Page 13 of Stolen Mafia Vows
My dad’s arms wrap around me, and he pulls me into a warm hug. “You’re our baby, Emily. You can’t blame us for wanting to keep you safe.”
“Do you have any idea of the crime rate in Manhattan, Dad?” I pull away and watch the resignation settle behind his eyes.
“Fine.” His shoulders slump. “What I should’ve said is you can’t blame us for not wanting you to grow up.”
I smile at his honesty. “You can’t stop time, Dad.” I relent, stand on tiptoes, and kiss his cheek. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.Love you.”
A thrill travels through me at the barefaced lie. I’ll be more than fine. I’ll be in a state of sheet-gripping, sweat-covered, orgasm-induced ecstasy if Eoghan’s messages are anything to go by, and even just the thought of what I’m going to do switches my internal temperature up a few notches.
I hug my mom goodbye. Standing on the front steps of the house with Sienna and Kyle, I watch them all climb into the cars waiting to take them back to the airport, and I don’t even feel bad for waving at them gleefully while I’m already mentally with Eoghan.
The instant the cars are out of sight, I rush upstairs to my room and message Eoghan.
They’re gone.
His reply comes straight back:How soon can you get here?
Sienna speaks to the driver before Kyle can get involved, and then keeps my brother distracted while I leave. I don’t pay attention during the journey to Eoghan’s family home. I barely notice the mansion itself when we enter through the wrought-iron gates and approach via the long winding driveway. I’m a mess of electric nerve endings, mental images of naked tangled limbs, and the very real fear that none of this will live up to my expectations.
I lean forward in the back seat and hold onto the driver’s headrest. Is it too late to turn around and go home?
But then the front door of the house opens, and Eoghan is walking down the steps to greet me, and he’s even more beautiful than I remember, and I have to remind myself to breathe.
I’m shaking and tingling and hyperventilating when he opens the rear passenger door and offers me hishand.
“You don’t need to wait for me,” I manage in a small voice before I climb out.
My hand is already engulfed by Eoghan’s warm palm, and I realize that I’m panicking for no reason. He only has to look at me and my legs start trembling.
“You know I can’t do that, Miss Emily.” The driver, Billy, stares at Eoghan, sizing him up and trying to figure out my safety on a scale of one-to-ten. If Sienna hadn’t told him that this visit had been approved by my brothers, he’d be straight on the phone to them, and Kyle would be here before our first kiss.
“You’re welcome to come inside.” Eoghan smiles at Billy. “Make yourself at home in the kitchen. My gran will enjoy the company.”
Billy’s expression doesn’t falter; he isn’t here to make new acquaintances. It occurs to me then how unnecessary it is to have a bodyguard following me around when I can count on two hands how many cars we passed on the way here. I mean, there isn’t another property in sight, and Eoghan is at least ten inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than me. I’m sure he could stave off unwanted attention if anyone found us here.
But when Billy says, “I’ll be fine here,” I understand that there’s no point trying to convince him to go home without me. I’ll take the small wins. At least I’m here.
Eoghan, unfazed, grips my hand and guides me around the side of his home. I don’t ask where we’re going. I follow him blindly, willingly, our hands fused together by the static passing between us.
How is this even possible? I hardly know him. But when I’m this close to him, all I can think about is how he makes me feeland what he promised to do to me, and his voice playing on repeat in my head:You’re going to fucking ruin me, Emily, and that’s before I touch you.
My dad’s face bursts into my mind, trying to take over, a reminder that he would never allow this to happen if he was here.
But he isn’t here. And I’m an adult now. So, I push all thoughts of him away, and match Eoghan’s long strides, my smile so wide my cheeks are already aching when I spot the stables in the distance.
“This is Nutmeg.”
Inside, Eoghan nuzzles the nose of a tall, graceful horse with a dark mane and a glossy chestnut-colored coat. It’s obvious how much he adores the animal, and my heart picks up a faster drumbeat.
“She’s beautiful.” I stroke her, and she nudges my face as if trying to give me a kiss.
Eoghan moves along to the next stall. “This is Bodhi.” His eyes sparkle when he looks at me, but then his smile catches midway, and he hesitates. “Do you ride?”
His smile…
I feel the heat in my cheeks from it, and from the guilt of not spending time with my own horse, Diamond, since starting college. “I haven’t taken my horse out in ages.”
He leans closer and fists my hair behind my head, pulling me towards him. He strokes my bottom lip with his thumb. “I’m glad you’re here. I won’t let anything happen to you, Emily. Ever.” His lips meet mine, his tongue pushing into my mouth and blocking all my othersenses. When he pulls away, I’m breathless. “Do you trust me?”
