[Made Men 6] The Root of All Evil

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “What are you looking at?” Major asked, joining him. He whistled. “Damn, Giada looks good. I wonder if she’s meeting the ladies here tonight. It is Latin night, right, Morano?”

  “It is, and she called earlier today to reserve a private booth for dinner and then a spot up by the dance floor and bar for three people,” Morano told them.

  Dominick felt his fingers clench into fists by his side as he watched two men show up, kiss her hello, and guide her through the entryway as one of the hosts brought them toward the dining area. Both men had a hold on her and looked pleased.

  “Who are the two guys?” Mateus asked Morano.

  “I don’t know. I never heard of them before, but they called before her and asked for a private table, and then Giada let me know it was friends of hers and that she wanted to impress them. Caprice knew nothing about them.”

  Dominick looked toward them, ready to leave and find out who the assholes were.

  “You look pissed,” Mateus stated to him.

  “Do I?” he replied sarcastically.

  “Hey, do you want us to find out who they are?” Morano asked, pulling out his phone.

  “No. I’ll take care of it.” Dominick headed out of the room. He pulled out his cell phone. Brew had been the one who’d spotted her and texted him. He let Brew know that he was going to meet him by the bar.

  It wasn’t difficult to bump into them. Dominick was good at this type of stuff, but he felt as though his jealousy and anger could make him not come across so calm and collective. It was too late when Giada’s eyes landed on him just as the host brought her and the two pretty boys, young fashionably dressed dicks, to their table.

  “Giada.” He glanced at the two men and back at her.

  “Dominick, how are you? What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. He slid his hand along her waist to her ass, grazing it so the two men could see. He kissed her neck, not her cheek, and she tightened. He pulled back, and she was flushed, and as he looked her over close up, his cock came to full attention. The woman was fucking gorgeous, sexy, and feminine.

  One of the men cleared his throat as he stared at her body, at the way the top didn’t show off any cleavage but hugged her large breasts so well that it actually looked more sexy and classy like this than showing her breasts pouring from the top.

  “So what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Just business, and you? Who are your friends?” he asked and saw how her facial expression changed when he said business. He wondered if Giuseppe was right and that maybe Giada was pretending to not like them and pushing them away because of their professions.

  “These are friends of mine.”

  The one guy looked at her and smiled like that label pleased him, but it also seemed as if it was unexpected. Was she pretending these guys were friends or more than friends to make him step back and not pursue her? She was out of her mind. He, his cousin, and his brother hadn’t even begun to pursue her.

  “Alajandro Frane and Toro Miguel.”

  When she introduced them, Toro placed an arm around her waist and pulled her close as he shook Dominick’s hand. The sight made Dominick put his hands on his hips, showing his firearm, which both men saw but didn’t react to. That led him to more questions.

  “You meeting your friends here for the Latin dancing later?” Dominick asked her, trying to remain calm seeing this guy, who appeared to be Hispanic, with his arm around her waist. She was petite and had a narrow waist, but her ass pushed out, and the guy’s hand was pretty fucking close to that ass. He maintained his cool demeanor, but inside, he wanted to rip the motherfucker to pieces for having his hands on Giada.

  “Oh, I don’t know if they’ll be coming. I made plans with Alajandro and Toro for the night, but I guess if they come here, I’ll see them.”

  “Well, enjoy the night. I’m sure I’ll see you later,” he said, making her know that he wasn’t going to leave or be far, let her think about that while she pretended to not have feelings for him, Giuseppe, and Andreas. Dominick then looked at the two guys one more time. He walked away, took out his cell phone, and texted the names of the two men to Brew. He would find out who the men were and what their interest was in Giada before he left the club.

  * * * *

  Giada was still trying to get over the effects on her body and mind after seeing Dominick and. of course, his seeing her with Alajandro and Toro. Who actually turned out to be so nice and charismatic that she was enjoying this business dinner. They ate and talked about the company and their investments in the cigar business and about how profitable things have been. She was impressed with their advertising and how they turned a handful of storefronts into dozens of storefronts.

  “So, basically, the two of you were born in Cuba and then came here and started this business on your own?” she asked and took a sip of chardonnay from her glass.

  Toro was staring at her lips while Alajandro placed his arm over the back of her chair. Both men had moved closer and closer to her as the music got louder and the place became more crowded. Club Magique always packed them in.

  “We have relatives back in Cuba and Brazil who initially funded our dreams and business venture,” Alajandro told her.

  “Which we paid back immediately and gave us such a sense of accomplishment,” Toro told her and stroked her arm.

  She smiled softly. “That is impressive, and I’m certain the family is proud of both of you. Tell me, do you get to visit your family, or do they come here to visit you?”

  “We invite them to come often. We usually have to buy out a couple of floors of the Grand Hotel, but it’s well worth it to spoil them,” Toro told her.

  “Our penthouse isn’t big enough to have them all stay there. Plus, we prefer to keep the penthouse private. We don’t ever invite anyone over or host parties there,” Alajandro said and gazed over her body.

  She could sense the mood changing here from business to personal, and she wasn’t sure how she felt. She definitely was attracted to both men, who were gorgeous, sexy, and definitely well-off businessmen, but in the back of her head, she thought about Dominick being here. She felt guilty, and it was stupid. She knew she couldn’t get involved with him, Giuseppe, and Andreas. She just couldn’t. But these men, businessmen, were safer to be with.

  “How about you, Giada? Any family?” Alajandro asked her.

  “Actually just an uncle, but we aren’t close.”

  He stroked her knee. “That’s a shame. We have a very large family. They would love you, for sure,” Toro told her, holding her gaze.

  She gave a soft smile but found his comment a little too much. She changed the subject back to business. “So what do you think about the option of being a private customer at Saks and Cain as I explained earlier?”

  Both men eased back into their seats. “We appreciate you going to bat for us and trying to negotiate better terms. I, for one, think it’s a great option and makes me feel like a personal touch is being offered here,” Alajandro said to her and licked his lower lip after he said personal touch.

  Oh boy was he a flirt and then some. She looked at Toro.

  He smiled at her. “I think once we thoroughly have you checked out, we can commit fully to the deal.”

  She didn’t quite think he meant fully checked out with his security. “Great.” She looked away. She couldn’t help but look around them. Maybe it was time to head upstairs to the bar and dance floors. “Should we walk around a bit and head upstairs? I need to use the ladies’ room, and I know both of you couldn’t wait to see the people dancing.”

  Alajandro nodded and winked at her. “We were hoping that you would dance with us. I bet you’re a very seductive dancer, Giada.”

  They stood, and he placed a hand on her lower back. She stared up into his dark-brown eyes and didn’t know how to respond. Toro pressed up against her back and placed a hand on her waist on the other side.

  “I, for one, can�
�t wait to see your moves.”

  He stroked her hip, and then Alajandro took her hand, and they walked away from the dining area and toward the bathrooms. Now she was nervous, especially as she walked with the men upstairs a few minutes later and into the crowded bar and dance floor. When she saw Dominick, Brew, Logic, and Turbo talking with Don and Clemenza Costanza, she really felt uncomfortable.

  Turbo saw her, smiled, and made a face as if he was annoyed by seeing her with two other men. Did all their friends, the security guys, and everyone they knew think that she belonged to Dominick, Giuseppe, and Andreas already and that it was a done deal? She tightened up, and then Toro pressed up against her back and had his hand on her hip, sliding it up and down her upper hip and thigh as Alajandro led her to a table reserved for them. It was a high bar stool and three chairs by the back wall and, unfortunately, gave her a clear line of sight of the men she didn’t want to see.

  “What would you like to drink?” Toro asked her as a server immediately approached.

  “Whatever you guys are having,” she said, not really paying attention despite the cool music and how instantly she felt like dancing.

  “Patrón,” Toro told the server.

  They watched the people dancing to the music and how some really could do the Latin, Brazilian moves and others couldn’t. When the drinks came, they made a toast.

  “To business and to pleasure,” Alajandro said to her.

  Both he and Toro eyed her over with interest. They all clicked glasses and did the shot. Toro asked for another round, but she knew she wasn’t going to get drunk with these men or she would wind up in a heap of trouble. When the server approached with the next round, Giada asked for a club soda.

  Toro rubbed her back and then her hip again. It seemed he and Alajandro really liked touching her hips.

  “You feeling okay?” he asked her, his lips nearly touching her ear.

  She looked up at him. “I’m good. I’m just not a heavy drinker. Plus, this is business.”

  Alajandro squinted at her as if her comment upset him, but then Toro was pulling her onto the dance floor. She couldn’t help but laugh until the man began to move his hips like a pro and she realized that he and Alajandro were good dancers. As she got into the music and the beat, he would touch her hips, pull her close, and then step back, sliding his palms over her, just grazing her ass. It was sexy, and she would be lying if she said these men didn’t make her feel sexy and desirable. When Alajandro joined them and took position behind her, the music slowed a little, and it was a sexy Brazilian number she knew how to move to. It got hot fast, and as people danced around them, it was almost competitive between couples and multiple couples dancing.

  Somehow the three of them wound up in the center of a circle with the crowd cheering and the music going into a faster beat before a very slow beat. It was the kind of song to move your hips to and slither up and down, shaking your rear and then using a lot of arm movements and hips. It was beyond dirty dancing, and the roar and cheers of the crowd she was gaining everyone’s attention. Alajandro and Toro gave her the spotlight, and she danced solo in the center of the circle, showing off her moves. She did this often with her girlfriends, and it usually led to guys hitting on them big time afterward. She had a funny feeling in her gut and wondered if Alajandro and Toro hit on her, would she accept their advances. They were super-good-looking, muscular, and sexy and had good jobs. More her speed than…she shook the thoughts from her head, getting upset that she’d thought about Dominick, Andreas, and Giuseppe.

  Then as the music gained a little more speed, Alajandro and Toro joined her again. When the song ended, everyone was clapping and cheering for her, and Toro and Alajandro both pressed her between them, kissing her cheeks and holding on to her in a possessive manner. She looked away, feeling embarrassed a little, and locked gazes with a very angry-looking Dominick, along with several other pissed-off friends of his. She quickly turned away, and Toro and Alajandro took her hand and led her back to the table.

  * * * *

  Dominick couldn’t take this shit. Thank God he didn’t call Andreas and Giuseppe or those two men Giada was with would be beaten and bloody by now.

  “Holy shit, does she know how to dance. Fuck,” he heard Covan say.

  The other men were making comments, as well, and it just aggravated him more. When he saw Giada get up and head to the ladies’ room, he planned on following her.

  “Keep eyes on those two assholes,” he told Brew, who nodded and continued staring.

  One look at the two men and he saw them smiling, watching Giada’s ass as she walked away, and then nodding to one another, whispering like they were pleased as shit she was with them. She shouldn’t be. They eased back in their seats, drank their drinks, and looked at the dance floor.

  “I’ll be back,” he said to the guys.

  “Want us to get rid of them?” Clemenza asked very seriously. There was no doubt that his friend would do that for him. He shook his head.

  As he headed toward the hallways where the bathrooms were, he spotted Giada talking to two women who were complimenting her dancing as well as the two good-looking men she was with. The women passed him, and Giada looked up at him and stopped short.

  He was pissed off. His chest was tight. He was flexing and not even on purpose. He’d never felt like this before. He stared at her sexy body, her full breasts pushing against the top of her tight dress, and her flared skirt and remembered how, when she danced, the material bounced against her thighs and lifted, teasing them, making him and others hope to see a glimpse of skin and ass. It was fucking hot and torturous to watch. It didn’t help that people were recording her with their phones, including Brew, who would send it to him and then Andreas and Giuseppe later on.

  She lowered her eyes and went to pass, and he gripped her upper arm and pulled her back. “What the fuck?” he asked her, not knowing what the hell to say, and those were the first words that shot from his mouth.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Dominick, let go of my arm.”

  He pressed her up against the wall, keeping one arm above her head and his other hand against her waist and the wall. She stared up at him. She was feminine, sexy, and smelled incredible.

  “Who the fuck are those guys? You’re not seeing them, are you?” he asked, the words hurting his heart as he asked. Holy shit, this sucked.

  “It really isn’t any of your business.”

  She went to move, and he pressed his hand against her hip and stared down at her with a serious expression. “The hell it isn’t. You know how we feel about you. Why are you pushing us away? Is this a game to fucking make us not pursue you?” he asked.

  She opened her mouth to speak. Then it seemed as if she changed her mind. “They’re friends, and it’s business.”

  “Business?” he asked, squinting at her.

  “Yes, tonight was a business dinner and a getting-to-know-one-another because of business things and confidential circumstances that I am not—and do not need to—going to share with you, Dominick. I need to get back.” She went to move.

  He leaned closer, inhaled her scent. The perfume, the shampoo, were addicting. He slid his hand up her hip and ribs. “Why the hell were you dancing so sexy with them if it was business?”

  “It’s how the song went and how the Latin Brazilian dance goes.”

  He took a few unsteady breaths and stared down into her gorgeous blue eyes. The woman was fucking hot. He inched his lips closer, and she pressed her palms to his chest.

  “Dominick, don’t. Nothing is going to happen between us. It will never work. I told you that.”

  “You’re wrong. How can it not work when this feels so right?”

  “You’re all wrong for me. I don’t want all the drama, the danger and violence, and the control and all the worrying. I can go on and on about all the things that make it impossible.”

  “I don’t believe any of it. We protect what’s ours. Don’t you realize that?” he asked a
nd pulled her into an embrace and then up against the wall. He kissed her chin, her neck, and she turned to the side, giving him better access to her skin.

  “You feel it, baby. I know you do,” he whispered, easing his palm along her ass and his other palm up her back. When he squeezed her ass, she tightened up and gripped his shoulders.

  “Dominick, please. I can’t handle it. I don’t date. Really, this is business, and I need to get back.”

  As he eased away, inhaling her scent one more time, he narrowed his eyes at her, looking down, feeling protective and possessive of her. “If they try anything, you—”

  She shook her head. “They won’t. It’s business.”

  “Not in their eyes. They want you.”

  And as she stepped from his hold and he turned to watch her walk away, he saw the one guy standing there. Brew was right behind the guy, but the guy didn’t even know it. He narrowed his eyes at Dominick and looked down at Giada.

  “Is everything okay? Is that guy bothering you?” he asked her.

  Bothering her? You fucking dick. She’s mine.

  Giada looked back at him, and then she wrapped her arm around the guy’s arm. “He’s a good friend. That’s all. Come on. One more drink?”

  “The night is young, gorgeous, and I would love to see you strut your stuff on the dance floor with Alajandro and me,” he said to her, and they headed out of the hallway.

  The guy had the fucking nerve to look back toward Dominick as though he had the upper hand. Dominick had his hands on his hips and was breathing through his nostrils. What the fuck was he going to do about this? Fuck.