Page 20 of The Fixer

“You already asked me that,” I point out.

“And you gave me some bullshit about your family. Forget them for a second. Tell me howyouare. This marriage couldn’t have been what you wanted?—”

“It doesn’t matter,” I interrupt. “I’m doing this to save Hugh’s life. It’s worth it.” I blink away the tears that appear out of nowhere. “I’m grateful Leo’s being honest with me. I’d rather know the truth than hope for—” I cut myself off before I can say anything else. Valentina already knows I’m attracted to Leo, but there’s no need to be pathetic about it. “We’ll largely lead separate lives. We’re both adults; we can make this work. And anyway, we haven’t even picked a date for the wedding. Everything feels strange now, but I’ll get used to the situation.”

“Your brother fucks up, and you pay the price?” Her voice is sharp. “How is that fair?”

“It isn’t.” But it’s the way it’s always been. When we were kids, Hugh would be careless with his toys, and I was expected to give him mine. He woulddemand a large ice cream cone, and when he spilled it on the ground, I would be told to share my own. There’s a reason I’m in an MMA class three times a week, taking out my frustrations in the ring. “What would you have me do instead, Valentina? Should I stand by and watch the Mafia kill my brother? My father and my mother, too?”

“Fair enough,” she says with a sigh. She’s silent for a long time. “Rosa, listen. I should probably just mind my own business, but you’re my friend. Underneath that gruff, grumpy exterior, Leo is a good guy who always comes through for the people in his life. I don’t think he agreed to marry you to pay off a debt. It’s more than that. I honestly believe he didn’t want you to face the pain of your family’s death.”

“He’s chaining himself to me for the rest of his life because he doesn’t want to see me sad? I thought I was the romantic here.”

“All I’m saying is, he’s not indifferent to you. You might not have had a choice about entering this marriage, but you do have control over how it goes. There is definite chemistry between the two of you. The first time you met, Leo couldn‘t take his eyes off you.”

“He couldn‘t take his eyes off my boobs, you mean.”

She chuckles. “In his defense, you were practically flashing him. In any case, you have cause for optimism. This doesn’t have to be a loveless, sexless marriage.”

“It’s what Leo wants.”

“So what?” she retorts. “Stop worrying about your family, and stop fretting about Leo. It’s time to start thinking about yourself. What doyouwant, Rosa? Figure out what that is, and then go get it.”

I stareat the flowers for a long time after my phone call. Soft pink roses, not red, because I said I didn’t like showy pieces, and Leo deduced that my sentiments about jewelry would extend to flowers. Vegetarian pasta, not lobster, because I couldn’t bear to think about the way the creatures were cooked.

Valentina is right: I do have cause for optimism.

Leo keeps calling me principessa. And in all my favorite fairy tales, the princess doesn’t wait around to be rescued. She saves herself.

I’m getting married to Leo. I don’t want to cheat on him. I don’t want to wait two years and then takea secret lover, and I certainly don’t want him to do the same.

I want a real marriage. I want my happy ending. I don’t want to give up on my dreams, not without a fight. Even if I’m risking heartbreak, I have to try. Leo might want a marriage in name only, but I’m going to do my best to change his mind.

Breakfast is at nine. That gives me an hour and a half to sew up a dress that will leave him speechless.

Operation Make Leo Cesari Fall In Love With Rosa Tran starts today.

12

LEO

Do I dream about Rosa when I finally fall asleep? Of course I do. I dream about her all night long, the images vivid and carnal because my subconscious is a dick and loves to torture me.

She’s dressed in a wedding gown, all white silk and lace, a sheer veil obscuring her face. The neckline scoops low, exposing the swell of her high, round breasts. She glides down to the altar, and when she reaches me, I sink to my knees. It’s not her veil I’m planning to raise—no, Dream-Me has an entirely different plan in mind. “Hold up your skirt, principessa.”

She obediently hikes up her skirt. Her stockings are white and sheer, held up with garters and a beltthat cinches her narrow waist. Ignoring our assembled guests, I kiss my way up her silk-clad leg until I get to her bare flesh. The brown-gold of her skin is a vibrant contrast to the white of her gown, and I lick that spot until she moans and her legs fall apart.

God, she’s perfect.

The gusset of her panties is damp from her arousal. I slide my finger under the elastic, seeking her hot nub. “Leo,” she moans. “Please.”

“You like this, principessa?” I pull the scrap of lace down her hips and kiss her mound. Her knees buckle, and she loses her grip on her dress. It slides down, brushing my shoulders. “You like it when I pleasure you with my mouth? My tongue?”

She tastes like chocolate dotted with sea salt, like the clean tang of the ocean breeze. She’s a forbidden pleasure, and I would defy the world to have her. Dream-Rosa whimpers as I circle her clit with the tip of my tongue and slide two fingers inside her tight sheath.Mine,I think triumphantly as her body jerks in response to my touch. They can look all they want, but that’s all they can do. She’s mine.

The buzzing of my phone wakes me up. My heart is pounding, and I’m drenched in sweat. Instinctive alarm shoots through me as I rememberevery detail of my dream, and my rock-hard cock confirms an unpleasant truth.

I’m attracted to Rosa. I’ve been attracted to her since the first time I met her, and my feelings haven’t changed in the last nine months. So far, I’ve kept things under control by avoiding her as much as possible.

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