Page 33 of Mafia Men Need Love Too
“Yes. But don’t worry about that now. What do you need?”
A time machine perhaps? Something to take her back to the beginning of their meal so she could tell Gia she’d like tea instead of wine? “Fresh air, maybe?”
He stood up and shot off a quick text before sliding an arm around her. Then that muscle-y, show-y bastard lifted her up—with one arm!—and pulled her to his side so that he was supporting at least 80% of her weight. “Enzo is two blocks away. We can wait outside until he gets here.”
“How are you not tipsy?” she grumbled. “You drank way more than I did.”
He chuckled. “I’m Sicilian. I drank more wine as a child than I drank tonight.”
“I’m sorry if my complaining makes me seem ungrateful for tonight,” she said as they made their way to the door. “It was a really fantastic date, even though I’m a total lightweight. Thank you for the dinner and for all the fancy clothes.”
Nico frowned. “Tonight was the bare minimum you deserve. It pains me that this kind of evening hasn’t been commonplace in your life.”
She snorted. “Commonplace? I never got so much as gas station flowers from my husband.”
“Why would gas stations sell flowers?” he asked, sounding so genuinely perplexed that she grinned.
“The fact that you don’t know the answer to that is crazy attractive.”
He smiled down at her. “You’re an easy woman to please, River Lang.”
“You’re calling me easy before you’ve even seen my new lingerie,” she said with a giggly snort-laugh. “You’d really think I was easy if you’d seen it.”
Of course, she hadn’t meant to say that. Sober River never would have. But the way his expression shifted and his eyes darkened made Drunk River super glad she’d let that little bit of info slip.
He let out a sound that could only be described as growl-had-a-baby-with-a-purr and tightened his grip on her. “Do you intend to let me see all your new purchases?”
She should say no. This was a near-total stranger who just happened to be a mob boss. Sure, he was also her fiancé. But still, the answer should be no. She should protect her heart and not get any more attached to him than she already was. “Yes.”
D’oh!
That had most definitely been her body, not her brain, that’d answered that question.
Nico lowered his head like he might kiss her. Oh, Lord help her, if he kissed her, she would not be held responsible for what she did next, especially because she thought it’d most likely involve ripping her dress in half like she was a pro wrestler to show him her fancy new thong as quickly as possible.
But thankfully (or maybe woefully…she wasn’t sure), he stopped just short of touching his dangerously kissable lips to hers. “When you’re sober,” he whispered, “I’ll take you up on that offer.”
Then he crashed his mouth down on hers and kissed the ever-loving hell out of her.
A moan ripped its way out of her throat as his tongue tangled with hers. He tasted like heat and heaven and sin all rolled into one. And the answering growl he let out rocked her to her core. She’d never felt so wanted in her whole life, and it was…powerful. Was this what it felt like to have power? If so, she could see why Nico had fought so hard for it.
But just when she was ready to drag him back into the restaurant, rip her clothes off, and beg him to rail her on their table amidst empty plates, glasses, and bread baskets (sobriety be damned!), a strange clicking sound distracted her. She knew that sound. She’d heard it before. It was…
“Hand over your wallet. Now.”
Ah, yes. That clicking was a gun cocking. If she had a dollar for every time she’d heard that sound lately…well, she’d have two dollars, which didn’t seem like a lot, but it was weird that it’d happened twice.
With an annoyed sigh, Nico pulled River behind him, putting his body between her and the gunman. River peeked around his broad shoulders to get a look at the guy.
He was unremarkable in every way. Average height, average build, nondescript features, generically cut brown hair. Even his hooded sweatshirt and jeans were boring.
Only the gun made him remotely interesting.
“Because I’m a good mood,” Nico said in a voice so cold it made River shiver, “I’ll give you a chance to walk away.”
The would-be robber paused. Obviously, this was not a response he typically received when he pulled a gun on someone. But he recovered his wits quicker than River would’ve. He jerked the gun in the direction of River’s hand where she was clutching Nico’s sleeve and said, “And that ring.” Then he craned his neck to one side and licked his lips as his gaze slithered down the length of her body. “Come to think of it, I’ll take her, too. If your mouth is as good as it looks, sweetheart, maybe I’ll let your boyfriend here live.”
River pulled back in revulsion. What the hell was with all these jerkoffs lately that wanted to sexually harass and/or sex traffic her?
