Salvatore (Mafia Heat, #3)

by Jade, Ella

  “Sal?” She whispered. “You—”

  “Shh...” I touched her lips with my fingers. “There will be plenty of time for words later. Right now, I need you to come through for me.”

  AS I SAT AT MY DESK, I reviewed the spreadsheets for the last few days. With all the media exposure surrounding Rocco and Hayden, the winery had become more popular than ever. Customers were coming in droves and some even waited two hours for a table. That meant the bar was experiencing higher than average sales. I’d have to see about increasing the weekly alcohol order and making sure the guys in the fields could keep up with the wine distribution.

  Rubbing my chin, I wondered with all this success we were having, why weren’t the numbers on the computer matching up. I’d suspected for a couple weeks that someone had been skimming. Maybe it was a glitch in the system. Who would be stupid enough to steal from a Marchelli?

  “Busy?”

  Hayden stood in the doorway, looking more ravishing than usual. Is that even possible? She’d ditched her kitchen attire for a strapless short, purple dress. I couldn’t help but stare at her nipples straining against the thin material. Her hair hung loose and damp, curling at the ends. And those legs... barely covered by the dress and begging for me to wrap them around my hips as I took her against a wall.

  One look at her and I abandoned any concern I’d had over someone stealing from me. I’d review the numbers later and fill Dominick in if necessary. Right now, I didn’t want to think about that.

  “I could go back upstairs and wait for you.”

  “How could I get any work done knowing you’re dressed like that and upstairs waiting for me?”

  She stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

  “Sorry I took so long in here.” I got up from my desk, making my way toward her. “I wanted to open a bottle of champagne and have it ready when you got out of the shower. I lost track of time.”

  “That’s why you’re so successful.” She tossed her hair to the side, giving me a whiff of that invigorating peppermint shampoo she was so fond of. “You lose track of time and get things done.”

  “I’ve done all I can do tonight.” I encased my arm around her waist, bringing her to me. “You have my total focus.”

  “Why were you going to open champagne?” She inched closer to me, until our bodies touched, leaving no space between us. “What are we celebrating?”

  “What do you think we’re celebrating?” I trailed my lips along her jaw. “You ran the kitchen tonight. You were amazing.”

  “I made so many mistakes.” She placed her hand over her face. “I backed up the kitchen, sent out wrong orders, and had to redo more platters than I care to admit. I’m not head chef material. Rocco would have been furious at my performance.”

  “You hit a few snags but you recovered beautifully. Rocco would be as proud as I am.”

  “Because you were in there most of the service helping me keep it together. How did you learn to have such command of the kitchen?”

  “Control.” I stroked her hair as I remembered all the kitchens in the finest restaurants that I had been in to observe. I’d always had a love for the industry. My father made sure I studied with the best.

  “You’re really good at that.”

  “You can’t crack under pressure. My father taught me that. No matter how uncertain you are about a situation, you suck it up and act like you know what you’re doing. Eventually, you’ll figure it out and people will respect you.”

  “This whole place respects you.” She stared into my eyes. “When I started to crumble, you took charge and everything fell into place. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “You had the cooking part down. The leadership qualities will come later. You bailed us out of a potential mess tonight. The food was fantastic. That’s all that matters. If I had to keep the kitchen in line to hold up your standards, so be it. They respond to me because I sign their paychecks.”

  “You might be biased but I appreciate the confidence you had in me.”

  “I’m not biased.” I pressed her against the door. “I’m mesmerized and ridiculously taken with you.” I glanced down at her. “Especially in this dress.”

  “I bought it for you.” She bit my bottom lip. “I wanted to look as sexy as all those women who vie for your attention every night.”

  “You’re way sexier than any of those women.” I swirled my tongue in her mouth as I slipped my hand under her dress and rested it on her thigh. “You’re the only woman who has my full attention. The only one who ever will.”

  “Sal...” she breathed out when I swiped my fingers along her panties.

  “I meant what I said before you went into the kitchen.”

  When I expressed my feelings, she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Even now, when I brought up that moment, she tensed in my arms. Why did she always pull away from me when I was at my most honest?

  “We don’t have to go there.” She closed her eyes. “You were trying to encourage me.”

  “Believe me, Hayden.” I softly kissed her lips. “I could’ve come up with other ways to encourage you. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”

  “No,” she whispered.

  “You don’t have to reciprocate.” I tightened my hold on her. “They’re words.” As much as I wanted to hear her say them, I couldn’t force her.

  “They’re not just words.” She opened her eyes, gazing into mine. “I don’t... you can’t...” She wiggled out of my hold and face the door, placing her hand on the doorknob. “I have to go.”

  “No.” I centered my hand on the door, keeping it shut. “You don’t have to go anywhere.” I kissed her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair as I moved my hand under her dress and rested it on her hip. “What I said doesn’t change anything between us. I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you by admitting how I feel.”

  “You didn’t overwhelm me.” She rested the back of her head on my shoulder. “More like frightened me. What you said changes everything.”

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  “I am afraid.”

  “Why.” I circled her hipbone with my thumb.

  “Because I love you too.” She turned in my arms. “That scares me.”

  I knew she loved me.

  “This all happened so fast and I don’t know how to deal with it.”

  “We’ll deal with it together.” I lifted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist. “Do you still want to leave?”

  “I don’t ever want to leave you.”

  “Good.” I walked across the room. “Because I don’t ever want to let you go.” Sitting her on the edge of the desk, I spread her legs, stepping between them.

  “Are we still having champagne?” She reached for my belt buckle.

  “Later.” I slid my hands up her legs and to her panties. “I need you.”

  “You have me.” She unbuttoned my pants, lowering the zipper as she stared into my eyes with an intensity reserved for when we were intimate. “All of me.” She fell onto the desk, resting her elbows on the sleek wood.

  Hot energy radiated through me. “There’s no one else I want.” I gripped her panties in my hand, tugging them down her legs. “When I’m with you, everything else stops. Nothing else matters.” I brought my lips to her thighs, circling my tongue between them.

  “Oh...” She dropped her knees on either side of my head, allowing me full access to her.

  I’ll accept that invitation. Taking her ankles, I rested her calves on my shoulders. Gently kissing her thighs, I made my way to her center, resuming where I had left off. Licking, tasting, indulging in her arousal. Pushing my fingers inside her slick entrance, I moved at a quick pace.

  “Sal...” she moaned as her muscles tightened.

  Her quiet whimpers turned to rapid pants, fueling my need to make her come. While my tongue and fingers worked in unison, I yanked my boxers down my legs, stepping out of them.

  Her legs tensed as s
he clenched around my fingers. “Oh...” She let out a long, labored breath before trembling in my hold. Removing her legs from my shoulders, I brought her into a seated position. She glanced down at my erection, licking her full, pink lips.

  “Don’t tempt me.” I spun her around and leaned her over the desk. “I want inside you.”

  “I won’t complain.”

  Grasping the base of my shaft, I thrust deep inside her tight, wet core, coating myself in her. In and out, long and slow, until the ache inside my stomach shot lower. When I pushed on her back, she arched her hips, causing me to go as deep as she allowed.

  “Faster,” she whispered. “I want it harder and faster.”

  “I’ll come if I do that.” I squeezed her hips, trying to ward off my impending release.

  “I don’t care.” She flattened her palms on my desk. “Please...”

  Shifting my hips forward, I set a relentless pace. I held her still while I pounded into her. My pelvis thrust until I couldn’t hold off any longer. “Fuck...” I let go, pouring everything I had into this bond. This connection that I’d never lose.

  “God...” She released in a breathless moan, sinking into the desk.

  “Wow.” I leaned down and kissed the back of her neck before slipping out of her.

  “Yeah, wow.” She giggled. “I can’t move.”

  “Let me help you.” I turned her around and propped her against me. “Are you ready for that champagne?”

  “I’m ready for anything that involves the two of us.”

  “You’re so beautiful.” I cupped her chin in my hand. “Beautiful and mine.”

  “Yours.”

  “I don’t ever want to lose this.” I swiped my lips across her mouth, slowing solidifying what she was to me. Everything. “Do you understand? I can’t ever lose us.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Neither am I.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Salvatore

  Past Mistakes

  Monday night and the restaurant was closed. I tried to do that once a month in the summer to give the staff a breather. I had some paperwork to go over but nothing that couldn’t wait until the morning. Hayden came into my office and greeted me at my desk. She draped her arms around my neck and kissed below my ear. A shiver coursed through me as the awakening overtook my senses.

  “Are you going to be working long?” she asked.

  “Not much longer.”

  “Hmm.” She slipped into my lap. “Every time you say that I have to wait at least an hour.”

  “What if I told you I was finishing up for the night and I was going to take you to dinner?”

  “Really? Someone’s going to cook for me?”

  “Well, you’re the best cook I know but I’ll settle tonight.”

  “Don’t tell Rocco that.”

  “Rocco would understand.”

  My phone rang and the screen lit up with Dominick’s face. “I have to take this.”

  “Okay.” When she tried to get up, I took her hand because I didn’t want her to leave.

  “Stay.” I kissed her cheek as I answered the phone. “Dom?”

  “Gianni and I are down at the wine storage.”

  We kept a reserve of wines on the property for extra busy nights or when the family wanted something specific. The storage unit was on the other side of the lake nestled in the vineyards.

  “How come?”

  “There’s a problem with today’s shipment.”

  “Another problem.” What the hell was going on? “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “We’ll wait.”

  Ending the call, I tossed my phone on the desk. Frustrated would be an understatement. We’d already changed the distributor for the food orders. Now it seemed as if there was another problem.

  “Is everything okay?” Hayden asked. “You look stressed.”

  “I have to go to the vineyards.” I scooted her out of my lap. “I shouldn’t be long.”

  “How about I make us dinner?”

  “I can still take you out.”

  “I’d much rather stay in and relax with you. We have a hectic week ahead of us. The restaurant is booked solid.”

  “We can order in.” I took her hand in mine, kissing the inside of her wrist. “I’ll grab a bottle of that vintage house you like.”

  “Maybe you should get two?”

  “It’s that kind of night?” I grinned when I thought about the last time we drank two bottles of wine. It made for one hell of a night in bed. “You decide where you want to order from.”

  “I’ll make a salad to go with dinner. I’m working on a new dressing that I think you’ll like. I have to grab some ingredients from the kitchen.”

  “It’s rather convenient that I live above the restaurant.” She often cooked late night meals for us using leftovers from the kitchen, creating her own specials just for me.

  “I’m never late for work when I stay here.” She kissed me. “Hurry back.”

  “Wait,” I called to her before she could leave.

  She turned and smiled at me.

  “I love you.”

  “I know.” She blew me a kiss before she scurried out of the office and to the kitchen. I glanced at my watch, wondering how long Dominick and Gianni would keep me from her. It must have been important if both of them were here.

  A few minutes later, I was standing in the vineyards listening to my brothers explain what was going on with yet another one of my shipments.

  “Someone is sabotaging the orders,” Dominick informed me. “I planted one of my guys in the warehouse last week. They’re convinced it’s deliberate.”

  “Why would someone do that?” I asked. “What would be the motive?”

  “We don’t know yet,” Gianni said. “It probably has something to do with business.”

  “The business that isn’t supposed to touch my restaurant?” I rubbed my temples. “I think someone is skimming off the top inside too.”

  “What?” Dominick clenched his fists. “Someone is fucking stealing from us?”

  “When was the last time you did a sweep of this place?” Gianni shook his head because he knew the answer was never. Why would I? “Never mind, I’ll do it.”

  “What does that mean?” I ran a legitimate business. I didn’t need to go further than the normal reference checks when hiring people.

  “It means he’s going to run a background check on every employee you have in this place,” Dominick confirmed. “To find out what the fuck is going on.”

  “Do you know how many employees I have here?” I sighed because I didn’t want to be bothered with any of this. My life was finally where I wanted it to be. My business was thriving and I’d met a woman I could see spending the rest of my life with. “Is that really necessary?”

  “Yes.” When Dominick’s jaw formed a hard line, there was no arguing with him. “Humor me.”

  “Maybe we could just—” A loud, thunderous boom crackled through the trees and echoed off the lake. Before I realized what it was, my brothers had their guns drawn.

  “It came from the restaurant.” Gianni nodded behind us.

  “What did?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Sal.” Dominick pointed to the storage building. “Wait in there. Call Joey and tell him to meet you here. He stays with you until we come back.”

  “No!” When I realized the severity of the situation, I couldn’t stay here and wait.

  “What do you mean no?” Dominick yelled. “It’s non-negotiable.”

  “Hayden is in the kitchen.”

  HAYDEN

  Sal was going to love this new dressing. It was light, refreshing, and unique. All of his favorite aspects when deciding what the winery would serve. Maybe he’d want to put it on the summer menu. If Rocco approved. How had I gotten so lucky? I found a man who not only loved me but had more faith in me than I had in myself. When I was with him, I could do anything,

  I flicked on the
lights, once I entered the kitchen. It always amazed me how quiet this area could be. It was very different from the bustling room on a swamped night of service. I liked being here when it was tranquil. It helped to center me. Whipping up the dressing wouldn’t take long. I’d do most of the work down here with the commercial equipment. I needed to grab the mango that had been delivered yesterday.

  “Hello, princess.”

  “Oh!” I cringed when I realized Franco was by the back door. “What are you doing here?”

  “What? You’re not happy to see me?”

  “We agreed that I wouldn’t see you anymore.” Why had I thought that he would go away? A man like him would never go away. Not as long as I could give him what he wanted. I should have told Sal the truth. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about what I had done. No matter how hard I tried to put it out of my mind.

  “It turns out I was wrong.” He ran his hand along the smooth countertop. “I’m not done with you.”

  “One favor,” I reminded him. “I’ve already helped you. I can’t give you anything else. I won’t let you sabotage Salvatore.”

  “Do you know how expensive your education was?” He laughed. “It’s certainly worth more than one favor.”

  “That’s not fair.” How had I gotten in the position of negotiating with someone like him?

  “If I had known that paying for your culinary school would put you in the path of the Marchellis, I would have given you much more than that bag of cash.”

  “I don’t want anything from you.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” He pointed at me. “When Sal finds out what you did, he’ll tell his brothers. Once that happens, you’re going to need my protection.”

  “Sal can’t ever find out.” He’d never forgive me.

  “Oh, what a shame.” He exaggerated a sigh. “Once you make an enemy of that family, you can’t ever come back from it.” He reached for me, tugging me to him. “Salvatore will cut you out of his life. He’ll make sure you never work at a reputable establishment. As quickly as he threw you into the spotlight, he’ll pull you out of it. His connections are far reaching, New York, L.A., Paris. Forget about it.”