He groaned as he rolled off me.
I scrambled to get on top of him. “Awww, poor boy hurt his nose?”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Now, it’s on.”
I smiled. “Bring it, hot stuff.”
We kept tumbling around and knocking into tables as vases crashed to the ground. Water and glass and flower petals splattered everywhere as I scrambled to my feet. I slid across the floor and whipped around. I saw him charge me before I ducked down. I knocked him off his feet with my shoulder and watched him go tumbling.
He was quick to get up and he scooped me into his arms.
“Israel,” I exclaimed.
“Most men will be big enough to pick you up. What do you do now?”
I really had no idea. Part of me didn’t even want him to let me go. “Put me down.”
He pinned me against the windows. “Now, Bonnie.” His voice was low and husky against my throat. “What do you do?”
With my legs spread around him, and my wrists pinned above my head, I felt the heat of his breath panting against my lips. I locked my legs around his waist as I ran my fingertips against the top of his hands. I gazed into his eyes.
Something shifted in his gaze as he pressed closer to me.
“What now, Israel?” I asked softly.
And just as his lips hovered over my own, I heard a vibration sound out.
“Don’t get it,” I whispered.
“I have to.”
“Just be here with me. That’s all I want.”
“It’s my business phone, Bonnie.”
I shook my head. “I’m begging you. Just show me what comes next.”
And even though I saw the desire in his eyes, he moved away, placing me down onto my feet.
“Of course,” I murmured.
“We’ll continue this lesson tomorrow. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll know how to overpower even me.” He had his phone in his hand as he looked at me. “Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure.”
Then, he answered his phone. “Hey there, Dad. Give me a second.”
10
Israel
“Son?” Dad asked.
I sat down at the kitchen table, trying to get myself under control. That woman wrecked me. “I’m here. Everything all right?”
“You sound out of breath. What’s going on?”
“Just a self-defense lesson.”
He paused. “For who? You don’t need it.”
“For Bonnie. She does.”
“That woman needs a lot of things. But she doesn’t need a way to defend herself.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’ve got a long afternoon ahead of me. What do you need?”
“Did I catch you at a bad time, oh son of mine?”
I bit back my sarcastic response, because if I disrespected my father too much, he’d rip this role away from me in a heartbeat and give it to my brother. Which would surely spell disaster for our entire family.
“You know it’s always a bad time for personal calls. That’s just how it is,” I said.
He chuckled. “Well, get yourself a glass of wine and listen up. Because I’ve got a proposition for you.”
“Oh?” Israel wasn’t sure if he should be worried or excited.
“Get that glass of wine.”
“I’m fine with my water, Dad. What’s going on?”
He paused. “You ready?”
I sighed, pretty sure he wasn’t going to like what was coming next. He might need something stronger than wine. “Yes. I’m ready.”
“I’ve set you up on a lunch date.”
I’d been right to wary. “A what?”
“A lunch date. And you’ll never guess with who.”
I didn’t want to know because the only woman I could think of at that moment was the one who’d managed to get my blood pumping. “Who?”
“A woman who can offer our family better connections, a safer future, and a place for your brother, so he isn’t constantly breathing down your neck.”
“Ah.”
“What?”
“So, this isn’t a business lunch date.”
“Of course, it is. It’s always business.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to set up a married man on a date, Dad.”
He scoffed. “You aren’t married. You and I both know that. The contract was null and void when we figured out—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it.”
“Your lunch date is this Friday at La Frittata. Twelve thirty. Signorina Esposito will be meeting you there.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “Esposito.”
“Yes.”
“As in, Carmela Esposito.”
“Yes.”
I slowly stood, rage fueling me. “You’re telling me you’ve dedicated me to a lunch date with the head of the largest cri—”
“Be there, son. She and her daughter can offer us more than Bonnie and her family ever will. You aren’t bound to Bonnie. Not legally, and not emotionally from what I saw. Just go to lunch. It won’t kill you.”
But that’s where my father was wrong. If Carmela Esposito thought she was getting one thing out of the lunch and ended up getting another? She’d likely kill me on the spot.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I said and hung up the phone.
I had to figure out a way out of this mess before I killed my own reputation with my father.
11
Bonnie
“You messed up good this time, girl.”
I stared at myself in the mirror while holding my lipstick to my lips. A pale pink that brought out the flush of my cheeks. At least, that’s what my aunt had always told me. I looked down at it, and my mind started going a thousand miles a second. Would Mom like this color on me? Was she more of a red girl then a pink girl? What would she think of Israel?
What would she think of this whole situation?
I slammed my lipstick down and felt the plastic tube crack beneath the force of my palm. The warm, smooth lipstick smattered itself against my hand. Gross.
I raked it across the countertop. The harsh pink color went everywhere, including the plastic embedding itself into my hand. When I turned my palm towards me, the mixture of pink and red mesmerized me.
“You’re losing it, Bonnie,” I murmured.
I placed my thumb against my palm and blended the two colors together. I flicked the plastic pieces away from my skin and watched my blood darkened the lipstick.
It reminded me of myself and Israel. The light I was trying to bring into his world while his darkness threatened to swallow me whole. And yet, when the pink was darkened with the red of my blood, it didn’t seem less beautiful. It didn’t seem ‘lesser’ than anything else.
They both worked together, in tandem, to come up with a color that left me breathless.
“Bingo,” I whispered.
I washed the lipstick and blood off my hands. I patched my hand up with band-aids, and soothing salve then cleaned up the mess on the countertop. I ripped open my drawers to find another tube of that pink lipstick, then rummaged around until I found my crimson red color. Both of them were almost half gone, but as I carried them downstairs, I felt my plan already unfolding.
A new lip color, a new lingerie outfit, and a new chance to woo Israel.
“You’ve got this, girl,” I said to myself.
I waltzed my way into the kitchen and decided to make some magic. I broke the sticks of lipstick off and placed them in a small plastic dish. I heated it up in the microwave, blending the colors together every fifteen seconds or so. And after the new color came out just as captivating as I had wished it to be, I poured it back into the empty red lipstick mold.
But not before I used my finger to smooth some of the warm mixture against my pout.
“Perfect,” I said with a smile.
I capped it off and set it up high in the cabinet to cool off. I washed my hands one last time and cleaned up the mess I’d made. I felt a renewed sense of vig
or come over me as the elevator dinged down the hallway. I smiled to myself as I smoothed my lips against themselves one last time. And as I unfurled my silken robe, I felt the cool air conditioning of the penthouse grace my skin.
I padded down the hallway in my bare feet. “Welcome back, handsome.”
Israel stepped off the elevator and slowly looked my way. And when I watched his eyes fall down my naked body, I knew I had him. While I understood how much I’d messed up earlier by leaving, I knew I could make it up to him. All I had to do was present him with what he wanted the most.
And the way he licked his lips made me smile.
“I want you to know how sorry I am for today.” I was glad things had worked out the way I’d known they would, but I was sorry I’d felt forced to go behind his back to make it happen. I slowly walked toward him, sashaying my hips deeply for his viewing pleasure.
“I can see that,” he said.
“Will you let me make it up to you?”
I saw his pants tightening around his pelvis, but not once did he reach for me. “It’s not necessary.” His tone grew dark and husky.
I slid my fingertips down his tie. “It could be if you want it.”
I fluttered my eyes up to see him, but he kept his composure. Despite the growing thickness between us, his face remained stoic. His eyes stayed empty. And while his body betrayed his want for me, he didn’t give in.
“Come on, Israel.” I wanted this and I needed him to want it just as badly. “You know you want it.”
He gripped my arms and pulled me into him, causing me to gasp. I felt the whole of his cock pressed against my stomach, and I wanted him more than words could describe. I watched his face grow closer to my own. I felt his breath against my lips. I hung my hands on his forearms, wanting to touch more of him as my own eyes fell closed.
But when he spoke, I felt my world shatter. “You won’t get what you want by misbehaving, sweet girl.”
My eyes flew open. “What?”
He pushed me out to arm’s length before releasing me. “You won’t get what you wish by disobeying me left and right.”
Did he really just say that?. “I’m not a child. You don’t have to give me commands.”
He hung up his coat. “Then, prove to me that you can operate without them.”
Oh, if only she could. “You haven’t given me that chance.”
He spun around. “I’ve given you it many, many times. And every time I give you the smallest thing I need you to do—like staying around here, or taking me with you whenever you go somewhere—you pull something like this. You prove to me that you can’t even listen to something I’m telling you to do because I don’t want you to get slaughtered. You really think I’m going to give you what you want when I can’t trust you?”
I pointed up at him. “The only thing I’ve ever shown you is loyalty. It started with not killing you and has brought us to this point. But you don’t give a damn about any of that, do you?”
He loomed over me. “I’ll give a damn about it when I know the woman who claims to love me can listen to me.”
“Then, maybe you should start to understand that I’m not—nor will I ever be—your kept woman. I’m either someone you consider a partner or I’m a stranger. There’s no in-between.”
“Well, by those conditions, you’re a stranger, then. So, close your robe and get decent. I’ve got dinner coming to us.”
He brushed past me, and I couldn't stop my mouth from kicking back at him. “You promised.”
He froze. “Promised what?”
I closed my robe. “We made a deal that in exchange for certain things, I was willing to let you have me every night, any way you wanted. No matter what. Yet, you haven’t touched me once. Are you defaulting on your word?”
He chuckled. “Sweet girl—”
“Bonnie.”
He peered over his shoulder. “Bonnie. That wasn’t a deal. That was a bargain. I wanted something, and in exchange, you offered something else. I don’t have to take you up on that offer.”
“You gave me your word that you’d take me every night.”
He faced me. “No. You gave me your word that you’d let me have it. I simply agreed to the terms. It’s there if I want it, but I’m the ultimate determiner of whether or not I accept what you’ve offered in exchange for what I’ve already gotten. My terms were the demand. Your terms were the compromise. Learn the difference.”
I wanted to wring his neck. “You’re a snake.”
He turned his back on me. “Welcome to the club. I’m sure those who think the same thing are out there selling t-shirts. Get yourself one, so you’ve got something to wear other than jeans or your robe.”
My back fell against the wall as he started up the stairs. I held back tears as a pain I’d never experienced before reared its ugly head. It grew hard to breathe. It grew hard to think. I couldn't see straight as I slid down the wall, watching as they all caved in on top of me.
“And Bonnie?”
I sniffled. “Yes?”
“From the beginning, I knew I wouldn't have you every night. You offered it, and the offer was tantalizing. But I made myself a promise when I accepted your offer.”
“You gonna tell me what it is? Or, are you going to keep mouthing off?”
He chuckled. “When I know without an inkling of a doubt you’re completely mine? And hold no allegiance to anyone else but me? I’ll have you.”
I slowly raised my gaze to his. “Seriously? That’s the promise you made yourself?”
His eyes darkened. “When I know this for certain, I’ll take you every night. Against the wall. Against the windows. On top of our dinner. I’ll climb under that table and feast on you while I make you eat the dinner you’ve made for me. And when you’re weak and wet and begging me to stop, I’ll carry you into the shower and have my way with you. Dirtying you up while the water tries to wash you clean. You’ll become mine, Bonnie. Only mine, and no one else’s. Every night, for the rest of your life once I know I can trust you. So stop. Fucking. Up.”
I held my breath as he walked up the stairs, disappearing out of sight. I couldn't think straight, let alone speak. As tears flooded my neck and the sun began to set, I felt the room spin around me. So, I laid down and pressed my cheek against the cool marble flooring.
“What have I done?” I whispered.
I sobbed quietly as I curled my knees up to my chest. All I wanted was to feel close to the man I’d fallen in love with. And in return, my actions had only shown him that I’d betray him. Instead of seeing the good my actions had done, all he focused on was the fact that I disobeyed him like some petulant child.
It hurt like hell to know Israel still didn’t think he could trust me.
“What do I do, Mom?” I choked out the words in between my muffled sobs as I squeezed my eyes closed. “I need help. Please. I don’t have anyone else,”
I waited for her to answer me. I waited for the heavens to open up and finally have mercy on my soul. But the answer never came. I didn’t hear her voice, or see her face, or witness the clouds parting to bestow upon me any sort of mercy. I felt my tears fall to the floor, pooling against my cheek. And as much as I wanted to move, I couldn’t.
So, I stayed there. In the silence of the penthouse. With the sun slowly setting over the city and my robe firmly closed, just like my husband wanted.
He’s not really your husband, Bonnie. Stop thinking of him like that.
“I won’t do this anymore,” I murmured.
I pulled myself off the floor and stumbled against the wall. I used the wall to prop myself up as I made my way down the hallway. I found my way to the first door on the right and threw it open, finding myself face to face with the first guest bedroom down here.
And as I stumbled inside, I closed the door behind me. I locked it, just to make sure Israel couldn't slip in after I had fallen asleep.
Then, I poured my body into bed and cried myself to sleep.
12<
br />
Bonnie
The brightness of the sun hurt my eyes, even though I hadn’t opened them yet. I rolled over and pulled the comforter over my head before they even considered easing themselves open. I knew they were swollen from my sobbing the night before My nose hurt, and my throat ached. My legs were cramped up, and my back felt stiff from the unfamiliar mattress. But it was still better than waking up next to Israel.
Next to a man who didn’t give a shit about me.
I wish I had someone to turn to.
Normally, I’d have called Brianna. I’d have gone to her with my troubles and would have vented my frustrations to her, but she was no longer an option. Now, I knew my cousin had never cared about me. She’d never considered me family. All I was to her was a means to an end. And now that the end had come, I had been left in the dust.
“Why does everyone leave me?”
I drew in a deep breath and eased the covers off from my head. The sunlight forced itself into the room, illuminating the pure beauty of it before my very eyes. I sighed as I rolled over, facing the wall the bed bucked up to. I curled my legs back up and held them tightly. I slid against the silken sheets that were now smeared with my lipstick.
“Great. Another thing for him to bitch about,” I murmured.
More than ever, I wanted to find a way to make Israel love me. I mean, I figured stealing business from the man who wanted to kill us would’ve been enough, but, apparently, that wasn’t the case. And since he didn’t want my body, I had nothing else to give him.
I’m poor.
As the realization dawned on me, I slowly sat up. Holy shit, I was poor. I had nothing without Israel. Because if he was to cast me out on the street that day, I’d have nothing. No home to go back to. No family to welcome me in. No bank account to live off of and no clothes that were mine to keep. It knocked the wind out of me. It made me feel queasy.
And when I felt bile creeping up the back of my throat, I lunged myself toward the bathroom.
“Oh, fuck,” I choked out.
After dry-heaving in the toilet for a while, I found myself a new resolve. I had to figure out what Israel wanted. It was plain and simple. Yes, he wanted to trust me, but I had to figure out how best to earn that trust because I wasn’t great at being a toddler obeying her father’s orders. I did, however, excel at getting to the true heart of a problem and to do that, I need to get to know him.
Mob Princess: An Arranged Dark Mafia Romance (Cruel King Book 2) Page 7