Chapter 10
SOMEDAY
DAPHNE
Leo’s penthouse is nothing short of amazing. With the floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek hardwood floors, and modern furniture, everything about the place screams single male and excess wealth.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he says as he tosses his keys on a table near the door.
I walk toward the windows, soaking in the decadence. The city lights twinkle in the distance like a cloudless sky, sparkling against an endless backdrop. “The city’s beautiful from up here.”
Leo stands behind me, his body heat licking at my back. “I’ve spent many nights staring out across the city.”
I smile over my shoulder, but I don’t let my gaze linger too long. His cocky smile and luscious mouth are like my kryptonite, making it almost impossible for me to hold true to my promise to be done with him. “I can see why. It’s so beautiful,” I say, keeping my focus on the skyline in front of me.
“Want to sit outside?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. I know staying inside means we’d sit on the couch, and the likelihood I’d end up in Leo’s lap or in his bed is extremely high. I need to maintain a safe distance because my willpower around him is damn near nonexistent.
Leo grabs a bottle of red and two wineglasses before I follow him onto the patio. I’m not planning on staying long enough to polish off a bottle, but Leo doesn’t seem to care. I settle into the chair near the railing, on the opposite side of the table, and swallow down my fear of heights.
The best course of action is to get right to the point and not to veer off topic. “What did you want to talk about?”
Leo stares at me for a moment as he pours two glasses. I drink him in, noticing the silver cuff links sparkling like the stars above our head. They’re expensive, just like his penthouse.
“I need to know who saw us at the airport.”
“You’re not going to…” I pause and look out across the city, wondering if I should tell Leo the man’s name. While the physical attraction to Leo is undeniable, I don’t know enough about him to know if he’s dangerous or not. I bring my gaze to his and soak in his piercing eyes. “You know…”
“I’m not going to hurt anyone, Daphne. I’m not my father,” he says.
“Fine. All I know is his name is Billy. I don’t know a last name or what he does, but he knows my brother and was all too quick to call him and report on my whereabouts.”
“I’ll take care of him.” He hands me a wineglass like he didn’t just say he was going to off someone, and my eyes widen in horror. “I’ll talk to him,” Leo corrects and shakes his head slowly. “Again, I’m as much like my father as you are yours. Stop thinking the worst of me.”
I glance down, running my fingers along the base of the wineglass. I feel so out of place and like a fool. “What are we doing here, Leo?”
“Talking,” he says like it’s that simple.
“I know that, but why?” My gaze flickers to his for a brief second, but the lust is too strong, and I have to look away. “I told you we were through. I sound like a broken record at this point.”
“If my father wasn’t my father and your father wasn’t yours, would you still be telling me there’s no future for us?”
I don’t answer right away. I ponder the question along with the complexity and simplicity of the entire situation.
I want to lie to him. It would be easier for both of us if this were nothing more than a passing attraction.
I really wish I’d fucked him out of my system, but that only seemed to make matters worse.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “You’re busy. I’m busy. There’s not much time to plan a future when we’re both dedicated to our work.”
He studies my face, and I can feel the heat of his gaze. “What’s more important to you, work or family?”
“Family, of course.”
That’s a no-brainer. Family always trumps business. It’s the main reason we shut down the bar for half the day every Sunday. We decided that we didn’t want any interruptions during our family dinner, and there always seemed to be a crisis at the bar that needed our attention.
Leo leans back and undoes the top button on his dress shirt, exposing just enough skin to draw my attention back to him. “Do you want a family of your own someday?”
“Someday,” I say in a deeper tone, unable to hide what the sight of him does to me. “But not yet.”
His fingers work at more buttons on his shirt. “So, if we were just Leo and Daphne, not Conti and Gallo, we’d have a shot?”
He knows what he’s doing to me. The smirk on his face tells me as much. It’s only fair since I toyed with him near the elevators first.
“Maybe,” I sigh and look away. “Who knows. I don’t spend much time thinking about what could be when reality seems to smack me in the face every day, constantly reminding me I’m a Gallo.”
“My father questioned me today,” he confesses.
“About us?” I swallow the lump that’s now lodged in my throat.
“No, but he heard I was in the old neighborhood.” Leo rubs his hand across his face, trying to cover the frown I know is there. “He warned me to stay away. He said your father was a dangerous man.”
I laugh at the stupidity of the entire situation. “See? We would never work.”
“Maybe,” he admits as his gaze drops to his wineglass. “But I’ve never been one to let my father dictate my life.”
“Me either.” But that doesn’t mean I don’t heed my father’s warning every once in a while.
Leo leans forward and pushes his glass to the side. “I’m not ready to give up on whatever this is, Daphne.” He slides his hand across the tabletop and places his palm on my arm, reminding me of the sparks I feel every time we touch. “Life’s too short to deprive ourselves of finding out.”
I stare across the table, wanting to say yes, but something stops me. I could easily fall in love with Leo—hell, I was in full-blown lust already. “I need time to think,” I say, hoping it’s enough to satisfy him.
“Stay the night.”
“I can’t.” My heart wants to stay, but I know nothing good will come from another night with Leo. I’ll fall a little harder and a little deeper, making my ability to resist him even weaker.
“Another time, then.”
I shake my head, because there won’t be another time. There can’t be. “You’re persistent.”
His stare intensifies. “Only when I know what I want.”
I pretend to ignore his statement even though my stomach flutters and my heart practically skips a beat. “I think I should go.” I need to get away from him before we fall into bed and I never want to go back to reality.
“I’ll take you back to the bar.”
“No,” I say quickly. “I’ll grab a cab.”
“It’s late, and the bar is far, Daphne. Don’t be silly.”
My phone rings in my purse, and I scramble to answer it, without looking at the caller ID. It’s well after midnight, and there’s never good news at this hour. “Hello,” I say, watching Leo across the table.
“Where the fuck are you?” Michelle asks. “Your Jeep is here, but you’re not. Angelo is going to stroke out when he notices.”
“Tell him I’ll be back in thirty minutes. I had to help a friend or something.”
“Are you with him?”
“Michelle…”
“Daphne, so help me God—” she starts to say, ready to give me a lecture, but I cut her off.
“Don’t breathe a word to my brother. Cover for me.”
“I’m not a good liar,” she tells me like I don’t already know this. “I’ll buy you some time, but you better get your ass back here because I can only entertain him for so long.”
“Find a way,” I say. “Flirt with him or something.”
There’s a pause from the other end. “I’ll do my best.”
I jam my phone back into my purse as I stand. “I have to leave now. Things are getting too complicated, and someone’s bound to find out.”
Leo follows me to the door. “This is it, then?” he asks, and the look in his eyes tugs at my heart.
“We’re both in danger. This has to be the end.” My voice wavers on the last few words.
Leo moves closer. “I want things to be different.”
I resist the urge to say the same thing. It won’t make this easier or change anything. We can wish all we want, but that won’t do a damn thing. I’ll still be a Gallo, and he’ll be a Conti, making any type of relationship between us impossible.
He snakes his arm around my back and pulls my body flush against his.
He’s staring into my eyes, intense as always, and he leans forward.
I love being in his arms, surrounded by his scent and caught in his intense gaze.
I slide my hands up his arms, gripping his delicious biceps and tethering myself to him.
“Goodbye, Daphne,” he says softly with his lips only a few centimeters away from mine.
My gaze dips to his mouth, hoping he’ll kiss me. “Goodbye, Leo,” I whisper before locking eyes with him again.
His eyes search mine, and all the air inside his penthouse evaporates. My breathing’s shallow as I wait for the moment his lips touch mine, praying he’ll kiss me one last time. The wait isn’t long before he leans forward, bringing me closer, and crashes his mouth down on top of mine.
Any breath I have left is instantly stolen. His kiss is demanding, rough, and makes my toes curl. There’s no goodbye in the way his tongue slides against mine. Only a promise of something more, something better.
I pull away, breaking the kiss before I become too consumed and lose the willpower to walk out the door. My grip on his arms increases as I hold him at a distance and gasp for air.
He stares at me, breathing just as heavily as I am, but he doesn’t say a word.
I can’t bring myself to say goodbye again, but I know I have to leave.
Without speaking, I back up, waiting until the last moment to pull my hands away from his body and open the door.
Leo stands in the hall, watching as I walk backward into the hallway, eyes locked on his for only a few seconds before turning my back and heading toward the elevator.
Why is it so damn hard to say goodbye to him? I don’t love the man, but the lust is there and totally undeniable.
A week ago, I barely knew the name Leo Conti, but now… Now, I can’t seem to get him out of my system.