Page 56 of The Bonventi Hitman

He bites into a strawberry as simply as any man would, but for some reason, the way in which he does it shoots a pulse down between my legs.

Calm down, Anna. It's just a strawberry.

We eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, occasionally stealing glances at each other, before I decide to get to know Gabriel a little better.

"So," I say and bite into a piece of fruit, "tell me a little about Gabriel."

He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know, maybe where you grew up? Do you have any family? What's the reason for the tattoo?"

"You don't like it?" he asks, looking down at his chest.

"No, it's freaking hot, but what's the story?"

Interestingly, he totally dodges the first set of questions.

He finishes chewing and swallows.

"When I was young, I read Greek mythology about the phoenix being a mythical bird that would build its own funeral pyre, die in the flames, and then be reborn," he says and takes another bite of his strawberry. "Being reborn after total destruction into a more powerful state. This idea stuck with me since I wouldn't allow my upbringing to define who I was going to be."

"Wow," I say out loud, struck by the depth of his response. "So your upbringing wasn't good?"

He shrugs. "I guess it could have always been worse. My sister and I were raised in foster care after the death of our parents. It was hard. There were times we were separated, and I wasn't sure I'd make it out, much less make it in life. However, when I turned 18 and was kicked out of the system, Enzo showed me that my previous 18 years didn't have to define who I'd become. So I burned that version of myself and became the man before you."

His momentary vulnerability is sexy in its own right, but I now have a ton more questions.

“Your sister? I ask in a surprised tone.

He smiles. "Yes, I'm putting her through college. Growing up, we both loved books, she stuck with it. She's getting her PhD in literature."

I can see he has a deep fondness for her, and it shows. "She means a lot to you."

His face grows stern. "I'd protect her at all costs," he says before relaxing. "What about you?"

"Oh. Me? Well, much less exciting. I was born and raised here. Parents are still around, though I don’t really see them much. My mom’s been in and out of rehab most of my life, and my dad, well, he left when I was young and tried to connect with me later in my life, but you know, it had been too long and—" I pause and take a breath.

Damn, I was actually opening up, and it surprised even me.

"After college," I continue, "I fell into some habits that eventually led me to finding myself in places like this."

"Navigating this world without parents is tough. You did what you had to do. Just like me. Maybe we’re a lot more alike than I thought."

I smile and feel warm inside. "Maybe."

I watch as he studies me.

Shit.

I suddenly remember that we're supposed to get coffee today at the shop that should have an FBI contact waiting for me. A new feeling spreads throughout my body, and not in the same way it does for Gabriel. This one is wrapped in fear.

However I feel, I need to put on my game face—or as Gabriel knows it, my Sofia face. I can't jeopardize anything. I've seen what he does to men and where their lifeless bodies end up.

"Thank you for this," I say, gesturing to the finished yogurt and half-eaten fruit cup.

"Next time, Sofia, I'll make you something special," he says.

His gaze is intense as he speaks to me, but there's a hint of softness there that I've never seen before.