By the time they arrived back home, it was late so they decided to wait until morning to get her belongings from her apartment.

"Go up to bed, I will be there shortly."

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, turning to look at him before going up the stairs.

"I have to make a few phone calls first." He reached out and placed the palm of his hand against her cheek. "You are tired, get some sleep and I will join you as soon as I can."

He was right, she was tired from their long flight so she gave him a kiss before going up. "Try not to stay up too late."

It was early when he woke up in the morning, he turned his head to look at her. Then when she opened her eyes he smiled. "Hey beautiful."

"Morning. What time did you come to bed?"

"Around three in the morning. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you."

"You could have, I wouldn't have minded. You might even have gotten lucky"

Just then he heard someone banging on the door and cursed out loud. "Now who the hell is that this early? He got out of bed and threw on his pants and grabbed a shirt to put on. "Stay in bed and get some more rest. I'll get rid of whoever it is and come back to you."

When he left the bedroom she pulled the covers up over her. She laid there thinking about what all she was going to bring from her apartment. Her furniture could stay, that way whoever moved in would have use of it.

As he walked to the door and whoever was on the other end kept knocking, which irritated the hell out of him. "I'm fucking coming," he cursed as he opened the door.

"Someone hasn't had their morning coffee yet."

"Eddie, what are you doing here? I mean I thought you weren't coming back until late tonight or tomorrow morning." He stepped back so that Eddie could enter.

"I took an earlier flight. Do you always walk around with your fly down and your buttons undone on your shirt?" He laughed when Leone did up his fly. Oh wait, I guess you have your girl upstairs."

"Eddie, we need to talk."

"Sounds serious, don't tell me you're breaking up with me," he said and then laughed at his own joke.

"It is important, something you need to know."

"Now don't tell me you got the poor girl knocked up."

"No, she's not pregnant." Before he could say anything he heard her voice calling out as she started walking down the stairs.

"Leone, who's at the door?"

Both men looked up and Eddie turned to Leone and punched him in the face.

"You bastard, you stole my girl."

Leone was not expecting the punch and being who he was he punched back and the two men started fighting.

She came running down the stairs, yelling at them to stop. Neither one acknowledged her and kept fighting. That was until they heard a crash and stopped what they were doing.

"Eleonora, what are you doing? That vase cost me three thousand dollars."

"It was the only way to get your attention. Now I want you both to stop fighting."

"He punched me first."

"I don't care who started it, just stop."

Eddie looked at Leone. "How could you steal my girl?"

"I didn't know she was the one you were talking about and I didn't steal anybody from you. Damn it man, you were gone seven weeks."

"Oh I think you knew exactly who she was and you didn't want me to have her. I thought we were friends and you go and do this behind my back."

When they went to punch at each other again she picked up a statue. "How much is this worth?"

Leone had Eddie pinned up against the wall with his arm over his neck and when he saw that she was about to smash what she had in her hand he released his hold on the other man.

"Oh my God, that statue cost me half a million so please don't break it."

"Then I suggest that the two of you stop this childish behavior right this moment or I swear to God I will smash it into pieces."

"Okay baby, just put it down."

When she put it down she stood there with her hands on her hips. "I want to talk to Eddie alone."

"I'm not leaving you alone with this man." When he saw her picking up the statue he held up his hands. "Okay, I'll give you a few minutes. I'm just going to the kitchen and make some coffee and if he gives you any trouble you call out to me."

When he walked away she moved closer to Eddie. "I don't know why you are so upset. It's not like you and I were dating. We only had coffee a few times together."

"I told you that when I came back I wanted us to go out and you said you would have dinner with me. I thought we had something more than just friendship."

"Oh Eddie, I really like you as a friend and I don't want to lose that friendship. I did tell you I had no romantic interest in you. And I never said I would have dinner with you, I said I would think about it. I'm so sorry if me being with Leone has hurt you and I don't want the two of you to fall out over me."

He let her a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Friends do not go behind their friends back and steal the girl that they are interested in. He crossed the line when he got with you."

"He didn't know that I was the girl you were talking to him about. You never told him my name so how can you blame him? You have been friends for so long, please don't end it."

It was then that he noticed the engagement ring on her finger. "You're engaged to him?"

"He proposed to me the night before we left Bora Bora to come home."

"So the bastard talked you into getting engaged just so that he could rub it in my face that he stole you from me."

"He didn't steal me, we met and fell in love. Oh my God Eddie, we were never together, you and I."

"So you really love him?"

"Yes, that first moment we met I felt something I had never felt with another man. I love him so much and if I were to lose him I don't think I could go on."

He reached up and touched the side of her cheek. "You really do love him, and I suppose he loves you too. I have to admit that talking to him on the phone he never sounded happier."

Just then Leone came out carrying a tray with three mugs of coffee. When he saw Eddie's hand on her cheek he slammed the tray down on the table. "Get your hand off of my girl."

"Leone, it's not what you think so calm down. Now I am going upstairs to get dressed and while I'm gone you two are going to sit down, have your coffee, have a civilized conversation. If I hear any more fighting I will take your precious statue and smash it into tiny little pieces. Am I clear?"

Both men stood there with their mouth open and watched as she picked up her mug of coffee and headed up the stairs.

"Damn, she sure does have a temper and to think that she destroyed your vase." Eddie started to laugh and went over, grabbed his coffee and sat down on the sofa.

"You have no idea. The first time I pissed her off she threw her shoe at me and if I hadn't ducked I would have gotten it square on the head." He smiled when he thought back to that day. Then he sat down on the other sofa and grabbed his coffee.

"Look Eddie, I swear to you that I did not know she was the girl you were talking about."

"If you had known would you have stayed away from her?"

"No, and that's only because I fell in love with her the moment I met her and looked into her eyes. I know that sounds crazy, but it's the truth. I knew she was the one for me."

"She says the same thing about you. I will admit that I really like her. I would have liked to know how it would have went between us if you weren't in the picture. But I have a feeling it wouldn't have gotten to the point where she would have fallen in love with me. I guess you could say it's my pride that was hurt more than anything. If you really love her and she loves you then who am I to stand in your way." He knew that by the way the couple looked at each other they were deeply in love.

Leone stood up and so did Eddie. "So we're good?"

Eddie held out his hand. "Yeah brother, we're still good, but you better not ever hurt her or you will have me to answer to."

They shook hands and did one of their manly hugs just as she was walking down the stairs.

"I'm so glad to see that the two of you have made up."

When she got closer to them Eddie placed his hands on her shoulders. "I am very happy for the two of you." He looked over at Leone with a devilish grin on his face. "But if you ever change your mind about this punk and want me I'll always be here waiting."

With a laugh Leone went over and pulled her into his arms. "Sorry my friend, she has chosen the best man."

"Okay you too, finish your coffee while I go and make us all some breakfast."

"Oh seriously Leone, with all your money you're making her do the cooking. I suppose she also has to do the cleaning."

"For your information mister, I love cooking and have told Leone that since I'm moving in I will be doing it from now on so there is no need to have a cook come here to prepare our meals."

"So you moved in already."

"No, but I will be as of today and since you're here you can help us go over to my apartment and collect my belongings. Now you two play nice while I go make us something to eat."

"I'm really glad you found someone, and she's a very special woman so take good care of her. I hope you told her everything about you."

"I did and she's okay with it. There's just one problem though, I've been trying to talk her into quitting her job."

"She needs to quit, when your enemies find out about her which they probably already know her life could be in danger."

"Don't you think I know that? I've tried but she is so stubborn. But I have hired a couple of men to keep an eye on her. But don't say anything to her because she doesn't know and if she finds out she'll be furious, thinking that her privacy is being invaded."

"She's got to be made aware of the dangers."

"I know and I think that maybe since you two are friends and she appears to like you she might listen to you."

"I'll give it a shot, but don't blame me if she gets pissed off and breaks one of your valuable items."

"Okay you two, breakfast is ready."

While they were eating Eddie decided to approach the subject of her job.

"So I suppose you'll be quitting your job now."

"No, why would I?"

"Sweetheart, you are engaged to a very well-known man who has a lot of enemies. They have in the past tried to find a way to get rid of him and finding out about you and knowing how much he loves you your life will be in terrible danger. Working in a public diner they will try to kidnap you and God knows what else just to get back at Leone."

"I'm sure I'll be okay and besides, I don't like the thoughts of being a kept woman."

"Sweetheart, you're going to be his wife and not a kept woman. With you out there working Leone will always be worried about your safety. He will be worrying about you and not concentrating on what he's doing and that is when his enemy will strike. Of course you can do whatever you want but do you really want to take the chance of him getting hurt?"

She looked over at Leone and swallowed the lump that was in her throat. The last thing she wanted was for him to be thinking about her safety when he was in a dangerous situation. "No I don't want to take that chance. What you said makes sense so I will quit my job."

When no one was looking at him Leone rolled his eyes. He had said the exact same thing to her and yet it took another man to get her to change her mind. But either way he was glad that Eddie had convinced her. "You have put my mind at ease and I thank you for agreeing to quit your job. I promise you won't regret it."

"I just don't know what I'm going to do with my time."

Leone reached across the table to take her hand. "You can do anything you want and you have your art and if there's anything else you want to do or learn I can hire someone to teach you."

"I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano. And it wouldn't hurt to have someone teach me how to improve on my art."

"Then consider it done, I will find someone to teach you and I will get you a piano to practice on," he said, glancing over at Eddie, giving him a silent thank you for helping him out.

After they were done eating and she had finished doing the dishes they all got into Eddie's car and drove to her apartment, taking boxes with them.