Faked: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Vanessa Waltz

  She was stricken. “Of course not.”

  “Good. There’s hope for us.”

  “Vinn, there is no us.”

  “You better adjust your attitude quick, because he’s coming over. He’ll expect us to act like a couple.” I strolled to the couch, and she joined me, fidgeting with the pillow. “Understand?”

  Liana swallowed hard. “All right.”

  “Okay.”

  I steeled myself for the disaster. It’d be unpleasant. He’d despise me, but he wouldn’t kill me outright. I patted my lap.

  “Climb on, Li.”

  She touched her throat. “What?”

  “Don’t make a big deal out of it. He should find us together.” I waited, but Liana stiffened as though I demanded a blowjob. “You shoved your tongue in my mouth not too long ago.”

  “This is different,” she whispered. “It’s more intimate.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  Liana said nothing, her hands balled at her sides.

  “Get on me.”

  Finally, she obeyed. Liana acted like my clothes were soiled. Halfway between her awkward shuffle over my legs, I grabbed her waist and yanked. Her ass hit my thighs with a satisfying thump. She rolled on me, stiffening when I pulled her into an embrace.

  Liana burrowed deeper, her curves rubbing my groin. She plastered her face to my neck, her breath misting me. When she wound her arms around me, I understood what she meant. This was disturbingly intimate. My one-night stands were hollow by comparison, because even with my dick inside them I’d never felt so close to someone.

  Her bra strap slipped down. I pushed it over her shoulder, a mistake, because Liana’s softer-than-silk skin made me wonder about the rest of her body. I had a fantastic view of her cleavage, the hem of her tank blocking everything I ached to explore. I played with that loose strap as my cock begged me to rip it off.

  Liana seemed to sense the change in temperature. She fiddled with my buttons, sliding them in and out of their holes, teasing my chest. The temptation to kiss her overwhelmed me. Ignoring it wrenched at me. It felt wrong, like smothering a kitten. I wanted it to grow, but Michael was due any second.

  I couldn’t summon the energy to ask her to stop. She grazed my abdomen, her fingers like little fire wands. She trailed them over my pecs, stroking my head, her touch massaging.

  My frown lines disappeared. I melted into her, lost in a tide of relief.

  Her lips brushed my ear.

  A fist hammered the door, yanking me from the moment.

  Liana dug her nails into me as Michael’s greeting drifted inside.

  Fuck off, Michael. “Let yourself in!”

  He murmured something. A key scraped the lock, and the door opened and slammed. His shoes clipped the floor, the echo growing louder. The anticipation shot my veins with adrenaline.

  I adopted a somber expression.

  Michael strolled in, talking a mile a minute. “Sorry I’m late. I had to rush home and console my very upset wife. Took ages to leave, and then I hit traffic in the Pike. You know how it—goes.”

  Michael gaped at us. His eyes bugged out at Liana, who still sat on my lap. “What are you doing?”

  Liana’s arms slipped from my neck, but she kept them on me. Heat tingled my skin as her frosty blues swept over me and stabbed in Michael’s direction.

  “Nothing.”

  “That’s not an answer.” Michael pivoted at me, his voice rising. “Vinn. What the fuck?”

  My mouth went dry.

  Out with it. “So, we’ve been dating for a while.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Jesus, relax. I know you were only doing it for Nico’s benefit.”

  “No, Michael. It’s the truth.”

  He wet his mouth. “Wait, so you’re actually dating?”

  “Yeah.”

  Michael’s chest swelled, but he didn’t explode. His hands clenched and released, as though practicing his death grip.

  “It’s been a few months,” I clarified, as Michael turned the shade of a tomato. “I never asked because I knew you wouldn’t approve.”

  “I’ll deal with you later.” Michael ripped his gaze from me, addressing Liana like an outraged father scolding a child. “Get off him. Now.”

  “You don’t tell me what to do anymore.”

  “Oh, really?” he snarled. “You can kiss your rent goodbye—”

  “Fine. I’m not going back there, anyway.” Liana faced me, beaming with a smile that raced my pulse. “I’m moving in with Vinn.”

  “You’re what?”

  “We’re together.” A joy I’d never seen before shone in her eyes and bubbled in her rushed words. “And there’s nothing you can say to stop it.”

  My heart hammered. The pit of my stomach churned.

  Why did that sound real?

  I wiped the shock from my face and squeezed Liana’s shoulder. “Your brother and I need a talk.”

  Judging by the nails piercing my skin, she objected to leaving me alone.

  I fixed her a glare. “Just do it, hon.”

  Liana let out the smallest scoff and slid from my lap. Then she patted Michael’s arm. “Don’t hurt him.”

  Michael seemed unable to speak. He was like a robot, his head jerking toward me. He didn’t utter a sound until she disappeared into my room.

  “You motherfucker.” Darkness rippled from Michael as his fist unclenched, the key fob dropping to the floor. “Behind my fucking back.”

  The hurt bled through his voice, trembling in the air like electricity in a lightning storm.

  I stood. “I knew you wouldn’t approve.”

  “You never asked!”

  I crossed my arms. “I tried. Whenever we touch the subject, you always make your opinion of me very clear.”

  “Now I get it.” He slammed his palm into my chest, shoving me backward. “Leo DiMaggio was in your way.”

  Yes, he was. “She was mine, and you were throwing men at her.”

  “Fuck you. You’re juggling six women at any given time.”

  “Judge me if you want, but—”

  “You’re supposed to be my best friend. Jesus Christ, you were the one guy I thought I could count on!” Spittle flew from Michael’s mouth as he let loose. “I’ll kill you.”

  This was going well.

  He’d never looked at me with that demented bloodlust. I retreated as he advanced, determined not to injure him. A lot of his rage was probably leftover fuel from Nico’s betrayal, which I factored into my response.

  “Mike, I’m not done explaining.”

  “You’ve been fucking my sister,” he bellowed like a wounded animal. “How dare you?”

  Heat stung my cheeks.

  I couldn’t deny that, could I? “I didn’t mean to disrespect you.”

  “You’re a coward and a liar, and I’m kicking your ass.”

  Michael vaulted over the sofa and lunged at me. His right hook crashed into my cheek, the unexpected force smashing my head against the wall. I ripped away from him, the agony radiating into my teeth.

  Fuck. It hurt.

  “Yes, I’ve been dating her. In secret,” I snarled, rubbing my jaw. “Because I knew your reaction would be over the top.”

  “Don’t act like you’re a gentleman,” he shouted, making violent moves toward me. “You were with another chick last week.”

  Damn it. “We weren’t exclusive.”

  He took that even worse.

  “Oh, so you’re only dipping in my sister while you bang your mistresses. You piece of shit,” he screamed, the veins standing out on his neck. “I’ll rip your nuts off.”

  He swung.

  I hurled a table between us, jamming the edge under his ribs. “Michael, I asked her to marry me. At the gala.”

  The lie stuck in my throat as Michael’s face drained of color.

  “Is this a sick joke?”

  “It’s past time for me to settle down.” I wished I had a handle of whiskey to drown in. “Get married.
Have kids.”

  “Oh, God. Don’t tell me you really knocked her up, too.”

  My stomach throbbed. I drew a deep breath and raked my hair.

  “Yeah, I did.”

  Michael went rigid. He stared at me in openmouthed disgust. Devastation shattered his eyes. Then his expression grew hard. “You’ve ruined her life.”

  “Michael, I’ll do right by her.”

  “You better, you fuck-up.”

  That gouged at me. “I asked her to marry me. She said yes.”

  “Like she had a choice, with you as the father.” Michael’s cold tone somehow hit me harder than his red-faced fury. “I swear to God, Vinn. This better not be fake. If you’re not really marrying her—”

  “I am.”

  “Shut up.” He fisted my shirt, growling. “You saved our lives. That’s the only reason you’re not on the floor, bleeding. Put a ring on her. A real one, Vinn.”

  “I will.”

  He unclenched his grip and wiped his suit, as though I’d contaminated him. He stepped back, radiating contempt. “I don’t care who you are or what’s in my way. Marry her, or I’ll kill you.”

  Thirteen

  Liana

  I had to escape.

  I could’ve handled faking a relationship, but pretending to be his expecting bride-to-be?

  My worst nightmare. Braving the war-torn streets was more appealing than spending weeks attached to Vinn’s arm, belonging to him but not really.

  I ran into a room with charcoal walls and ebony furniture, shutting the door. Questions stuck in my throat as I took in the desaturated landscape photos—his bedroom. It was overwhelmingly masculine. My gaze landed on the pile of sweats and T-shirts in a basket, the walk-in closet packed with muted colors, and the bed.

  The few times I’d visited with Michael, he'd caught me wandering Vinn's penthouse, but I’d never had the guts to snoop in here. Now my hands itched to look through his things. My brother’s distant shouts faded to a dull murmur as I glimpsed a familiar picture.

  It can’t be.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.

  It sat on his nightstand, wrapped in an ugly, red-and-white frame. I seized my Christmas gift to him from years ago as the disastrous party at The Black Cat washed over me. My mouth dried as I fingered the cheap wood.

  I’d assumed he’d thrown it away.

  He kept it.

  My thoughts went blank with that simple truth. Not only that, but he also displayed the thing. Put it where he’d see it every morning. I had no measure of time as I sat, cradling the photo, and then the door creaked.

  Vinn’s thick build edged through, his presence filling the bedroom like a heavy mist. The angry mark flushing his cheek and his wild hair suggested he and Michael had exchanged blows.

  “Oh my God. I didn’t hear you fighting. Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled, and it softened his expression. “What are you doing?”

  I grabbed the picture. “I was just hanging out, and I saw this. I never thought you'd keep it.”

  “I keep everything you give me.”

  I met his gaze, and a javelin-like shock ran through me.

  Really?

  I didn’t believe it—I couldn’t. I gawked at him, expecting Vinn’s deadpan to break into laughter. It jumbled my insides to watch him carefully replace it on the nightstand.

  “Your brother’s gone.”

  I stepped back, swallowing. “I’m staying?”

  “I guess we’re roommates, Li.”

  A warning whispered in my ear. This was temporary.

  “Which is my room?”

  “Here.”

  Alarm rippled down my spine. “Where will you sleep?”

  “With you. I don’t have guest rooms.”

  I scooted away, my anxiety deepening to a white-hot panic. “Why not?”

  Vinn shrugged. “I hate having people over. Why give them an opportunity to stay the night?”

  “I can’t share a bed with you!”

  Vinn rolled his eyes like I was a drama queen. He didn’t understand what this forced intimacy would do to me.

  Pretending to be his girlfriend felt just as dangerous as marrying a stranger. He had no idea how much I’d suffered over the years. How could I tell him that without confessing everything?

  No.

  Never.

  He couldn’t find out I’d held a torch for him my whole life. He didn’t feel the same. It didn’t matter, anyway. He’d changed from the gentle giant who chased me on the beach.

  But he came for you.

  He lied for you.

  A swell of hope kicked up inside me, but I shoved it aside. We needed strict boundaries. Otherwise I wouldn’t survive a fake engagement with Vinn. If I walked into this with my heart open, I'd be crushed.

  That twisted in my stomach.

  “Why do we have to live under the same roof?” I demanded. “You could set me up in an apartment across the hall.”

  “I could, but why would I want you out of my sight?”

  His seductive tone blistered my cheeks, but I clung to denial like a raft in an ocean.

  “Don’t you trust me?”

  “No. You’re quite the liability, Li. I haven’t forgiven you. You might pull a stunt like you did with James, and I can’t have my fiancée embarrassing me in front of my friends and business partners.”

  “You’re the one who needs to be watched.”

  He raised his chin, his eyes stony. “I dial it way back for you.”

  “I wasn’t under the impression you did anything for me.”

  A ring of fire seized my ankle, and I flew across the sheets. He clawed my leg, pulling me to the edge, where he sat.

  “Stop!”

  “I’m done treating you like a princess.” He glided up my calf, anchoring under my knee. “From now on, you’re just another girl.”

  “Does that mean you’ll break off our relationship in two weeks?”

  His mocking smile taunted me. “Still angry about the other women who aren’t in my life?”

  “Not at all,” I ground out. “I’m identifying the facts. That behavior won’t fly with my family.”

  “I think I’ll manage.”

  “Can you pretend to be decent?”

  Vinn’s gaze roamed down my neckline. “With the right motivation, anything’s possible.”

  Meaning what?

  A hot ache grew in my throat. My body screamed yes, even though it was like hitting a self-destruct button. Intimacy with Vinn would be the beginning of my end.

  He released my leg. He tugged at his shoes, flinging the Oxfords from him in a careless swing. Then he tore off his shirt, his fingers unsnapping the buttons so fast my cheeks warmed. I averted my eyes, but he lurched off and moved into my vision. Shirtless. Gorgeous.

  The sight of him half-naked rooted me to the spot. He was a living work of art, beautifully proportioned, his muscles carved in merciless lines. My gaze traveled across his broad shoulders and the round muscle rippling into his bicep. I sucked in my breath at the V of his muscled frame tapering to a trim waist. He still had a soldier’s body. I imagined him thumbing his black briefs and stepping out of them.

  The air thinned as he undid his belt.

  God, yes. Take it off.

  He paused. His head turned as though he’d heard the comment, his eyes sweeping over me in a passionless glance. Then his lips curled into a devastating grin. My heart thumped as he approached, his waist at eye-level. He curved a finger around my chin. I drifted on a cloud at the softness gliding my cheek.

  His other hand strayed to his crotch.

  “Thought I’d make it easier for you to watch.”

  Am I dreaming?

  Riveted, I stared at the fingers playing with his slacks. He unbuttoned them with a rough snap as his other hand cupped my face, lighting me on fire. He traced my neck, jolts tingling my skin. My mouth burned as he seized the zipper. He moved it down.

 
Lightheadedness swept through me.

  “Li, want me to keep going?”

  My thighs clenched as his thumb skimmed my lips. A feverish wave began at my pussy, claiming my body. My senses spun from the aquatic scent surrounding me.

  He zipped back up.

  “Yes,” I blurted.

  His fingers threaded my hair as he lowered the zipper once again. A gasp escaped me as he rode the waistline of his pants. He pulled them. They clung to his thick legs, revealing an athletic waist, and a mouthwatering bulge stretching his black briefs. His hardness electrified me.

  My heart hammered. “We shouldn’t.”

  “Why not? You’re my fiancée.”

  Boundaries.

  We needed them, stat.

  Truth was, I could come up with many reasons to avoid Vinn. None of them mattered to the heat flushing around my nipples or the hot ache growing between my legs.

  Vinn’s grip tightened. “Touch me.”

  His demanding tone sent a current through me.

  “I-I can’t.”

  “You had no problem following orders last time. Seems like you’ll have a hard time with this arrangement,” he taunted. “Can’t get off. Can’t mouth off to me.”

  “What makes you think that’ll stop?”

  His thumb pulled my lip, showering me with jolts. “Keep at it, and I’ll give you what you deserve.”

  “Watch yourself, Vinn.”

  “Or you’ll what? Make good on your promise to ruin me?”

  “I could do a lot of damage.” My nails stabbed into my palm as I turned away from his welcoming warmth. “But I’ll settle for quietly making your life a living hell.”

  “A few hours alone with me will have you purring like a kitten.”

  “You’re blinded by arrogance.” I mastered my shaking voice. “I know you. I could really mess with you.”

  “You don’t have it in you.”

  My nipples tingled against my tank top, betraying every thought that condemned Vinn. One glance at him and my heart lurched. Even the sound of my name on his lips made me smile. I'd spent so long waiting for him to want me. Now that he did, my thoughts whirled in a thousand different directions.

  I needed to resist.

  “You don’t want to test me, Vinn.” I cleared my throat and shoved backward. “I’ll tell Michael the engagement is a farce.”