guys are dating now?" Shauna's slice of pizza falls dramatically onto her plate, her green eyes studying my face.

I shrug, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

She arches an eyebrow, stretching her freshly-painted toes across the couch. "How long have you known each other, again?"

I lay on the carpet beside her, staring at the white ceiling. "I met him about a month back. He works with my brother and my dad."

I can feel her roll her eyes. "I got that part. And yes, he's very cute and very nice and I'm happy for you."

I try to find a 'but' in her tone but there is none. Reaching up onto the coffee table, I steal another slice of pizza. Shauna holds out her plate, and I toss one on there too.

Suddenly she sits up, a mischievous expression written all over her face. "Have you told Daniel yet?"

I flush, and she has her answer. Her laughter is completely and one hundred percent at my expense. "Those two are really good friends, Ros. Imagine what it will be like when Caleb tells him he's screwing his sister."

I give her a whack. "Caleb isn't going to tell him anything."

"But you have to tell him soon, you know..." She lives to make fun of me.

"I will." I walk to the kitchen to escape the conversation, checking on my cupcakes, but she follows me, enjoying herself way too much.

"You're glowing, you know. So I'm guessing the sex is just amazing?"

My face goes warm, and not from the oven. Of course, I don't dignify that question with a response. She watches me pluck the little cakes from the tray and plop them onto a rack to cool.

"Oh come ooon, Ros! Tell me. I can keep your secrets."

I sigh, unable to stop the smile that twitches at the corners of my lips. "Okay, let's just say that since Sunday night I've seen him... every night."

Her squeal almost ruptures my eardrums. "God, Rosalyn. I never knew you could be such a slut." I narrow my eyes at her, but it does nothing. "Wait," she continues, "Is he coming tonight?" She checks her watch, and I know it's around 6.

"He has dinner with his parents. And I have movie night with my best friend." I give her a wry look, and she reaches out her arms to pull me into an excited hug.

"You know I love you, right?" She says it while picking up a cupcake from the tray, and I snatch it away.

Rolling my eyes, I nod. "Even though you have the worst way of showing it."

She shrugs. "Hey, someone has to ask the hard questions." Her grin makes it hard to stay angry.

"Whatever."

"Ohmygosh, hey. I forgot to tell you something." Her voice is a mix of seriousness and excitement.

"What?"

"Okay, so the other day I was out for dinner with my parents at this fancy Italian restaurant downtown, right?"

I have no idea where this is going. "Okay...?"

"And we're sitting there, and then I notice that a few tables away from us, your hot neighbor is sitting right there."

My ears prick. Anything to do with Nero cannot possibly be good news. "Yeah?"

She shakes her head frantically. "But that's not all Ros. There's more. So, a woman walks in to join them." At this, she stares at me, her face full of disbelief. "Guess who it was?"

I raise an eyebrow, my mind racing. Who could it be unless... immediately I know, but I don't say anything. "Who?"

"Natalia!" I pretend to look shocked. "Your brother's girlfriend. I was so confused. Like, what the hell, right?"

I nod, the news causing my head to spin. I play the part. "Wait, seriously? What were they doing?"

She rolls her eyes. "Having dinner, duh." She runs a hand through her long, dark hair. "They were speaking Italian the whole time, so I had no clue what they were saying."

I let it all sink in. So, Nero and Natalia, again? What could my brother's girlfriend possibly be doing with members of the mafia? The only answer is startling, horrifying. No way she's just using him to get close, right? The thought angers me. Daniel is completely in love with her.

Shauna sees the turmoil on my face, and gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I know, babe. I'm sorry." And she doesn't even know the half of it. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, they didn't actually seem like they were dating, or anything."

I realize that Shauna thinks Natalia must be cheating on my brother. Wouldn't that be simpler? "Yeah?"

"Yeah, they seemed more like... family?"

I raise an eyebrow at that. "Like how?"

She shrugs, searching for a way to describe it. "Like... I don't know, exactly. If I had to guess I would say that they were like cousins or something."

The thought makes me cringe, but I realize that in Shauna's eyes, family is good news, not bad. I try to act normal. "That's possible, right? I mean, that's more likely than..."

Shauna nods. "Yeah, Ros. And actually, the more I think about it, they all looked like family. And they didn't get along very well, like family." She gives me a supportive smile.

"Were they fighting?"

"They were arguing a little. Natalia looked pissed."

The encounter I witnessed at the fundraiser flashes through my head. I guess nothing has changed since then.

"Whatever. I guess I'm not going to worry about it. It's nothing, right?" Wow, I'm a good liar. Playing two different people all the time hurts my brain.

"Definitely. It's nothing."

And that's that. At least for now.

•§•

Shauna leaves, and already I know there are way too many cupcakes. And what do I do when I have too much food?

When he opens his door he doesn't look surprised to see me. His arched eyebrow is tired, and yes, he was definitely sleeping. And now he is shirtless. I could lie and tell you that his bareness makes me uncomfortable, but really, he's gorgeous and it doesn't bother me, except to make my face go warm.

I hold out the small plate silently, and he takes it, equally wordless, putting it inside like yesterday. When he looks at me, it's the same expression as last night, but lighter.

"You know, dolcezza, if you keep bringing me food I'm going to start thinking that you like me."

My expression is dry, unimpressed. "You're just lucky I always make too much."

He chuckles, studying me. "Yes, I love having my sleep interrupted."

I narrow my eyes at him, making my indifference abundantly clear. "And I love having my life interrupted, so I guess we're even."

He sighs, and his expression is now wry, heavy. He runs a hand through his thick, dark hair, and I follow the movement with my eyes. Mm. I remember running my fingers through that hair. You fricken have a boyfriend. Yeah.

Our eyes meet silently, and we're at a standstill. There is so much we can say, but neither of us wants to say a single thing.

Actually no. I do.

"So, I have a question for you." My voice is measured, icy, though really, my malice is fabricated by my guilty mind. I wish I could be angry with him. That would be the right thing. But I'm just not.

He raises a curved brow. Go ahead.

"How are you related to Natalia?"

His expression grows tired, and he lets out a sigh. "Your friend saw us at the restaurant, huh?" I am too shocked to hide it. He chuckles dryly, adding, "There is little I do not notice, Rosalina." My mouth tightens into a thin line while I wait for an answer. Again, his fingers run through his hair, a small breath escaping his lips. "She's my cousin, dolcezza."

I let that sink in. Shauna was right. But the thought of my brother unknowingly dating someone related to the mafia makes me sick. Nero must see the anxious look on my face because his eyes soften, and he gives me a tiny, reassuring smile. There's dryness in it, but it's not unkind. "She's not using him, if that's what you're worried about, carina."

I watch him, surprised at how easily he can read me. I wait for more. He sounds tired when he speaks, like he'd much rather not tell me this, but will anyway. "Honestly, dolcezza, she's on his side more than mine." The glint in his eyes assures me that this is a sore subject, and I know he's telling me the truth. He doesn't say any more, and I don't ask for it.

Again, silence envelopes. Our eyes meet, tired, and there is an understanding between us. It's not hot or fiery like last night but softer, resigned. He lets out a very heavy sigh, like there are a thousand pounds suddenly pressing against his shoulders. "What do you want from me, Rosalina?"

It's a dangerous question, with an even more dangerous answer. My lips part slightly, and I search my mind for a response.

Finally, I let out a soft breath. "Clarity."

The look he gives me is genuinely sympathetic. He is quiet before saying, "We both know it's not that easy."

I rip my gaze from his, fixing my eyes on the worn carpet at my feet. "Yeah?"

And because I'm not looking at him I am very surprised when I feel his long fingers on my chin, pulling my face up to look at his, and he is standing there, a foot in front of me, and there isn't a lot of space between us, and my heart starts to race in my chest, and his eyes are so dark and so bright and god. Oh God. He is so, so, so beautiful. And so dangerous.

I have to remind myself of this last fact, because his features are angelic, his long lashes and sculpted cheeks and hard chest so very, very perfect. I could pull away, and I should. But I don't.

His face isn't very close. But it's there, and so are his lips, and it's definitely a sin because parts of me want him to be closer.

My eyes are now fixed, firmly, on his, so he slides his fingers away. But he moves not an inch otherwise, and neither do I.

And I close my eyes, and I imagine he does too, and then I sigh because his nose brushes against mine oh so tenderly, and his hand comes up to hold my face, and his fingers stroke my skin, and I keep my eyes closed and just feel him because if I open them then I know I will be gone. And I've turned into a cheater because my head tilts to the side ever so slightly and his nose and mine are so close and I can feel his breath and I know his lips are soft and right there and then because I am a good person I rip myself away and the tears sting my eyes and I don't look at him, I just leave.

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