Page 22 of Bought By the Mafia

“Figured I can handle you. You need to keep away from impressionable men. I’m only doing a community service.”

She huffed.

“Speechless for once?” Toying with her was fun. It made this dreary party exciting.

“That friend of yours seems a little creepy,” she said, changing the subject.

Feeling protective suddenly, I asked, “Why? What did he say to you?”

“He came on to me.”

Even though I didn’t approve of Ivanov’s actions, I tried to comfort her by saying, “He’s a toothless dog. He likes to flirt with other people’s wife and girlfriends, but he’s ultimately harmless.”

“Why are we here, anyway? The idea of a twenty-first birthday party celebrated by geriatric people is not my idea of fun.” I looked around and Simona and I were the few people here who were south of forty. I felt sorry for the poor kid. “Is it because you enjoy watching people fall over themselves to kiss your ring?”

“Ivanov is a longtime business partner of the Family. I have to attend to whatever silly function he invites me to keep him happy.”

“So, what does he provide for you? Drugs? A sex trafficking ring?”

“You act as if you aren’t part of this world when your own family is one of the oldest in the business. You’re practically a blue blood.”

She looked away from me to the dancefloor. A few people were dancing, and I took Simona’s hand and led her to it. “Some of us didn’t choose who we were born to.” Was that a crack I heard in her voice?

“I don’t think anyone choses their parents,” I replied as we started swaying to the slow and sensual music.

“You seem to enjoy your position as the head of the biggest Mafia family in the country.”

“Enjoying is an overstatement. I merely accepted my lot in life. It’s a pretty lot, after all. But you know,” I said, twirling her in my arms in time with the music. “I never understood why you agreed to marry me. You know why I married you. Why did you sign the agreement?” We both swayed in time with the music. Our bodies were made for each other and were just as compatible on the dance floor as they were in bed. She danced in time with my steps, I with hers. There was a fluidity to our motions that I doubt I could replicate with another woman.

“You’ll never understand,” she said, shrugging, “so why bother?”

Her mood had shifted, and there was a slight, almost imperceptible scowl on her face. I felt an urge to kiss it away and ask what had made her frown so I can make it right. It made no sense. I should be the angry one here, not here. But my anger kept being defeated by a stronger emotion. The urge to remove the backless red dress she had on and have my way with her on this dancefloor. Or maybe not remove it. Instead, find a room, flip it up, rip her panties off and fuck her senseless. That’s what I wanted to do to the person I hated the most. This desire I had for her had to be tempered. If she were ever to know the hold she had on me, I would be done for. I had to expend it before that happened.

“Whatever,” I said. “I don’t care, as long as you put up with your end of the deal. I hope you’ve read up on the contract again since last time.” Her face lit up with a smile, but there was an unsettling, mischievous glint in her eye. “There’s a—”

“Gio?” I turned to the source of the familiar voice. A tall, thin blond in a shimmering silver dress was standing behind us. We stopped dancing, but I kept Simona in my arms. “Irina? I thought you were in London?” The last time we met was in her Chelsea apartment where Irina and I had breakup sex. That was after I heard she was telling anyone who would listen that she and she were soon to be married. Self-confidence was not a thing she lacked, something I liked in her, but if there was something like too much self-esteem, she had it. We were never serious, and I thought I was clear to her it was just a fling. However, even after I told her we should break up, she didn’t seem to understand that it was for good.

“The agency wanted me in New York, so here I am.”

“A promotion?”

“Lateral move not that I’m complaining. New York is your home, after all. This time, I’ll be closer to you.” Irina lowered her voice as she spoke the last sentence, placing innuendo that removed any doubts as to why she would say so. I felt Simona stiffen beside me. “When I heard that Ivanov was throwing a party,” she continued in a higher tone, “I knew you would be here.” Irina leaned in to whisper something, but just before she uttered a single word, Simona cleared her throat. Irina’s gaze shifted to hers. She gave Simona one of her typical dismissal smiles. Damn, she was going to make this harder for me.

“Irina, say hello to my wife, Simona. Simona,” I drew her unyielding body closer to me.

Irina’s smile faltered for a second before she plastered it back again. “Wife? I had no idea you’d found someone, let alone gotten married.”

“It was a whirlwind romance,” Simona said.

“Oh,” Irina’s eyebrows arched. “I never took Giovanni Morelli as the type of person to fall in love. He’s always been a lone wolf.”

Simona encircled her arm around mine and added, “We rekindled an old romance and found out that we loved each other still.”

“Charming,” Irina said. The word sounding like ash dripping from her mouth. She gave me a tight smile and saw, or pretended to see, a friend of hers and soon left us.

I turned to Simona. “Whirlwind romance? Found each other?”

“What? I thought you wanted everyone to think this is a genuine marriage? Did I not make it real enough for you?”

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