1. Chloe
CHAPTER 1
CHLOE
I choke on a gasp and squeeze the arms of the chairlift so tight, my hands cramp. Suddenly, my hatred for the frigid cold temperature here in Gstaad, Switzerland rivals my disdain for him .
Bruno Villani.
With a pounding heart, I lift my snow goggles to get as clear a look at him as possible as I sweep past him. Even from way up on the chair lift, I recognize him. I’d recognize him anywhere. Tall, muscular build, with broad shoulders and an ass so tight, you could bounce quarters off of it.
After two years, he’s still as sexy as ever. And that smirk of his…
Argh!
His lazy grin can still make my heart screech to a stop and my belly flutter like it’s being carried away by a swarm of butterflies.
I grit my teeth. I hate that he still has this effect on me, even after so much time has passed. It’s no shock that he’d be here for the wedding. He’s Zeno’s best man, for Pete’s sake. I knew we’d eventually be thrown together again. I just figured I’d have moved on by then.
Then is now .
And dammit, I’m still hooked, not that I’d ever admit it to anyone. Even Lily, Zeno’s fiancée and my best friend, has no idea I still carry a torch for the guy even though I know he’s a dangerous and deadly deviant, something I’ve experienced firsthand and have been dreaming about ever since we... he …split.
We were thrown together during one crazy week in Vegas when we were targeted by some madman who happened to be a common family enemy of Lily and Zeno. Before that, I had no idea who Lily really was. Her last name didn’t ring any bells with me. I guess you could say I’d been pretty sheltered growing up, living my sun-soaked, blissfully ignorant life in Southern California. So, the thought never occurred to me that my best friend could actually be the only daughter of a ruthless and powerful New York mafia boss.
Long story short, Lily and Zeno had been kidnapped by the crackerjack guy so Bruno, Zeno’s other cousin Sergio, and I went in to rescue them. And even though I was a total badass and sprayed bleach into the eyes of one of the assailants so Bruno could shoot him in the head, it was all a little too much for me.
I was new to the whole mafia world and instead of dipping a toe into it, I was plunged in, headfirst. It was a shock, to say the least, but my feelings for Bruno developed quickly. But soon afterward, he pulled disappearing acts and shut down whenever I’d ask him about his work. I worried about him and, if I’m being honest, myself.
My parents freaked out and threatened to pull me out of school when they found out. Anything to keep me far away from a notorious mobster’s family. Or two families, as the case was, since Zeno’s bloodline is La Cosa Nostra, straight out of Sicily. Mom practically had a stroke when she heard that.
When I told Bruno I needed him to leave the life, he said he would…for me. We shared a few dirty-sexy-hot months. During that time, I tried to shut down the voices in my head that screamed at me to run as far away as I could but they were damn persistent. I should have been smart enough to listen because my mind knew what my body wanted to blissfully ignore.
He was a liar.
Lily and I lost touch for a little while afterward and I buried myself in school as a distraction. I had to swear upside down and sideways to my parents that I’d never see any of them again. Part of me wishes I’d have been stronger and stood up to them. I regret not taking my life into my own hands and letting my parents call the shots.
And after a while, I missed my best friend so much that I said fuck it. Lily is the best person I know and being her friend is worth the risk. Mom and Dad don’t agree, but I don’t care. I’m not the same girl as I was a year ago. I can make my own decisions.
Lily turns around in her own chair on the lift and waves at me. “Don’t forget. Jump and go, okay?” she yells.
I give her the thumbs-up, my gut clenching as we travel higher up the hill. I have to have my head examined for this stroke of brilliance. I’m not a strong skier so I don’t know what possessed me to get on this thing in the first place. But Lily begged me to go and I figured, why not? I’m all about new experiences.
But the higher we climb, the more doubtful I am about embracing the unknown. I take a deep breath. All I have to do is jump. The skis will do the rest, right? Lean left, lean right. I can do this.
I look down to the spot where Bruno stood only a minute earlier. He’s now surrounded by a group of slutty ski bunnies. My lips twist. “Look at them all, pawing at him like he’s made of freaking chocolate,” I mumble, clutching my ski poles. “There are a lot of things I could do to those bitches with these poles.”
Lily lets out a loud whoot when she lands in the snow. She takes off down the hill, zigzagging left and right. I’m sure there’s a more official term for the move but I’m more focused on Bruno and his harem to care.
The lift nears the top of the hill and my spine stiffens.
Please don’t let me break my neck. Please don’t let me break my neck!
Okay, just jump and go. I’ve got it. I’m going to jump as soon as the chair stops. Except it doesn’t. It keeps going.
“Jump,” someone from behind me yells. “It doesn’t stop.”
Shit. My window is about to slam shut, so I jump, landing cleanly in the snow.
“Go,” the person shouts. “You’re gonna get?—”
“Ahh!” I yell when the edge of the chair slams me in the ass, shoving me to a certain snowy death if I can’t get my skis to cooperate with my body. I careen down the hill, unable to get my balance before jerking to the right and crashing into the retainer fence. Thank God the snow is soft because my ass takes the full brunt of my fall.
Tears spring to my eyes. This is ridiculous. I am never skiing again, no matter how much Lily begs. I struggle to my feet, wobbling on my skis. Others fly past me, laughing and smiling like this is the most fun sport in the world.
“I can do this,” I mutter. “I can keep my balance. I in-line skate dammit. This should be easy.”
I tentatively slide one ski out in front of me and someone whizzes past, shoving his arm into my shoulder as bits of snow fly into my face. I sputter ice crystals as my skis take on a life of their own. I take off like a shot down the hill, dodging people and screaming for them to get the hell out of my way.
“Chloe, swing your feet to one side to stop,” Lily yells from the bottom of the hill which is fast approaching.
“What?” I scream.
“Bend your knees and turn your feet,” she shouts.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” I cry out, turning my feet.
Except I really should have looked before turning.
I plow into a fellow skier then spin out, tripping over the sign for the intermediate hill before face-planting in the snow.
After a few seconds, I manage to flip myself onto my side. I wiggle my toes in my ski boots and my fingers in my gloves then let out a relieved sigh. I’m not paralyzed.
Hell, I’m not in pain at all. I should have a broken back, ass, or neck right now, but I feel great.
Shoot. What if I’m dead? What if this is Heaven?
“Chloe!” Lily drops down next to me and pushes back my snow-crusted hair. “Didn’t you hear me when I said to jump?”
“I didn’t know the chair wouldn’t stop.” I struggle to lean up on my elbows. “Damn, if I have nine lives I think I might have just used them all up.”
Lily turns her back to me. “Guys, a little help?”
A choked gasp lodges in my throat and I fall backward into the snow. Bruno leans down and holds out his hand to pull me up. “Hey, Chloe.”
His deep voice jolts me like a shot of adrenaline to my heart, the spark of electricity shooting through my wool glove when he grasps my hand, bringing back all of the memories I’ve tried to bury.
Did I really think I was in Heaven?
Because as of this second, it is absolutely and undeniably Hell.