If Ronan told his brother what I said at the coffee shop, it didn’t seem like it.

Bosco’s behavior hadn’t changed. He was the man he was before, but since he was naturally intense and quiet, maybe it was difficult to tell the difference.

I struggled to keep myself together. Tomorrow morning, I would pack up my things and go back to my apartment. I would drive in my little car without twelve men following me. Like this had all been a dream, I would return to my old life and pick up where I left off.

I wouldn’t miss the security and the luxury as much as I would miss the man who provided those things. I had amazing sex on a regular basis, but now that would be a thing of the past. It was difficult to imagine going out with some other guy then taking him back to my place. It was impossible to imagine having sex with someone else—and not think about Bosco.

This heartbreak was already killing me, and I hadn’t even left yet.

I went into the bedroom and opened the closet, seeing my suitcase open and ready to be filled with my clothes and shoes. I shut the doors again, trying to pretend I didn’t see it at all. Once the night passed and morning arrived, this would all be over.

How did time go by so fast?

Bosco’s voice sounded from the kitchen. “Beautiful, dinner is ready.” Like we were a husband and wife at home after work, he called for me to join him.

I took a deep breath and controlled my emotions, not wanting to cry into the bland meal Bosco prepared.

I went into the dining room and saw a meal I didn’t expect. “Wow. Pot roast, potatoes, and…is that actually bread?” I spotted the plate of garlic bread on the table, a fresh loaf sliced up perfectly. My depression was temporarily gone when I looked at the impressive, and edible, meal he made.

He sat down, shirtless in his sweatpants, and smiled. “Yes. It’s real bread.”

“And it looks so good.” I sat down and watched him open a bottle of red wine. He poured two glasses and pushed one toward me. “This should pair well with the meat.”

“You’re right. Look at you…wine connoisseur.”

“I pay someone to figure that stuff out. Personally, I think scotch goes with everything, but that’s not romantic, is it?”

I shrugged. “You like what you like, right? It’s not like you’re smoking a cigar at the table.”

He served both of our plates, and then we began to eat. “Not smoking has changed my palate. I can taste things differently now.” He placed a piece of bread on his plate. “My scotch has a better kick to it too.”

“Good.” I hoped that meant he would continue not to smoke after I left. Even if I never saw him again, I wanted him to have a long and healthy life. “Smoking is disgusting. My father used to smoke cigars on occasion, but my mom set him straight.”

“Women will do that…”

I took a few bites, and my stomach immediately growled with joy. “This is so good.” The chunks of meat were tender, and the carrots and potatoes were cooked to perfection. Wiping my plate with a thick piece of bread just made it better.

Bosco watched me with a slight smile on his face. “They say food is the way to a man’s heart. You prove that wrong.”

“How so?”

“Well, sex is the way to my heart. And food is the way to yours.”

“That’s not really accurate. I’m not that obsessed with food. It’s just you never have anything good around here, so I get excited when you actually make something decent. You know, that actually has flavor, fat, and carbs.”

He gave me an affectionate look. “Men don’t look sexy when they eat fat and carbs. Women can eat whatever they want and still look sexy.”

“I disagree, but that’s a nice thing to say.”

He took another piece of bread.

“It’s a big cheat day, huh?”

“The biggest.” He drank his wine after a few bites then looked at me as he licked his lips.

I would miss the sex and the affection, but I would miss this most of all—this easygoing relationship. We could have conversations just the way Vanessa and I did. He wasn’t just my lover, but my friend. After he dialed down his obsessive behavior and controlling nature, he was wonderful to be around.

As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, he held my gaze and kept eating, a note of sadness to his look. He didn’t address what would happen in the morning, maybe because he wasn’t sure what would transpire. Perhaps he was still confident I wouldn’t leave.

A part of me wanted Ronan to have told him the truth, just so it wouldn’t be so unexpected, and therefore, more painful.

Or better yet, I wish I didn’t have to leave at all.

It was my bitter heartbreak talking, but I wished I’d never met him. I wished we’d never crossed paths. While I enjoyed our time together, being haunted by the memory would kill me. In this case, it would be better never to have loved at all than loved and lost.

He kissed my belly button, his tongue swirling around the navel piercing I’d had since my late teens. My mother was disappointed when I got it, annoyed when she first saw me in a bikini. But every man I’d been with loved it, so I didn’t have any regrets. Bosco kissed it the best, dragged his tongue up the center of my ribs until he reached the swell of my tits. He kissed both of my boobs, giving each one the attention it deserved. My nipples were sucked hard into his mouth, and he gave me a gentle bite with his teeth.

“Babe…” I was already so wet, so anxious for him.

He moved down my body and pushed my legs back with his large hands. His lips pressed against my most tender place, and he made love to my clit with his mouth, his tongue swirling hard before his kisses turned soft.

No other man had ever done it before him.

I gripped his hips and closed my eyes.

He gripped me back as he kissed me, smelled me. He moved his tongue deep inside me to feel how wet I was, and then he moved farther back and licked my asshole.

I tensed at his touch, surprised by how good it felt. Bosco wasn’t afraid to explore me everywhere, to enjoy every inch from head to toe.

He kissed the inside of my thighs and moved up my stomach again, devouring my tits once more until we were face-to-face. He stared down at me, his expression hard because he was filled with arousal, longing, and love. He got into position between my legs, and then he gently slid inside me, his eyes locked on mine.

My hands clutched at his thick arms, and I breathed hard as I felt him push inside me. Inch-by-inch, he moved, stretching me like he was taking my virginity. He pushed until he was all the way inside, a perfect fit in my tightness.

“Bosco.” I looked into that handsome face and memorized it, knowing this was what I would think of when I had fun with my vibrator. I wouldn’t look at porn. I would remember the best sex I’d ever had, making love to the man who made me weak in the knees. “I love you…” I wanted to say that as many times as I could, to take advantage of the last night I had any right to say it.

“And I love you.” He rocked into me slow and gentle, thrusting deep and even. Instead of kissing me, he stared at me with the same love in his eyes. I was the only woman he’d ever looked at like this, ever cherished with just his gaze. I was the only woman he’d ever made love to. “More than anything.”

My hand slid up the back of his neck, and I fingered his short hair as I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. “Make love to me all night…” I wanted to ignore the passing moon and the approaching sun. I wanted to pretend there was no tomorrow at all. I just wanted to enjoy this perfect man as much as I could, to hold on to this memory even when I was old and gray and surrounded by my grandchildren.

“I will, Beautiful.”

I slept for two hours before I realized it was morning.

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was ten.

The shop would stay closed today because I would be in no condition to work. And if I did have to work today, I would be so late, there wouldn’t be much point going in.

Bosco was already gone from the bedroom.

I got out of bed and felt the weight hit my stomach. The dread was killing me, making my body cramp up and my heart race with fear. So much pain was about to hit me, and my body was preparing for the blow.

I could go out there and have breakfast like it was a normal day, but that would be too painful.

Today wasn’t a normal day.

I should just grab my stuff and leave while he was in the other room. It would be cruel to make him watch me pack.

I didn’t even want to watch myself pack.

I didn’t bother with my hair or makeup, and I tossed all my stuff into the suitcase. I didn’t bother taking the designer gowns he’d bought me because I had nowhere to wear them anyway. I left behind the diamonds because it felt wrong to take them. The only reason I had been with him was for him—not the jewels. I refused to taint our relationship with materialistic possessions.

Everything was thrown into the bag haphazardly, not folded neatly like usual.

That didn’t seem important right now.

I grabbed my toiletries from the bathroom, throwing away all the things I didn’t need so he wouldn’t have to look at it. All my makeup and accessories were shoved into a plastic bag and placed on top of the clothes. Once everything was crammed inside, it was nearly impossible to zip the bag shut.

I stood in the bedroom with the suitcase by my side, dreading what would happen next. I didn’t want to walk out there, especially when I knew he would be waiting for me. He must have anticipated this based on my behavior last night. It was obvious I was saying goodbye, enjoying him for the last few hours that he was mine.

I steadied my tears because it would hurt more to cry. It would hurt him and myself. The break wouldn’t be clean and easy, but it was best to do it as quickly as possible. I ran my fingers through my hair before I grabbed the handle of the bag and moved down the hallway, the rolling suitcase loud against the floor. It announced my presence for me, told him I was bringing all my stuff along for the ride.

Bosco was sitting on the couch, in his usual sweatpants. It didn’t smell like breakfast, so he obviously hadn’t made anything. With the TV off and the silence surrounding him, he’d been sitting there waiting for me.

He knew.

I stopped in front of the elevator and waited for him to acknowledge me.

He stared at the ground with his head tilted to the floor, refusing to look at me.

I didn’t want to say goodbye. I didn’t want to say anything at all. It was so painful that neither one of us could deal with it.

Bosco finally rose to his feet and walked toward me. He didn’t make eye contact until he was right in front of me, until he was ready to meet my gaze. He gave me a brave stare, doing his best to hide the grief deep in his eyes.

I stared back, my eyes watering.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t try to convince me to stay or ask why I was leaving.

The silence passed until a few minutes came and went.

I knew if I opened my mouth, no words would come out. I would just cry instead. So I said nothing, knowing there were no words I could say to make this easier anyway. I wanted to explain that I had to leave, regardless of how much I loved him. But none of that would make a difference in the long run. It would still be painful no matter what I did.

He cupped both of my cheeks and gave me a soft kiss on the mouth. It wasn’t packed with fire, lust, and love. It was filled with pain, a gentle kiss that was forced. It was like he didn’t want to kiss me at all because it only reminded him that it was the last kiss we would ever share.

When he pulled away, he hit the button to the elevator and typed in the code.

The doors opened.

He didn’t look at me as he waited for me to walk inside.

I grabbed my suitcase and stepped through the doors, my heart pounding because I knew this was it.

He grabbed the door to make sure it wouldn’t close. “My men are going to take you somewhere first. Your car has already been returned to your apartment.” He pulled his hand away, and the doors began to shut immediately. He turned around so he wouldn’t have to look at me again, and the last thing I saw was his chiseled back as he walked away.

I descended to the bottom of the building, unsure where his men were taking me and why. Bosco gave me no explanation, and he obviously didn’t want to participate in whatever it was.

I really had no clue.

When I stepped into the lobby, his men took my suitcase and purse and placed them in the black car. I was ushered into the back seat before the car was pulled onto the road. When I was in the presence of his men, I kept a stoic expression and hid my emotions deep inside my chest. I didn’t want to sob in the back seat, professing my heartbreak to these men who were practically strangers. I didn’t even know their names.

The car headed to the west in the opposite direction of my apartment. Then it left the city altogether, heading into the countryside of Tuscany. It was a cloudless day and the sun was bright, but there was still a distinct chill in the air. The storm had made everything beautiful and green.

This was the exact road I took to my parents’ house.

The car slowed down as we approached a large gate made of metal. Cobblestone walls surrounded the property, and large trees could be seen on the other side. The actual estate was invisible because it was blocked by all the greenery.

The gates opened, and we drove inside.

Now I really had no idea what was going on.

The car drove down the concrete path until it approached a three-story home that looked like a mansion. Designed in classic Tuscan style, it reminded me of my parents’ home. It was surrounded by green plants and gorgeous flowers, all having survived the harsh winter.

The car stopped.

The driver came to the back and opened the door.

I took my cue and got out, inhaling the winter air straight into my lungs. I looked up at the house in the light of the sun, admiring its classic Italian features as well as its European history. There were large double doors at the front.

“Come with me.” He walked ahead of me, moving farther up the drive until we were fifty feet away from the car. “Mr. Roth wanted me to give this to you.” It was a small box, a rectangular package that could fit across both of my palms.

He walked away and left me alone with the gift Bosco wanted me to have.

I looked at the simple brown box made of leather and admired it, wondering what was inside. Was he giving this house to me? Why would he do that? I’d always told him this was where I wanted to live. Did he actually expect me to accept this gift? To live here with my husband and have my family?

I opened the box and looked inside.

It took me a second to understand what I was looking at.

There was a brown house key, beautiful in its design. It was antique-looking, like it was the original key made for the house. Beside it was something else…a diamond ring. A white gold band with an enormous single diamond in the center, it was simple, sleek…and beautiful. “Oh my god…” I stared at it without touching it, knowing once my fingers wrapped around it, I would place it on my left hand and never take it off.

There was also a note.

I set the box down and unfolded the piece of paper.

It was a handwritten note from Bosco.

---

Beautiful,

This isn’t a proposal.

But this is everything I want to give you, if you’ll have me.

The house has five bedrooms. One for us. One for each child you want to have.

This is the diamond ring I want you to wear until you die.

Ronan agreed to take over the casino so I can step back. I’ll be home with you every night. I’ll be away from that scene for good.

I’ll be the kind of husband you want me to be.

Losing the business I built with my bare hands is hard. But losing you is harder.

We have a long way to go. We have a lot of work to do. But I’m in this forever if you are. Come back to the penthouse if you want me. But if you don’t…then this is goodbye. Keep the ring so you’ll never forget how much I love you.

-Bosco-

---

My tears stained the paper and made the ink run. “Babe…”

When the elevator doors opened, he was already standing there, just feet from where the doors parted. His eyes were wide as if he couldn’t believe I was really there until he got a good look at me.

It seemed like he’d been standing there the entire time, waiting for me to turn around.

I’d cried on the drive home. I’d cried in the elevator. And now I was still crying, the brown box held tightly in my hands.

His jaw was tense, and his eyes were hard, the best expression of emotion he could muster. His entire body was tensed like he was ready for a fight, the adrenaline pumping hard in his muscles. He didn’t reach out and grab me, afraid I might be an apparition or his imagination.

I stepped out of the elevator with the box clutched tightly in my hand, containing the three things I wanted most in this world—my marriage, family, and his love. That was what I wanted from him, but it was too soon to ask for it. I’d never asked him to leave the casino because it would be wrong if I did.

We’d only been together for four months, and that wasn’t long enough to commit for a lifetime.

But with him, it felt like it might be.

He must feel the same way.

“I want all of those things,” I whispered through my tears. “You’re the only person I want them with. But…are you sure you want to do this? It’s a big sacrifice to make, and I wouldn’t blame you if—”

“Yes.” His hands moved to my arms, and he looked down into my tear-stained face, his emotions matching mine even if they weren’t visible on the surface. “I’m proud of the business I built. I’m proud I could provide for my family. I’m not ashamed of what I do, and I’ll never be ashamed of it. But things change…life changes. We can either change with it or get left behind in bitter regret. Losing you…is something I’ll regret for the rest of my life.”

“Bosco…” I sniffed and wiped away my tears at the same time. “You want kids? I just didn’t think…” He didn’t seem like someone who wanted to be a father. He only wanted to take care of his business.

“Not right now,” he said honestly. “Not next year. But yes…eventually. Whenever you’re ready to start, I’ll be ready too.”

“Because four kids is a lot of kids…”

He smiled slightly with his eyes, not his lips. “Yeah, I think you’re a little crazy. But I’ll do four…six…whatever you want.”

I held the box to my chest, the diamond ring and key inside. “I love the ring…” He wasn’t giving it to me yet, but I wanted him to know that I adored it. That I couldn’t wait to wear it.

“It reminded me of you the second I saw it.”

I looked into his eyes and imagined a future I could see unfolding, a happy one where my husband would always be by my side every single night I went to sleep. But it was still cloudy, because I had no idea how this would work with my family. Now that I’d decided he was the man I was going to marry, it was time to do the hardest part.

Introduce him to my father.

He grabbed the box from my hand and set it on the entryway table. “I know there’s only one way you want me to ask you. That’s the only reason why I haven’t…”

I wanted my father’s blessing. I wanted my family to be part of it. I didn’t want to do this without them. Being engaged was about combining family members, not keeping them apart. I wanted my father to be happy with the man I chose, to happily give his permission so he’d never have to worry about me again. “I know.”

His hands cupped my cheeks, and he pressed his forehead to mine. “You were only gone for a few hours…and I was devastated.”

“Me too.”

He closed his eyes as he held me. “I never want to go through that again. I know I can give up the casino…because that was so much easier than watching you walk away.”