In Love With My Husband's Best Friend

night – The D

beauty in a red gown, was standing beside her husband, her hand holding a wineglass she never touched. She had perfected the skill

York's underbelly, put a possessive arm around her

d with something indeterminate. He was always Luca's right-hand man, his best friend-obedient to t

t pounded. S

n the shadow of a man who governed with blood and terror. Three years of ob

ass to make a toast,

heavy with duplicity. "The woman t

Dante's glass remained unfilled on

A blunder, a deadl

o did

nst her waist, his hold

a part of the scene. But deep within herself, she knew

love would have

irst

e weight of Luca's arm still around her waist, a claim, a possession, a warning. She had long since learned that her

mething far away. But she could see he had witnessed it all-the straining of Luca's hand, the tension o

tice him, not appear to care

Dante Moretti before she h

hispered words, the way his lips had hovered so close to hers yet never crossed the

ed here, s

r love. But something in the

is voice smooth bu

an

tly, just enough for t

g whatever had been bre

mained cold. "You're quieter

s whiskey before he answered.

h Luca gazed at him, searching fo

er, his thumb grazing her waist in a way that made her st

," Luca replied, his voice relaxed but threatening. "She

ran through Elena. It w

Luca's gaze. "I think she'd str

eflex was

the tension, the silent battle between them. He was

e ever, Elena wasn't quite sur

ce of D

ate. As the waiters cleared the remnants of dinner, couples danced onto the v

e wit

not a r

. Luca was a forceful presence, even in something as mundane as a dance. He l

g on, they were

na felt

stood by the bar, hands in his pockets, stance relaxed to the point of

chi

it

rs before. But something in his eyes cautioned her that i

ent a shiver

cked up

ps against her ear. "You see

tightened.

ening ever so slightly on her

keeping up the chara

didn't ea

, as if trying to read something beneath her surface. Then, ever s

A perf

the visitors?

nger had

erous

house was relatively empty, Elena had slipped out

nly a bri

oaching footsteps

nt

he walked up, dar

't be here,"

oice calm, measured. "For Luc

owed. "That

at me the way y

s she turned to him fully. The space b

uarding,"

rsh breath, scrubbi

heavy with all the th

ose, but not on top of her, th

, gruff with something dangero

e. She so desper

he co

whispered, "It

hardened to a har

it... if we even let the possibil

n't de

, he asked the one questio

u leave h

irst

of this moment for so long, imagined him saying those wo

was t

old stone of the fountain besid

n her voice came aga

dy have yo

as he walked away, the loss a

the shadow standin

d been