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Some part of me had gotten used to him, annoying as he was.
“Always so charming, Enzo. Tell me, how did you meet the beautiful Molly?”
Enzo chuckled, and I couldn’t help looking at him. He looked…happy. And if I wasn’t seeing things, his elderly aunt made him blush.
“You know how it is, Mona. I was out and about. Saw her. Had to have her.” As he spoke, he stroked his fingertips alongmy shoulder, the shoulder that was bare at his instance. His fingertips burned my skin with silent, insistent promise.
He’d insisted I come to this dinner and he had the dress and shoes delivered.
I’d said nothing, but it wasn’t lost on me that everything fit perfectly and the deep green silk perfectly complemented my skin’s dark hues and the cut of the dress made my curves look amazing.
Of course the jerk had great taste. The dress was perfect, and when he’d seen me in it, a slow, satisfied smile had lit his face.
I smiled, suddenly feeling mischievous.
“Oh, that’s not how I remember it at all.”
I batted my eyelashes and could have fist-pumped when Enzo gulped.
Mona laughed, then reached across the table to pat my hand. “We can never listen to men on these things. You tell me the tale,bella.”
Fuck.
I glanced at Enzo and saw he was smiling now—no doubt at my own discomfort.
My plan had backfired. But seeing that flicker of panic on his face had been worth it.
I looked at Mona. “I was in trouble, and Enzo helped me,” I said simply.
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
She nodded. “That sounds like my Enzo. A little rough around the edges, but such a sweet boy. Now that he’s settled down, he’ll be even better.”
I watched her eyes as they lingered on Enzo. The idea of him being “settled” was almost laughable.
Nothing about the man was settled.
He looked dangerous, and not just in the obvious way—the “I could fuck you up and not break a sweat” kind of way.
That was a given.
No. He was dangerous in ways I couldn’t really fathom.
He scared me.
Embarrassing to admit but true nonetheless.
I talked a big game. Hope had told me he was someone I could trust. But when Enzo waited outside my door and then later, when he’d showed up at the shelter and told me I’d find “appropriate attire” inside the package he’d left—I hadn’t even considered defying him.
It had been far too easy for me to go with the flow, and that wasn’t me.
But somehow, bending to Enzo’s will didn’t feel like surrender.
It felt like relief.
Felt like exhaling for the first time in years.
Felt like something I wanted more of.