Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
"You're really doing a great job, you know," he tells me.
"Thank you."
"It's a lot to take on, but I trust you. You're a hell of an asset, and that's important. This isn't going to be an easy transition."
I can tell by his tone that something is weighing on him, so I stay quiet. Sure enough, Alessandro keeps talking.
"The guys that are left are loyal, but not as loyal as they could be. They're questioning my ability to rule. If I have any chance of succeeding here, I have to show them who's boss. That starts with finding out who killed Enzo. Once I find the son of a bitch, it'll shut everyone up."
"Is that why you've been pushing Marco so hard?"
Sandro's brow quirks. "Have you heard us fighting?"
"No," I say, blushing a little. "Okay, yes. But I don't like him either."
Alessandro laughs once. "He seemed sure that Enzo would pass the torch directly to him. He's going to have to get over it if he wants to keep his position."
I smile, taking another sip of my drink. This isn't so bad. Part of me was sure that as soon as I was alone with Alessandro, I'd make a fool of myself. But his presence is comforting. "Why did you want to meet with me, Sandro?"
"Hm." He shifts. "Honestly? You intrigue me, Emilia. I don't think you're being honest with me. Or with yourself."
I swallow, setting my glass down on the coffee table. His words should inspire fear, but they don’t. Why in the world do I trust this man so easily? "I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do. You're not stupid. Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying," I say, crossing my arms. “All I do is come to work, do my job, and leave. I’m not hiding anything.”
"That's the problem, Emilia." He reaches for me, his fingers brushing against my cheek. "You aren't living for yourself."
The touch shocks me. It’s so intimate, but comes so easily to him, that it catches me completely off guard. Before I can stop myself, I’m leaning into the caress.
"You know nothing about me," I reply, and his fingers trace the line of my jaw.
"I know you were hired by Enzo as an informant." Alessandro's eyes search mine, and his face is closer than it was a few moments ago. "And that's the reason you've been given such a position of power now. You're smart, talented, and I know my uncle paid you enough that you've probably got a pretty little nest egg saved up. You could have done anything, gone anywhere, but instead you stayed here. Why?"
"Why are you so interested in me?" I counter. The truth isn't anything scintillating, but it’s embarrassing instead. I haven't left because this life is comfortable, and I've been afraid. But I don't dare tell him that.
"You're hiding," he says, his breath fanning across my face. He smells like whiskey and spice. "But there's nothing to hide from anymore. You're free. What are you going to do with it?"
"I have no idea."
"Hm,” Alessandro says again before he leans in, takes my glasses from my face, and presses his lips to mine.
For a second, I'm too surprised to move, but then my eyes flutter closed and I melt into him. Sandro's hands cup my face, and the kiss deepens. I gasp, opening my mouth, and his tongue darts in, sliding along mine. His hands trail down my shoulders, coming to rest at the small of my back. He pulls me closer, and his hard body presses against mine.
He works his hands into my hair, expertly undoing the pins and running his fingers through the long fall of it once it comes loose. Sandro hums in approval. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I first saw you.”
It's a kiss unlike anything I've ever felt before. Alessandro DeLuca is the Boss, the man to be feared, and his body against mine, his tongue tangling with my own, is more than I could have dreamed. When we finally pull apart, my cheeks are hot, and my breath is coming in short pants. Alessandro doesn't move away, instead leaning in to press his forehead against mine.
"Don't misunderstand me." When he speaks now, his voice is more like a growl. "I have no interest in letting you go, Emilia. So this is your chance, before I'm unable to let you go. Do you want to leave, start some new life far away from the DeLuca family empire?"
"No." I'm breathless, but sure. There's no part of me that wants to walk away.
"Then it's settled," Alessandro replies. He pulls me into his lap, and I squeak as his hand slides under the hem of my dress, coming to rest on the skin of my thigh. "From now on, you're mine. You understand?"
"Yes, sir,"
"Good."
He kisses me again, and I let him. This time it's long and indulgent, his hands wandering across my legs but never too far. He's the picture of control. Meanwhile, I'm crawling out of my skin with want. The ache between my thighs is so strong that I find myself grinding against him. I've lost all sense of myself, and if it was up to me, I'd give every bit of myself over to him right here and now.