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“He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you,” Emily says, stepping into view behind me with a knowing smile.

Heat creeps up my neck. “You think so? I just feel…”

“It doesn’t matter what you feel right now,” she interrupts. “You want your man? Then go and get him. Sometimes, a woman has to play the game to win.”

I nod, but the doubt lingers. “But what if he rejects me? Like he did at dinner?”

Emily scoffs, disappearing into my closet. “If that man turns you down looking like this, then he’s blind. Just be bold, Maria. Tell him what you want. You don’t have to fall in love tonight, but you can at least get an orgasm or two along the way.”

I let out a breathy laugh, but my nerves refuse to settle.

Emily returns, tea in hand. She sets it down on the vanity, stirring it absentmindedly before meeting my gaze in the mirror.

“You have the kind of beauty that could launch a thousand ships,” she murmurs. “The kind of woman men go to war for. Own your power. You wear his ring. You carry his name. If you want his heart, fight for it.”

Something shifts inside me. A slow-burning confidence I didn’t know I had.

“Okay,” I say, straightening my shoulders. “I can do this.”

Emily grins. “That’s the spirit.” She lifts the tea. “This will calm your nerves. Or I can make you a dirty martini.”

I arch a brow. “Both?”

We laugh together.

I didn’t have many friends growing up, but Emily feels like the first real one. And for that, I’m grateful.

The evening slipsinto the night as I sit on the couch in the sunken lounge. I watch the hours tick by until the clock finally strikes 11:00. It only turns to 11:05 when I hear him come in. His heavy footsteps hit against the marble floor, and I look back and see him.

My breath catches in my throat. He is walking sex on legs, and it’s criminal that one man should look this good. The room immediately becomes supercharged.

We haven’t had a conversation since last night. The last thing I told him was that this was not a real marriage. And I walked up the stairs. Now here I am in a silk robe with red lingerie underneath.

Christ.

“You’re up.” His husky voice fills the room. “I thought you would be asleep by now.”

I gulp and stand from my seat. I place the empty martini glass down and turn slowly so I’m facing him. My robe is closed, concealing the red underneath.

My heart pounds heavy in my chest.

“I was waiting for you.” My voice comes out rough. Laced with passion and lust all over it.

Matteo’s eyes roam over my body, lingering on the silk robe that barely covers my thighs. His gaze darkens as it travels back up to meet mine.

“You were waiting for me?” he asks, his voice low and gravelly. There is something dark and enticing in his tone. He takes a step closer, his presence filling the room. “And why is that, Maria?”

I swallow hard, gathering my courage. “I wanted to see you. I don’t like how we left things last night. It was… rough. I wasn’t aware what happened to your men.”

He blinks but says nothing.

I take a deep breath and shake whatever fears I have. “I forget that this is the world I live in now. Every time you walk out that door, there is a chance you may not come back. This life you live is filled with blood and gore. You see darkness every day. You have become accustomed to it. The closest I have gotten to it was seeing my dead brother in a casket.”

I play with the strands of my silk robe. “I am sorry for not being considerate last night. But I do feel like we need to talk, so I stayed up to see you for this specific purpose.”

Another step closer. He’s only a few feet away now, close enough that I can smell his cologne.

“See me for what purpose?” His eyes are intense, burning into mine.