Page 26 of The Fixer

She looks horrified, and I don‘t blame her. I wouldn’t want to live with me either. “Yes,” I bite out. “This is the price you pay for keeping your brother alive.”

She blinks in confusion. “Moving in with you isn’t a problem,” she says. “But I need to be at my boutique both Tuesday and Wednesday. I just don’t know when I’ll find time to pack.”

Oh.“I’ll send movers. They’ll pack your stuff.”

She rests her small hand on my cheek. “Thank you, Leo,” she says softly. “Thank you for everything.” Then she stands on tiptoe and kisses me.

It’s the merest brushing of lip against lip, but it catapults me back to Dante’s wedding, back to that dance floor, when she blushed prettily and asked me to come back to her hotel room.

I craved her then, and I crave her now.

But nothing has changed.

I still have nothing to offer.

Rosa Tran is sweet, sinful, temptation. Before I do something I will always regret, I take a step back from her, pivot on my heel, andflee.

It’s only when I reach home that I realize I forgot to ask her if she knows anything about her brother’s missing money.

Tomas is waitingfor me in my office on Monday morning. “I got the strangest alert this weekend,” he says, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his coffee. “Evidently, you spent two million euros at a jewelry store in Lecce. The bank couldn’t reach you, so they called me to make sure the transaction was legitimate.”

Tomas manages my money and has access to all my accounts, so I guess it makes sense that the bank called him. I’m also not surprised my purchase set off some red flags—it’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. “It was for an engagement ring. I’m getting married.”

“I heard. Dante filled me in. I also heard I’m getting a new employee, and I should watch him closely.” He lifts his coffee cup, his expression a mix of concern and amusement. “Congratulations seem to be in order.”

“Thank you. You don’t look thrilled.”

“You told me about Patrizia once. Do you remember?”

I nod briefly. It was a long time ago, and I was very drunk. “I’m surprised you do.” I wasn’t the only one drowning my sorrows that night.

“It’s not the sort of story you forget.” He surveys me over the rim of his cup. “I’m glad you’re moving on, Leo. I don’t know Rosa; I’ve only met her at Antonio and Dante’s weddings. But she seems very nice, and if she makes you happy?—”

What did Dante tell Tomas? “This isn’t a real marriage. It’s a way to keep her brother alive.”

“Interesting,” he says. “If it isn’t real, why did you spend so much money on the ring?” A faint look of distaste crosses his face. “Or did she insist on the fancy diamond?”

“What? No.” I frown at my friend. What exactly is he implying? “Rosa doesn’t expect anything from anyone, even when she should. But she liked this ring.” She hadn’t been able to take her eyes off it.

“So you bought it for her. If she didn’t know how rich you are then, she does now. Please tell me you’re at least getting a prenup.”

And that’s quite enough of that. “It sounds to me like you’re calling my fiancée a gold-digger, Tomas,” I say, keeping my voice even with effort. “We’ve been friends a very long time. I’d hate for that to change.”

Tomas smirks into his coffee. “Not real, Leo? Are you sure?”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. “Can we cut this out? If you insist on hanging out in my office and wasting my time, you can help me solve some problems.”

“Leo, I love you like a brother, but I draw the line at giving you sex advice.”

Everyone’s a comedian. I make a rude gesture in his direction. “I need a place to live. The padrino wants us to move in together, but my apartment isn’t big enough.”

“Or clean enough,” he quips.

He’s not wrong. It’s also drafty in winter, too hot in summer, and there’s rarely enough hot water for a decent shower. “She does a lot of late-night sewing, so the new place needs to be large enough to accommodate that. I also need a wedding planner and movers to help Rosa pack her boxes. Oh, and an employee with fashion and retail experience.”

“Anything else?” Tomas asks sarcastically. “Do you want a pony while we’re at it? Or a unicorn? Well, at least you have a lot of money to throw at the problem. When are you moving in together?”

“Wednesday.”

---