Page 72 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
“You’re kidding me,” I muttered, already drenched.
Maria yelped, laughing as she tried to shield herself. “Okay, maybe this was a bad idea.”
I tore off my coat without thinking, draping it over her head.
She blinked up at me, her laughter softening.
“Lorenzo…”
“Don’t start.” I ran a hand through my wet hair, sighing. “We need to find shelter before we drown.”
We spotted a small diner up ahead, the dimly lit “OPEN” sign flickering.
“There.” I grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her toward it.
We ducked under the awning, rain dripping from our clothes as we caught our breath. Maria looked at me, then at herself, and then back at me.
And then she burst into laughter.
“We really make the worst decisions.”
I smirked, shaking my head. “Speak for yourself.”
“Oh, please.” She nudged me, her elbow pressing into my side, sending a ripple of warmth through me despite the cold drizzle falling around us. “I remember you making plenty of bad decisions as a kid, too.”
I smirked, shifting slightly closer, the damp air between us carrying the faint scent of her perfume—warm vanilla—delicate, like roses after the rain. “Like what?”
She turned her face up to me, raindrops clinging to her lashes. “Like always trying to be my babysitter, and we ended up almost burning the house because you wouldn’t let me cook.”
I huffed a laugh, shaking my head. “Someone had to look after you.”
Her eyes darkened, something unreadable flickering behind them. “I didn’t want you to.”
The space between us felt smaller, almost nonexistent. The sound of the rain faded, and the world narrowed down to the soft rise and fall of her breath and the way a droplet slid down her cheek. Without thinking, I reached up, brushing it away with my thumb, but I didn’t move my hand after.
Her skin was warm despite the coolness of the rain, and she inhaled sharply at the touch.
“You always wanted to do everything on your own,” I murmured, my thumb tracing the curve of her cheek.
Maria’s lips parted slightly, but no words came. The pulse at the base of her throat quickened, and I could feel the heat of her body, the way her breath mixed with mine in the damp air.
“Maybe I just didn’t want to need you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pattering rain.
“Too bad.” I crossed my arms. “You were reckless, Maria. I had to step in before you got yourself killed.”
She rolled her eyes. “I already had Luca being the annoying older brother. I didn’t need another one.”
I scoffed. “Luca doesn’t count.”
She grinned. “And you do?”
“I always saw myself as meant to protect you.”
Her expression shifted slightly, the playful air thinning just a little. “What if that isn’t what I wanted?”
I swallowed, my hand sliding lower, fingers brushing the damp strands of hair clinging to her jaw.
Her eyes searched mine. My other hand moved on instinct, wrapping around her wrist, feeling the slight tremble beneath my grip.
