Page 154 of Claimed At First Sight

There she goes again, talking as though she’ll be leaving.

“Come on,” she coaxes. “It’ll be fun. Who knows? It might even help you realize I’m an unsuitable choice for a wife. It could save you weeks of pursuing me.”

Not a chance.

On paper, she’s everything I was looking for. And in person, that list only seems to be getting longer.

Somewhere along the way, spending time with Mia has become something I enjoy.

“Now who’s the optimistic one?”

Chapter Forty-Three

Mialina

The moment the gondola door closes behind us, I realize I’ve made a mistake.

A spectacular one.

Back at the bakery, convincing Maximo to ride the Ferris wheel had seemed like my life’s mission. I wanted the big, bad Mafia Don to concede something to me. Watching him agree had felt like a victory.

Now I’m trapped inside a small glass enclosure about to be suspended high above Chicago with the very man I decided only three days ago I would avoid.

What have I done?

It’s just him and me now.

No Sienna, Ari, or bodyguards hovering a discreet distance away. Well, that’s not entirely true. The latter are occupying the cabins next to us.

What does Maximo think is going to happen? That one of his enemies will spot us here, buy a ticket, strategically occupy the adjacent gondola, and then open fire?

But that’s beside the point. What I’m trying to say is that there won’t be any convenient interruptions.

The temperature inside the gondola suddenly seems ten degrees warmer than it was thirty seconds ago.

We’ve been alone before, and it was fine, wasn’t it?

Hmm, there was the garden at Mateo’s house, where he kissed me. Damn, I need to forget that one.

The conservatory, where we almost kissed after Rory had left. Then there was the upstairs corridor after my first outing in Chicago when he cornered me against the wall, and…

Oh God, we almost kissed then, too.

That’s actually a concerning pattern.

I glance at Maximo. He’s rubbing his jaw. Seriously, the man’s bone structure is so chiseled, looking at him should come with a warning label.

Caution: Prolonged exposure may result in temporary lapses in common sense. The manufacturer accepts no liability for spontaneous poor life choices.

Good grief.

The air conditioning really is set too hot in here. I wipe at my brow before unzipping my jacket and unwinding my scarf from around my neck.

I’m still too warm.

With a huff, I take off the offending layers and place them on the bench beside me, focusing on the city skyline.

The falling snow blurs it and turns the towering buildings into softened silhouettes beneath a sky the color of pewter. Somewhere beyond the thickening clouds, the sun is beginning its descent, giving everything a strange glow.