Conquered by the Mafia Boss

I turn toward the obnoxious voice. He leans against the wall and shakes his Molson beer.

“Un autre.” Another one.

A sweet smile spreads across my face as I slowly size him up. He might be connected-he’s not wearing a suit, but he looks too young anyway.

I gaze at the men, completely alien to the way men are when no one knows who I am or who my father was. It’s strange to feel so many eyes on me like this. I keep scanning the crowd, but deep down there’s really only one guy who made an impression on me. My heart pounds, thinking about how confident Tony was when he kissed me. He knew I had an ex-boyfriend in the mob, and he didn’t care.

He wanted me anyway.

The energy in the bar is warm and rowdy. I scan the crowd as I give out drink orders, stumbling through French and English to find out what they want. The hours fly by, and the bar slows down. I remember why I’m here and I peek at my phone, seeing another barrage of text messages from Rafael. My throat closes up as Tommy peers into the bar, looking surprised to see me.

“Elena, your shift ended an hour ago.”

I grit my teeth and look into his unconcerned eyes. “Please-I don’t want to go home. Just let me work.”

The edges of his lips lift slightly and he nods. “All right.” He gives me another long look and disappears into the back. I know that if I’m here when Tommy’s around, I’ll be safe.

What the fuck am I going to do when the bar closes?

Genevieve, the bartender, flies around me with drink orders as I scan the men sitting there. In sheer desperation, I study them. Some of them don’t even glance at me. They’re too busy texting on their phones. Then my gaze almost skips over him.

Tony.

The man who I slapped just a few days ago.

He’s the biggest guy in the bar by far and he sits in his seat, twirling his cocktail with a small smile as he looks across the beer taps, right at me. His eyes strike at me with the force of a javelin. I feel immediately warm, and my face flushes as I smile back at him.

He’s not pissed.

That washes over me in a wave of relief.

Despite his immaculate suit, there’s something rough about him. Maybe it’s the dark hair, flying around his head as if he intentionally mussed it up-or his hooded, unflinching eyes, or the way he watches me with a thrilling confidence. I’m drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

A slow burn builds up over my face as I watch him closely, unable to sustain his heated gaze. What a joke. I slapped him when he hit on me the other day. It was one of my first few days in Montreal, and I was stressed out of my mind. He still deserved it, but he’ll probably laugh in my face if I ask him out now.

The corner of his mouth lifts in a grin and his eyes flick down to my cleavage, slowly raking up my body until he meets my gaze again. His eyebrows lift and he gives me another devious smirk, one that sends a hot line of desire all the way down my back. Holy fuck, if that isn’t an invitation, I don’t know what is.

Then I know that he’s the one I have to go home with. Just like that, my mind is made up.

My cheeks flush when I think about straddling his waist, his full mouth kissing a line down my throat. I wanted to go home with the meanest-looking man in the bar, and he fits the bill exactly. He turns his head and the smile evaporates from his face. Suddenly he looks like a viper, ready to strike. Like he could fuck up the first person who touches him.

Jesus.

I’m startled by the transformation, and I lose my nerve for a moment. Suppose he’s worse than Rafael?

Don’t really have a choice. Yeah, I’m that desperate.

So how do I do it? Do I just ask him now? Apologize first?

I’ve never done this before. Rafael was my first, and he was the one who pursued me.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

It shouldn’t be that hard-just pretend you’re someone else!

I grab a glass from the counter and pour a beer, blushing hard as I walk from the bar to give him a drink.

No, this won’t work if you act like a blushing virgin. You need to be desirable. Be desirable.

Right. I compose myself for a moment and head for his back, trying to ignore the wildly flying butterflies in my stomach. The bar is so packed that I have to squeeze my body beside him.

My heart pounds somewhere in my throat as I take his shoulder with my left hand and slide the drink under his nose. God, this guy has muscles. I can feel them through his suit. His shoulder is rock hard.

His head turns slightly. “Who is this from?”

I smile at him, cocking my head. “Me.”

His lips pull slightly. “If you’re here to hit me again, think again. You got me once, sweetheart. You won’t get me again.” He takes a sip from the drink politely and licks his lips slowly. Damn. The way he looks at me sends shivers down my spine.

“I really-I wanted to apologize for that. It was rude, I’m sorry.”

Actually, you kind of deserved it.

“Are you? Or are you just here to ask me for something?”

There are other women looking at him hopefully from across the bar, and a spasm of fear suddenly clenches my heart.

Now what do I do?

My heart pounds absurdly hard against my chest as he leans on the bar, turning his body toward me. I’m struck by his size, and his closeness momentarily robs me of breath. His eyes watch me with an unrelenting intensity, and he smiles, deep dimples carving into his face. A swooping feeling in my stomach makes me weak, and I forget about my brazen plan.

“I am really sorry. I was just-really stressed.”

My fingers brush his shoulder again, and he turns his head. Heart hammering, I lean closer and touch my lips to his cheek. The smell of his hair surrounds me for a moment and then I pull back, already blushing hard.

He doesn’t smile. “Look, I told you before. I can’t help you.”

“I know.” I sit down next to him, not knowing where the hell I should start. He was all over me the other night, but now he’s keeping his distance.

You did slap him, idiot.

“I-I want to take you up on your offer.”

“Take me up on my offer?” He smiles, laughing through his nose. “It’s called fucking, Elena. You want me to fuck you. Say it.”

The word slams through me. Fuck. From his mouth, it sounds so damn dirty. I won’t lie, the thought of going home with him and stripping off all my clothes scares the shit out of me. The man’s gorgeous, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the only man I’ve ever been with is Rafael. I’ve never had a one-night stand. Never would have considered jumping into bed with a guy this quickly.

Spending the night alone might mean a death sentence. I’d much rather be wrapped in Tony’s arms, with his sweat clinging to my skin. I’d rather feel his lips all over my body, and his tongue gently stroking my clit.

Jesus.