Page 50 of Broken Mafia Prince (His to Break #1)

RAFFAELE

I ’m nursing a glass of whiskey, staring at my laptop screen without actually seeing it.

My mind’s been stuck in one place since I left Alessandro’s apartment.

I told myself it was necessary, that I was cutting her free.

But the truth is, I wanted her to see the cufflink. I wanted her to know it was me.

I wanted her to come.

When the landline rings, the sound slices through the silence like a knife. My pulse jumps, fingers tightening around the glass, because a part of me already knows.

By the time I get up from the chair, the phone has stopped ringing. It begins again as I cross the open floor living area to the hallway where the landline sits on a small side table. This time around, Marty raises his head and growls at the phone.

“Settle,” I tell him. “It’s just the phone.”

He doesn’t look impressed by my explanation, but at least he brings his head back down on his paws and just stares at me silently.

“Hello?” I say as soon as I pick up the phone.

“Good evening, sir. There’s someone here for you,” the receptionist informs me. “She says her name is—” There’s a pause, and I hear someone whisper something— “Giulia.”

My heart jolts at the mention of her name, and my hand around the phone tightens.

“She says you’ll want to see her.” The lady sounds nervous now, as if regretting the call.

As she should, of course. Everybody in this building knows I’m not to be bothered.

It’s why I bought out the entire place before I moved in here, to make sure I can retain my privacy, and I instruct the staff that they’re to do the same.

Or perhaps I’m just an egotistical bastard, and the thought of having a landlord is very unpleasant to me.

“Let her up,” I finally say after letting the woman sweat for a while. I drop the phone back on the cradle, surprised at how gentle the move is compared to how everything inside of me throbs with the urge to rush down and meet her halfway.

Instead, I down my glass of whiskey and tell myself to be patient.

I don’t check my watch or tap my foot impatiently while my private elevator brings her to me, even though I want to. I relax back on the couch and keep my body as still as possible. I almost combust as I hear a distinct pinging followed by the front door sliding open.

And then there she is—the woman who has had me in the palm of her hand from day one.

My breath freezes in my throat as I take her in.

She’s in a simple, sleeveless white dress that hits just above her knee and black heels.

Her coat—thank god—is slung over her forearm, and she’s wearing bright red lipstick that makes me want a taste of her mouth.

She steps into my apartment like she belongs here. And maybe she does—maybe she always has.

Her eyes flick to my cuffs. The gold lions.

She doesn’t say anything, but her breath catches, just for a second. She knows.

Before I can get up from the couch, Marty leaps past me.

My eyes widen. “Marty, down!”

But he continues to barrel toward Giulia. Because visitors are so rare to my apartment, I forget that I have a dog who’s rather unfriendly toward strangers. Alessia, his vet, is the only person besides me that the dog manages to act civilized around.

I found the Rottweiler a few years ago in one of our warehouses.

It was malnourished and injured, but it had followed me around the row of warehouses for the whole day while I worked and organized the transport of trucks.

After Laika’s death, I hadn’t considered getting a new dog, and the loss had still been too fresh for me to move on from, and so I’d gone home without him.

That night, in my dreams, I’d been sitting on the beach with Laika. I’d woken up sometime around three a.m. and gone back for the Rottweiler. Since then, the dog has only taken to me and Alessia.

Which is why I’m shocked when Giulia goes down to her knees, and the dog barrels into her open arms, licking her face with gusto, tail wagging happily.

“What a good little boy,” she coos. “What’s your name? You’re so cute!” Her laugh is so light and airy that it feels like I can float on it.

“It’s becoming suspicious how you only ever show up when I’m with my dog,” I say.

She peeks up at me. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s your only redeeming quality.”

“Marty, heel.” I order in a low voice, and this time around, the dog thankfully listens, loping away from her to settle at my side. It gives me a look like I’ve taken away his favorite toy, and I agree wholeheartedly with him. I’d much rather be at her side, too.

“Do you want a drink?”

She nods slowly. “Yes, please.”

“Come.” I turn around and make my way into the house, motioning the dog into a spare room that I’ve converted into his room and shutting the baby gate. We continue on our way to the bar at the side where my collection of expensive, quality wines sit, waiting.

“Oh, wow,” she exclaims as I pull out one of the bottles, uncork it, and fill her cup halfway. “Fancy.”

I glance down at her hand as she accepts the cup, noting the absence of that tacky ring. Giulia must see me staring because she follows my gaze.

“Why are you here?” I ask her. I know exactly why, but I want to hear her say the words. I want to hear her choose me over that asshole. I want to hear her choose me over whatever life she thought she’d have when she ran away from this, from us .

My chest fills with something dark and greedy, and I watch the various expressions cross over her face, knowing I have her exactly where I want her. Mine. Mine. Mine. Everything inside me chants the words, but I lock my hands at my sides so I won’t reach for her. I need her words first.

“You know why.”

“I don’t,” I lie.

She drops the glass without touching the drink and thrusts her jaw into a stubborn angle, hazel eyes meeting mine. “I’m here because this is where I belong. This is where I’ve always belonged.”

A sharp, burning ache cuts through my chest. She could have stayed away. She could have married that asshole and followed the life her father built for her. But she’s here. She chose me—even after seeing exactly how far I’ll go.

“In this apartment?” I press.

“With you,” she clarifies, taking a small, cautious step forward.

All hesitation disappears, and I close the gap between us with one long stride. I pull her into my arms, and she comes willingly, her mouth meeting mine in a kiss that feels like coming home after a long day outside.

“I missed you.” It’s only been a few hours since I was with her, but I know exactly what she means.

I’m glad she’s done with her worthless fiancé, and she’s here of her own volition without any second thoughts or doubts, but I also know that that ring on her hand wouldn’t have made much of a difference to me.

She’s always been mine, and a piece of jewelry, no matter how costly, wasn’t going to change that.

She presses closer against me, gasping into my mouth as she feels my erection against her belly.

“Giulia, baby.” I drag my mouth away from hers and press a kiss to the corner of her jaw, inhaling her.

“Yes?” she whimpers.

“Tell me to stop,” I order her, mouthing against her neck. “This is the only chance you’ll get to stop this. So tell me to stop.”

Her only response is her leaning forward and joining our mouths again, a low, desperate moan echoing through her throat. My self-control snaps like a twig, and I’m on her like an animal a second later. Clutching her by the hips, I lift her up, and she wraps her legs around my waist.

I carry her up the stairs to my bedroom, dragging down the zipper at the back of her dress as we go.

I drop her down on my bed, our mouths never losing contact, tongues dueling.

My hands drag all over her figure, exploring.

She’s filled out more since the last time we were together, her curves rounded against my hands.

I tear my mouth away and go to my knees, hurriedly undoing the buttons of my shirt and flinging it away while her gaze feasts over me. She bites down on her lower lip, lust blazing in her eyes.

I grab the neckline of her dress and pull it down her body, exposing a mint green underwear set. My mouth waters at the sight of the smooth expanse of skin.

“Fuck, baby. You’re so beautiful,” I tell her. I press open-mouthed kisses from the edge of her mouth down to her neck, dragging the flat of my tongue over her neck. She shivers, clinging to me.

I continue my descent, dragging down the lacy cup of her bra until her breast spills out, pink nipples hard.

My cock jerks at the sight, and my mouth closes around the stiff flesh.

Her back bows off the bed, offering me more of her, and I greedily suck on her, licking, biting, and drawing out decadent sounds from her mouth.

My hand closes over the other breast, kneading and plucking at the nipple.

“Please, please,” she cries, her long nails digging into my shoulders.

My mouth drifts down to her soft belly and then to the mound at the junction of her legs that’s covered with a light dusting of dark hair.

I breathe her in, my head going woozy as all the blood rushes south, my cock pressing painfully against the zipper of my slacks.

“Fuck, Giulia,” I growl against her. “I can smell your desire.”

“Oh god,” she pants. I glance up to see that her cheeks have gone red, and her thick lashes are lowered over her eyes. But even with them shielded from my view, I can still feel the lust shining out of them.

I cup her hot pussy, and she jerks, mouth slacking.

Holding her by the hip, I drag her closer to me and push her knees farther apart. Grabbing a pillow, I tuck it under her hip, keeping her elevated.

“Raff, please!” she cries out, frustration bleeding through her voice.

My hand comes down on her soaking center, and her eyes go wide. “W-what?—”

I spank her pussy again, and this time, she lets out a strangled moan.

“You knew I’d come for you,” I growl, dragging my thumb over her lower lip. “The second you saw that cufflink, you knew.”