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Was there a part that bored or that you didn't really like in the book?

Even a character, a scene, or anything. You could say no if nothing bothered you.

Which was the part you liked most in the book?

Even a character, a scene, or anything that you enjoyed.

In Dark Mafia Romance, do you prefer lighter (with more humor and romcom vibes) or darker (with darker themes and scenes like murder, torture and SA) stories? *

• I prefer lighter with more humor and romcom vibes.
• I prefer darker with darker themes and scenes like murder, torture and SA.
• I like both.

Do you like stories where there is an age gap between the male main character and the female main character? *

• Yes, love that trope!
• I don't know? But I'd give it a try.
• Not at all.

Do you like stories where the Villain gets the girl? *

• Yes, love that trope!
• I don't know? But I'd give it a try.
• Not at all.

Who is your favorite dark mafia romance author?

Please don't say me, I need some new inspo!❤️

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Rose  

“I want to get married again.” Annabelle adjusts my wedding dress and smiles at my reflection in the mirror. 

I smile back at her. Bobbed blonde with an eccentric fashion sense who happens to be the stylist for my wedding. 

“I wear it better?” I squint playfully. 

“Don’t let Maria hear this, but yes,” she winks at me and I giggle.  

I’ve always wished I could wear a wedding dress that meant something to a couple with a beautiful love story, and when Maria offered her wedding dress and gave permission to have it altered, I hopped on it. She is a mother to me and what more can I ask of in life and on this special day than to wear the wedding dress of a love story that has given me the best gift in the world?  

“We can get it off, and wait for later when it’s time,” Anabelle takes her hands to the zipper and I nod like I want my head to fall off my neck.  

I’m all butterflies and floating love ships right now. Nervous, but not unsure about walking down the aisle with the best man in the whole world today.  

“Yes!” I shriek, laughing to myself as the thought of getting married today slaps again.  

It’s my wedding day. 

It’s my freaking wedding day! 

I have thought I would be marrying someone I have no affection towards just to please my family, but now life has given me an unimaginable gift and if anyone asks me, I would do it all over again since it all led me here.  

“I’m getting married, Annabelle,” I step out of the dress.  

“And you make a beautiful bride,” she takes the dress to the mannequin beside my window and mounts it.  

I smile at the flowy eggshell ball gown dress, embellished with stones. Long sleeves to my wrists and a veil that’s longer than the tail of the gown. It didn’t have any stones when I got it from Maria, and the size was a bit small, but now, it’s been customized to my taste and size. 

Maria said when she made the dress, she wanted her daughter to wear it someday. Years down the line, she has a son and now he’s giving her a daughter to make that dream happen for her.  

I blink my tears back and sniff.  

I wasn’t a crybaby at first, but as months went by and the day drew near, I couldn’t help myself.  

This is more than I ever dreamed of. This is more than I ever thought could happen to me.  

“I’ll go check what is happening. I need to make sure everything compliments you in that dress,” Annabelle claps her hands together. 

“Sure, I’ll just be in here.” 

“I doubt that,” she chuckles and walks out.  

As soon as she walks out, I step out and start sneaking into the one place I have been banned by Orazio, Maria, and Evelyn from going to. I sneak up to Benedetto’s bedroom. He asked me to move in with him but Maria stated firmly that since the wedding is near, I should maintain my room, that it builds anticipation. She did have a point.  

“Baby,” Benedetto smiles at me, drops his blunt on the ashtray on his bed, and opens his arms for me.  

“Amore,” I stole that one from Orazio’s list. I take coy strides toward him and sit on his lap.  

“How are you feeling?” He kisses my bare shoulder and takes the string sleeve of my pastel blue nightwear between his thumb and index finger.  

“Excited…” I bounce giddily on his lap, “The guests will start arriving soon,” I throw my arms around his neck and drop my head on his shoulder.  

“Orazio is around somewhere,” He is saying one thing and doing another.  

His hand snakes around my back to my breast and he slips it under my nightwear to grab it.  

I have been challenged to one week of abstinence till marriage by Evelyn and I took up the damn challenge and now everyone knows that, and is making sure somehow, I stick to it. If I falter, I have to wear her hideous collection till my first anniversary.  

“Your abstinence pact is for sex, not this,” he pinches my nipple, and my pussy twitches, throbbing for his touch because I have missed the shit out of it.  

“We can’t,” oh, but I want to.  

“We can cheat, no?” He twiddles my nipple. 

“No,” I breathe in lazily, already melting to the movement of his fingers twiddling my nipple. I try to push his hand weakly away but he is not moving. 

“I want to fuck you,” He clips me to his body in a way that keeps me pinned and moves his other hand to under my dress, “Open up for me.” 

I close my legs some more and shake my head, wanting it but enjoying having him take it from me. He grunts and rough handles his way through and I’m sure his fingers have left bruises in their wake.  

His hand finds my sex and he cups the clean-shaven spot, “Just how I like it served,” he slips his hand down but I begin to wriggle.  

One year wearing wrap dresses with hideous motifs as a newlywed to a man like Benedetto is not something I want to do. I want to go full me with him. When we step out, I want people to see the woman he has beside him. I want to turn heads. As it stands, I have to keep my game on and not make any woman think he got the worst end of the deal.  

“Is that how you want to play?” He slides two fingers, like he loves to, inside me and I scream from the sharp thrust even though I’m wet and needy for it.  

“If you fuck me, the wedding is…” I start to say and he snorts, curves his fingers inside me, and then begins to finger me in jerky circular thrusts. 

“It’s not fucking if my cock is still in my boxer briefs,” he grunts as he strokes me.  

His other hand pinches my nipples while his mouth covers the side of my chest and he begins to suckle. I know what he is doing. My wedding dress doesn’t cover up to that point. He wants to give me a hickey.  

I keep wiggling but who am I deceiving? I’m straddling his fingers, wanting to come quickly before someone comes in here to see us. We need a door in his room. Or not. I don’t care. I’m close.  

I bite my lower lip to keep my moaning gulped as the torrent of heat sweeps from my head, blurring my vision, down to my mouth, which parts to give me out, to my chest, making my heart pound against it, to my stomach, and finally to my pussy, rolling out as come. 

I collapse, resting my head on his shoulder as I try to catch my breath. He slips his fingers out and takes them to his mouth to lick them.  

“This will do for now,” he kisses my temple.  

Footsteps approach and he drops his hand on my breast, quickly adjusting me to cover me up.  

“As your best man, it’s time to get ready,” Orazio snaps his fingers at the both of us, “And shouldn’t the bride be getting ready?” 

“What time is it?” I slur. 

“The guests are arriving, that’s the time it is,” Orazio clips and I jump on my feet, a little dizzy but good. 

“See you at the aisle,” I scurry out of his room, rushing down to mine.  

I have to be in there before Evelyn comes to get me with the other glam team.  

I open my bedroom door and I jump right out of my skin when I see everyone waiting for me.  

Evelyn is now in her maroon silk wrap dress, as my maid of honor. Maria is in a dress of the same color but more stylish. Annabelle is here and so is the makeup artist, Joel, the hairstylist, Kim, and the overbearing frizzy curled wedding planner, Estelle. 

“I went for a walk,” I smile at them. 

“You look…” Estelle begins to say but I lift my index finger to stop her.  

I have made new friends during the months leading up to my wedding. Hanging out with them and discussing other things that are not wedding-related.  

“Let’s get her ready,” Maria snaps her fingers and sips her whiskey.  

Yeah, Benedetto got a lot from his mother. The woman drinks like a shark.   

Joel drags a swivel chair to the center and I nod, exhale, squeak a little from overwhelming excitement, and then go to sit.  

Hours later, I’m fully baked, and dressed for my big day. Standing under a starry sky at the end of the petaled aisle, with my maroon bouquet in hand, and the man I want to be joined to on the other end, standing on one side of the platform in a maroon tux and honey eyes that match my adorned hair.  

Petals of emerald green and maroon with draping lights and hanging flowers. The guests are now standing on both sides of me, the bride. On one side, are Benedetto’s friends, his easygoing personality having paid off, while on the other side are some of my friends from my days in New York who started coming around again when they heard the news of me marrying Benedetto.  

I walk down the aisle, with Maria doing me the honors since I have no family to do that for me.  

I have mixed feelings as I walk past the smiling faces and the petals they’re throwing on the floor. I wish my family were here but also happy that I have this new family that loves me unexplainably and that I love too. 

I get to the platform and my eyes meet Romano, his tux matching Benedetto’s. He smiles warmly at me and I nod. We are family now and these past months have given everyone time to forgive and move on to the important things, like accepting that whatever is done in the name of love is worth doing.  

Orazio smiles at me and blows me a kiss, making me snort. He is Benedetto’s best man, as should be, and my bag of worries. He is soon becoming the big brother I never had in Lawrence.  

“Hey,” I smile at Benedetto as Maria lets go and I climb on the platform.  

“Baby,” he winks at me.  

That pet name will never get old.  

Never.  

The sturdy clergyman in black proceeds with the procession and so it begins.  

“Amore,” I take Benedetto’s hands, “I will love you for as long as I live, and even in death, I will find you and love again, and if I meet you in another lifetime, I will love you still, because this mind, this heart, the soul was custom made to fall for you in every universe, and every lifetime,” I kiss his hands.  

“I love you, Rosaline,” he sniffs, “I’ve always loved you, I never knew how not to love you and I know there’s no time or place that I can exist without loving you,” he squeezes my hands gently, “I’d love you every waking day and if I die tomorrow, I’d die a happy man because I was given a chance to know a love like the one I feel for you.”  

A tear slips and he catches it with his thumb. 

I know he loves me, but today, I’m seeing it more than I have every time he confesses it.  

“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Corte,” The clergyman announces, “You may kiss your bride.” 

We close the distance and seal our lips together.  

This is the best day of my life.  

The procession is over and the reception has begun. People are littered around in their graceful outfits, mingling, dancing, and whatnot. Maria is dancing with a little boy and Evelyn is busting herself with housekeeping even on a day like this.  

“We are officially family, huh,” Romano hands me a champagne glass and hugs his wife Giada to his side.  

“I can officially be a thorn in your flesh,” I smile at him and stroke Benedetto’s palm that has been snaked around my waist to rest on my stomach. 

“That’s one person added to my friend list,” Giada smiles at us, “I must say I love your dress, it’s to die for.”   

“Thank you,” Benedetto and I answer at the same time and I chuckle because he does that sometimes. Saying thank you on my behalf. 

“I’m happy for you, brother,” Romano smiles slightly at Benedetto, “Rose, care for him, he is a good one.” 

“I’m a good one,” I pout. 

“You better care for her,” Giada points at Benedetto with her champagne glass.  

“Always,” Benedetto hugs me tighter to himself.  

“A toast then,” Romano lifts his glass, “To tragic circumstances that lead to happiness ever after.” 

“I like that one,” Giada lifts her glass. 

“To tragedy?” I lift my glass. 

“To tragedy,” Benedetto lifts his.  

We clink glasses and I mentally hear a bell announcing my new beginning dings.  

One lifetime launched, and thousands more to come.  

I drink to that.