Defying Her Mafioso

by Terri Anne Browning

The warm sun felt good on my skin. I loved every season in New York, was comfortable in any weather. Winter was my favorite though, especially when it was snowing. As little girls, Victoria and I had loved making snow angels in the back yard. Then we would build a snowman family and Victoria would con Cristiano to come outside to play with us. We had an entire stash of premade snowballs just waiting on him and would ambush him as soon as he walked outside. If Ciro or Dante were with him, we made plenty of extras and would nail them all in the face.

  Remembering how much fun we all used to have made me miss my sister even more and some of the pleasure of the summer heat faded. Desi wasn’t much of a talker, but at least he was polite and didn’t treat me like someone he was being forced to babysit—even though he was.

  By the time we walked the thirty or so acres around the house and returned to the front door there were two blacked-out SUVs in the driveway. Figuring Papa and Ciro had returned, I left Desi at the door and went back inside. I found Papa and Benito already in the living room, glasses of scotch in their hands, but no sign of Ciro.

  “Did Ciro not come back with you, Papa?” I asked as I entered the room.

  He gave me a teasing pout. “Why is it always Ciro you want to see and never your poor papa?” he complained.

  I didn’t have a ready answer for him. At least not one I would willingly give my father. He didn’t need to know that I ached when I wasn’t with Ciro, like part of myself was missing without him beside me. Or that all I could think about was how good it felt to sleep in his arms every night.

  He especially didn’t need to know I was going out of my mind with wanting Ciro because the man hadn’t done more than give me short, sweet kisses. I knew he was holding back because he wanted me to get better before things went further, but he was killing me with those kisses.

  Papa probably didn’t want to know any of that anyway.

  He shook his head at my silence. “See how it is, Ben? This one has fallen in love and can’t find room in her heart to love her papa too.”

  Benito chucked and I didn’t even try to deny it. I’d always loved Ciro and we all knew it. “I will always love you, Papa.” I kissed his cheek, then stepped back, smirking. “Did he come with you or not?”

  “He’s upstairs,” Benito said, laughing harder at Papa’s crestfallen face. “Probably looking for you.”

  “Thanks, Zio,” I blew him a kiss as I left the room.

  “Why can’t I send the boy to Chicago with everyone else?” I heard Papa grumble behind me, only partially teasing.

  “You could try,” Benito commented. “Not so sure you would succeed as long as that little beauty was still here.”

  Shaking my head at the way they were joking around, I headed for the stairs. Papa would never send Ciro away. He was the one man in the entire Costa Nostra who was indispensable. Even I knew that.

  Upstairs, I went straight to my room, knowing that was where I was most likely to find him. Opening my bedroom door, I heard the shower running in my connecting bathroom. My mouth went dry just thinking about him in there naked, only for my panties to grow wet with need. I wanted to join him, but I wasn’t nearly as brave as I acted.

  Not where a naked Ciro was concerned.

  I was too unsure of myself when it came to lust and sex. I knew he wanted me, and I sure as hell wanted him, but things had been going at a snail’s pace with us this past week. His soft, chaste kisses were driving me crazy, but if I was really and truly honest with myself I would admit I was glad he had been taking his time with me. The only experience I had was the little he’d taught me and what I’d read in books.

  There were things I wanted to do to him, things I knew men were supposed to love. Like suck his cock. Fuck, I wanted to suck his cock so bad. But I didn’t want to embarrass myself by pretending to know things I had no clue about. What if I tried and I was clumsy? What if he didn’t like how I did it?

  What if I bit him?

  Setting down on the end of my bed, I waited. Soon the water shut off, but he was still in the bathroom five minutes later. I started biting on my bottom lip, wondering if I should just grow a pair and go in there. What was the worst that could happen?

  He’d laugh at me.

  He’d tell me no.

  He wouldn’t want me.

  The door opened and he walked out, already dressed in a pair of black dress pants and blue shirt that matched his eyes. The shirt was only buttoned halfway up, showing me a delicious view of his tan, thickly muscled chest. He smelled clean with just the hint of his subtle but intoxicating cologne. It reminded me of open skies mixed with the kind of energy only a man like this one could handle.

  Seeing me sitting on the bed, he grinned, drawing my attention to his freshly shaved face. I felt a small pang of loss at his week-old beard. I’d liked his scruffiness, had enjoyed the feel of his stubble against my lips when he would kiss me. Not that I disliked him clean-shaven. Hell, no woman alive would ever think this man was less sexy for having a smooth face. The scruff was just my favorite.

  “Hello, vita mia.” He bent to kiss my cheek, enticing me with his cologne all the more. “Did you miss me today?”

  “Yes.” A week ago I would have lied, but not now. There was no use in trying.

  Something darkened in his eyes, making my breath catch in my throat. He took my hand, pressed a kiss to my palm, then carried it to his chest. “Help me with this tie, would you?”

  I stood and took the tie I had only just then noticed hanging from his other hand. It was a darker blue than his eyes, but I loved how it made them stand out even more. This close to him, I had to concentrate hard on the task at hand. The feel of his hard chest under my fingertips, the heat that seemed to radiate off him and burn into me was a mixture that made me lightheaded.

  Clearing my throat, I was finally able to get his tie perfect and took a much needed step back so I could think again. “You look really good. Do you have a meeting?”

  “Nope.” He caught my hand and guided me over to the closet. “I have a date.”

  My head jerked back, pain slicing through me for a moment before my jealous brain caught up and I realized what he was really saying. Opening the double door to the massive closet, he started shifting through the entire wall of elegant dresses Victoria had tirelessly collected for me.

  “A-a date?” I stuttered.

  I’d never been on a date before. Ever. Guys were too afraid of my father, brother…even Ciro, to ask me out. Not that I would have ever accepted if they had. From the time I was eleven, it had only been Ciro for me.

  It would only ever be him for me.

  Finding a metallic blue that complemented his shirt, he pulled it off the hanger and tossed it over his shoulder before grabbing a pair of heels that I would probably break my neck in. Satisfied with what he’d come up with, he pulled me out of the closet and into the bathroom. “Shower. Do whatever it is you do. Then come downstairs when you’re done.” He glanced at his watch, seeming distracted. “I made reservations for seven, so don’t rush.”

  “Wait.” My head was spinning. He was taking me on a date? I felt oddly giddy and it was taking everything inside me not to start giggling like a nervous fifteen-year-old being asked to the mall for a slice of pizza. This was all new territory for me.

  Ciro turned those amazing blue eyes on me, his face full of concern and something else. Doubt? No, it couldn’t be that. Ciro was not the kind of guy to doubt anything he did. “What’s wrong? Do you not want to go to dinner with me?”

  I shook my head and his face seemed to drop. “No, no—I want to go,” I rushed to assure him and he actually breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m just… I don’t…” I cut off my flow of unfinished sentences and bit into my lip. “I’ve never been on a date before,” I whispered.

  Hunger filled his eyes and he sucked in a harsh breath. “Me either, vita mia. We get to share this first together.” He bent his head and kissed my cheek. “And many,
many more.” His deep voice rumbled in my ear, making me tremble.

  Instinctively I reached out, steadying myself by clutching at his shirt. “Ciro.”

  I felt his tongue touch the delicate skin under my ear. “I’ve changed my mind. Hurry, Scarlett. Get dressed as fast as you can, because I don’t trust myself not to make love to you right here, right now.” He stepped back before I could beg him to do just that. His jaw tense, his eyes bright with desire, he gritted out a simple, “Hurry,” then turned and left me there, shivering with suppressed need that left my knees weak.

  Chapter 19

  Ciro

  I was shaking like a boy. It was a new experience for me. Fuck, no one had ever made me this weak before. Except for Scarlett.

  I wanted to do this right, wanted to show her all the things I would always give her before I took something precious from her. I had to show her tonight, because I knew I wouldn’t last another day. Hell, I wouldn’t last to the end of the night.

  It had taken every ounce of willpower I possessed not to take things further over the past week. Watching as her bruises had slowly faded had been torture. Every second had been worth it, though. Every. Second. Sleeping with her in my arms. Waking up to her beautiful face each morning. Having her pout when I woke her up too early and had to leave her.

  She’d been showing me what she would always give me. Peace. Love. Her.

  That was all I’d ever wanted.

  I waited for her downstairs while she got ready. I hadn’t been lying when I told her that I’d never been on a date before either. I was twenty-six and had never taken a woman out. The women I’d fucked around with in the past were not the kind a man took out to dinner. There hadn’t been many of them in the past few years. Just the random hookup when I needed to blow off steam. This was new territory for me, but I was glad I was exploring it with Scarlett.

  “Relax, boy,” Vito said with a grin as I paced back and forth in front of the unlit fireplace while he and my father slowly drank his supply of well-aged scotch. “You’ll only make yourself gray.”

  “Scarlett doesn’t twiddle around getting ready, son,” my father said with a grin. “She won’t keep you waiting like your mother does me.”

  I didn’t answer either one of them. My pacing had nothing to do with Scarlett taking her time to get ready. It was so I could burn off some of the excess energy that was already flooding off me in waves. If I didn’t work some of it off, I was going to climb those stairs again and fuck her in the goddamn bathroom right now.

  “Why do I feel like I’m losing my baby, Ben?” Vito muttered.

  “I don’t think of it as losing your baby. More like me gaining a daughter.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

  I ignored them, knowing they were just messing with each other and trying to get under my skin. They weren’t even close to doing that. Scarlett would be my wife one day. I relished taking Vito’s baby away from him and giving my father the daughter he and my mother had always wanted.

  “Well? How do I look?”

  All three of our heads snapped around at the soft voice behind me. My breath caught in my throat, my heart actually stopping for two full beats before kick-starting almost painfully. No, it wasn’t pain. It was exhilaration. This beautiful woman was mine.

  She’d left her hair down, but she’d done something to it to make it fall in soft waves around her face. Her makeup was minimal, highlighting her eyes in a mysterious way and enhancing her luscious lips. The dress fell to her knees, but it seemed to fuse to every curve like a second skin. With the heels, her legs looked like they went on for miles. I wanted to kiss every inch of bare skin. Wanted those damn legs wrapped around my waist.

  While I stood there, stupefied by the sheer beauty before me, the other two men stood and enfolded her in hugs. “You look beautiful, passerotta.”

  “Thank you, Papa.” She stepped back from her father, smiled sweetly at my father, then turned her eyes on me. When our gazes locked, the entire room seemed to disappear. All I saw was her. “Will I do?”

  For the first time in my life I was speechless. I opened my mouth to tell her I’d never seen anything so breathtakingly beautiful in my life, but no words would come. A slow grin teased at her lips. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  “Close your mouth, son,” my father muttered as he passed me on the way back to his chair. “You’re drooling, boy.”

  My mouth snapped closed and I had to shake my head a few times to get some sense of control over myself. “Ready?” My voice came out hoarse and weak.

  Her grin grew bigger. “I’m ready,” she murmured in a soft, husky voice that sent a shot of pure need straight to my dick.

  Vito touched her shoulder and she hugged him again. “Have fun, passerotta.”

  Outside, I helped her into the back of the SUV where Desi was already sitting behind the wheel with Paco beside him in the passenger seat. Scarlett scooted across the back seat, letting me in beside her. As I climbed in, I reached for her hand, keeping her from going too far.

  “Let’s go,” I told Desi.

  “Where are we going?” Scarlett asked after a few minutes.

  I shifted with difficulty to face her better. Even in the huge SUV, I had little leg room. “Just a little Italian place I know.”

  She rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face hadn’t faltered. “So, like one of about two hundred or so restaurants. That narrows it down.”

  “Smartass.” I lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. The way her breath seemed to come in little pants at that innocent caress made my dick thicken and dig into the zipper on my pants. “It’s a place that holds good memories for us, vita mia.”

  The sun was still out, letting me see the way her brown eyes lit up. “Don Rubirosa’s?” I winked, and her even white teeth bit into her glossy bottom lip, those brown eyes darkening. “We ate there together before I went to Sicily.”

  I nodded. “We did.”

  Her chin started to tremble but she quickly forced it to stop. “Are you going to send me away again? Is that what this is about?”

  I leaned closer so I could speak into her ear, not because I didn’t want my men to hear, but so I could taste her neck. I traced a circle just under her lobe with my tongue. “No, baby. That’s not ever going to happen again. This is more. So much more.” She shivered, leaning into me, arching her neck in a silent demand for more. I pressed a kiss against her skin. “Just be patient and I promise we will talk over dinner.”

  She leaned against me weakly. “Ciro, I don’t think I’m strong enough to handle it if you push me away again,” she whispered.

  “I swear on my life that will never happen, vita mia.” I’d given up on fighting what I felt for her. If I pushed her away now, I might as well put a bullet through my head because I would be dead without her.

  She didn’t reply. Kissing her again, I tucked her close. She still didn’t completely trust me, and I couldn’t blame her. It would take time to make her see that I was done hurting us both.

  Don Rubirosa’s was the best Italian restaurant in the entire country. People willingly waited for hours at a time just for a table. It was also run by the Cosa Nostra. I could have shown up and been given a table immediately with no issue, but tonight I’d made a reservation, wanting everything to be perfect for Scarlett.

  Desi pulled up in front of the restaurant. Paco stepped out and opened the door for Scarlett while I came around the back. Once I had her hand in mine, he climbed back into the SUV and Desi drove away. Scarlett shifted on her feet unsteadily for a moment, her dislike of heels showing in her eyes for a moment until she was able to stand with confidence.

  I clasped her elbows and bent my head until my lips touched her forehead. “You look beautiful.”

  “You look pretty good yourself.” She tilted her head to the side, assessing me with a critical eye. Lifting her hands, she straightened my tie and then smirked. �
�Perfect.”

  Inside, the place was overflowing with people waiting for a table. The smells of fresh pasta, garlic and tomatoes filled my senses. I heard Scarlett actually moan with pleasure at the scents. Keeping her close, I approached the hostess. The girl’s eyes widened when she saw me coming.

  “Mr. Donati,” she said with a smile. “Your table is ready, sir.” She grabbed a wine menu. “This way.”

  Behind us the people still waiting were noticeably quiet. Several of them knew who I was, even fewer of them knew Scarlett’s identity. None of them had the balls to approach me. As we walked through the restaurant, people stopped eating to watch us. This happened every time I ate here, I was used to it, but I knew it made Scarlett uncomfortable.

  My usual table was at the back of the restaurant, so I could see everyone but few could actually see me. I seated Scarlett, then took the chair beside her so I could keep her close. The hostess handed over the wine list, promised our server would be right with us, then turned and walked back to her post.

  Leaning forward, Scarlett snatched the list from my fingers. “Primitivo or sangrivese?”

  I leaned back in my chair, watching her with pleasure. “Whichever you prefer, vita mia. I want you to have whatever makes you happy.”

  Slowly her eyes lifted from the list. “Being with you makes me happy, Ciro. It’s all I’ve ever really wanted.”

  I took her left hand, brought it to my lips. “It’s the same for me,” I told her with complete honesty. “I’m an idiot for pushing you away for so many years, Scarlett, but trust me when I say it hurt me just as much as it hurt you when you got on that plane three years ago.” Part of me had gone with her, and it was only when I’d seen her again that I had finally felt whole once more.

  The waiter appeared. He wasn’t the usual guy I dealt with, but I didn’t question it. Rubirosa wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t going to hire anyone who even smelled like one of our rivals. “A bottle of primitivo,” I told the guy, knowing it was exactly what she wanted. “The spaghetti bolognese for her.”