Page 6 of Ruthless Secrets (Alpha Mafia Daddies #6)

Chapter Five

MARCO

Finally, she is here.

I may be acting surprised to see her, but the reality is that her being here at Nox is no accident.

It’s been over a year since that night at the Plaza, but there’s not been a single day that has gone by that this woman has not been on my mind, and she’s even more beautiful than I remember.

Clara Peterson.

She sunk her nails in deep, and she has no fucking idea.

It’s been years since I’ve been in the right headspace for a relationship, but I’m starting to consider the possibility of one.

My particular line of work comes with certain risks, and it takes a special kind of woman to be able to put up with them.

I had such a woman, Melanie, and for a long time, I thought that she was my one chance at happiness. That and the fact that it’s taken me over a decade to heal the gaping wound that she left behind.

And then I met Clara and in an instant, something shifted .

She might have been sitting at the bar wearing a wedding dress while downing tequila shots, but that didn’t put me off. There was just something in her bright green eyes that made me want to stop and take a breath.

Then when she told me what had happened to her, it took everything in me not to hunt down the asshole who broke her heart and show him the true consequences of his actions. The only thing that stopped me was that I didn’t want to leave Clara.

I don’t regret taking her to bed that night. I think it was something we both desperately needed. But having great sex with someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you would work in terms of a relationship.

A relationship means opening up, and the thought of spilling all of my darkest thoughts and fears to another person is terrifying. But with Clara, I could see myself taking the first step, that is if she’ll be open to the idea.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself. After all, we spent one night together and that's hardly a foundation for a solid relationship. For all I know she might get to know me and go running in the opposite direction, and as much as I would hate to let her, I would.

“It’s you,” she whispers.

My lips twitch as she stares at me.

Those green eyes have haunted my dreams for the past year, and they’re even more beautiful than I remember.

“It’s you,” I repeat. “It’s been what…”

“Fifteen months,” she replies instantly.

“I’m Marco De Luca, by the way. I don’t think we formally introduced ourselves that night.” I smile.

For a moment, we both just stare at each other.

Clara’s cheeks turn pink under my gaze, and her rosebud lips part ever so slightly.

Those lips …

I wonder what Clara would think if she knew how many times I’ve taken myself in my hand thinking about those lips wrapped around my cock.

“So,” I grunt as I try to empty my thoughts before my arousal becomes too obvious. “You’re accepting the job?”

I lean against the bar and plaster an easy smile on my face.

She looks nervous, but that’s not surprising.

Levi rang the moment he spoke to Clara and voiced her concerns about working for the De Luca family.

It was a gamble approaching Clara with an offer to work at Nox, considering my family’s very public reputation, but I couldn’t get her out of my head.

But her silence doesn’t bode well for my plan to get her to work for me.

Her throat bobs as she looks up at me under her lashes. “I need some more time. I want to give my boss enough notice to find a replaceme?—”

‘I’m afraid that’s not possible.” I tuck my hands into my pockets. “I need someone who can start immediately and if that isn’t you, then so be it. I won’t have any trouble finding someone else.”

I’m not sure why I’m being so hard on her.

Do I want her to say no, is that it? It’s not unlike me to self-sabotage. After all, bringing her into my world is selfish. If I truly cared about this girl, I would have walked away and never looked back.

Clara’s face pales, and she fiddles with the hem of her white shirt.

My eyes roam over her body, taking in the curve of her hips and waist which are only amplified by her black skirt, and her shirt is pulled tight around her full breasts.

Images of her naked body flash through my mind, and I want nothing more than to rip off her clothes and fuck her up against the bar .

Though knowing my luck, she’s probably seeing someone and all of this has been for nothing.

“I-it’s okay. I can be here tomorrow, if that works for you.”

I regard her for a moment.

She’s so quick to obey my demands despite her moral desire to offer her current job notice.

Does she need money, is that it? Or is she motivated by something else?

“It works for me.”

Clara’s shoulders visibly relax, and I decide to save the interrogation for a later date. I don’t want to scare her away when I’ve only just got her through the door.

“So, do you have any questions for me before I show you around?”

Clara’s cheeks color again as our eyes meet, but she shakes her head.

Her blonde hair is longer than I remember it being, and she’s wearing it in loose curls around her shoulders.

“So, can I get you a drink?” I walk around the bar and grab two glasses.

It might be nine a.m. but in my world, it’s never too early for a drink.

“Not for me, I, uh…I have work.”

She’s not looking me in the eye, which has me intrigued.

Do I make her nervous? She certainly didn’t seem nervous the night we slept together, but then again, she had been pounding those tequila shots.

“Can I get you something else?”

“No, that’s okay. Oh, I do have one question.”

I finish pouring myself a drink. “Ask me anything.”

“It’s not a coincidence that I’m here, is it?”

This time, she meets my gaze, and I decide then and there to tell her the truth.

Or at least part of it .

“No. It’s not a coincidence.”

Clara nods her head, and I can’t help but smile as I see her cheeks turn pink once again.

“So, I’ve heard very good things about your work ethic from a colleague of mine.”

“Really?”

“From the sounds of it, you seemed like you would make a great addition to my team, so I was interested in hiring you. Then I found out that you were the mystery girl in the wedding dress, and I wanted to hire you even more.”

“Oh…”

A crease appears between her eyebrows, and I laugh.

“Don’t worry, I expect nothing from you except focus and hard work. I am your boss, first and foremost.”

Clara glances at me, and I can’t help but notice the flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

Interesting…

Clara could only stay for half an hour before she was due at work, which was probably for the best. Being around her was driving me crazy with lust, and it didn’t help that her eyes kept roaming over my body.

It was a good thing I put the bar between us so she couldn’t catch sight of the fact that I was rock hard the entire time.

Maybe offering her a job at Nox wasn’t the greatest idea.

After I finish up some meetings with the suppliers in the late afternoon, I leave the club in the hands of Levi and drive out to Westchester. My brother has invited me over to his place for our weekly dinner before our kid sister, Rosa, heads off to camp tomorrow for two weeks.

The fact that Rosa is going to be a high school senior in a few months blows my mind. I still remember the day my parents brought her home from the hospital like it was yesterday. There might be ten years between us, but we’re incredibly close.

I would do anything to protect my little sister, or my family for that matter. Ever since my parents died, the responsibility of the family has fallen to Andre and myself, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.

My brother’s Westchester residence is the epitome of luxury, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, dark oak accents and expansive grounds. The estate once belonged to our parents, but Andre inherited it as the head of the family.

I can’t deny it’s the perfect place for him to settle into married life.

His wife, Lila, opens the door, and I’m greeted by a squeal from her one-year-old daughter, Holly, who’s balancing on her hip.

“How’s my favorite niece?”

Holly strains against Lila’s arms to get to me, and I laugh.

“I know you prefer me to everyone, but you shouldn’t make it so obvious.” I take the baby from Lila and lift her up onto my shoulders.

“She is a fickle child.” Lila chuckles. “Come on, dinner’s ready.”

I find my brother opening a bottle of wine in the dining room. He spies his daughter on my shoulders and rolls his eyes.

“You drop her, and you’re dead.”

“Your lack of faith in me is insulting.”

Lila shakes her head at us. She has settled into her role as my sister very well. It’s hard to think that she’s only been in our lives for a couple of years. It feels like I’ve known her my whole life .

Speaking of sisters, I glance around the room and notice Rosa is missing.

“Her basketball practice ran late,” Andre says, as if reading my thoughts. “She should be here any minute.”

“I can’t keep track of all of Rosa’s extracurriculars.”

I slide Holly off of my shoulders and take a seat at the table, settling her into her highchair beside me.

She bangs her chubby fists against the table and cries as she notices Lila preparing a plate of food for her.

“We definitely know whose child you are,” I tease as I glance at my brother.

“Tuck in before it gets cold.”

We’ve almost finished our dinner by the time Rosa gets home.

“Sorry I’m late!” Rosa bursts into the dining room. “Coach wanted to go over every little mistake we made before we could leave.”

She’s still wearing her basketball uniform, and her cheeks are flushed. Her dark hair is pulled back into a tight braid and for a moment, she looks so much like our mother that it takes my breath away.

The older Rosa gets, the more of our mother I see in her, from her big, green eyes to her high cheekbones and dimpled smile.

She comes right over to Holly and gives her a kiss on the forehead.

“What about me?” I ask. “Can’t your favorite brother have a hug?”

“Holly is my favorite, sorry.” She grins.

Lila smiles at her. “I’ve kept a plate of food warm for you in the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Lils. I’m starving.”

Andre takes a sip of water. “Are you eating with us? ”

“I’m going to eat in my room. I just wanted to say hi to Holly.”

I frown. “No, you’re not. it’s family dinner.”

“I need to call Alex.”

“Who the hell is Alex?”

Rosa hurries out of the room without giving me an answer.

I look at Andre, and the look that he’s sharing with Lila has me grinding my teeth.

“What am I missing?”

“Rosa has a boyfriend.”

“She has a what ?”

Lila laughs. “You’re reacting better than Andre.”

“You’re okay with this?” I ask my brother, but Lila chimes in before he can answer.

“She’s going to be eighteen in a few months, so he doesn’t have a choice but to be okay.”

“I beg to fucking differ.”

“We compromised,” Andre grunts as he stabs a piece of his steak with his fork.

Lila nods. “She can have a boyfriend as long as it doesn’t affect her grades or her sports. And so far, she’s sticking to her end of the deal, so Andre isn’t allowed to complain.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Who knows. But according to Rosa it’s ‘serious’.” His use of air quotes has me rolling my eyes.

Lila shrugs. “I think it’s sweet. I remember my high school boyfriend. I thought we were going to get married and have kids.”

“Don’t say things like that, otherwise Andre might track the fucker down.”

“Already done,” Andre mutters.

Lila gasps. “Andre!”

“I’m kidding.” He rolls his eyes .

“Is this Alex kid going to camp too?”

“Unfortunately. But I’ve already warned her that If she comes home pregnant, I’ll fucking kill her.”

Lila pats his arm. “Don’t worry, they hand out condoms on arrival.”

The look on my brother’s face has me doubled over with laughter.

Holly even starts laughing, which only makes the situation funnier.

Andre narrows his eyes at her. “You better be kidding.”

She shakes her head, smiling. “You get to pick the flavor.”

Now there are tears in my eyes I’m laughing so hard.

“If Rosa doesn’t kill me, you will,” Andre grumbles.

Lila flashes him that smile that I know melts my brother’s hard exterior.

Right on cue, his scowl morphs into a smile, and I fight the urge to tease him for how soft he’s gone.

Lila wags her eyebrows at him. “It won’t be long until Holly is a teenager. And I have a feeling she’s going to take after me.”

“She’s only just turned one, can we not get ahead of ourselves please? I don’t want to think of her all grown up.”

I laugh. “It’s times like this where I’m relieved I don’t have kids. Especially, daughters. I don’t think I have it in me to handle a teenage girl.”