20. Nina
20
NINA
Nina
D ante led me away from that woman and ended up intercepted by Romeo. He glanced at me, nodding once in acknowledgment, and I appreciated how he didn’t act differently, seeing me with his father. I told him that Dante and I were faking this relationship, and he had to be viewing us with that filter of knowledge, knowing we weren’t the real deal.
But I was torn with wanting Dante so badly. I was well aware that this was supposed to be fake between us, but I wished otherwise. On his arm, at his side, and receiving his smoldering looks… I felt like I really was his. For as much as he was married to his work, I felt like a solid runner-up. Soaking up his attention was a heady experience. It had me yearning for him and wondering how we could discuss this maybe not being an act.
Once we stepped away from Romeo again, we found a quiet corner. Before I could say a word, he devoured my lips in a hungry kiss that had me questioning what was real and what wasn’t. Back here, near the shadows, no one was paying much attention to us. As fervently as he kissed me, though, he was lavishing his utmost focus on me with the goal of complete arousal.
I panted, clinging to him and licking his taste on my lips. Within his embrace, I felt the prod of his erection hardening beneath his pants.
Yes. Please.
“I have to agree with you. I’m enjoying every private moment I can steal with you,” he admitted in a gritty, gravelly growl.
I smiled, letting his praise go to my head. Before I could fall into that spiral of lust and let it consume me, I felt like I had to speak up.
“That woman,” I began. “Vanessa?”
He sighed, a heavy sound of annoyance. “I don’t have anything with her, Nina.”
“I’m not sure she knows that.”
“She does,” he insisted. “I’ve rejected her nonstop.”
“Then maybe she can’t accept it.” I rubbed my hands up and down his chest. “She stopped by your house the other day.”
He frowned, glaring down at me. “What?”
I nodded. “She was a real bitch, knocking on the door and telling me that she was due to have a lunch date with you.”
He shook his head, furious, but I put my fingertip to his lips to quiet him. “I knew she was lying. You’d just left. She was pissed when I told her that I was your girlfriend, and she didn’t believe me.”
“Fuck her. Fucking Vanessa. Don’t pay attention to a single thing she says.”
“I didn’t.” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
He grunted. “I only care if she was bothering you.”
I shrugged. “Not really, but you can’t blame me for being curious.”
He took my hand and led me to a chair in the corner. Back here, away from the bulk of the guests mingling, drinking, and contributing to the silent auctions, we had the relative quiet to really talk. After he sat, he guided me to relax on his lap—which was quickly becoming my favorite spot to be.
“Who is she?” I asked as I smoothed my hand along his firm jaw.
“She’s the daughter of one of my former friends,” he explained.
“Former? Because he’s no longer your friend and is an enemy?” I guessed. Ignorance was still bliss within this Mafia world. I didn’t want to know every detail about who was who, and I imagined loyalties and grievances changed often. These Mafia men were killers, prone to responding with violence.
“Stefan Giovanni was my friend way back when. Same with your father. Henry, Stefan, and I ran in the same circles.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What? My dad?”
He nodded, stroking his hand up my thigh in a sensual, possessive caress. It almost distracted me, but I was all ears. Dante wasn’t just a body to lust after. He was a smart man, a figure from my past, too.
“Yes. Henry drifted apart from me because of his dedication to being in the service. Stefan put distance between us with some of his business choices. Over the years, I didn’t agree with a lot that he did with the Giovanni Family, but until now, it’s never been a case of declaring him as my enemy. Not publicly declaring him as an enemy.”
“What changed that now?” I huffed a weak laugh. “You’re upset with him because his daughter is preying on you?”
“She is, though,” he said. “She’s made it no secret that she wants me. To fuck me. To marry me.”
I opened my eyes wide. “Wow.” As a waiter walked near, I signaled for him to come closer and let me grab another flute of champagne from his silver tray. After I sipped it, loving the decadence of an expensive alcoholic drink that was a rare luxury for me, I welcomed the warm buzz of the alcohol.
“Needless to say, I do not want to mix with the Giovanni Family. Currently or in the future.”
“How come?” I asked, trying to think back and do the math on how many drinks I’d had. I followed what Dante told me, but I was definitely well on my way to getting tipsy.
“He allied with another crime organization, the Domino Family. They were unscrupulous, abusive with their power, and determined to monopolize all distribution routes.”
I don’t wanna know. I don’t wanna know. They weren’t talking about normal, legal products being transported, but I wasn’t going to ask what they would argue about.
“Stefan invested a significant amount of money and men into backing the Domino Family, but ultimately, Leo Domino was defeated by the Devil’s Brothers.”
I blinked, staring at him, stunned. “The same motorcycle club that Ricky lost me in a bet to?”
He nodded, grave and serious about these details.
“Sometimes, it can feel like it’s a really small world among us organizational leaders.”
I drank faster. “I guess so.”
“I want nothing to do with those bikers. They are a newer power in the area, and I am waiting for them to fade from the scene.”
Will they, though?
“Do you think that’ll happen soon?”
He smiled at me before he brought me close for a tender kiss. “I can’t predict that, but rest assured that I will never let them have you.”
I liked the sound of that.
“Just the same as your being with me will deter Vanessa from thinking she’ll ever have a chance with me.”
I froze with his lips pressed against mine. There it was. I finally found the answer. The night we ran into each other at the Hound and Tea, he told me that he had his reasons to want to enter a fake relationship with me. Now I had that reason.
He was using me as a way to show Vanessa that he wasn’t available.
And that was the time limit I didn’t want to learn. Dante would string me along and keep me near for as long as Vanessa tried to pursue him. Once she found another man to chase, once she gave up on going after Dante, my purpose expire. My ruse would be over. I would no longer have an excuse to sit on his lap or kiss his lips. I would no longer need to enter a fitting room for him to choose a dress for me or bring me close so I could ride his thick cock.
My time with Dante had an end date. And I hated the reminder that this was nothing more than a temporary farce we’d orchestrated.
It’s not like it’s a surprise. I knew the rules when I entered this arrangement.
That didn’t mean I had to like it anymore. Not after we’d both blurred the lines with our very real interest.
I tipped my glass back further, welcoming more alcohol down my throat to numb the pain of not having this rugged, sexy, and powerful man for real.