"Snow had buried Chicago for three straight days, but the cold wasn’t what terrified me most that afternoon. With only $11.70 in my bank account and my eight-month-old daughter hidden beneath my coat, I was about to sneak a baby into the back of the most dangerous mafia restaurant in the city—and pray Reed Callaway never found out.

Six months later, the bitter Chicago winter had given way to the bright, warm sunshine of late summer.

Callaway’s restaurant was busier than ever, its reputation as the premier dining destination in the city secure. But things had changed behind the scenes. Elena was now the general manager, and I was no longer a floor server sneaking around with a baby hidden under my coat.

Instead, I sat in a bright, modern corner office on the top floor of the Callaway building, managing the restaurant’s high-end corporate accounts and financial logistics. A secure trust fund was already fully established for Ava, who was now fourteen months old, walking everywhere, and currently babbling happily in the executive daycare suite downstairs.

My phone buzzed on my desk. I picked it up to see a text message from Reed: Meeting in my office in five minutes. Bring your smile.

A smile naturally tugged at the corners of my lips. I locked my computer screen and walked down the polished corridor toward the private executive office—the very same room behind the back stairs that used to be strictly forbidden to me.

When I pushed the door open, Reed was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the sparkling blue waters of Lake Michigan. He turned around as I entered, a rare, genuine smile softening the sharp, imposing lines of his face.

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Callaway?” I teased lightly, leaning against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow.

Reed crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping right in front of me. He reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing warm against my cheek.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Maya?” he murmured, his voice rich and low. “Outside of business hours, it’s just Reed.”

“Well, business hours ended ten minutes ago,” I whispered, looking up into those familiar, piercing gray eyes that had once terrified me, but now felt entirely like home.

Reed wrapped his arms securely around my waist, pulling me close against his chest as he kissed the top of my head. “Good. Because I have a proposition for you that has nothing to do with restaurant logistics.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“Dinner tonight,” Reed said softly, looking down into my eyes with a warmth that completely melted away every shadow of the past. “Just the two of us. And this time, no supply rooms, no hiding, and no rules.”