Her Ex Brought His Mistress to Watch Her Break, but the Mafia Boss Who Kissed Her in Front of Everyone Was the One Man He Couldn’t Afford to Anger
Connor turned impatiently.
“Excuse me?”
The crowd nearest them moved backward.
Harper noticed that before she saw the man.
People moved for Roman Falco.
They always did.
He was forty, perhaps forty-one, broad-shouldered beneath a black tuxedo, dark-haired, controlled, and intimidating without appearing to make any effort whatsoever. His family owned shipping terminals, construction companies, commercial properties, and enough of Chicago’s waterfront that journalists had spent years trying to determine where legitimate business ended and something darker began.
Nobody could prove much.
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Nobody joked about it either.
Harper had seen Roman once before outside a courthouse.
He had been surrounded by attorneys.
None of them had appeared comfortable.
Now he was standing beside her.
Connor’s expression changed instantly.
“Mr. Falco.”
Roman’s attention remained on Harper.
“Miss Bennett.”
She blinked.
He knew her name.
Roman finally looked at Connor.
“You were saying?”
Connor cleared his throat.
“Nothing. Harper and I were just catching up.”
“Were you?”
“We used to be engaged.”
“I’m aware.”
Connor’s smile became uncertain.
Roman stepped closer, not threateningly, simply enough to occupy the space Connor had been using to corner Harper.
“I’m also aware that she asked you to leave.”
Connor’s jaw tightened.
“This is personal.”
“No,” Roman said. “This is public. You made certain of that.”
Nobody moved.
Roman looked toward Paige.
Then back at Connor.
“If humiliating a woman requires an audience, at least have the courage to admit you came for applause.”
Connor’s face reddened.
“That isn’t what happened.”
Roman’s expression did not change.
“It’s exactly what happened.”
Harper should have been terrified.
Instead, something unfamiliar loosened inside her chest.
Connor glanced around, seeing the faces now watching him differently.
He recovered quickly.
“It seems you’ve misunderstood the situation.”
“I rarely misunderstand a man showing off.”
Roman’s eyes moved toward Harper again.
“Although I may have misunderstood one thing.”
“What?”
He stepped beside her.
His hand settled lightly at the small of her back.
Harper went still.
Roman bent slightly.
“You can slap me afterward,” he murmured so quietly only she could hear.
Her eyes widened.
“For what?”
His gaze flicked briefly toward Connor.
“For changing the story.”
Then Roman kissed her.
The ballroom disappeared.
Harper heard one collective gasp before Roman’s mouth covered hers and every coherent thought scattered.
It was not a crude kiss.
It was worse.
Slow.
Certain.
Public.
His hand remained at her back, never forcing, but the message sent through the ballroom was unmistakable.
Harper could have stepped away.
She didn’t.
Perhaps because Connor was watching.
Perhaps because six weeks of pitying glances had finally become unbearable.
Or perhaps because Roman Falco kissed like a man who had never once asked permission from the opinion of a room.
Harper’s hand rose instinctively to his chest.
For one dangerous second, she kissed him back.
When Roman lifted his head, she was breathing too quickly.
He leaned close.
“Let them stare.”
Harper looked over his shoulder.
Connor’s face had gone white.
Paige no longer looked victorious.
Around them, the whispers had changed entirely.
Poor Harper was gone.
Now the question was something else.
Why would Roman Falco kiss Harper Bennett?
Roman extended his arm.
“Would you like to leave?”
Harper considered Connor.
Six weeks of grief.
Four years of memories.
One shattered engagement.
And suddenly the only thing she felt was exhausted.
“Yes,” she said.
Connor stepped forward.
“Harper, wait.”
She looked at him.
He had said those words too late in every way that mattered.
Harper placed her hand on Roman’s arm.
“No.”
Then she walked out.
The cold October air hit her outside the hotel.
Harper made it six steps before turning on Roman.
“What the hell was that?”
Roman stopped.
A black sedan waited at the curb behind him.
“The slap?”
“I’m considering it.”
“Fair.”
“You kissed me.”
“I noticed.”
“In front of three hundred people.”
“Closer to two hundred eighty. Several were in the silent auction room.”
Harper stared.
“You think this is funny?”
“No.”
“Then explain.”
Roman studied her for a moment.
“The cruelest thing Connor did tonight wasn’t arriving with Paige.”
Harper crossed her arms against the cold.
“It wasn’t?”
“No. It was making you defend your right to exist in a room you entered before he did.”
That silenced her.
Roman continued.
“He wanted to control the story. I gave the room a better story.”
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
The honesty startled her.
“But,” Roman added, “I also prevented him from finishing what he started.”
“And what did you start?”
“A business conversation.”
Harper laughed once in disbelief.
“Of course.”
“I need a lawyer.”
“You have lawyers.”
“I need you.”
Harper’s amusement vanished.
“Why?”
Roman opened the sedan door.
“Because Connor Hale is trying to take something from me.”
She remained on the sidewalk.
May you like
“And tonight you decided to take something from him?”
“No.”
