Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Is everything okay?
Did something happen at work?
I round the corner just as the elevator doors slide open, and Ricci steps into the penthouse with something bundled carefully in his arms. Something small and alive, wriggling gently beneath the dark fabric of his suit jacket. I freeze in the middle of the living room, my bare feet suddenly rooted to the cool wood floor. My brow furrows. What on earth…?
He walks closer, the late evening light from the tall windows catching the handsome lines of his face, and the bundle moves again. A tiny pink nose pokes out first, followed by a pair of enormous, floppy ears that twitch with curiosity. My breath catches hard in my throat, a soft, surprised sound escaping before I can stop it.
A puppy. He brought home a puppy!
A little grey pitbull — all soft wrinkles and clumsy paws, and the sweetest pink nose I’ve ever seen. The contrast is almost comical: this tiny, wriggling ball of life tucked against the chest of one of the most dangerous Mafia bosses in New York. The puppy’s head tilts, big dark eyes blinking up at me with pure, innocent trust, and something deep inside my chest cracks wide open. Love. It is love at first sight.
It hits me so hard my knees actually feel weak for a second. I have to reach out and steady myself on the back of the couch. It reminds me instantly of the little dog I once secretly saved in the old house, the one I hid in the stables at night, the one I nursed back to health with stolen scraps and quiet visits when no one was looking. I loved that dog so much. Still do. The memory floods me all at once: the way that little boy would press his warm body against mine, the soft wet nose nudging my hand, the quiet comfort it gave me in a world that offered none. Seeing this puppy now, safe and wriggling in Ricci’s arms, makes something deep and aching bloom in my chest, a bright, painful rush of joy and longing I wasn’t prepared for.
“Is it… for me?” I ask, my voice cracking on the last word, barely more than a whisper.
He nods, that rare, soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips — the one he saves only for me, the one that makes the hard lines of his face soften in a way that always steals my breath.
I hurry over, tears already spilling down my cheeks before I can stop them. The puppy wriggles excitedly as I reach for it, tiny paws scrambling against Ricci’s jacket, and I take it gently into my arms. It’s fat and yet so small. The warm little body vibrates with happy energy against my chest. Its fur is soft and velvety under my fingers, and those big dark eyes look up at me with such pure, open trust that my heart feels like it might burst. I laugh through the tears, the sound shaky and bright and completely unstoppable.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, half-laughing, half-crying. “Look at you. You’re so cute.”
The puppy licks my cheek, a clumsy, enthusiastic swipe of its tiny, warm tongue, and I laugh again, louder this time, the joy bubbling up so fast it almost hurts.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
RICCI
I’m spellbound.
I stand in the middle of our living room, transfixed, unable to look away from her. I guessed she would love the puppy, well, I hoped she would, but not like this. Not this completely. Not this fast. Her whole face transforms the second she sees the little grey bundle wriggling in my arms. Her eyes go wide, soft, shining with something so pure it makes my chest ache. I watch her heart melt, right in front of me, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
She falls in love with him instantly.
And I see it happen in real time — the way her breath catches, her hands reach out without hesitation, the way her entire body leans forward like she’s being pulled by something she can’t control. The puppy lets out a tiny, excited yip, and her face lights up even brighter. My throat feels tight. I’ve spent years watching her from the shadows, memorizing every small expression she tried to hide from the world, but I’ve never seen her like this. Open. Radiant. Completely unguarded.
Then she buries her nose in his soft fur for half a second before rearing back with a startled laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Oh my God,” she says, half-laughing, half-groaning. “He stinks. He really, really stinks.”
She’s still laughing as she holds him at arm’s length, the puppy wriggling happily in her grip, completely unbothered by her reaction. I stare at her, completely enthralled. The way her cheeks flush with laughter, the loose curls falling around her face, the pure joy shining in her green eyes. It all does something to me I can’t even name. I feel it fill my chest like a glowing ball of happiness.