by Piper Rayne
“My treat. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. What have you been up to?”
The cashier takes his order—a caramel latte with skim milk. That doesn’t really sound like Enzo, but who am I to judge?
“Not much. I was here for a dance competition.”
“Oh, you’re still dancing?”
He’s polite enough to act as though he hasn’t heard the rumors over the years when we both know that our predominantly Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn gossips enough to put Page Six in the New York Times to shame.
“No. I own a few dance studios in the city. My kids were performing,” I say.
“Oh, that’s awesome.”
We stand by a pillar, and though I don’t have to pry—since I know all about his life over the past two years—I ask because he doesn’t know that. “And you? Keeping out of trouble?”
A grin with wattage that would match the Strip’s electricity bill lights up his face. “I met someone.” He nods toward the coffee place. “Hence, the caramel latte. I’m not even staying at this hotel.”
He laughs, and I can’t help but smile. Back in the day, the Mancini boys were all so driven to succeed that I never thought I’d see the day when a woman nailed them down. They broke a lot of hearts without even knowing it. The fact that a woman scored Enzo says she’s probably amazing.
“I’d love to meet her.”
His hand touches my arm. “Tonight.”
The barista calls out our drink orders. Being the gentleman his mother raised him to be, Enzo picks up both cups and hands me mine.
“It’ll be fun,” he says. “Are you here with someone?” I have no chance to answer. “Bring him along.”
Don’t worry, he’ll be there.
“Nah, I’m by myself, but it’s a family thing.”
He tilts his head. “No such thing. You know that. Come on.” He pulls out the one thing I’ve feared this entire time—his phone. “Let me grab your number and I’ll text you the details.”
“Um… well…”
“Come on. Did you hear about Carm? He’s practically got the ball and chain around his ankle now too. You can’t tell me you don’t want to meet the woman who wants to spend all her time with Carm?” He laughs.
Carm… the one Mancini who always smiles.
“Okay, maybe just a quick dinner.”
I don’t know why I’m agreeing. Unfortunately, it’s hard to fool yourself and I know exactly why I said yes. It’s as simple as the fact that my relationship with Dominic Mancini has always been complicated and after a drought of almost nine months, I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet.
“Great. Give me your phone number.”
I rattle off mine, then my phone dings in my bag.
He says, “That’s mine. It’s around seven tonight. Nothing dressy. I’ll text you the details.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for the invite.”
As Enzo leans in to hug me goodbye, I wonder if I should give Dom a heads-up or not. Would he give me one? Probably not. Might as well play a little game of my own this time around.
Chapter Three
Dominic
* * *
“You’re such a pussy. Where were you this morning?” Luca jabs me in the arm with his fist.
“I’m the oldest. I can’t spring back from a hangover as fast anymore.” I sip my scotch on the rocks, hoping my younger cousin accepts my lame-ass excuse.
“Did you hear about my buddy puking?” He shakes his head as his fiancée, Lauren, comes over and slides her arm behind Luca’s back. He pulls her closer but continues his conversation with me as though it’s a natural occurrence. “He’s still up in his room. We’ll see if he can fly tomorrow.”
She laughs and Luca kisses the top of her head, chuckling himself.
Never did I think I’d see my youngest cousin so at ease with a woman who’s about to be a permanent fixture in his life.
“How was your bachelorette party last night?” I ask Lauren.
“Fun. How were the strippers last night?” She raises her eyebrows.
Luca throws his head back and laughs. “No lap dances.”
That’s the truth—unless something changed after I left. Something tells me that’s not why Luca came to Vegas for his bachelor party.
“Yeah, but you had naked girls dancing for you.” She pokes his stomach before stealing his beer and downing a sip.
“I would’ve gladly sat in a chair all night and watched you dance around a pole naked.”
Her face tints pink because she knows it’s true. Just like all my cousins and my brothers, Luca has fallen hard. I’m practically the last of the singles in my family.
My baby sister, Blanca, comes up next to me. “There you are.”
“What’s up?”
“You’re the only other single person here. I need to get away from the kissy and huggy sweetness of it all. Can I get at least one fight? Show me their lives aren’t all roses and sunshine.” Blanca pushes between Luca and me to reach the bar. “No offense to you guys. You’re the wedding couple, so you should be all unicorn and rainbows.”
She orders her drink and I slide money to the bartender. She’s my little sister and is still working her way up the corporate banking ladder.
“Thanks, big bro.” She twirls her straw in her drink. “All of this wedding stuff must cost a fortune.”
“Blanca.” I shake my head, but when you’re dirt poor just out of college, you obsess over how much everything costs. I’ve been there.
Luca laughs. “You only get married once.” He and Lauren smile at one another.
“Here’s hoping.” Blanca laughs.
My gut twists as the realization of my predicament sets in with Luca’s words. I’m now going to be a second marriage guy. If I meet a woman I want to marry one day, I’ll have to tell her she’s about to become my second wife. I know enough about women to know that she’ll feel as if she’s my second choice, and she might not be far off in her assumption.
Val is just something I’ve never worked out of my system. That’s all she is. I thought I’d accomplished it after nine months of silence. Sure, I’d stalk her on social media, but other than a few personal pics of her and Ryder, it’s all business on there.
“Especially for an Italian. Could you imagine what Zia or Ma would say about a divorce?” Blanca shakes her head.
She’s unknowingly pissing me off. I can’t imagine if Ma ever found out about my wedding. She’d be heading to church and praying every day for my immortal soul.
“Oh my God!” Blanca screeches and hits me in the stomach before pointing toward the door. “Look!”
The three of us turn and look in the direction she’s pointing. My drink slides through my fingers and falls to the floor, where it smashes into a million pieces.
“Party foul,” Luca says.
Flustered, I crouch to pick up the shards of glass. What the hell is Valentina doing here? She wouldn’t come here to out us, would she?
“Who’s that?” Lauren asks.
“Valentina Daniella Cavallo,” Blanca answers.
“What kinda name is that?” Luca comments.
He doesn’t remember, but he knew her once upon a time. He’d just never imagine that the knockout brunette in front of him is the same girl who used to wear pigtail braids and sport skinned knees.
“Everyone always referred to her by all three of her given names. Even after she got married.”
I drop a piece of the glass in my hand at the mention of Val getting married. When I glance up, a waitress is on her way over to help me. The four of us step away so she can wash the floor after I’ve picked up all the glass.
“She’s married? Here I thought she’d be a good date for Dom.” Lauren winks at me.
Little does she know I’m her husband, so technically speaking, Blanca’s the only single one in the room.
“She’s divorced,” Blanca whispers.
Is that what I have to look forward to? My
sister lowering her voice when she’s asked about me?
“Got pregnant young and married the guy. Her whole dancing career ended. Her ex is Max Sommerland, from the morning show, Wake-Up America. He’s not the main guy, but he’s the segment guy. You know who I mean?”
My eyes keep straying to Val as Enzo hugs her and introduces her to Annie. Did she know we were here? Why would she come if she did?
“Oh, I love that guy. He’s why I watch,” Luca says.
“He’s a douche. Always flirting with the women like they want him.” Lauren rolls her eyes.
“No, you must be thinking of the wrong guy, babe,” Luca says.
“I’m not…”
Luca and Lauren’s arguing fades into the background when Val’s searching eyes land on mine. The animosity I expected isn’t there.
So… she knew I was here.
“Excuse—”
Carm comes up behind her and picks her up, circling around. She squeals and laughs at his antics. He’s her type. Eccentric. Outgoing. Happy. It’s the same reason Luca loves her asshole ex. He’s a lot like Carm. The party guy.
“She and Dom always had a connection.”
“What?” I whip my head in my sister’s direction.
“Oh, come on. You beat up that guy who was picking on her in the third grade, and after that, it was only a matter of time.”
“Were you even born then?”
She shrugs and puts up her hands. “The story has been told so many times, I feel like I was there. A young Dom saving his princess.”
I roll my eyes at my sister’s ridiculous fantasy.
Truth is, I was never Val’s type. I just saved her from the ones who were. Until I didn’t.
“I wonder why she’s here,” Blanca whispers.
“Yeah, and why’s she in Vegas?” Might as well try to keep this marriage thing under wraps.
“Oh, her dance company was here competing. I saw it on Instagram. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. I’m going to say hello.” Blanca touches my arm before she walks toward Val.
“Go ahead, Dom. We can keep ourselves busy,” Luca says, already turning his soon-to-be wife toward him and finding her lips.
“I’m going to find a seat.”
Since dinner won’t start for another twenty minutes, I sit down in the lounge beside the bar, pulling out my phone. My annoyingly loud family carries on with Val, who I haven’t had the nerve to look at again for fear our eyes will lock and people will figure us out.
Carm falls into the seat next to me. “Always working. Did you see who’s here? Small world.”
“Yeah.” I run my thumbs over my screen, responding to a work email.
“So, bro”—he clamps me on the shoulder—“I get huge props because I’ve yet to tell anyone, but I want deets. I see you took off the hardware.” He eyes my empty ring finger.
Both rings from last night are tucked into my suitcase. Val was gone when I returned to the room and her ring was left behind, so I guess it’s mine. “It was stupid, and I’ll get it annulled.”
“But who’s the red-toenail-polish hottie?”
I should’ve guessed that he got a peek before I shoved him out the door.
“And what the hell is with you marrying someone after only a few hours? Classic me, but you? Hell no.” Carm is chomping on a piece of gum, and the slapping of his jaw aggravates me.
“It was just some woman. No one important.”
“No one important? You married her.” Carm leans back in the seat, resting his ankle on his knee.
I glance up to see Bella escorting Val over here. “I was drunk. Beyond drunk. Obliterated.”
Not really. Not enough that memories haven’t come forward throughout the day. I’m not sure whose idea it was, but the memory of the two of us in the hotel room has surfaced through my hangover haze.
“Shit, man. I’d hate to be you and have to tell Mama.” He cringes.
“I’m not telling Ma. And you’re not either.” I rub my temples, another headache setting in.
“So we’re keeping this a secret for a long time?”
I turn my attention toward him. “For life.”
He sags into his chair. “I don’t have the stamina for that. Shit. I almost spilled to Enzo today. If I wasn’t so scared about falling to my death and never seeing Bella naked again, I would’ve slipped. And I don’t keep secrets from my woman. This is too much.”
I sigh. The worst possible person found out about my untimely nuptials. My brothers should thank their lucky stars they have me in this family to keep their secrets. “Just keep your mouth shut and eventually you’ll forget it even happened.”
Bella and Val step up the stairs into the lounge area.
“Valentina,” I say, rising to my feet.
She walks toward me with a smile as though nothing is amiss. My arm casually slides around her, my hand resting on her lower back as I kiss her cheek. She smells like she always does, and my dick reacts. She’s his favorite flavor.
“Dominic,” she says in a breathy voice.
I step away before I embarrass myself and motion for her to take the chair I was occupying. She accepts, and I take the one across from her, Bella sitting beside me. The slit of Val’s dress shows off her long legs, and it takes everything in me not to stare at them. The only thing that would make the fact that Carm knows I got married worse is if he knew who I married.
“Bella was just telling me how well your business is going, Carm.” Val crosses her legs and I somehow keep my attention on her face.
Carm laughs, raising his hand to flag down a waitress. “That’s because I’m a killer salesperson.”
“Well, you did sell her on yourself, so I’d say I agree.” She smiles at him.
“Absolutely. She’s way too good for me.”
“At least we can agree on one thing,” I murmur.
The waitress comes over and Carm orders for him and Bella. I order a scotch, then Val’s favorite drink almost slips out of my mouth. Thankfully she interrupts before anyone notices.
“I can’t believe two Mancini men are already off the market. What about you, Dom?” she asks with a smirk. “Still loving the bachelor life?”
“I work. Work is my life and my love.”
“Spoken like my ex-husband.” She raises her eyebrows.
It isn’t her first time throwing my work into my face, and the fact that she’s comparing me to her asshole ex grates on me. Her eyes hold mine for a second, testing me.
“Well, I guess when love knocks me over, work will take second place.”
Yeah, I know that was a low blow. When the smirk falls off her face as if a swift wind blew it away, regret eats at my insides like termites.
“You never know who it could be. A fling even,” Carm chimes in.
Val’s vision shifts to him. She’s wondering if he knows something, I’m sure. He does, but not enough to do damage. I’ve always kept Val’s name out of my talks with my brothers.
Bella changes the subject, talking to Val. “What did you do today?”
Thank God. I’ll have to apologize later for my comment.
“I had a spa day.”
The waitress comes over and distributes our drinks, and I take a healthy sip of mine. Tell me this dinner is going to start soon.
“Oh, that sounds so nice. My feet are killing me from wandering around and shopping all day.” She leans in and looks at Val’s feet. “I love the color of your polish. Did you get a pedicure?”
I glance at Val’s shoes, which show off her red nail polish, and another memory of massaging her feet last night accosts my brain. Is that how it all started? She was complaining about being on her feet all day.
“Carm!” Bella yells, and I look up to see her entire face is dripping wet.
Carm is staring at Val’s feet.
Fuck.
His eyes shift from Val to me and back several times.
“Carmelo!” Bella yells again. “You just spit your drink all over me
!”
Carm isn’t made to keep a secret of this magnitude. I just know it’s all about to blow up.
Chapter Four
Valentina
* * *
Dom hoists Carm up by his arm and pulls him out of his seat.
I grab all of our drink napkins and hand them to poor Bella.
“He didn’t even apologize,” she says, dabbing at her face. “That’s not like him.”
I know why he didn’t apologize—he’s having a coronary right now because somehow, he knows. I have no idea how he figured it out, but I’m sure he did.
I know one thing for certain—Dom wasn’t open with his brother. He’s always kept me hidden behind closed doors like a dirty little secret.
“I’m sure he has his reasons,” I say, flagging down a waitress for more napkins.
“Is my makeup ruined?” Bella asks, still dabbing under her eyes and her forehead. He did one helluva job spraying her.
“Not at all. You’re still gorgeous.”
She shakes her head. “I’m going to head to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
She heads out and I glance over my shoulder, not finding Dom or Carm. Enzo and Annie are still in the bar area, talking with Blanca.
Maybe coming here was a bad idea. What am I saying? I knew it was a bad idea when I accepted Enzo’s invitation. But I felt slighted by Dom’s departure this morning and I wanted payback.
I walk toward the exit. This was a stupid idea. There’s no re-writing the past. Nothing will ever change with us. It’s always going to be one thing or another. My ex, Ryder, his work.
The doors are in sight when someone grabs my elbow to stop me.
“Hold up,” Dom says.
I stop, but I don’t turn around.
He steps up to my back, and my breath hitches as his large presence hovers over me. “I’m sorry. I should have never said that.” His voice is low and contrite. His fingertips have yet to leave my skin.
“I don’t want to play games anymore.”
“I’ve never once played a game with you,” he says softly, his breath igniting shivers as it caresses me. “Why are you here?”
