Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Daniel raises his glass in the air as his gaze wanders to my face. “To my dad. I’ve done my best to make him proud. One day, I hope I can make his every wish a reality.”
“To your dad,” I whisper, suddenly feeling something I never expected to feel tonight.
Gratitude.
As much as Daniel annoys me, I know how important he is to Dominick. They’ve always been like brothers. The smile on Dominick’s face tells me that having Daniel here means the world to him.
I’ll survive spending a weekend in the same city as Daniel. This is Las Vegas. He’ll go his way after dinner, and I’ll go mine.
I doubt I’ll see him again before I head home to Manhattan.
CHAPTER THREE
Daniel
I lean my back against the door to my hotel suite and draw in a deep breath, but it doesn’t fill my lungs.
I feel like I’ve been punched in the middle of my chest.
That sensation happened when I caught sight of Gina Calvetti across the casino floor earlier.
Jesus. She’s more beautiful than she was the last time I saw her.
That’s not entirely true.
I see Gina on a daily basis in image and video form.
I follow all of her social media accounts under a fake name.
She’s the only person I follow.
A loud knock at the door sends me a step forward.
Shit.
I scrub a hand over my face in an effort to regain some of the composure I held onto through dinner.
Sitting across from the most striking woman on the planet while eating a perfectly prepared meal should have been a dream come true, but it was a goddamn nightmare.
I was hard as stone through every course, and when she finally caught my gaze mid-way through dessert, I almost choked on the rum syrup-covered brownie I was eating.
I don’t like chocolate, but Gina ordered it for the table, so I indulged.
Another knock sounds at the door, and since I haven’t ordered anything from room service, I know it has to be a Calvetti or one of their partners behind that door.
Thank Christ it appears that Gina is single because I’m pretty sure my head would have exploded if I had seen her holding hands or kissing a man.
Even though Gina and I have had our fair share of arguments over the years, not a day passes when I don’t think about her.
I’ve been in this like-hate limbo with her for years.
I spin around and swing open the door, relieved to find Dominick on the other side.
He’s grinning from ear to ear. I admit this is going to take some getting used to.
Dominick had the angry bastard look down to a science before he fell in love with his executive assistant.
“Daniel.” He pulls me into a bear hug. “How are you?”
Since we already traveled this road twice today, I answer differently this time. “I’m craving a tequila shot.”
I’ve already told him in no uncertain terms that I’m fine, but Dominick knows this day isn’t one I get through easily. My dad was my hero. He’s the greatest man who ever lived, and his absence has created a void in my life, but I’m doing what I promised him I’d do before he died. I’m creating a life that he’d be proud of.
Dominick steps back to skim a hand over the lapel of my suit jacket. “I told Arietta I’d be back in our room soon, but Gina was headed down to one of the bars. Tequila ranks high on her favorites.”
He’s wrong.
Gina prefers a glass of wine to anything else. I first learned about her affinity for a full-bodied red twelve years ago when I was invited to one of the infamous Calvetti family lunches at the restaurant that bears their surname.
Gina was too young to legally drink anything alcoholic, but she poured a splash of wine into a coffee mug in the kitchen when she thought no one was watching.
I was, and called her out for it after lunch was over.
She begged me not to tell anyone. I teased her that I would, and she called me an asshole.
I took some twisted pleasure in riling her up back then.
I still do.
“You should join her,” he suggests. “Did you see how many guys were checking her out in the restaurant? I’d feel better knowing you were watching over her.”
Gina is twenty-eight and more than capable of taking care of herself.
If he followed her socials, he’d know that. She aced a kickboxing class last year.
She has serious self-defense skills.
“You two can catch up,” he pitches another reason why I should join his sister for a drink. “A lot has changed in her life since you left town.”
“Like what?” I spit out a little too quickly.
Dominick doesn’t notice my eagerness because he’s preoccupied with getting back to his fiancée. The fact that he’s been glancing at his watch every twenty seconds is the dead giveaway.