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Mia Marcelli was used to sleeping alone so it cae man in her bed She did what any other self-actualized, self-defense-trained woman would do— she screamed and jumped to her feet

"Big mistake," she yelled as she backed toward the door "You shouldn't have broken in here I have access to weapons, and grand My brother's a former Navy SEAL"

The man sat up and smiled at her "I see you still talk too much, Mia When an unknown man appears in your bed, you should run"

He knew her naiving her advice It didn't seeing Assued these days

She paused by the door and pushed her bangs out of her face There was so fa, but the shape of his face reminded her of someone And that mouth— she would remember it until she died

"Diego?" she breathed, knowing this stranger couldn't be hio was dead She'd seen the bullets hit his body, had watched hiround There'd been so much blood

"Am I that different?" the ed?"

It was hiasp "H-how is this possible? Why aren't you dead? I saw you die Dead people don't have conversations"

"It is a long story Perhaps one I could tell you over breakfast"

That voice She would know it anywhere It had haunted her dreams for the past five years

Dead people also don't eat "Get back," she said, feeling both shocked and angry When in doubt, get pissed off It was a philosophy she'd learned worked for her "I don't knohat this ga it"

"Mia, it is I You nize me"

"Must I?"

Right now she didn't have to do anything but keep fro a heart attack fro big and scary

The bedroorandmothers burst inside Grandma Tessa had a fire poker in one hand, and Gra pin

"Call Joe," Tessa ordered Mia "He'll take care of this scu"

Scu just a little too many police dramas

"I' it difficult to believe her own eyes "I uy"

"You do knowover her like a familiar and welcome memory "Mia, it is I"

Diego? Was it possible? Conflicting eh her She wanted to run into his arms and have hirab the poker and beat him over the head with it

"You're supposed to be dead," she said, still confused and angry, and uy really was Diego, she was going to have a lot of explaining to do

"So you keep saying," he told her, soundingelse "Would you be more happy if I were?"

"It would hosts… or vampires"

He actually smiled "Good, because I am neither Mia,"— he took a step toward her— "trust your eyes and your heart I ao"

"We don't trust people who pretend to be so force despite her small stature and advanced years "Who do you think you are now?"

"I know I am Rafael, Crown Prince of Calandria"

Mia rolled her eyes Great— a crazy ht, and I' Beauty"

This had gone on long enough Mia took the poker frorandmother and held it out in front of her "That's it I don't knoho you are or what you want, but you're in big trouble Grammy M, call Joe" She shook the poker at the intruder "As for you, big guy, you stay right there or I'll take you out Don't think I can't I've had professional training"

The o had the balls to s anywhere, Mia I caain I can certainly wait until you're willing to listen to reason"

Reason? "Notsuit I'm more into react now, say 'Oops' later If you're who you say you are, you should know that"

"I knowthe fact that you once wore a silver ring bought in a market It was a foolish trinket, yet oddly valuable to us both"

Mia's gaze involuntarily darted to the botto and the ht it for her

He took a step closer "I know other things," he said, his voice low and seductive "I kno you like to be kissed and touched and where you like to— "

"Hey," she said loudly, doing her best to both shut him up and break the spell he attempted to weave "Grandmothers present Let's avoid too much information"

Slowly she lowered the poker and looked at hiht and physical type His voice was the sao up in flames, which hadn't happened even once in the past five years She wanted to believe because once she'd loved hi to kill her, too

But what about the other changes? The color of his eyes, the hair, the scar? Then she remembered her brief time in a world of deception and secrecy, where people could easily be made to look different Contact lenses, a quick dye job, and little glue— voilá, a new man

"I assu to hold on to her anger, because it was safe Only she was feeling et coffee before an event like this? And maybe a cinnamon roll?

"Walk to the ," he said

She raised the poker again and shook it at him "You walk to the "

He sighed "I see you are still stubborn Very well, Mia, alk together"