Chapter 3
Leo
Why does that sound dirty in my head? Because I’m a pervert, clearly. I mean, I might have been checking out his ass while he cleaned up the blood. In all fairness, it’s a really good one and also something I’ve never paid much attention to before.
“Are you okay?” he asks, and I believe he’s fighting a smile.
What is there to smile about? I’m a small woman, and I took a mob guy hostage. If word of that got out, he’d be a dead man. At least I think that’s how the mob works.
“Am I okay? You’re the hostage,” I remind him and myself. I should be bossing him around since I’m the one calling the shots.
He should be worried about me squirting his eyes with this pepper spray.
The word “squirt” gets stuck in my head, and now my mind is fully in the gutter.
I need to lock it up. I can’t flirt with my hostage.
That’s wrong, isn’t it? It would definitely be an HR violation if this kidnapping took place in the workplace.
“I’ve been in worse spots before, but never one this tight.”
Oh my god, he knows I’m a virgin! But wait, how could he? I eye him with suspicion, and he cocks his head to the side.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Your cheeks are turning pink, and you might have something in your eyes.”
“I’m fine,” I squeak out and clear my throat. My suspicious glare clearly needs work.
“You don’t think it’s a tight fit?” he asks, and all I can do is open and close my mouth without answering. “I mean, maybe it’s because I was younger, but this place felt bigger back then.”
“Oh,” I finally say, and he lifts a brow.
“Oh? What did you think I was talking about?” He’s watching me, and I have to force myself not to squirm.
“Ah, yeah, I did.” I pretend to be offended that he thought I might have meant something dirty. “Watch it, or you’ll be cleaning this whole place.”
Obviously not because I don’t want to push him, but I also don’t want to be a mean captor.
“I have a cleanup crew that will have this place looking brand new,” he says.
“Really?” He nods, and I think about how nice that would be.
There’s nothing I hate more than cleaning.
Except when television shows drop the first three episodes of a new season and not the whole thing.
It’s bullshit. Having a cleaning service that did it for me would be amazing, but it’s probably way out of my price range.
Which is zero. “How much does that cost?”
“For you, free.”
I almost agree instantly but manage to stop myself. There has to be a catch.
“Oh, I get it. You’re going to tell me the cost is your freedom?” I make a tsking sound. “I’m on to you.” I tap the side of my temple. “I’m not all beauty, you know.”
“I’m seeing that,” he says without hesitation. “So is there anything else you need to close up down here?”
“No, it’s all set. I’ll get the lights on the way out.”
Getting up, I head toward the back, and he follows me. See, I’m in control here. I don’t even have to hold a weapon on him. Maybe I’m in the wrong line of work. Does the mob hire?
“Glad that’s done because I need to feed you,” he says, and I pause mid-step.
“You’re the captive,” I say and poke the center of his chest. “I’m the one feeding you.”
His chin drops to stare down at my finger, and I quickly jerk it back. The awkward movement makes me drop my can of mace. Oh shit.
“Of course, what was I thinking?” Mattia says before leaning down and grabbing the pepper spray off the floor. He hands it back to me, and I quickly take it from him.
“Glad we got it all cleared up,” I tell him before I spin back around. “I’m in charge.”
There are stairs at the back that lead to my place above the laundromat, and Mattia follows behind me. When we get to the door, I open it, and he looks at me with concern.
“There’s not a lock on your door?”
“Why would I need one? You can lock the doors downstairs. Besides, it’s better this way because I’m always losing my keys.”
He sighs and shakes his head like it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard.
“Hey.” I lean forward and put a finger on his chest again. “My place might not be clean. Normally it is totally clean. Not a speck of dust anywhere,” I lie. “If there’s a mess, it’s a fluke.”
“Understood.”
When I step back and let him enter, Mattia’s eyes roam around the room. It’s a studio, so the only other room is a small bathroom.
“Stop looking,” I say and smack his shoulder. I have crap everywhere.
“Do you want me to close my eyes?” he asks, and for a half a second, I think it over. “If it helps, I like watching you.”
“Oh,” I say, and stand up straighter. Then I flip my hair over my shoulder for good measure. “All right, since you’re my captive, it’s the least I can do.”
“I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome,” I say and give a firm nod before pointing to the singular door.
“That’s the bathroom. Don’t get any ideas.
There isn’t a window in there.” It’s another lie, which is stupid because if he uses the bathroom, he’ll see it.
“Let me get this.” I rush over to my loveseat that’s still pulled out into a bed and fold it up. “There, now you may sit.”
He smiles before walking over and dropping down onto it. Only his massive size takes up so much of it that it makes my loveseat appear to be a chair.
“What do you want to eat?” he asks.
This guy is always trying to top from the bottom. It’s hot, but I’ll never let on how much I like it.
“What would you like?” I don’t have many options, but I can’t let him win. “I have old Chinese food we could heat up, or I’ve got a frozen pizza.”
“Have you tried the pizza place two blocks over on Willow Lane? We can order it and eat on the roof.”
I gasp, pointing my finger at him. “I know what you’re doing. You’re going to call and place a delivery and then alert them that you’ve been taken captive.”
He fights a smile as he takes out his phone. “Do people still call to order pizza? I thought I could do it online.”
“I don’t think so, buster.” I snatch it from his hand, but he doesn’t stop smiling.
“You can order if you like. I’ll buy it.”
“That’s right, you’ll buy it.” I don’t know why I felt the need to say that. I’m trying to keep the power here.
Mattia gives me the name of the place, and I pull it up on his phone. I start adding things to the cart, and Mattia finishes out the order with his card. I check it over to make sure he didn’t put a hostage note in the comments, and my eyes widen when I see something there.
“I knew it, you…” I trail off while reading what he wrote.
Made you look.
It takes everything inside of me not to laugh. “A dad joke? Really, Mattia? You’re showing your age, old man.”
“It’s Daddy,” he says before he winks at me, and my mouth falls open.
I guess I’m not the only pervert around here.