SOFIA {SAMPLE}

7

I debated staying home tonight to wallow, but I had never missed Sunday dinner. So I spent the day soaking my puffy eyes, erasing yesterday and today's tears, before hopping into a cab for Stefano's.

My car was cut off by another cab, whipping to park in front of Stefano's building, with Luca exiting. My entire famiglia was inside for the night, and Luca was right in front of me... not at his apartment.

"Return!" I demanded. "Please take me to Fifth!"

While the tears had been steady the last two days, their cause had not been. I was ashamed for what I had done, but the thought of not seeing Eric again, not seeing his smile, not feeling his breath, the way it brought me to life—made the tears run stronger. I would only stay a minute. Give my apologies and head back to dinner.

The short drive to Luca's seemed uncommonly long, every bone in my body aching for Eric. And when the car finally slowed, I sprung, not even bothering to wait for the doorman.

Tony ran ahead, beating me to the building's door. "Mrs. Romano, your brother just left."

"Thank you, Tony. I'm—I'm visiting someone else. I would appreciate discretion."

He nodded, opening the door for my impatient feet.

I was up to their floor in no time, fist heavy as it rose to Eric's door, knocking, hearing the quick steps, and the rattle of the doorknob before it swung open.

Our eyes locked, Eric took an immediate step back, his smile falling to a flat line.

I dropped my hand to my side, my gaze followed, staring at the floor, where the hall met his doorway. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Me?" I slowly rolled my gaze back up, daring to meet his eyes again—finding them sincere, with no resentment or bitterness as I'd expected.

"You were crying," he said in almost a whisper, his lips then twisted into a smirk. "Please tell me it wasn't because the sex was that bad."

I shook my head at the tail end of a laugh. "No."

He laughed, smiling. "Thanks for coming to apologize because beautiful naked women showing up at my door is a huge pet peeve of mine."

"I shouldn't have come on to you so strong. You were so reserved, and I—"

"Reserved?" He shot the word out, shaking his head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was in shock! Reserved? I am not—do you know how many women show up at my door in a coat and nothing else? A whopping zero!" A laugh burst from his lips. "Shoot, do you know how many drop-dead beautiful women have shown up at my door, period? A whopping zero! I was in shock. I'm not reserved. I'm—an animal." His cheeks turned impossibly red. "Reserved?" He threw his palm to his forehead, laughing at himself. "Oh, man. You were crying because it was so bad."

"Stop it!" I insisted, laughing myself. "I'm sorry I ran like I did."

He was laughing. He wasn't angry, wasn't resentful, wasn't glaring at me—he was smiling. I'd never known a man who didn't react with anger, or who laughed at himself.

He tipped his head towards Luca's door. "My neighbor has to call for help to get women out of his place. Mine, on the other hand, cry and take off running down the hall all on their own accord."

"Are you're making fun of me now?" If only it was such a joke. "You have no idea how serious—"

"Damn straight, I'm making fun of you!" he interrupted, attempting to look mad, but his lips twitched to smile. "You sleep with me, gasp, cry, take off running. You think you're traumatized?"