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Fucking small towns. I hadn’t expected the gossip to start this soon—or for it to reach Maggie so quickly—but I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t admit that I’d killed Jimmy because he’d murdered Gaetano.
I leaned closer to her ear and lowered my voice. “I like that you think this hot Italian man is me.”
“Vito, I’m serious.” She pulled back to search my face. “I know what you do is dangerous, but . . . I know Jimmy. He wasn’t a bad guy.”
She was definitely wrong about that. But I had no choice except to lie.
I never looked away, kept my voice even. “I went in to ask about the bikers, yes. After what happened with your former chef and that biker hanging around here, I wanted to make sure you were safe.” Which was true, even if I didn’t tell her the whole story.
“Oh.” She relaxed and closed her eyes briefly. “That’s a relief.”
“This is why I want to improve your security here. There are bad men in these gangs. I don’t want you at risk.”
“I’m not at risk. No one would hurt me here. There’s no reason to.”
“You don’t know that for certain. The world is harsh, angioletto mio.”
“Maybe your world, but not mine. Nothing bad ever happens in Paesano.”
I smoothed her hair back, rubbing my thumb on her temple. “Your world is my world, at least for as long as I’m here.”
She nibbled on her lip and seemed to think this over. Then she began putting the medical supplies away. “How did you end up in Toronto?”
“My brother is married to the daughter of a boss there. That boss grew too sick and I was given the territory.”
“Ah, so you’re a nepo baby.” Her mouth twisted, like she’d amused herself.
I dug my fingers into her ribs, tickling her, and was rewarded when she squirmed and tried to escape. I held her fast, though. “I know what this means,” I growled, continuing to torture her. “And you will pay for it.”
She slipped out of my grip, a big grin on her beautiful face. “Too bad you’re weak and injured.”
“I will show you weak.” I jumped off the counter and started for her, but she ducked out of the bathroom.
In the bedroom, she dragged on one of my hoodies. The gray fabric fell to her knees and I was momentarily distracted by how good she looked in it. Fuck, she was adorable.
“I’ll heat up some food while you’re getting dressed,” she said as she walked out.
She wore no panties.
I ran a hand down my face as blood rushed to my cock. I was going to play with her pussy the first chance I got.
Collecting my damp clothes, I decided to do laundry. Maggie’s lack of underwear probably had more to do with not having clean clothes here than any attempt to seduce me. Not like she had to work hard on that front. The woman only needed to look in my direction and I was ready to fuck her through the floor.
I took her clothes and mine, along with our wet towels, to the washing machine on the bottom level and started it. When I came into the kitchen she was pulling a plate out of the microwave. “Did you just start laundry?”
I came up behind her and let my hands slide up her bare thighs. “I thought you might like some clean clothes, though I have decided you don’t need to wear panties.” I smoothed over her ass, then reached around to cup her pussy.
She let her head fall back on my shoulder. “A man who does laundry is super hot.”
“Yeah?”
“Watching you fold it might give me an orgasm.”
The words were ridiculous, but they made me grin. She did that a lot. “Is that all it takes? Housework?”
“Yes. I’m a goner for a man who helps around the house.”
Was this from experience? She wasn’t a virgin when we first met at the casino, and I was suddenly jealous of all the other men she’d fucked over the years. I let her go and went to the refrigerator. “Would you like sparkling water?”