Page 5 of Mafia Don's Twisted Proposal
This is nothing like the quick peck that sealed our vows last night. This is fire and hunger and the promise of everything I plan to do to her once she stops fighting the inevitable.
But I’m a man of my word. I said I’d give her space, and I will.
Even if it kills me.
I break the kiss and step back, smirking at her glazed eyes and swollen lips. She looks thoroughly kissed and completely confused, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“I’ll be back in a few hours,dolcezza.” I tuck a strand of dark hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against her skin. “Don’teven think about running. You won’t like what happens if you try.”
I steal one more quick kiss before she can protest, then head for the door.
Marriage might be more complicated than I anticipated.
But it’s going to be a hell of a lot more fun too.
3
MIA
I’m rattled.
Not just by the fact that I’m apparently married to a mafia don, but by how my body betrayed me the second his lips touched mine. I’m still pressed against the wall where he left me, my heart hammering like I’ve just finished a marathon, and I can taste him on my lips. Woodsy cologne and danger and something uniquelyhimthat makes my brain short-circuit.
God, he’s gorgeous. All that height and those dark eyes that seem to see straight through me, hands that knew exactly how to cage me against the wall without making me feel trapped. Just...claimed.
The thought sends heat spiraling through me, and I shake my head hard enough to rattle my teeth.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I push off from the wall and grab my phone, which has been buzzing like an angry bee. A text from Jill reminds me aboutbreakfast in an hour, our last meal together before she jets off on her honeymoon and Olivia and I head back to reality in LA.
Perfect. I need my friends right now. I need people who will tell me I’m not losing my mind, that this whole situation is as deranged as it feels.
I strip out of my wrinkled bridesmaid dress, letting it fall in a lavender puddle on the floor. Standing in my underwear, I catch sight of myself in the dresser mirror. My hair is a wild mess around my shoulders, my lips are still swollen from Lorenzo’s kiss, and there’s something in my eyes that looks almost...excited.
You’re supposed to be terrified,I tell myself.Normal people would be terrified.
But I’ve never been normal. Normal people don’t jump out of airplanes for fun or spend their weekends white water rafting in Colorado on a dare. Normal people definitely don’t find themselves turned on by being married to a dangerous criminal.
I grab a pair of jean shorts and a tank top from my suitcase, then pause with my bra in my hands.
Fuck it. He can get an eyeful.
I toss the bra back into my suitcase and pull the tank top over my bare breasts. If Lorenzo wants to play possession games, he can deal with the consequences. The material is thin enough that anyone paying attention will notice, but that’s the point.
I throw on my sunglasses and head out into the heat.
The Strip is different during the day. Less electric, more tired. Like a party girl without her makeup, still beautiful but showingher age. Families wander around taking selfies, and the smell of exhaust mixes with the distant scent of hotel breakfast buffets.
I walk the three blocks to the café, my mind spinning. How did I get here? How does someone wake up married to a stranger? Even for me, this is next-level impulsive.
But the more I think about it, the more I realize this isn’t entirely out of character. I’ve always been drawn to situations that make my pulse race. Bungee jumping. Rock climbing. That time I let a random guy teach me to ride his motorcycle in a parking lot because it seemed like an adventure.
Maybe marrying Lorenzo was just the ultimate adrenaline rush.
The thought should terrify me. Instead, it makes something hot and dangerous curl in my stomach.
Jill and Olivia are already at a table on the outdoor patio when I arrive. Jill is practically glowing with newlywed bliss, her blonde hair perfect despite the breeze. Olivia looks like death warmed over, hiding behind dark sunglasses and nursing what appears to be plain water.
