laughing at?”
She shook her head. “Girl joke. Come on, Mr. Sudano. Take me home.”
Chapter
6
“Are you ready to make me an offer I can’t refuse?” he asked her in the quiet of the car right before walking her to her door.
She looked into her lap, saying nothing. He brushed her hair with the tips of his fingers, studying the classic lines of her profile. Proud nose, curved jaw, full mouth. Curls tumbling around her shoulders. His hand nearly tightened into a fist, imagining what she would look like on his bed, golden brown skin, mysterious eyes, and nothing else.
“I don’t understand why you want me,” she said.
He studied her. “You’re a beautiful woman-“
Her head rose, dark eyes narrowed, full lips twisting. “I’m not stupid, Leon. Whatever you want from me, beauty is only the surface.”
Leon pulled away, considering her words with care. Considering the warmth of the home he’d spent a brief time in, enjoying pasta and the happy noise of her family.
“I want what you have,” he said quietly. “Your family.”
Her brow rose. “You want my family?”
His lips thinned. “Not everyone has what you have. Warmth, life, people to come home to.”
“You don’t want to marry my family, though.”
“No. I want you.” He smiled, humorless. “Do you know how long I’ve been watching you? For years, Aiva. I know you even if you don’t know me. And I know I want you.”
She hesitated, then unbuckled her seatbelt. Leon opened the door for her, walked her to her doors and waited until he heard the bolt of her lock before leaving, expression hardening as he slid into business mode. Aiva would be the only who ever saw his softer face. His wife deserved to have the gentlest side of him- but Daniel. He deserved another side.
He made a call while driving and soon had Daniel’s location, making a u-turn to swing back around towards a quieter side of town. Quieter because residents knew not to venture there at night. The businesses on those blocks catered to a less wholesome clientele.
Leon pulled up to a privately owned storage facility that asked no questions and didn’t make annoying phone calls to collect rent. If you didn’t pay on time, something else happened. Leon waved his men back into their car with a grimace. They insisted on following him everywhere he went, mostly because his head of security had also been his father’s head of security- and he was from the old school. Laughed whenever Leon reminded him they were legitimate now. One of the few men who could get away with laughing to Leon’s face; he’d earned the right.
They remained outside because it was beneath Leon’s dignity to bring a guard to confront a moron who would hit his on cousin, a woman who hadn’t harmed fly in her entire life.
Daniel rose when Leon entered his office. The man’s eyes glanced past Leon’s shoulders. Stupid, Leon thought emotionlessly. Did Daniel really not understand?
Leon shut the door quietly behind them, engaging the lock.
“Your men know to whom they owe their ultimate allegiance,” he said to Daniel. “I think, however, you’ve forgotten who rules business in this city. May I sit?”
Danny jerked a shrug and Leon took a seat, leaning back and crossing his ankle over his knee.
“What we have here,” Leon continued in a pleasant tone, “is a failure of communication. I will, this one time, blame myself. Out of a courtesy to your cousin who asked me to spare your life.”
Leon had to give it to him. Danny held his eyes. “You have no right to interfere between me and my cousin. She is my family, my business partner. You have no claim on her.”
“She will be my wife, as soon as she is comfortable with the idea. Did you think I was insincere?”
“She deserves better than a man like you.”
Leon laughed. “Says the petty thug to the less petty, reformed thug. Funny. Here’s the thing, Losito.” Leon leaned forward in the seat,
She shook her head. “Girl joke. Come on, Mr. Sudano. Take me home.”
Chapter
6
“Are you ready to make me an offer I can’t refuse?” he asked her in the quiet of the car right before walking her to her door.
She looked into her lap, saying nothing. He brushed her hair with the tips of his fingers, studying the classic lines of her profile. Proud nose, curved jaw, full mouth. Curls tumbling around her shoulders. His hand nearly tightened into a fist, imagining what she would look like on his bed, golden brown skin, mysterious eyes, and nothing else.
“I don’t understand why you want me,” she said.
He studied her. “You’re a beautiful woman-“
Her head rose, dark eyes narrowed, full lips twisting. “I’m not stupid, Leon. Whatever you want from me, beauty is only the surface.”
Leon pulled away, considering her words with care. Considering the warmth of the home he’d spent a brief time in, enjoying pasta and the happy noise of her family.
“I want what you have,” he said quietly. “Your family.”
Her brow rose. “You want my family?”
His lips thinned. “Not everyone has what you have. Warmth, life, people to come home to.”
“You don’t want to marry my family, though.”
“No. I want you.” He smiled, humorless. “Do you know how long I’ve been watching you? For years, Aiva. I know you even if you don’t know me. And I know I want you.”
She hesitated, then unbuckled her seatbelt. Leon opened the door for her, walked her to her doors and waited until he heard the bolt of her lock before leaving, expression hardening as he slid into business mode. Aiva would be the only who ever saw his softer face. His wife deserved to have the gentlest side of him- but Daniel. He deserved another side.
He made a call while driving and soon had Daniel’s location, making a u-turn to swing back around towards a quieter side of town. Quieter because residents knew not to venture there at night. The businesses on those blocks catered to a less wholesome clientele.
Leon pulled up to a privately owned storage facility that asked no questions and didn’t make annoying phone calls to collect rent. If you didn’t pay on time, something else happened. Leon waved his men back into their car with a grimace. They insisted on following him everywhere he went, mostly because his head of security had also been his father’s head of security- and he was from the old school. Laughed whenever Leon reminded him they were legitimate now. One of the few men who could get away with laughing to Leon’s face; he’d earned the right.
They remained outside because it was beneath Leon’s dignity to bring a guard to confront a moron who would hit his on cousin, a woman who hadn’t harmed fly in her entire life.
Daniel rose when Leon entered his office. The man’s eyes glanced past Leon’s shoulders. Stupid, Leon thought emotionlessly. Did Daniel really not understand?
Leon shut the door quietly behind them, engaging the lock.
“Your men know to whom they owe their ultimate allegiance,” he said to Daniel. “I think, however, you’ve forgotten who rules business in this city. May I sit?”
Danny jerked a shrug and Leon took a seat, leaning back and crossing his ankle over his knee.
“What we have here,” Leon continued in a pleasant tone, “is a failure of communication. I will, this one time, blame myself. Out of a courtesy to your cousin who asked me to spare your life.”
Leon had to give it to him. Danny held his eyes. “You have no right to interfere between me and my cousin. She is my family, my business partner. You have no claim on her.”
“She will be my wife, as soon as she is comfortable with the idea. Did you think I was insincere?”
“She deserves better than a man like you.”
Leon laughed. “Says the petty thug to the less petty, reformed thug. Funny. Here’s the thing, Losito.” Leon leaned forward in the seat,
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