Page 3 of Claimed By the Possessive Mafia Prince

DARIO

H er expression is difficult to read, her honey eyes seeming to hide purposefully what she’s feeling. Her body is smoking hot, curvy in all the right places, her vest hugging onto her curvaceous form, her shorts showing the thickness of her legs. She tied her hair up in a no-nonsense bun.

“I was going to say no,” she says.

“Huh?”

“You asked me if you could join me. Well–I was going to say no.”

I chuckle, but she doesn’t seem like she’s joking. “Perhaps I wanted to see who’d be crazy enough to be out this early.”

“Are you with the wedding party?” she asks.

I wink. “You want to know if you need to talk to me with some manners. Is that it?”

She rolls her eyes adorably. Though, something about her prickly exterior tells me if I used the word ‘adorable’ she might throw me overboard. Still, maybe I could drag her in after me and get that vest good and wet, make it cling to her body, outline her delicious shape…

Hell, am I thinking about seducing this stranger? Do I seriously think that would be a good idea?

No, it wouldn’t be a good idea. And yeah–I’m thinking about it.

“Well?” she says after a long pause. “Are you?”

I shrug. “Maybe I am.”

“Ooh, how mysterious,” she says sarcastically.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I asked you first.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m a merman. I was banished to this island years ago, and now I’m forced to swim around it waiting for a sassy savior to rescue me. Do you know anyone who fits that description?”

She raises her hand to her mouth in an effort to hide a smile, then lets it drop as if she’s annoyed with herself.

“I’m Siena Walsh, with Evermore Events. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but there’s a vow renewal happening on the island. Are you with them, or are you on holiday?”

“I just told you.”

Another eye roll. There’s something immensely attractive about it. “Right–a merman. Because I clearly look like a little kid who’s going to find something as lame as that funny, right?”

“Look around, Siena. You’re in paradise. It’s in poor taste to be this grumpy.”

“I’m here for work,” she grumbles.

“I thought you were here to assault innocent snorkelers with your boat.”

Her laughter comes like a hint of sunlight through gray clouds, even takes her by surprise. “I did not assault you. You swam into me. I didn’t even see you!”

I place my hand on my side. Am I imagining that flicker of interest in her gorgeous eyes? Her gaze lingers on my body before she snaps herself out of it, glaring at me like it’s my fault.

“You’ve bruised me. I don’t think I can swim back to shore now.”

“It’s pretty odd you won’t tell me your name,” she says, extra pissed now, like she has to make up for the sacrilegious act of allowing herself to laugh.

It’s not strange, not really. I’ve spent my entire life being defined by my surname, by my role in a dark and depressing world. Is it really so bad that I want to live in the moment, at least for a little while?

And looking at her, beads of sweat sliding down her voluptuous body, looking like she’d glare at me if I touched her, but then, if I kept touching her, her glare would turn to a moan of shock and hunger and… I need to chill.

“I’m Dario,” I tell her.

“And–are you with the wedding party?”

“I get the feeling that if I say no, you have no professional obligation to be friendly to me. You’d knock me overboard.”

She touches her hair, then drops her hand. Again, she was angry with herself.

Breaking down this stranger’s defenses gives me a thrill.

“Maybe I would,” she says. “You are keeping me from my work.”

“What’s the task?”

“I’m preparing a boat tour,” she replies. “The company has given me the runaround, so I’m prepping the route myself.”

“Okay, captain. Where to next?”

“If I were the captain, and you were my crew, I wouldn’t be the one rowing.”

“Say no more.”

I stand, arms at my sides.

She tilts her head at me. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m your crew, Siena. I won’t allow you to row.”

“Allow me,” she mutters under her breath. “Oh, brother. Seriously, Dario, don’t worry about me.”

I place my hand on my chest. “I insist.”

“I insist you don’t. In fact, I insist you let me get back to work.”

“Wouldn’t it make your job easier if I rowed? That way, you could focus on the route, on making notes, on dreaming up ways to ensure the boat tour is as magical and romantic.”

“Magical and romantic… are you trying to make me barf?”

“That seems like a very cynical take for someone orchestrating a vow renewal.”

“If you keep going, I will knock you back into the water.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Seriously? All I’d need to do is start rocking the boat.”

Rocking the boat like you’re rocking my world? I almost said, but that’d be cheesy, and I’m not sure she’d go for it. But hell, if I knew there was a line that would work on her, I’d use it.

“Last chance,” she says.

“For what?”

“To get back into the water of your own accord.”

“I don’t believe you’re that heartless, Siena.”

“No?”

She grips the edge of the boat and begins tilting her body one way and then the other. I keep my arms at my sides, balancing, which makes her rock the boat even harder. She laughs again–then stops, annoyed again.

“You’re allowed to laugh,” I tell her.

“I wasn’t laughing.”

“I must’ve hallucinated it then.”

“Yep–oxygen deprivation from the snorkeling. You should be. More… careful. Ah!”

She gasps when the boat spins almost entirely over. I go flying overboard. But so does she. We splash into the water together. The oars float away. I quickly swim after them, return them to the boat, then swim up behind Siena as she attempts to clamber back onto it.

“Need a hand?” I say.

“No,” she snaps, but she clearly does.

“Don’t be so proud.”

“Fine, but hurry.”

I climb onto the boat, then reach down and grip her under the armpits, lifting her and placing her inside. For a moment, we stay like that, my hands on her dripping wet body. Hunger stirs in me.

She takes a step back, water sliding down her form, her pink bra visible through her shirt now. My fantasy has come to life.

“Okay, Dario, that was fun and all, but I seriously need to get back to work.”

“Say no more.” I lower my goggles, then jump back into the water, treading and keeping my head up. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“I sincerely hope so.”

“That sounded like sarcasm.”

“You’re a very perceptive man, aren’t you?”

“I can perceive how drop-dead gorgeous you are, if that’s what you mean.”

“Barf, Dario,” she says, grabbing the oars and paddling away.

“Say that like you mean it,” I call after her.

I watch her go, then swim in the opposite direction, my head filled with Siena Walsh.

This trip just got way more interesting.