Bound to the Crime Lord (Dark Mafia Tales #2)

Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Manuel POV

S he was temptation on legs. Everything about this woman drew me in. Her hair, her eyes, her lips.

I was not one to believe in auras, but there was a light to her—an innocence. It was the kind of light that contrasted with the darkness that resided inside of me. I should want nothing to do with her, and yet she intrigued me.

My eyes traced the length of her body on the opposite side of the car. She wore a pair of skinny jeans, a cashmere sweater, and her hair was in that tight ponytail of hers. I yearned to reach across the seat and free her wavy curls.

She turned her head to the side and caught my gaze. I didn’t miss the way her cheeks tinted slightly and the slight pout of her lips.

I affected her to some degree, that I was most certain of. When she had gotten into the car it took all my restraint not to take her from behind then and there. Her ass had been so perfect and ripe for the taking.

But I held back. This one needed patience. I couldn’t come on too strong and then risk her pulling away. She was not like the others; she would not easily cave into our connection. She was stubborn like a mule. My favorite thing about her.

The fire that lay beneath her surface was what made me want to crack her open. How hot did it burn? And could I stifle her flame with my own?

The car pulled up to her townhouse and she wasted no time getting out of the car. She had not said a single word to me the entire drive over. Instead, she took to watching the buildings go past in silence.

Eduardo looked at me through the review mirror with a question in his eyes.

“No, I’ll help her. Make sure the perimeter is safe.”

I got out of the car and followed her.

I walked into the small foyer and drank in my new surroundings. Her home was exactly what I had expected it to be. Often, when you walked into a person's home, you could tell the kind of environment they were rooted in. Juliette’s home was very much lived in. Things weren’t neatly tucked away and folded and placed to perfection. There were cups on the counter in the kitchen and the smell of caramel wafted in the air. Her doctor’s bay rested at the entrance with her sneakers.

You could tell that someone lived in this home. It wasn’t just some museum.

I walked through her home, taking in every little detail of her space. The colors were muted and neutral, much like how she liked society to perceive her.

There were dozens of framed photos on the walls, showcasing various trips and adventures she and her brother had been on. As I moved through the living room, I noticed that there were only pictures of her and her brother. No parents, no friends or lovers. The last part would have been an issue I would have dealt with swiftly. I didn’t like sharing my toys with anyone.

I stopped to admire a photo of her with a wine glass in hand in what seemed to be a vineyard. Her blue eyes dazzled against the sunlight that hit her face. Her smile changed everything about her.

I had yet to have the privilege of seeing this smile directed at me, but my God it was a marvel. But it wasn’t just her smile that captivated me, it was her eyes.

The Juliette I saw now was nothing like the one in the picture. This Juliette had joy and light in her eyes. The Juliette I had now was far more muted and subdued. That radiating light that she’d seemed to emit so boldly before was now gone.

What had happened to her sunshine?

I heard the sound of something crashing to the ground. Without hesitation, I pulled out my gun and moved up the stairs toward where I presumed her room was.

“Dammit, that hurt.” I heard Juliette’s muffled voice and I eased.

I withdrew my gun and placed it at the back of my waistband. I walked down the hallway to the open door at the very end. As I drew closer and closer, I could hear Juliette’s voice much clearer.

“Why must he be so damn… him. He’s a mafia king. Good girls like me don’t find murderers and Drug Lords attractive.” She was muttering to herself. I couldn’t hide the amusement at her obvious disdain for finding me attractive.

This little cat-and-mouse game of ours was going to be fun.

I came to the open door and watched as she moved up and down her room, collecting clothes from her drawers and placing them neatly into her suitcase. All the way she kept throwing profanities at me and my alluring ways.

“But he is, probably, in bed,” she grumbled as she threw her scrubs into the suitcase. She walked back to her drawers and collected her shirts.

“I would beg to differ. A few women would even go as far as to condemn what you said and call it defamation.”

She jumped a few feet into the air in shock and turned to face me. She blinked a few times before the consciousness finally returned to her brain.

“Need any help?”

She shifted on her feet, her eyes moving away from mine and focusing on the wall behind me. “No, go away.”

“I think I will stay right where I am, actually.” I folded my arms over my chest and hyper-focused on her. “Make sure to pack something sexy for me, amor .”

Her eyes snapped back to me. This time she had the fire in her eyes that I had been trying to draw out again. Her blue waters darkened, and the rage filtered into her pupils. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, breathed in and then out before opening them again.

“Please, leave.”

“Oh, you’re not fun, amor . I’ve come to accompany you. I promised to keep you safe, remember? I can’t just have you walking around unguarded now, can I?”

“This is my house.” The exasperation in her tone was clear as day. “The only possible danger in here is you.”

Her words caused a smirk to make its way to my lips. “You think I’m dangerous, amor ?”

Juliette stood in the center of the room with an annoyed expression on her face. She clutched her shirt closer to her chest. Her jaw locked in place, and I watched as her shoulders visibly going rigid.

I made her uncomfortable— good .

“Must you be in here while I pack?”

“Yes.” I kicked off the archway and made my way inside. I looked over her, briefly taking in everything.

Her room, like the rest of the house, was muted and neutral. However, there was a green monstrosity that caught my eye. I walked over to it, but before I could pick it up, she breezed past me and picked up the ugly stuffed dinosaur.

“No touching.” The burning in her eyes stirred the hunger within me.

There’s my little firecracker .

“Aren’t you a little old to be playing with dolls, amor ?” I said, amused. “Surely, you need some more… adult toys.”

Her jaw went lax as she stared at me in shock. I was sure that she wasn’t used to people being so brazen around her. I wanted to destabilize her center and see what lay underneath the foundation.

Prim and proper bored me. I preferred chaotic and jagged, and this woman before me had chaos brewing within her. I could sense it.

“Can you leave?”

“I don’t know, can I?”

“You did not just make an English pun.”

“I’m a man of many surprises, amor .” I flicked the tip of the green dinosaur. “What is this monstrosity’s name? Don’t tell me that this is some kind of comfort doll?”

Her glare deepened. “That is none of your business. Can you please leave ?”

I took a step toward her, invading her personal space. That intoxicating scent of lavender filtered into my nose, stealing my focus. The beast within me roared to life.

Oh, the things I would do to her if she would only allow. My eyes traced the soft curves of her body. She was built to perfection, like she had been carved by the gods themselves.

Our closeness flustered her yet again. I watched the soft bob in her throat and the slight part of her lips. Juliette let out a low sigh that sounded far more like a moan to me.

The atmosphere around us shifted. The cool air suddenly became hot and humid. The space between us came to life with tiny little sparks of electricity. A subtle buzz filled the air, the sound inching us closer together.

“Tell me, amor …” I tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear. She hitched at the contact. “What do you need this little plushie for? Comfort? Nostalgia?”

She swallowed hard. “It belonged to Ethan. He had it in foster care, and I couldn’t part with it when he grew up.”

My eyes moved from her eyes down to her nose and then to her lips. Her tongue darted out to wet the pinkness with her saliva.

My tongue kissed my teeth. Her actions did not bode well for my restraint. I was trying to be a gentleman, a man of honor. But for all intents and purposes, I was no gentleman. In fact, I was the farthest thing from a gentleman. I was brazened, and without rapport. I was used to taking what I wanted without questions. It was rare I craved for anything, I never needed to. I could have what I wanted at the snap of a finger.

Except for her.

She was the one that still vexed me. She was everything I shouldn’t want, yet the one thing that I craved. She was the slow-burning kind of poison that you would only feel the deadly effects of once time had passed.

I didn’t know who moved first, but suddenly we were mere inches from each other. The only thing that kept our distance was that stupid plushie. She was using it like one would a shield.

Clever. She knew not to get too close or risk the cobra's bite. The only problem for her was that I would not easily be deterred.

I grabbed the green thing and threw it across the room. She opened her mouth to protest, but her words immediately died down when I grabbed her face with both my hands.

Her blue eyes widened with shock, her lips parting ever so slightly. “Wha… what are you doing?”

I drew my face closer to hers, testing her to see how far I could push until she finally bit back. I brushed my thumb against her soft cheek. I could feel the heat rise to the surface as her entire body buzzed with anticipation.

She would never admit that she wanted me, I knew this. But her body told me the things she longed to keep in secret.

“Manuel…” she breathed my name almost in desperation… or was that want?

I drew my lips in closer, her breath hitched.

Come on, amor. Show me what you got .

Our lips brushed ever so slightly, and that was enough to send my entire system into overdrive.

I knew that a taste of her would not be nearly enough. I needed all of her, even the pieces she wanted to keep to herself.

All I needed to do was press my lips against hers and I would have her.

Closer… Closer…

She closed her eyes, waiting for me.

This was my window. She was giving me the green light, and she was right there for the taking.

But I wasn’t ready for this little chase of ours to be over just yet.

I withdrew and took a step back. I waited for her eyes to finally open and for her brain to realize what had just happened.

Juliette’s cheeks blushed before she looked away. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably, making sure to keep her gaze averted from where I stood.

“I will let you finish packing, doc. I have a call to make.” I turned on my heels and practically sashayed out of her room. When I got to the threshold, I looked over my shoulder and caught her staring at me with an angry glare in her eyes. When she noticed me looking, her blush deepened, and she threw the finger my way.

“You smell divine, amor . I never quite cared for lavender before you.”

And with those last words, I left her room, leaving her to ponder on what she had almost allowed to happen.

This thing between us was a game, and I had every intention of winning. My reward would be hearing her beg me to fuck her until she was screaming my name.

Check mate, amor. Your move .