Breakfast on Tuesday

Bonus Chapter 2

As soon as we were seated on the upper deck, the yacht gently pulled away from the marina. The sun was close to setting, its golden rays washing over the white tablecloth and reflecting in Dante's eyes until they were more brown than green.

I looked away, glancing warily at the shiny glasses of wine and expensive silverware on the table and finally at the fairy lights overhead.

The setup was beautiful, but I couldn't enjoy it without picturing the restaurant that changed my life forever. Before my mind decided to take a sketchy trip down memory lane, I reminded myself that this yacht wasn't anything like that restaurant.

We were in the open, and below us, a few people stopped to watch the yacht as it turned out of the port. Behind them, the lights of Barcelona city twinkled against the hillside as the sun sank deeper into the ocean, leaving a fiery trail of purples and oranges in its wake.

Anyone of those people could be carrying a gun...

An image of Eduardo with a bullet lodged in the center of his forehead flashed behind my eyes.

Don't think about it, girl.

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile when I caught Dante watching me intently. I knew I couldn't hide from him, but that didn't stop me from putting up a front.

I didn't want him to think I didn't love the effort he'd put into planning this date for us. "Thank you for this. It's beautiful," I said. "Was it your idea to put up the fairy lights?"

"Come here."

His rough tone told me he was in a serious mood, which he was in like ninety percent of the time, so I didn't let that get to me.

Although I hesitated to get out of my chair, he didn't repeat himself, his piercing eyes commanding me to do as he asked.

Putting on a brave face, I pushed my chair back and strutted toward him. I wanted to please him, and the last thing I wanted was for him to start feeling guilty about Eduardo's death all over again. At least, not tonight.

He took his suit jacket off as I slowly approached him. He looked formidable sitting there, his dark hair swept to the side, his jaw fluctuating under the pressure of his teeth clenching together.

"I'm here," I said softly, noticing the manner in which his eyes swept over my face and then lingered on my exposed thigh.

"Sit."

Dante moved his hands away from his body while holding the suit jacket comfortably in one hand. Touching his rigid shoulder, I sat down sideways on his lap. His arms immediately wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. I shut my eyes and buried my face in his neck.

His warmth surrounded me, and where I was no longer mattered, only who I was with. My heartbeat slowed, and my fear faded. He made me feel safe. So safe and cared for that tears prickled the back of my eyes.

Engulfed by the woodsy scent of his cologne, I buried my nose deeper until my mouth was grazing the soft skin of his neck.

"If I could bring him back, I would." His words vibrated against my lips as he spoke.

"I know."

"I would do anything to make you happy, cariño. Even resurrecting the dead, but that's not within my power."

"And if I could bring Mateo back, I would. I know how close the two of you were."

Although I had lost one of my close friends when Dante's sister, Annabella, and her crazy boyfriend teamed up to teach him a lesson, he had lost his cousin and his ex-girlfriend. I didn't bring up his ex-girlfriend because Dante had spoken about her only once after she died. I figured whenever he wanted to talk about her again, he would.