to crawl out of his bougie penthouse,” he smirks.

Niccoló smiles as he flicks the ash from his cigar into an ashtray beside him. “Didn’t think we’d see you before noon, considering your…exhaustingnight.”

I exhale sharply, dragging a hand down my face. “I’m here, aren’t I? What’s the latest?”

“Damn brother, she must have been a hellcat because you’re walking funny,” Renalto says with an amused look on his face. He pulls himself upright and observes me. “Are you okay?”

I have to admit I strained a few muscles fucking her so hard. “I’m fine,” I snap.

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