Page 7 of Hot Momosa

He muttered something in Italian and let his head fall back. “I’ve been asking myself the same question for months.”

“Let me know when you figure it out. I’d like to understand what I did wrong, so maybe I won’t waste another ten years waiting for the next guy I fall for to love me back.” I forced a smile, turned on my heel, and made a beeline for my car.

Once again, Leo caught up to me. Only this time, he grabbed my arm, spun me around, and pulled me to his chest.

God, he smells good. So damned sexy and too damned familiar. For the first time in months, I felt safe, but it was an illusion. I’d spent years believing he’d protect me. Little did I know then that Leo would be the one to crush me.

I jerked free of his embrace. “I can’t do this.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. We were good together. You remember what it was like when we conceived Gunnar. We were happy, couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

I remembered it all too well. Hateful words like, there’s a difference between love and lust, tumbled through my mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him again, nor would I cheapen what we once had. “And then Joe and Rebecca were killed and the bottom fell out.”

He hung his head. “I was terrified the same thing would happen to you and Gunnar.”

“We both were.” I had been four months pregnant when Leo’s oldest brother and his wife had died.

Though the police had blamed their accident on faulty brakes, Leo’s father had insisted they were murdered. As it turned out, he was right. They’d been the victims of a mob hit.

During the torturous weeks following the accident, Leo had confided some awful things to me, including his family’s involvement with the mafia. To make matters worse, my father had hated Leo from the first moment he’d laid eyes on him. Between our fears and pressure from our families, we’d agreed to keep Gunnar’s paternity a secret.

Those months of insisting my baby was the result of a drunken mistake with a stranger had killed me. I’d only ever been with one man. Needless to say, my friends and family had been shocked, but the only one to figure out the truth was my father.

“I’m free now. It’s been a year since Marco took over. We haven’t had any blow-back.” He ran his hands up my arms. “There’s nothing stopping us. We could be a family, Dahl. You, me, and Gunnar.”

“Nothing except my father making a bid for the White House.” I hated myself for what I was about to say. He and his brothers had risked their lives to get out of that life, but for some people, it would never be enough. “The press would have an absolute field day linking my dad to organized crime.”

“The Marchionni Corporation is one hundred percent legit now. Let them dig. They won’t find anything.” He lowered his face closer to mine.

I turned my head, but nothing could lessen my desire to kiss him. “It doesn’t change public perception. A year ago, your father told the world about his illegal campaign contributions and bribes. Not to mention he took the mayor of New Orleans down with him.”

Leo tightened his jaw. “I’m not my father.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe if we’d been together before the campaign, or if people knew Gunnar was yours…”

He scowled. “You’re a grown woman. When are you going to start making decisions based on what’s right for you instead of what’s best for your father’s career?”

“Who says this isn’t what’s right for me?”

He raised his chin. “Look. I’m sorry I snuck around behind your back. It was stupid, and you have every right to be pissed at me.”

“I’m not upset that you spent time Gunnar—”

“But you are upset because you think I didn’t want to spend time with you.”

Yes!“No.” I waved my hand. “I don’t know.”

He lowered his voice. “I screwed up, but we can make this work.”

How romantic. Just what every little girl dreams of hearing.

“It’s not that simple.” Nothing ever was when it came to either of our families.

“We can’t change the past, but I’m not giving up on the future.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll wait for you this time.”

I met his gaze and did the hardest thing I’d ever done. Let him go. “No. As much as it breaks my heart to say it. It’s past time we moved on.”

He tightened his jaw, but continued to hold my gaze. “And Gunnar?”