An invitation to a wedding invokes more trouble than a summons to a police court.

William Feather

Santi Marchesi POV

I looked at the woman sitting in front of me as we traveled to Los Angeles on my private plane. Watching her right now as her attention was fixed on her plane window I had the chance to study her.

Sitting here right now brings me back to the time when I first brought her back to Sicily after practically kidnapping her in the university parking lot. I smiled to myself remembering those moments that now feel like an eternity.

I shifted in my position in my seat as I remember our conversation where she told me that she preferred to stay in LA and that she wanted out of our relationship. At first, I got mad at her decision to call it quits because I thought it was my pride that she had hurt but then I gradually realized that it was not only my pride that had been wounded but something else too that I was not ready to name.

Watching her now, I could perceive that she didn't regret a thing. She was firm with her decision to stay away from me so she could evaluate her real feelings for me because according to her whenever I am around her I clouded her judgment by my mere presence.

I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not. But this separation is paining me more than I should care to admit. The thought of not seeing her smile, her lovely eyes, and her bright hair every day brings despair through my whole being.

I never realized that I would get used to her presence around me when in reality I only lived with her for a few weeks. This was what I hated about living with a woman on the same roof. The sense of familiarity and the hollow mark it would leave on your chest when she's gone was too much for a man.

I know that I love her and care for her but I am not in love with her. Because being in love with someone seems to be impractical and just a waste of time. Why would you want to let someone have powers over you? Why would you let yourself open up to someone and then things will not end well in the end? Why would you subject yourself to a messy situation when you can avoid it in the first place?

Loving someone means depending on them and depending on someone means you are weak. And I am not a weak person I don't need to depend on anyone for anything.

But...

Why does it pain me to think that I wouldn't be able to see her again which is absurd if you think about it?

I eyed her curiously. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside that head of hers. Was she excited to return to her old life? I cleared my throat to get her attention. I feasted my eyes on her beauty when she finally focused her attention on me. "Yes?"

I swallowed hard and suddenly felt nervous about the whole thing. "Since we're here I'd like to invite you to be my date at the wedding of my acquaintance in North Carolina. Remember the engagement party I attended when you sprained your ankle?"

She automatically shook her head and was about to refuse my invitation. "I don't think that's a good idea—"

"Per favore. Can you accept this invitation as a favor for me?" I pleaded like an idiot. Never in my life, that I, Santi Marchesi begged anyone in my lifetime. This woman was making me crazy with each passing second. "I just don't want to attend this wedding on my own. Will you accept my offer?"

She gave me a teasing smile. Like a man who was thirsting for everything about her. I savored the smile she'd finally given to me in a while. "For a man who claimed that this group of people aren't your friends, you certainly spend a lot of time with them as I notice."

"That's ridiculous," I answered in abhorrence.

"So when is the wedding?"

"Tomorrow."

Her almond eyes widened in disbelief. "Tomorrow?! I don't think I have something suitable to wear for the event."

I grinned at her. If that's the only thing she was worried about I'm happy to help her find the perfect dress for her. "We'll still have today to look for your outfit. So will you accompany me to this wedding, sweetheart?"

She bit her bottom lip, a sign I noticed she used to do when she was nervous. "I'm not sure, Santi. What if I will be out of place at that wedding?"

"I will never leave your side throughout the wedding party. I assure you."

"I don't know..." She was shaking her head as if weighing her options inside her head at the moment.

"Please, Haven?"

She was looking at me long enough, wondering to myself if she was going to turn me down again. Finally, she took a resigned sigh and gazed at me with unreadable eyes. "Fine. I'll go with you."

I couldn't help but smile in triumph at her answer. I settled back comfortably in my chair. For now, I will enjoy the last remaining moments I have with her. By the time I need to go back to Sicily and she'll be staying in LA we're going to be practically strangers to one another. Right now, I don't want to think about that.

******

The following morning, Haven and I were all dressed up for the wedding of Enzo Fiorenza to this southern belle in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina. I still don't know what kind of madness or virus has gotten a commitment phobe like him to settle down. According to my joyous godfather when I have the chance to talk to him privately at Enzo's engagement party. He was bragging to me that his nephew had finally decided to take over the business but resides most of the time in North Carolina to oversee his wife-to-be's impoverished ranch.

Talk about what love can do to a man. That virus can turn a sane man into an idiot just like what happened to Enzo Fiorenza.

I will never be like him. I'm too smart for that.

After almost four hours of a plane ride, we finally arrived in North Carolina from Los Angeles. I couldn't believe that I went to the other side of the continent just to attend his fucking wedding. From the small private airport, there was a car waiting for us and driving us to the middle of nowhere.

As we traveled to our destination I couldn't see much of anything on the road except endless grassland and trees with fewer establishments even in the quaintest town in Sicily. My companion was suspiciously silent throughout the journey and it makes me nervous about what she was thinking and I am afraid to ask.

I was about to hold her hand and reassure her but then I didn't have the right to do that anymore since we were no longer together. She ended everything before we left Sicily. "You okay?"

She finally managed to look me straight in the eye after we boarded my plane. "Yeah."

Looking at her now, she was lovelier than ever with her off-the-runway gown, and her bright pink hair was styled perfectly. I bet that she was even more beautiful than the bride later. "You've been quiet since we left LA. Is there something wrong?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh, I'm just nervous, that's all. I don't know what to expect from this party."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured firmly. "They are nice people—or so I thought." I gave a self-mocking smile. "On the other hand, I don't think there's someone who is eviler than me."

I thought it would help to ease her anxiety about this party and laughed at my joke but she just gave me a sad look. "Don't be too hard on yourself. We both know that you are not that bad your work just happened to be against the law."

I laughed sarcastically. "Don't patronize me, Haven. You don't know what kind of life I have. You don't have the slightest idea how much people's blood is in my hands."

She surprised me when she unconsciously touched my hand and squeezed it tightly. "No one is born evil. Life's circumstances affect your decisions in life. Always remember that."

My throat was constricted with emotions. I choose not to answer her and just savor the fact that she gave me a chance to hold her again. I refused to let go of her hand until we arrived at the ranch owned by Willow Kinsella.

When we arrived the ceremony was already over and the wedding guests were already enjoying the reception. I immediately got irritated when I noticed how the guys were busy throwing an admiring glance at Haven as we made our way to the progressing party on the lawn. I held Haven's hand so she couldn't be separated from me and sent messages to those men that she was with me. I hastily want to find the bride and groom to greet them on their special day.

I was about to approach Enzo who just finished dancing with his bride when I familiar face blocked my way. "Look, who we have here? It's good to see you again, brother."

"Marco." I greeted him with a lack of enthusiasm as I even got more frustrated seeing his annoying face often these past few weeks. "You look like shit."

"Thanks for reminding me." He barely spared me a glance as his focus was solely on the woman beside me. His dark eyes gleamed with unmistakable delight. "We met again, little one. How are you?"

I automatically hide Haven behind my back as if protecting her from this guy. "No. Get away from her, Marco. I'm warning you."

Instead of heeding my warning the idiot's eyes merely sparkled with amusement. "How rude. Is she the one?"

"Back off, Marco."

The devil from Rome was ignoring me as he held out his hand in Haven's direction. "I hope you can keep up with my friend's dire personality, Signorina. He is not known to be a sweet guy."

"Hey, we're not friends!" I contradicted, swatting away the hand that was extended in Haven's direction. "And don't try fucking touching her with your filthy hands, fucker."

"My..." he feigned an innocent look but the smirk on his face belied him. The bastard held out his hand once again "...why are you so extra work up today? That's not so like you, Santi."

"Marco," I warned as I rubbed my forehead because I could feel that I was about to have a headache because of him.

"Nice to see you again," she took the offered hand and shook it briefly.

"What a pretty young lady," Marco commented, looking at me with malicious eyes. "No wonder you are busy guarding her, old boy."

"Excuse me?" Haven said questioningly.

"Paid him no mind," I instructed Haven who was looking at the man in front of us full of curiosity. "He likes to ruin other people's day for fun. Come with me. Let's greet the bride and groom."

"There's no need," another voice joined the conversation. I saw Enzo approaching us with his new wife in his arms. "I see that Marco is busy harassing you, Marchesi, that's why I came to the rescue." He looked at Marco with shining green eyes. "Don't tell me you already set your sight to your new project? You sure don't know how to stop, do you?"

Marco grinned at him raising the champagne glass in his hand for a salute. "What can I say? There's a saying that goes: the more the merrier."

Enzo spared me a glance before looking meaningfully at the devil mastermind. "Does that mean that he's the newest recruit?"

"Hell no!" I denied it vehemently. There's no way in hell I would join his stupid club and spend time with these idiots. They got to be fucking kidding me.

"He doesn't have a choice, does he?" Marco mused out loud. "He is as good as dead when love comes knocking in his doorway." He gave me a smug smile. "I believe he is only one step closer to signing his name."

"Stop pestering him, Marco." Enzo's bride smiled at me in a friendly way. "Hello, Santi. It's nice to see you again."

"Congratulations on your wedding," I replied while the corner of my lips tugged with a smile. The first time I saw this woman Marco forced me to take her to Los Angeles against my will. Enzo nearly killed me for it but I found the whole thing hilarious. I pity them for playing Marco's game like dimwitted.

"I thought you said in the past that you would not come to a wedding with a date, Santi? I guess that's not the case for my wedding—though you are fashionably late, as always. What changed your mind and brought a beautiful woman, Mr. Cynical to love?"

I could see the way Haven's cheeks were tainted with color. I drew her even closer to my side as I glared at the groom who was about to become Marco in the making. I think he should stop spending a lot of time with this guy. "Shut the fuck up, Enzo. I don't need to answer your inquiry."

"Stop roasting him, love." Willow gently reprimanded her new husband. "We should be thankful that he managed to attend the wedding even though his schedule is tight." She beamed at me, her blue eyes twinkling with delight, and said. "Thank you for taking care of me last time. I enjoy your company while waiting for Enzo. Please enjoy the party with your date." And then she looked at Haven with a wide grin on her face. "I like the color of your hair. It suits you."

"Thank you," Haven replied demurely.

"Dance?" I asked the woman in my arms so I could get away from these annoying people who kept on nagging me like hell.

"Sure," Haven replied, placing her hand on my waiting one. I led her to the dance floor where the other guests were dancing to the beat of a southern song. But as we were about to join them the song ended and it was replaced by a slow rhythm as the voice of Elvis Presley's, Can't Help Falling in Love, started to play.

I didn't know if this way was only by chance or by fate but now I have to dance with Haven to a slow dance at a wedding no less. I don't know but I felt suddenly nervous holding her into my arms and following the beat of the music. I placed my hands on each side of her slender waist while her hands rested on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to conjure conversation since all I was aware of was the hard beating of my heart. It felt like I was palpitating.

"Yeah," she answered shortly, unable to meet my gaze. I could perceive that she was avoiding looking me in the eye.

I cleared my throat as I had the sudden urge to claim her mouth for a kiss. "I apologize if you embarrassed you somehow a while ago."

"Oh, no, they didn't." She denied it immediately, still looking everywhere except on my face which was starting to annoy me.

"Is there something wrong, Haven?"

She shook her head, few strands of pink hair fell on the side of her face making me itch to push them away from her face. "I just didn't realize that you are close to the bride. Is she also an acquaintance from before?"

For a moment, I didn't understand what she meant until I read between the lines. I suddenly want to laugh out loud. Jesus, is she jealous of Enzo's wife? That's why she's suspiciously silent throughout the encounter I always knew that something was off because she's a natural extrovert and friendly person.

"Yeah, I've known her before," I started. It was an evil of me but I decided to test my theory if she was indeed jealous.

"Friends with benefits, is that it?"

This time I couldn't contain my laughter. Dio! This was so unexpected. "Hell, no! Where did you get that idea?"

She looked at me with sorrowful eyes. "She said you took care of her last time and she enjoyed your company. Does that mean you slept with her?"

I shook my head in disbelief. "She just accidentally boarded my plane on my way to Los Angeles to pick you up. She also spends the night in my house in LA while waiting for Enzo."

"Nothing happened?"

I chuckled while still shaking my head. "Heaven's no! I swear we slept in a separate room that night. Besides, I am not the type of man who will sleep with a woman who is already in love with another guy." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you jealous?"

She laughed momentarily. "O-Of course, not. I'm just curious, that's all."

I allowed myself to smile slightly at her denial. "If you say so."

"Truly, Santi." She was still trying to convince me. "I am not."

I pulled her even closer to my body until nothing separated us. I don't care if we're making a spectacle in the middle of the dance floor right now but all I knew was that I was blissfully happy at the sudden turn of events at this wedding. Who would have thought that I would enjoy attending a wedding in the middle of nowhere, no less?

"I am not jealous, Santi." She repeated while she nuzzled in the crook of my neck.

"I understand." I breathed, enjoying the scent of her hair while my heartbeat matched hers as we swayed to the slow music in the background and everything else faded away.