His Secret Sin

“You’re not strange. A little different maybe but not strange.”

“Aw, I wanted to be strange.”

He chuckled, and they suddenly came to a stop.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just nothing.”

He started walking again, and she didn’t question him. She knew they were getting close by the scents. Her mouth started to salivate, and as they entered Mary’s place, the other woman let out a gasp.

“Belle, I just knew you’d be here today. And look at you, bringing a fine gentleman with you as well.”

“He’s fine? How about sexy? You know me, Mary, I can only have the sexiest guy on my arm,” she said, laughing.

Mary did the same, and she was pulled into an embrace. She flinched at first but immediately relaxed. “Then, my dear, you do not have a problem with that. Maybe he could stop frowning and he’d be a keeper.” Mary led her to a free booth. What she loved about Mary’s was how busy it always was.

Diego sat down opposite her, and without even asking what was on the menu, she let Mary know she would have her usual, and also ordered for Diego, who had yet to speak.

Once they were alone, she reached across the table, feeling his arm. She felt how incredibly thick and muscular it was.

“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t embarrass you. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a joke. Mary thinks I need to start dating, and well, you’re the first guy I’ve brought here.”

“You don’t date?”

“I’ve not had much reason in my life to. I’ve been focusing on a lot of other things, like my music and my life, and just making sure I can actually do the things I want, you know. Dating is a complicated business and one I don’t want to jump into.” She let go of his arm as she realized she’d been holding it a little too long to be appropriate. “How about you? Do you date?”

“No, I don’t date.”

“Are you married?”

“No, not married. I’m a widower.”

“Oh, no, I’m so sorry.” Now she just wanted to hug him.

“Don’t be. She was … cheating on me.”

“Oh, I don’t think that makes her passing any easier to bear. I’m so sorry.” She tried to offer him comfort as best she could. She really needed to learn to stick to safe topics of conversations and not ones that could hurt others.

She was never usually like this. She would be careful in the future.

Chapter Three

The engagement party had gone through, and now Diego had to deal with a fiancée. At least Charlotte wasn’t a demanding brat. Years of being the outcast had turned her into a quiet little mouse.

She never made waves and never demanded his attention. What it did mean was they had to be present for as many functions within the family as possible.

Like tonight, after two weeks of being engaged, he was at The Boss’s house. All the capos were. It was a friendly gathering, one where the men talked business and the women, well, waited and gossiped for their men. Charlotte sat next to him, eating her food. She was a perfect wife. Delicate, gentle, and quiet.

He thought about Belle.

After dropping her off at her apartment two weeks ago, he hadn’t seen her since.

He hadn’t visited Angelo’s Place, and hadn’t seen her at the bar.

She hadn’t been a quiet eater at Mary’s place. He had watched her devour that burger with hunger and relish, and he’d done the same.

Walking into Mary’s had been eye-opening to him. No one knew who he was, or at least had never given it away. Mary flirted with him, and Belle laughed and joked with the older woman.

Belle was loved. He got that much.

She was openly affectionate, kind, naïve, and he shouldn’t be thinking about her while he had his fiancée beside him, and the rest of the men watching them. With Charlotte being an outcast, their union had caused even more gossip.

To some, they believed he’d fallen out of favor with The Boss. He hadn’t, but they didn’t need to know that.

Charlotte was a good daughter, and she would make the perfect wife, he had no doubt.

Unlike a certain raven-haired woman he’d met, Charlotte didn’t fire his blood. Sitting next to her didn’t affect him. He didn’t find himself wanting to watch her.

“So, when is the wedding, cousin?” Angelo asked, sporting a fresh black eye.

Diego had been the one to give him said black eye because of him running his mouth to the servants about Charlotte. He had no love or affection for his wife-to-be, but he wouldn’t allow anyone to say bad shit about her.

No man in his right mind would let another talk in the negative about his wife.

It’s why Angelo had been forced to take his punishment without trying to hit back.

Diego knew there would be a consequence at some point. Angelo liked to hit back, but he always did it when others’ backs were turned.