Guilty of Being His — Adrian's Marriage Proposal

After I was fired, I left New York and moved to a small town in Pennsylvania, where I worked as a waitress at a roadside diner. The place kept me busy. I had no idea how Adrian tracked me down. When he found me, I was serving beer to a table of customers. One of the men was round and slapped him across the face.

He kicked me to the floor furiously. Beer bottles and scalding food spilled all over He still wasn't done. Cursing. He came at me again. The next second, someone slammed his face against the table. The entire diner went silent. I looked up and met Adrian's eyes.

He released the man, calmly adjusted his cuff, and gave me a lazy smile. So this is where you've been hiding, Evelyn? I got to my feet, brushed the food from my clothes, and nodded before walking past him. I had barely stepped outside when his voice came from behind me.

How about you marry me? I spun around in disbelief. Have you finally lost your mind? I'm serious.

Adrian looked me over. His eyes gave nothing away, but his voice held no trace of humor. Bianca walked away from me. The Morettis throw you away. At least we have one thing in common. I couldn't read his expression, didn't react. He gave a quiet laugh. You have nothing left to lose, Evelyn.

Marry me. Take the DeLuca name. Then what would you have left to fear? I didn't answer. He didn't rush me. He simply stood there and waited. A cold wind swept past, and I instinctively drew my shoulders in. Adrian took off his black cashmere coat and draped it over me.

The faint scent of tobacco surrounded me.