I. Epilogue
PART ONE
Epilogue
Six Months Later
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I exhaled. The dress was perfect. White. Silk. Delicate straps hugged my shoulders. The slip dress’s V-cut was deep enough to catch Luka’s attention. I wore my mother’s diamond earrings. I dabbed one more layer of mascara on my eyelashes. I didn’t have any more time. This was it for the last-second touchups. It wasn’t as if I could be late for this event. Everyone was waiting for me. They would be watching every step I took.
I shoved the makeup into the snakeskin pouch and zipped it quickly. God, I hoped I was ready for this.
I stepped into the Christian Louboutins I had bought to match the dress. They instantly added inches to my already tall frame. But Luka liked my legs in high heels. He would love all of this, I was sure of it.
I touched the pearl and diamond necklace at my neck. I smiled. It had never been more perfect or appropriate than wearing it tonight.
“Knock. Knock. You ready?” It was Katya.
I smiled at her. “I think so.”
She walked into the honeymoon suite. Baby Enzo was on her hip. She was wearing a simple blue satin cocktail dress. Her hair was long and thick. Her eyes bright.
“Wow. Sexy much?” she teased.
I laughed. I dabbed Enzo on his nose with the tip of my finger. He giggled. It was his new thing. We all loved it.
“I wanted to make a statement,” I explained, twirling in front of her.
“I think the statement has been made.” She bounced Enzo on her hip. “I was sent to make sure you aren’t late.”
I sighed. “I told Luka I wouldn’t be late.”
“I’ll let you tell him.” She winked. “He’s in the hall.”
I exhaled. “This is it. I guess.”
She nodded. “It is.” She kissed me on the cheek.
“Thank you.” I brought her and the baby into a light hug. Ever since Enzo was born, Katya had started to laugh again. She smiled every day. There were moments when we all believed she could live a full and happy life. In the six months since Enzo’s death, she had grieved and welcomed their baby into the world. I admired how strong and resilient she was. Nothing was more important to her than their son.
I picked up the red beaded clutch and strolled to the door. My hips moved with the rhythm of my Italian shoes. I’d waited for this moment for so long.
I opened the door.
I almost lost my voice. My breath. He was gorgeous. Sexy.
Luka stood in the hallway in a fitted tux. He grinned the smile of the devil. I laughed.
“I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?” I teased.
“I think we’re going to keep the crowd downstairs waiting. Holy shit, you look gorgeous.” He brushed a kiss on my neck. I shivered with goosebumps.
“Thank you.”
“My sister’s still in the suite, isn’t she?” He looked past me.
“She is.” I laughed. “Besides, aren’t you the one who doesn’t like to be late?”
He scowled. “You do have the honeymoon suite for a reason, right?”
I nodded. “I do. It’s so when this party is over we can stay our first night at the Crescent Towers.”
His arms moved to my hips. His fingers dug through the silk. “Fuck me. No underwear, Amara?”
“What? It’s designer silk. I didn’t want the lines to show,” I explained. I left out the part about how I had intentional left them off just for him.
He groaned. “I would have gotten here sooner if I knew I was going to be hard through this entire party.”
I ran my hand to his waist, pressing along his thigh. “Oh, God.” I moaned. This was going to be a night of torture for both of us.
“I don’t joke about how hard you make me.”
“Noted.” I smiled.
The door rattled behind us and Katya and the baby joined us. “I thought you two would be in the lobby by now.”
“Just trying to time it perfectly,” I lied.
“Mmmhmm.” She didn’t believe me.
I straightened my spine and tried to shake out the wrinkles in the silk Luka had made with his fingers. He offered me his arm.
“Shall we? We have a casino to open, baby.”
I grinned at him. “Carpe noctem.”
“Always.”
* * *
After a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, a toast at the bar, and rolling of the dice at the craps table the Crescent Tower was open. Luka and I moved from patron to guest, toasting with champagne. We thanked everyone for coming. We sat for a few rounds of poker. Laughed with the casino commissioner. Raffled a car for charity. I felt as if I was floating the entire night.
Barbara spotted me in between blackjack hands.
“This is an amazing night.” She hugged me. She was wearing a glittery black dress. I’d never seen her with an ounce of sparkle on in her life.
“You look beautiful, Barbara.”
She laughed. “I’m just happy to be out without the children. Although, they said to tell you hi and Charlotte wants pictures of everything.”
I laughed. “Of course she does.” We surveyed the guests mingling, the drinks being poured at the bar, and the people swaying on the dancefloor. “It’s pretty incredible, right?”
“It is. And then some. Thank God, we got that legislation passed.” She winked.
“Our friend in the governor’s office seems to be agreeable to anything we want to accomplish at Noctem Global.” Anthony Gardner wasn’t as easy to run out of Louisiana as Anna Novikov was. Our options were to either plant a scandal and run him out or use the threat to leverage the legislation we needed him to pass. As a result, Luka and I had complete control of the treasure tech and the Crescent Towers was open.
“How are you Barbara? Looking lovely.” Luka joined us, kissing Barbara on each cheek. She grinned at him. He had to know the affect he had on women.
“I’m having a marvelous time. I’m going to the roulette table.”
“Good.” He faced me. I knew that look.
“Have a good time, Barbara. And thank you for getting us to tonight.”
She squeezed my hand. “You two are an incredible team.”
“What is it?” I asked Luka.
He rubbed the side of his jaw. “There’s something we need to do.”
I grimaced. “Now? The party isn’t over yet.” The bad was about to start their third and final set.
“After this dance,” he added. “Dance with me.”
I smiled, taking his hand. Luka walked me into the middle of the floor. I wondered what we looked like to the outside observer. I knew we were a stunning couple. But could they see past that? Did they know the bond we had? The history. The layers of pain and anguish. Could they see the beauty in how we had healed each other? Did they know how we burned for each other? Was it as obvious to everyone else as it was to me?
“What are you thinking about?” His hand pressed into my low back. We swayed to the saxophone.
“That I’m happy.” I met his eyes. I felt dizzy with love like the first time we danced at Katya’s engagement party. Was that really five years ago?
“About?”
I pinched my lips together. “You know exactly why I’m happy.”
He dipped me, making me lose my breath. He winked. “Well, tonight’s not over.”
“The honeymoon suite,” I replied.
“I’ve got something else.”
I frowned. “What else could there be? This night has been perfect. Look at this party.”
He leaned toward my ear. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, I do.”
I didn’t trust anyone the way I trusted this man. He adored me. Loved me. And he would protect me above all else. For six months we had worked tirelessly to create one organization, the Noctem Global organization. Sometimes I thought it was the work that saved us when the grief was the thickest. Others, I knew it was how we could look up from our screens and that one look. That one glance told us everything we needed to know about each other. All the colors of our love. All the pain and the joy that loving each other created. It was all in one look.
“Good. Since you trust me, then don’t say anything when I do this...”
“What are you?—”
Luka started to lead me off the dance floor, out of the side door. His sports car was parked at the exit. He opened the passenger side and shuttled me in. I felt as if we were Bonnie and Clyde rushing off with a bag a cash.
“Remember, you said you wouldn’t say anything.”
I nodded, biting my tongue as we drove away from our party and our guests. I could still hear the music until he pulled into the downtown streets. It wasn’t long before I knew where Luka was taking me. I couldn’t believe it.
He parked in front of Marguerite’s. It looked empty or closed. Then I saw the curtains rustle in the window.
I didn’t say a word as he jogged around the side of the car and helped me find my balance in my heels on the cobblestone.
“This way.”
Marguerite greeted us at the door. “I was worried you weren’t coming.” She looked at Luka.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He dotted kissed on each of her cheeks.
She laughed. “For you, I’m okay waiting all night.”
I laughed. Such the charmer.
“My dear, you look exquisite.”
“Thank you, Marguerite.” We hugged briefly.
“Your table and your champagne are waiting.”
I peered at Luka. He still hadn’t let on to what this was about. I didn’t want to argue that we had plenty of good French champagne at the Crescent Towers. Instead, I followed him to the table. Our table. The first place we ever sat down together.
“There’s no one else here,” I whispered.
“No. That’s the plan. I rented it out for the night.”
I glanced at Marguerite. She had turned off the light at the piano and locked the door. She walked behind the bar and pressed play on a speaker.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Do you remember that first night we met?” he tested.
“Yes. Very well.” I smiled. “You scared me to death in the pool house.”
He chuckled. “Well, yes, that was first. But do you remember coming here?”
I nodded. “Every single second of it.”
“Then you remember we danced to this song?”
I listened closely. “I do.”
He offered his palm. “Dance with me like the first night we heard it.”
Our bodies aligned and rocked to the soulful music. That night we met I felt connected to him in a way I’d never been able to explain. Maybe it did have something to do with the love lines on our palms. Maybe we were just good dancers.
“Where did you come from Amara Amato?” he whispered in my ear.
“Philadelphia.” I winked.
“Smartass.” He chuckled.
I looked up at him. His eyes of obsidian saw everything. He knew me. He saw all the hues and layers of my heart and my soul. He knew the girl I used to be. He knew the woman I was now. And through all of that, he loved me. Maybe it was in despite of all of it, he loved me.