Chapter 25- Christmas Plans
Lauria Spear fell sofily outside the Romano estate’s floor to ceiling windows, transforming the manicured gardens into something from a fairy tale. Invale, chans reigned as Julia, Sofia, and Maria futtered around me with fabric swatches and flower samples, their excitement about the wedding perparations making my carefully comuniced wall tremble.
“White roses or red for the chapel archway?” Julia held upwo nearly identical samples, her dark eyes sparkling with the kind of joy that made my chest ache. The white is traditional, but the red would be so dramatic against the winter backdrop.”
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“And match how they met Sofia chimed in, ever the romantic, “At my wedding, when Lucia wore that increible red dress that caught Dante’s
гре.
I fought back a wave of guilt. They believed so completely in this try tale romance, in love at first siglu and destiny.
“Lucia!” Maria’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Are you okay! You seem, distant.”
“Just overwhelmed?” 1 forced a smile, gesturing at the explosion of wedding preparations surrounding a “It’s a lot to process.”
Has good overwhelmed, right?” Julia squeezed my hand, her eyes bright with genuine warmth. “I mean anyone can see how perfect you and Dante Lire together. The way he looks at you.
“Like he wants to devour you, Sofa giggled “Even a boring business functions
Heat rushed to my checks as memories of exactly how Dane “devoured me flashed through my mind. Last night in his study, his mouth leaving
marks the sisters couldn’t ser, his huuh……
“You’re blushing” Maria pointed accusingly. “Oh, tell us everything What’s he really like when you’re alone! Is he still so controlled, or
“Ladies” Dante’s voice from the doorway made us all jump. He filled the space si Ir that Jeshul grace that still made my pulse rare, even after months of proximity. “Are your torturing my fiancée with wedding demily”
“Nevert” julia protested, but her grin gave her away. “We’re helping create the perfect on Christmas wedding Speaking of which, big brother, we need your opinion on the chapel flowers-
“Later.” His eyes found mine across the mom, dark and inteme. “I need to borrow Lucia for a moment. Business matter.”
The sisters exchanged knowing looks that made my cheeks burn boner. They’d gotten it is their heads thus “business matters was our code for stolen moments of passion
They weren’t entirely wrong.
I followed Dante to his study, noting the tension in his shoulders. Something was wrong
“What is it?” I asked as he closed the door.
Instead of answering, he handed me a small package wrapped in expensive silver paper. This arrived for you Special delivery.”
My heart stopped when I sair the handwriting on the card. Mark.
With trembling fingers, Topened it. Inside, I found a collection of photographs – imemories captured in black and white. Me laughing on Marina Prant beach Dancing in that abadourd theater. Small moments of a younger, more innocem Luci who still believed in love over dury
“Wedding gilt,” I read from the card, my voice steady despite the chaos in my chest. “A reminder of who you used to be.”
Dante moved behind me, his heat radiating against my back as he looked at the photos over my shoulder. His hands settled on my hips, somehow
both possessive and steadying.
“You seen different in these,” he said, his voice carrying that dangerous softness that made my pache race. “Lighter somehow,”
“I was mise then.” I ser abe photos aside but didn’t turn armunad, afraid of what he might see in my eyes. “I thought everything could be simple.”
“And now!” His lips brushed my car, sending shivers down my spine. What do you think now?”
“Thai nothing shout you is simple.” The words came on breathier than intended as his hands slid up my sides. “That maybe I prefer it that way.”
He spun me to face him, his dark eyes burning with something that made heat pool in my belly. “Careful,” he murmured. “That almost sounds like a
confession
“The only thing I’m confessing “I pressed my hands against his chest, meaning to push him away but somehow pulling him closer, “is that you’re
impossible.”
“Am E” Its mouth hovered just above mine, teasing, “Then why are you trembling?”
“Because you’re infuriating. But my voice shook as his fingers traced my collarbone. “And arrogam. And-
His kiss cui nif my protests, hungry and demanding in a way that spoke of possession miler than romance. I should have resisted. Should have
maintained due professional distance we’d agreed on. Instead, Hound myself nichting into him, letting him devour my defenses with kisses that felt
like claime
“Tell me you don’t want this.” he growled again my lip “Tell me you’d rather have his simple kind of happiness.”
I don’t want simple,” I gasped as his mouth found my neck. “I want
A knock inerrupted whatever dangerous admission was about to escape.
Chapter 24–Christmas Plans
“Daniel” Julb’s voice carried through the wood. The florist needs an answer about the chapel archway!”
He pressed his forehead to mine, frustration evident in every tense line of his body. “Alseays something”
“Always an escape,” Lcorrected softly, diserangling myself from his embrace. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”
“Running away again, caral His voice held that edge that meant trouble. “Like you ran from him?
“No.” I met his dark gaze steadily, “Ruming from whatever this is becoming. Whatever we’re turning into.”
“And what exactly me we turning into!”
The question hang berween us, heavy with implications neither of us was ready to face. Because somewhere between the contract and the chaos, between his control and any defiance, between our masks and our moments of Intali, something had shifted. Something terrifying and exhilarating that we both refused to mmE
“Your sisters are wanting.” I said instead of answering. “Go help plan this fairy tale.“
“Lucia.” His voice stopped me at the door, rough with something that wasnt quite tenderness. “The photos.”
“Bam them,” lifted my chin “That girl who believed in simple happiness doesn’t exist anymore.”
His smile held shadows and promises. “No. She’s become something for more dangerous.”
“Is that what you sent? I challenged, “Something dangerous?
“What I want,” he moved closer again, backing me against the door, “is you. Whether you’re simple or dangerous or somewhere in between. Just
you
The admission huing between us, too honest for our careful game of power and pretense. I slipped out before I could do something stupid like
believe him.
The sound of his sisters laughter floated down the hallway–so genuise, so full of joy about this supposed love story. My gurl twisted slurper.
“There you are!” Sofia’s voter made me jump. “We’ve moved onto ise reception menu. Mama imists on seven courser minimum. It’s a Romano tradition, apparently.”
Let her pull me back into the whirhind of wedding preparations, playing my part perfectly. But Mark’s photos burned in my memory, and Dante’s words echoed in my chest
Just you.
Two simple words that somehow felt more dangerous many business contract.
The snow kept falling outside, turning the world white and clean. But inside, nothing was simple anemone. Nothing was black and white,
And I treat starting to forget why that was such a load thing.
Danse watched me from across the room as his sisters debated mens choices, his dark eyes holding promises I wasn’t ready to explore. Promises that felt nothing like mur careful buinca arrangement and everything like that dangerous something growing between us.
Something that terrified me more than any enemy ever could.
Because contracts end Alliances shift, Business deals dissolve
But this… this felt permanent in a way I couldn’t afford to examine 100 closely.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
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