Page 136 of The Mafia Enforcer's Temptation

Once.

But it smelled like her, so I closed it. And I haven’t opened it again in the past two weeks.

She’s also wearing that fucking ugly ring.

And she looks as miserable as I probably do.

“I thought of looking for you, chasing you. Searching the city, the country, the planet for you.”

“But you didn’t.” Her voice is small.

“Do you blame me?” I snarl.

“No.” She glances down at the animals playing, then lifts her head, her pained gaze on me. “No, I don’t. You’re right. I ran because I was a coward, but not in the way you meant.”

“You know, I went to Bay Ridge. I went to the townhouse. I even stood outside Romanov’s mansion. I got on that motorcycle plenty of times, full of plans to take you by force if necessary. But I didn’t.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“You’re in my fucking blood, Ava. A part of me.”

“I just… I’m not good at this,” she whispers. “How does someone like me love? I’m not sure I deserve it back. What if I suck at it? Everyone I’ve loved died, even the ones I didn’t love, and you were right. I’m greedy and cold and not worthy.”

My heart starts to thump hard. “I never said you weren’t worthy. I’m pretty sure I said there was no one on this planet like you. I’m pretty sure I told you I lied when I said I wasn’t that into you. Didn’t I?”

“Seamus…”

Fuck. The hope is bubbling in my chest, but the thing is, she still hasn’t said she loves me or that she wants me. She’s no fucking shrinking violet. She’s as tough as me. I’m willing to burn the world for her, and she needs to want to do the same for me, too.

“What is it you want?” I ask. “Why are you here?”

“For you, Seamus, why do you think? I’ve never been in love, never loved anyone outside my parents. This isn’t the same at all. The way I feel about you, it’s like I’m burning all the time, and I want you so much that I don’t know what to do or how to handle it. When you didn’t move after I shot you, I was sick to my stomach, panicked that I’d never see or…”

She pauses, wringing her hands together. “Losing you would be the most frightening thing in the world, so I left because… I thought… you’d be better off without me.”

Anger roils my gut. “First, you have to have something to lose it. And second, did you ever fucking ask me if I thought I’d be better off?”

Her eyes narrow and her self-pity vanishes like a fog clearing. “You didn’t fight for me.”

“Why the fuck would I? You were being a cowardly, self-centered brat.”

“You walked around me like I was glass and you didn’t know what to do with me.”

“That,” I say, lifting an eyebrow, “was in your head.”

“I’m trying to apologize and beg for another chance. I’m trying to tell you I’m so in love with you, I can’t even see straight.”

I cross my arms. “Okay. Get on your knees.”

She stares at me. And then she starts to sink down and a grin lifts my lips. But she still does it. “Forgive me, please. Asshole.”

“I’m not sure about the asshole part.” I pull her back up and into my arms. “I’m forgiving you a little too easily, but I likehearing how you’re so in love with me that you can’t even see straight. Nice touch.”

Before she can react, I kiss her, soft and sweet and long.

“I’m so in love with you, Ava. And I’m pretty damn sure my brothers were gonna throttle me if I didn’t make a move to get you back. Letting you go that night was the hardest fucking thing I’ve done. You can’t do that again. You can’t leave me.”

“Seamus,” she whispers. “I came back. I’d burn down everything for you. I’ve killed for you. I blew up a building for you.”