Page 16 of Reckless Games

“That's good.” I smiled, pleased that he seemed to have softened in my presence.

“How was your day?” Lorenzo leaned in, giving me his full attention as he rested his elbows on his knees. His intense gaze made my heart race.

My day had been so much fun with Emily, and I was eager to share that with him. “Oh, I had a great day with Emily!” I exclaimed. He hummed in response, encouraging me to continue with a lazy smile playing on his lips. “We baked a cake together, and we caught up on everything we missed. Then we had a Harry Potter marathon, but got sidetracked by more gossiping…” I tailed off as one of his men entered the living room and began speaking to Lorenzo.

“Capo, I need to inform—” the guard started, but Lorenzo raised a hand, silencing him while maintaining his focus on me. His jaw tensed slightly, indicating his displeasure at the interruption.

“Go on,” he motioned for me to continue.

I attempted to resume my story, “and then I wondered if I should—” I tried again, but the man interrupted me once more.

“Capo, it's importa—” the guard didn't finish his sentence when Lorenzo swiftly drew his gun from his belt and fired into the guy’s shoulder. The sudden gunshot made me jump, and I watched in shock as he cried out in pain.

Another one of his men rushed in to assist the injured man, while Lorenzo, still calm, glared at the scene. “When she talks, everybody fucking listens! No matter how important anything is, it can wait,” he said sternly, his voice low and grim. “Nobody disrespects her. Or else the next time, it’s going to be your throat. Add it to the rules!” The two men nodded fearfully and quickly exited the room.

I sat there, stunned by what just happened. Lorenzo had shot someone for interrupting me, even though it could have been something important. I didn't dare question his decision, knowing how unpredictable his reactions could be. But was that really necessary? I looked back and forth at the place where the two men stood seconds ago and the guy sitting beside me.

“So, is there still some cake left?” Lorenzo asked nonchalantly. I nodded, still in shock.

“Would you mind bringing some for me to my room while I freshen up?” he asked. I could only nod in response, trying to digest the situation that just transpired.

***

I carefully sliced the cake and placed it on a plate, feeling a swirl of apprehension as I made my way upstairs to Lorenzo’s room. What he had done earlier with his own man had left me uneasy. This man had some serious anger issues.

When I arrived at his room, I knocked a couple of times, but there was no response. Assuming he might be in the shower, I decided to just place the cake by his bedside and quietly leave. That wasn’t a hard task, right? However, as I turned to leavethe room, Lorenzo emerged from the bathroom, his presence commanding my immediate attention.

Oh my!My eyes took in his perfectly sculpted form, damp and glistening from the shower. Did I mention he was shirtless? His chiseled chest and defined muscles seemed to be carved from marble. The fearless phoenix tattoo rested on the center of his chest; its wings spread out to reach his shoulders. I noticed that the ink managed to cover the bullet scars he got a year ago. My breath hitched, and I was unable to tear my gaze away from his raw, confident beauty. I was thankful he was wearing sweat pants.

“I, um, just came in to leave the cake here,” I stammered, flustered by his unexpected appearance. “I didn’t want to intrude... ” Why the hell was I so lost for words? “..never mind. I'll come back later.”

I turned to leave, but Lorenzo’s firm voice stopped me in my tracks. “Wait!” he said, the tone leaving no room for argument. I froze, my hand on the doorknob, unable to move as I heard his footsteps approach.

He stood behind me, his figure looming over me. His chest brushed against my back, sending a shockwave through my body. The door closed behind us with a crisp click as he pushed it shut. My pulse quickened as I stood close to him, while the air grew hot and charged with anticipation. His hand found its way to my waist, holding me firmly as he turned me around to face him. My eyes closed on their own accord as his hands caged me in, resting on either side of my head against the door. I concentrated on the seemingly impossible task at hand; breathing.

“Look at me, Angela,” he whispered huskily into my ear, his breath warm against my skin. His voice sent a trail of goosebumps down my skin, and my body respondedinvoluntarily to his command. “Let me see those oceans,” he murmured, his lips grazing my earlobe, making me gasp.

I opened my eyes and locked gazes with him, captivated by the intensity of his stare. His silver orbs, deeper than a galaxy, seemed to bore into my soul, a mixture of desire and desperation swirling within them. The tension between us was thick, like an electric current that left me both nervous and exhilarated.

He closed his eyes briefly, his jaw clenching as he seemed to struggle with some inner turmoil. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, a soft, exasperated curse that seemed to be directed at himself.

I stood still, holding my ground, the plate of the dessert being the only barrier between us. After a moment of intense silence, he slowly stepped back, releasing me from his hold. He took my hand and led us to his bed, where he sat down and took the plate from my hands.

I watched him closely, my heart still racing, as he scooped a bite of cake and brought it to his lips. His gaze connected with mine, not moving a centimeter as he savored the cake without breaking eye contact, almost daring me to look away. The way he looked at me made me feel a mix of vulnerability and excitement. I was going to choke on air anytime soon if this continued.

Then he took another spoonful of cake and held it out to me. “Have some with me.” I obediently opened my lips to take the bite, chewing slowly as his eyes stayed fixed on me. After swallowing, I saw his gaze lower to my lips. His next move stunned me. He leaned in, closing the gap between us, and sensually licked the frosting clean from the corner of my lips, a low, satisfied groan escaping his throat. My heart stopped beating. “Fucking delicious,” he murmured, all the while his intense gaze never leaving mine.

***

Chapter 8

Lorenzo

As each second ticked by, my patience grew thinner. All I wanted was to rush home and spend time with Angela.

Home.

A word that had once felt foreign to me, a concept I had never truly understood. My mansion, once just a place to rest my head, had become a home because of Angela. It had been a week since my little stunt with my innocent girl and ever since, she had been very jumpy in my presence. It was so fucking cute, I wanted to kiss the heck out of her. I don’t know how I managed to stop myself the other night when she was in my bedroom, but God knows how much restraint I had to put over myself to not devour her and rip her pussy apart.

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