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I lift my phone to my ear. “Cortez, contact theGuardiano(Guardian), set up a meeting. We have another problem.”
It’s high time the Guardian repaid his debt to me for saving his life.
“What was that about?” she asks, darting her eyes from the phone to me and back.
“It’s just business. By the way, thank you for holding up your end of the bargain.”
“I already told you before,” she says, holding her chin up with pride, “…don’t you ever question my commitment to our deal.”
I run my eyes over her face, the way her eyes sparkle fiercely, the way her nose flares as she tries to make her point, the way her plump lips purse, every single thing about her gives me the shivers.
I quickly dart my eyes, pulling the document out of the cabinet to scan through.
Names, locations, and vital information about the top six mafia families in New York are documented there. Her father has been sick, but he has gotten awfully busy after his recovery.
“This is good,” I say, closing the folder. “You’ve saved me from a whole lot of trouble, Princess.”
“I guess you owe me one now,” she replies, a subtle smile lifting her cheeks.
I look up at her, and for a moment, there’s silence between us. Her sharp tongue and stubborn attitude are infuriating, but damn if they don’t get under my skin and make me want to have her all for myself.
“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”
She tilts her head, her lips curving into a sly smile. “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is,” I admit. “I respect you for keeping your own end of the bargain. It builds trust, you know.”
She rises from her seat and walks to bend over my side of the table, her eyes locked on mine. “Are you saying you trust me now?”
The air between us shifts. She’s teasing me, like she always does, pushing to see how far she can go.
I don’t answer her question. Instead, I reach out and brush a strand of hair off her face. She doesn’t pull away, but her breath hitches just slightly.
“You’re trouble,” I say, my voice rumbling in my throat as my eyes latch onto hers.
“And you think you’re not?” she fires back, her voice steady but her eyes breaking from the gaze, giving her away.
For a moment, I consider stepping back, breaking the tension. But I don’t. Instead, I let my hand trail down to her jaw, my thumb brushing against her cheek.
“Careful, Princess,” I say softly. “You’re playing with fire.”
Her lips part, and I can see the defiance in her eyes, but there’s something else there, too. Something vulnerable. Something like… desire.
“Maybe I like the heat,” she whispers.
I don’t know who moves first, but suddenly, we’re too close, and the rest of the world fades away.
Finally, the only woman who has ever denied me −and twice− is giving into me, and I’ll be damned if I don’t savagely ravish every inch of her luscious body like the monster in me has been craving since the moment I laid eyes on those killer curves of hers.
Her lips are like velvet. Her tongue is warm as I slide mine in between her lips, parting them. Her hands suddenly find their way in between the flaps of my shirt. I never thought she fancied my chest hair, but her fingers are plucking lightly at them now.
I find her mouth again, snatching up her lips with mine. This time, the kiss is gentler, but my cock is already rock solid.
I am half surprised that she is holding on to my collar as if she doesn’t ever want to let go, the other hand still dormant inside my shirt.
When I lean down to pick her up by her waist, she doesn’t protest. I drop her on the table and cup those breasts I’ve been eyeing since that first night.
Her lips leave mine, and she gasps, her cheeks filled with color.