Massimo Salvatore hates public functions. They’re a waste of time, and he has no interest in making friends within the Russo Mafia. He has his place, and no one is going to take it from him. The only reason he goes, is for one person. Adelina Ferri. She is funny, sweet, sexy, and she wears the worst clothes he has ever seen.
Adelina’s parents are embarrassed by her. They force her to wear clothes that are too large, and not at all flattering. However, soon it would all be over. She has learned that she is engaged to a man who has a history of hurting his wives. All of them are dead, and if she marries him, it will be a guaranteed death sentence.
When Massimo learns the truth, he cannot allow it to happen. Adelina is too kind, too good, to be allowed to be at the mercy of that … dick.
There is only one solution. He will marry her.
Her place is not as a Salvatore, and there are those in the Russo Mafia who will not let her forget it. However, when she is with Massimo, everything else fades. To everyone else, he is a monster, but to her, he is her savior.
He stopped her from dying. He has given her a future, but for how long. There is a traitor amongst the Russo mafia. One that is circling, intent on taking over. Massimo will not allow that to happen.
When his wife is taken, it is a race against the clock. But who is behind the threat, and will he make it in time?
Excerpt:
At the start of this engagement, Massimo had intended for his wedding night to be fake. He was not going to put Adelina through the pain of losing her virginity.
Only, they had gotten to their wedding night, and seeing her in her gown, being near her, smelling that hint of vanilla mixed with cinnamon, was a tempting combination. She made him ache so damn bad. He’d been wanting her since the moment he turned at the church and saw her walking down the aisle toward him.
To him, Adelina had looked absolutely stunning. He’d been drawn to her throughout the ceremony, and even at the after-party. Dancing with her had been a dream. She fit against him as if she was always supposed to be there. Absolutely breathtaking.
And now, as the door closed behind them for their wedding night, he had seen the looks from some of the women. He’d even seen Lily-Mae talking to his wife earlier, and he had sensed her withdrawal, and it pissed him the fuck off.
Staring across the room at her, with the door now locked, he released his jacket and cleared his throat.
“If you don’t want to … I understand,” Adelina said.
He looked at her, and then with purpose he closed the distance between them so he was right in front of her, and she had no way of escaping.
“You understand?” he asked.
“I mean, I get it, if you want to, you know, not … do what needs to be done.”
He reached out and stroked a curl back behind her ear. “I don’t know who has gotten into your head, but unless you don’t want my touch, Adelina, I have every intention of consummating this marriage tonight.”
He was not going to allow room for doubt from anyone. Adelina would leave this room his bride, and that was all he had to say about it.
Stroking some of her hair back behind her ear, he stared into her eyes and cupped her cheeks. At the church, he had been so tempted to ravish her mouth, but he’d seen the slight panic in her eyes and held back for her. Now, he didn’t need to hold back. He could do whatever the hell he wanted, and right now, he desperately wanted to kiss her.
He touched his lips to hers, tentative at first, and then he deepened the kiss, sinking his fingers into her bound hair. He removed the few clips that had pulled her hair back. Massimo was already addicted to this woman, and he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
With his other hand, he rounded her back, gliding down, going toward the curve of her ass. He pulled her in close so she would be able to feel exactly what she did to him. There was no holding back for him. He was hard as fucking rock.
“I think it’s time for us to wash away the day,” he said.
He took her hand and led her into the bathroom. If he tore off her clothes and just took her, he feared he might make her terrified of sex. That was not what he wanted. He had a sneaking suspicion that one time with Adelina would never be enough. He was already addicted to the feel of her lips against his.
