Page 44 of Mafia Men Need Love Too
That’s when she knew for sure that while she agreed the dinner was necessary, he’d never convince her they needed to be on time for said event.
She trailed her fingertips lightly over the buttons on his shirt. “You know,” she began playfully, “I’m not sure I’m wearing the right underwear for this dress.” Letting her knees fall open purposefully and very, very slowly, she licked her lower lip with the tip of her tongue. “Can you check for me?”
His eyes darkened and he didn’t hesitate to slide his hands slowly over her knees, up over her thighs, until they reached her hips. His breathing hitched, and his eyes flew to hers when he realized the truth.
“Ooops,” she whispered as the damn-near feral light in his eyes made her dizzy with anticipation. “I forgot. I’m not wearing any underwear.”
She let out a gasp that ended in a giggle when he knocked her back on the bed and prowled up her body like a hungry lion. Everything got very naked after that.
And as expected, they were very, very late to dinner.
Absolutely. Zero. Regrets.
Chapter 25
On the surface, Tenley’s choice of venue for the rehearsal dinner was based solely on aesthetics. Only someone who didn’t know her calculating nature would see the place for what it really was.
Easily defensible in wartime.
The banquet center was located in the neutral zone between Russian and Italian territory. It was known for hosting a huge variety of VIP clientele, so their security measures were beyond reproach. Ren had checked everything himself, and if Ren was satisfied, Nico was satisfied.
An outsider wouldn’t ever realize the combined power of the people in the room. Even without weapons (those had been stripped off every guest at the door by Tenley and Ren), there wasn’t anyone in the room who could ever be considered harmless.
Not even River.
His fiorellino had proven herself ruthless, cunning, and formidable in their sparring sessions. She never ceased to amaze and delight him—especially when she managed to knock him to the ground and put a blade to his throat before he had a chance to catch his breath.
Even now, as he watched her greet guests and entertain them all with her warm, open smile and genuine curiosity about everything, he was awed.
She was flawless.
“You, mafia man, are a smitten kitten, and I think it’s adorable.”
Nico crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at the tiny terrorist who’d sidled up to him while he wasn’t looking. “I have no idea what a smitten kitten is, Tenley, and I have no desire to.”
But he did. He knew exactly what a smitten kitten was. And she was not wrong. He’d rather stick a salad fork in his eyeball than admit that to her, though. So, he kept his mouth shut.
Tenley snorted. “Fine. Lie to yourself some more. I hope you won’t lie to her when it matters, though. She deserves to know this is more than an arranged marriage to you.”
“Marriage of convenience,” he corrected absentmindedly.
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just sack-up and tell her how you feel.”
He frowned. “How the hell would I know what I’m feeling? I’ve never felt any of this before.”
The look she shot him bordered on pity, and he did not care for that. Not one bit.
“There’s two people here tonight that probably understand what you’re feeling better than you do—and that’s me and Ren.”
Nico scoffed. He’d seen Tenley with her husband and Ren with his wife. They were what could only be described as deliriously in love. “It’s not like that for me.”
“Ugh. Men are so exhausting. You think that because you had a rough upbringing and chose a less than legal path to make your living that you’re exempt from getting walloped over the head by love?”
Which was probably the least romantic description of love he’d ever heard. But still… “Yes. Something like that.”
Another eye roll. “Please. Ren and I bounced around the foster care system for years. Lived on the streets. I picked pockets to survive, and he had it way harder than I did. Trust me when I say neither of us was a big believer in happily ever after endings. And yet, here we are.”
He sighed. “I’m happy for you both. Truly. But I know you’re not naïve enough to think that kind of happiness can exist for everyone. You’re a lot of things, Tenley. Naïve isn’t one of them.”
