Owned by the mafia boss

MIA

Was I falling for Alessio?

He was definitely growing on me. At first, I wanted to thank him for saving my ass so I organized his kitchen, ironed his shirts, and got up before he did to cook breakfast. But it never felt like enough, so I kept up with the good deeds.

I wanted to help him.

And then I wanted to be around him.

So I demanded my driver to take me to Alessio, who apparently worked in a sleazy strip club off the interstate. Its garish billboard loomed over the highway. Grime coated the walls in streaks. I didn’t want to touch the handle, let alone go inside. Was this the right place? I asked John, who confirmed the address. Then I read the sign: Supersexxx Club.

Classy.

I crossed the parking lot to the entry. A thickset man wearing a plain black tee glared as I approached the gentlemen’s club. He peered at me, frowning. He stepped aside.

“The office is in the back.”

“Thanks.”

With my flats, thigh-length navy skirt, and white blouse strung with pearls, I looked like someone’s wife. No wonder he was cagey about granting me access. I walked in, met with midnight walls and bulbs that made my shirt fluoresce. A Lady Gaga song blared from the speakers. Strobe lights illuminated rows of disillusioned men throwing money onto a stage, their eyes locked on balloon-like tits. Topless women strutted the club in varying degrees of naked.

It was beyond seedy.

I made a beeline for the office. Music pounded. I braced myself. Then I pushed the door open. Everyone wore slacks. Thank God, no one was being blown. A pack of guys ranging from mid-twenties to early thirties surrounded a pool table. They were young. Employees, most likely.

My gaze centered on Alessio, who towered above the rest. A diamond-patterned blue shirt opened at the top, teasing a muscled chest that begged for a kiss. The way his pants clung to his legs slipped heat down my throat. He bent over a pool table, silent as he counted a stack of bills. He was so put together that I longed to rake my fingers through his hair to mar that image of perfection.

Alessio spotted me. He seemed to shift from several different emotions at once-confusion, shock, disbelief, and finally settling on amusement.

“Here for an audition?” Alessio shoved the money aside, straightening. “Come here, stellina. Don’t be shy.”

A young man leaned against his cue, his puzzled gaze raking my body. “Are we doing a girl-next-door promo I don’t know about?”

“Probably not.” Alessio closed the distance between us, wearing a sneer that verged on diabolical. “Maybe she’s in the wrong place.”

“Daddy issues,” the same guy chimed in. “Definitely.”

Alessio raised an eyebrow. “Whatever she is, she’s trouble.”

Why was he doing this?

And why did I play along?

“You don’t look like a stripper,” Alessio murmured once he’d looked at me from all angles. “Or a working girl.”

“I thought your club could use some class.”

“This isn’t where you belong. Turn your sweet ass around and go home.”

He emphasized the last two words, and then he pinched my side. He expected me to take his lifeline and leave, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

I trailed my fingers up his abdomen. “Give me a chance, baby. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Won’t your fiancé be upset?”

“I can keep a secret if you can.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be your dirty secret.”

“You don’t mean that. I only need ten minutes. Fifteen, tops.” I slipped my hand into his as his mouth thinned. “Or I could audition with someone else?”

“No.”

He still wore the smirk, but his humor vanished. I winked at his employees as he dragged me into the office, a closet-sized room with a steel desk and a concrete floor. It resembled a prison cell, and closing the door felt like being locked in with a depraved convict, especially when he took my waist.

“What in the world are you doing here?”

“Visiting you. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

I didn’t expect that taunt to work, but he softened with an of-course-I-am guilty smile.

“How did you even get here?”

It wasn’t that hard. “I told the guy I needed you immediately.”

“I’ll kill John.”

“Don’t be mad. I can be very persuasive.”

“I’ll say. He brought you to a fucking strip club.”

But Alessio didn’t raise his voice or give any sign he was pissed. Precious little provoked Alessio into a rage, which I liked about him. He never acted like he had anything to prove.

“Why are you here?”

Because his presence was a drug, and I was in heavy withdrawal. The obsession followed me out of bed, into the shower, at breakfast, everywhere.

“I wanted to be with you.”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

It was the truth, but that burning gaze threatened to tear me down, revealing the lies that layered my heart. I liked being with him, and I wanted to give him a chance.

Somehow, I worked up the nerve to touch his chest.

His heartbeat pulsed like the music outside. I glided up his muscled landscape and stroked his exposed skin. Then I kissed his parted mouth. His sharp intake of breath revealed I’d shocked him. I hadn’t touched him since he’d pecked my cheek this morning on his way out the door, and the kiss felt like slipping into a warm bath.

I pulled back, stamping on the bursting flames. Alessio wasn’t in a hurry to disengage. He slipped under my waistband and brushed the swell of my ass.

“You could’ve waited until I got home.”

“But then I couldn’t surprise you with lunch.” Detaching from him, I grasped the bag from my purse and slid it over the desk. “Veal parmesan.”

“Seriously? That’s my favorite.”

“I know.” I dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Wives talk.”

Alessio ripped it open and beamed at the food sitting in Tupperware. “Trying to butter me up?”

“Just being nice.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t want a favor. Tell me what it is instead of… fuck that smells amazing.”

I had stepped around him and cracked the lid, which filled the office with the savory aroma. Alessio ignored the utensils, grabbed the breaded meat smothered in eggplant, and took a massive bite. He inhaled the cutlet and devoured another, ripping a chunk of bread to mop the cheese and tomato sauce. He ate like my father, as though he’d never seen a meal in his life.

“It won’t run off the plate.” I winked at him as he nibbled a second roll. “There’s more at the house.”

He chewed the last bit, frowning.

“Too much eggplant?”

“It’s perfect, but you didn’t come here to bring me lunch.”

“Yes, I did.” When he continued to frown, I slapped my thighs and sighed. “You’re the one who keeps saying we’re meant to be, and I need to stop fighting my feelings. The moment I do, you think I have an ulterior motive. God forbid I do something thoughtful. You didn’t even thank me.”

“Thank you.”

The deadpan delivery struck a nerve.

“You’re unbelievable. You know that?”

“I thanked you.”

“You also said it like I escorted you to the gallows. What is with you? Are you having a bad day?”

“Not at all. It’s just… you’ve never done this before.”

“This is what people in relationships do, Alessio. They make each other meals. Go on vacation. Give each other massages.”

Alessio stared as though I’d talked in a foreign language. He obviously didn’t appreciate the hour and a half of cooking.

I felt like an idiot.

Fine. “I’ll leave.”

I moved to grab my purse, but he grabbed my wrist and tugged me onto his lap. His bear hug wheezed the air from my lungs.

“You surprised me.”

“That was the point.”

“You don’t understand. Nobody does nice things for me.” His nose trailed mine before he kissed my cheek. “I’ve never had a serious relationship.”

“What?”

“I didn’t want to settle for the longest time.”

So he was a commitment-phobe before this arranged marriage? “What changed?”

“I grew up.”

“Okay, but why is this such a big deal? You’re Italian for God’s sake.”

“I’m alone, Mia.”

My throat tightened. “As in, you like it that way?”

“No. As in, I don’t have anybody.”

More painful words had never been spoken.

“You must have someone.”

“You and Nico.” He smoothed a strand of hair over my ear. “That’s it.”

“What about your family?”

“They’re out of the picture. For a while, now.”

No family or close friends. I struggled to imagine a more miserable existence, but Alessio didn’t seem broken up. His features were tighter than a coiled spring, probably to hide the mountain of hurt.

I swallowed hard. “Well, you’re not alone anymore. You can expect me to make you lunch, bake you a cake when it’s your birthday, and be annoyingly concerned when you have a cold.”

“I want to believe you. I really do.”

I weaved my fingers through his mane, and his eyes fractured. It was so sad. My heart clenched at the aching man who hid behind so many masks.

“Why can’t you?”

“Because I have an amazing bullshit detector. If it’s too good to be true, it is.”

Meaning, I’m too good to be true?

My cheeks burned. “You owe me a fair shot.”

“I don’t trust you, darling.”

“Trust that I want you.”

“A week ago, you couldn’t stand me.”

“I know.” I linked my arms around his neck, and his frown deepened. “But then you saved my life. And before that, you helped me through the darkest moment in my life. Maybe you didn’t realize how depressed I was.”

“I understand loss.”

Alessio’s gritty tones sank into my stomach like lead. The wound inside him seemed to emit a chill.

“I guess we have that in common.” I smiled, and the intensity in his gaze dimmed. “Don’t you want this to be real?”

“Yes.” Faint shock rippled over his brow, as though the confession had been ripped from him. “But I’m not an idiot, Mia. You can’t expect me to believe this.”

“I’m asking you to try.”

The more honesty that poured into my words, the more he pulled away. I didn’t understand him, but I wanted to.

“What does that mean?”

“It means don’t question my motives.”

“I will always suspect you’re up to something.”

“You don’t have to switch off that voice. Turn it down and give me the chance I deserve.”

His aura radiated with the danger of a caged animal that might lash out, but he looked at me like he hung onto every word.

“Will you do that for me?”

He nodded after several heartbeats.

I kissed his unyielding mouth. His skin burned me. It was as though a fever ran him hot, and though he raked my thighs he didn’t kiss me back. When I pressed the third kiss into him, he softened and parted his lips. And he responded with a slick but firm pressure that made me forget where we were. As we traded breaths, the room heated with a cloying moisture that clung wherever he touched. I straddled him, kissing him with wild abandon. He fisted my hair and yanked me backward. I panted as Alessio tongued my bottom lip, his teeth sinking into me. A lightning rod of pleasure made me arch into him.

One minute I was on his lap. The next, he’d flipped me onto his desk. He yanked my skirt and panties down my thighs. Cold steel kissed my back before his weight covered me. He kissed me hard, nipping, biting, devouring. My wrists pinned, he ripped open my blouse. In less than thirty seconds, he’d laid me bare. He stroked the length of me. My butterflies did somersaults as he pinched my nipple. Then he sucked me into his mouth.

I groaned from the exquisite sting.

“I love your tits.” Reaching underneath, he unsnapped the lingerie and threw it aside. He teased my nipples until they hardened into aching points, and then he drifted lower. “Everything about you gets me so fucking hard, and I think you know that. You came here to tease me, didn’t you?”

He palmed my abdomen, sliding downward, but just avoiding the ache.

“No teasing. I swear.”

He released me, gliding up and down my thigh. I shuddered when he nudged my clit. When he rubbed in a circle, I hooked my legs around him and pulled.

“Please.”

“I don’t think you want me.”

“Are you crazy?” I grabbed the hand exploring my leg and dragged it over my galloping pulse.

“Still not convinced.”

A grin staggered across his face as his palm seared a path to my pussy. He pressed into the sensitive nub as he slid along my seam. My cheeks burned when he discovered my obvious need for him.

A lump lodged in my throat when his thigh touched mine, and he caressed me in even tighter circles that made my hips rock. Slowly, he parted my folds, and I held my breath when he inched forward. My walls clenched him. I gripped the desk and gasped into my arm. He pulsed, diving into my wetness as he watched me unravel with sadistic greed.

“Tell you what, sweetheart. I’ll make you a deal. Give me your body, and I’ll believe you. Let me fill you with cum. I’ll take every-goddamned-word as gospel.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll never look at me the same way again.”

“I’ll always think you’re hot.” He was so tempting with his gorgeous smile and mussed hair. He hooked in a second finger, kissing my mouth before it shuddered with a moan. “Tell me what it’ll take. I want to fuck you.”

It was tantalizing. Mainly because his fingers worked me to a lather.

“Just do it.”

Alessio stared like a wolf and its struggling prey. “Don’t say that unless you mean it.”

“Do it.”

“What do you want in return?”

“My fiancé to trust me. His love and devotion.” I sat upright and fingered the harsh outline of Alessio’s bulge. “That’s it.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Mia. Giving me everything is a losing strategy.” Alessio faced the desk and slowly unlooped his belt, tugging the leather through its straps. “Are you hoping I’ll be a decent man and back out?”

I couldn’t keep track of my heart’s desire while he flicked my clit and fucked me. Only that I might stop breathing if he didn’t bring me to an orgasm.

“What’s stopping me from calling your bluff?”

“Nothing.”

“I guess that makes you screwed.”

The belt smacked the floor. His slacks dragged over a muscled torso, revealing a thick rope of flesh that stood to attention. He gripped his cock and stroked himself. Mesmerized by his hand, I didn’t speak until he licked my nipple.

“I need to come. Please.”

“Such a good girl.” Alessio’s chuckle blew my puckered skin. “Begging me so sweetly.”

My thighs widened as he stepped between my legs. He yanked my knees even further apart, kissing a smoldering path from the joint to my thigh. His tongue lashed as he went, closer to the place that ached for him. Alessio pulled away, inserting a second finger. I tightened around him, bursting with a frustrated sigh.

Alessio made a pleased sound as I chased his thrusts with my hips. I wanted him. Needed him. He nudged his cock against my clit. But he didn’t drive his cock inside.

He was right there.

It drove me to the brink of insanity as he thrust between my legs. I angled my hips and dragged my calves over his slacks, but he wouldn’t fuck me. He was using my wetness to get himself off, pounding me with his fingers.

His mouth ravaged mine as my breathing hitched. Ecstasy poured into every nerve as he hit the spot, and then he knew where to hold the pressure. A cry burst from me. I ground into his palm, and he let out a tight groan.

Hot threads of cum draped my body as he pumped his cock, and I melted into a puddle, but it wasn’t over. Alessio gathered his seed and shoved it inside with three fingers. My lingering ache, still sensitive, blazed like a furnace with all that extra wetness.

I released a muffled yell into my arm as he pistoned. He laughed when my legs yanked him forward. He bent over me and snaked under my head, and when his lips crashed into mine, I felt the first wall of my orgasm explode. Like dominos, the rest fell. I seized his hair and moaned so loud it bounced off the walls. When he straightened, I clung to his shirt.

It was perfect.

I brought him close for a feather-soft kiss that neither of us seemed to want to end. He wrapped me in his arms and pressed his forehead into mine. Alessio’s enthusiastic response rang warning bells. Gaining a mobster’s favor was one thing.

Winning his devotion was quite another.