Page 9 of Runaway in the Mafia
Yet another arrogant bastard.
“Ahana, huh?”
Hey Bhagwan!He said my name like we’d just tousled under the sheets. It sounded dangerously inappropriate, falling from his lips. I shouldn’t let it bother me. I didn’t even know why it sent a ripple of unease through me.
“Yes.”
He cocked a brow. “Didn’t catch a surname.”
“Didn’t give you one.”
The room went silent. Deadly. Belatedly, I thought I should probably not have talked back to the don of the Mafia.
He thought the same. I was sure of it. His brow furrowed in thought... of killing me? I couldn’t bear to hold his dark gaze. I tried. I lost. My eyes dropped. His hands went to his pockets, and the fabric of his pants stretched taut on his solid thighs.
“Is that how it’s going to be?”
His voice was light, but there was a tightness to it he didn’t bother to conceal. It sounded very much like an ultimatum. I didn’t do well with them. Not the new Ahana, anyway. I shrugged. I wasn’t giving him or anyone else my surname. And I wasn’t lying. I’d done enough of that. What was he going to do? Kill me? That might be the solution to all my troubles. But the panicked flutter in my chest said I wasn’t going to like it. Either way, I didn’t have to find out. I’d warmed my way into Lia’s heart, and she proved something alien to me. She had my back. Jumping off her chair, she ran up to him and wrapped her arm around his.
“Oh come on, Vitale, stop intimidating her. Keep your moodiness away from Ahana.” He was tall, but next to her, he looked colossal, even when he was half sitting on the table. But his jackass attitude cartwheeled at her words as he gave her a soft laugh and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in.
“Fine. I’ll play nice,” he said. Then he turned and mouthed the words above her head to me.For now.
VITALE
Fuck this woman! I knew her for the whole of a few hours. Well, a week and a few hours if you counted when Mamma told me about her ward. And I was fucking counting. I’d not given itmuch thought. I’d thought ‘ward’ as in Oliver Twist with a bowl of porridge in his hands. But this ward was female. Sexy and soft. She smelled like sin, and she looked like heaven. And fuck me. I’d only seen her hair piled up. When she let it down, it was long, black and silky and it touched her ass. To hide the urge to fist my hand in it and yank, I had to bury them deep in my pockets.
She was seated three meters away from me on the other end of the table with the girls. She should be wallpaper, but instead of fading away, she fascinated me. She piqued my cold heart with curiosity. Somehow, somewhere, a spark fired up when it should have remained as dusted ash. This girl was trouble. That was a sure fact. The idea alone that I’d never been happier about Mamma’s long table until now, proved it. But that fragrance she wore didn’t care for barriers, bridging the distance and wafting into my nostrils.What on earth is that scent?It was fucking intoxication. I wanted it all over my black satin sheets on my bed. With that silky hair spread all over it.Fuck.My molars ground as I yanked my gaze away.
What the fuck, Vitale.
I’d known she’d stepped into the room long before Sergio’s words trailed off. After all, isn’t that what I’d been waiting for? Instead of going home, giving up on my moron cousin, I’d walked into the kitchen and smoked two fucking cigars while I’d waited for him. You’d think I would have come to my senses when he arrived. No. I hung around. Waiting. The moment her fragrance filtered through the doorway, I knew I should have gone home. Then my jackass cousin’s words trailed off, and I decided I didn’t like the look in his eyes. So I stuck around. For her protection. It was purely because of that. Didn’t have anything to do with the pulse in my groin every time the fucking spaghetti slipped through those mocha lips.
There was a fascination in watching her lick Bolognese sauce from the corner of her lip using the tip of her tongue. I didn’t realise my mistake until a groan rumbled from my throat.
“What?” The conversation dropped, and Lia’s curious gaze found mine.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. “Forgot something.”
I waited for the chatter to restart about Sara’s impending wedding before I flicked my eyes open and met Sergio’s knowing grin. “Don’t,” I bit out.
He held his hands up. “Hey, I said nothing.”
My lips thinned.
He gave an innocent chuckle. “All I’m saying is better wait a while before you stand up.”
“Don’t make up shit.”
“Right.” His gaze travelled to the brown temptation across the table, and I wanted to claw at his eyes. “Ahana?”
“Yeah?”
Her voice sounded different from when she spoke to me. It sounded calm and... normal. When she spoke to me, it was edgy, tight, breathy... and I needed to get back home.
“How’s the job hunting going?”
My eyes darted to her. “What the fuck do you need a job for?”
