Tempted By The Mafia Boss

Nick

I thought about it all night…

I made plans.

I planned to not get involved like I was warned but not until I had to.

So I thought of a legit way to keep Mia with me as much as possible or just more within my reach.

This idea came to my mind last week when she told me about law and her pursuits but the guy I needed to speak to was away on business.

Today was his first day back in the office. I called asking to speak to him, was told he was block booked until the end of the month, then I gave my name and suddenly there was room for me.

One hour later I strolled into Barkers and Peter Barker is actually waiting for me.

He looks nervous.

I’ve never been here under other circumstances which saw him worried for his life or scared to do something we were telling him. We don’t have any qualms as such, it’s just we’re not the kind of people who’d stop over for a chat.

The last time I saw him Vincent was with me and it wasn’t a good visit. One of the workers at the shipping company thought they could be clever and sue us for unsuitable working conditions when it was them who was sabotaging equipment.

Peter not only dealt with the case but also very kindly handed our worker friend a law suit of our own and beat his ass in court.

It was the kind of case where you needed a good lawyer to dig deep in the shit so you came out on top. We wiped the floor with the man and he’s still trying to pay us back.

“Mr. Giordano, it’s a pleasure.” He smiles putting out his hand to shake mine. I take it and sit in the seat in front of him.

The smile on his face is genuine but I’m certain it’s not a pleasure to see me. He’s tense because he has no idea why I’m here.

Honestly, the fact I’m here and the reason I’m here shocks me too.

“What can I do for you?” he asks.

“Well,” I begin and cross one leg over the other, leaning on to his desk like this is my office and he’s here to see me, not the other way around. He’s staring in anticipation. “A few weeks back you got an application from Mia Chase.”

I don’t actually expect a man like him to know who I mean. He’s the boss and he has roughly five hundred members of staff in Chicago and God knows how many in the other branches. Applications must come in all the time and he’s not going to remember one person who applied for a position and never got it.

It shocks me to shit though when he looks like he does. It took him less than a second to realize who I meant and then another second to get the question in his eyes of why I’m here about her.

“I remember her. It’s not a lot of applicants we get here that stand out. She did. I wrote back to her myself because her application was impressive. Didn’t know she was associated with you.” He looks me over with the same question in his eyes and I smile.

“She is.”

“Let me guess…” he sighs. “You want me to give her a job.”

I lean forward. “Mr. Barker, I respect your work. I’m not gonna force something on you. If she was shit you’d have to dig around to jog your memory on who I’m talking about. What happened? Why isn’t she working here?”

He raises his brows a little surprised by my answer.

“Budget. There was another applicant who had fifteen years of experience and came with a niche area of intellectual property law I couldn’t refuse. So I had to make a decision. She’s good though. I just don’t have the budget. Two of my partners pulled out a few months back and took their clients. Let’s just say they were the high paying, high profile ones. It’s just me now. So, that’s why I couldn’t take her on.”

I’ve heard of shit like that happening to a lot of people. It always dealt a blow.

“So, you would have taken her if you had the budget?”

“Absolutely. There’s no doubt I would.”

Perfect. “Well now you have the budget. Get your people to draw up a contract and I’ll invest.”

He looks taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I said I’ll invest. So you hire her like you would have and I’ll provide the backing for the salary and anything else you see fit.”

“That’s awfully kind of you… This is not going to be one of those things that ties me in to doing what you want or I get killed or someone for me gets it, is it?” His brows pinch.

“No, I assure you it’s not.”

“Wow, this is very unexpected. You people are not known for your kindness.”

“Watch it.” I point at him and he chuckles. He might be scared of me but he knows how to handle himself.

“You know what I mean. Look I can only offer her part time hours. I can’t take from the guy I hired. I don’t have that much work on the books with the absence of my partners.”

I nod. “That’s fine. Get your people to contact me and contact her as soon as possible.”

I may be an asshole but I feel that she needs something to give her hope and renew her self-belief. That something isn’t working for me or agreeing to be mine.

This is for her.

I stand up and he gives me a nod.

It’s just after six when I get the contract details emailed over to me from Peter.

I sign it and wire over the money he’s requesting. He’s done it clever by asking for an amount equivalent to a salary. Just thirty grand for part time work and then an investment of two grand per month. I like that because it feels better. I get back a percentage on their yearly profits but I’ve already decided I’m not taking it.

I’m just fixated on this girl who’s clearly worked some spell on me.

Mia’s waiting for me in the office when I get to the club. I’m a little late. She’s all dressed up for me but like last night I take her home.

She ends up in my bed again. The more she comes here the more she feels like she belongs. She drifts off to sleep and I watch her until I fall asleep too.

Once again the sun wakes me up but instead of opening my eyes and looking over at the window, it’s her I see. She’s dressed, sitting on the bed, trying to look upset with me and failing when I reach for her. She swats my hands away and backs off the bed so she can place her hands on her hips.

“Nick, it was you wasn’t it?” she asks and those green eyes of hers stare into me.

I smirk, guessing Peter’s made contact.

“Me what me, baby?” I narrow my eyes at her. She shows me her phone. There’s an email from Peter alright offering her a part-time job.

“This is great doll.”

“You’re seriously going to act like you had nothing to do with this? A man like this doesn’t suddenly change his mind.”

“Has he met you?” I tease and slide off the bed to reach for her. She giggles and jumps out of my reach. “Has he seen you? That would explain why he changed his mind then I’d have to go put him in his place and inform his ass you’re mine.”

“Nick.”

I grab her.

“What?”

“It was you.” She stands on her tip toes and plants a kiss on my chin. “It was you and I’m grateful.”

Her lips on my skin is like fire. Fire that burns and you want to back away but it holds you in place and you can’t move even if you try. I don’t even want to do that part.

I look down at her and see the twinkle in her eyes that should fucking warn me away. It should make me run a mile.

This was supposed to be a game. The angel and the devil.

The angel’s supposed to resist temptation, yet she smooths her fingers over my chin and lures me into the temptation of her.

I answer the call of passion that claims me the minute my lips touch hers and I find myself not wanting to let her go. Ever.

She pulls away from me with excitement. Her skin glows with it.

“I’m so happy right now,” she bubbles. “Thank you so much.”

“Didn’t say it was me doll.” I continue to play.

“Okay, tell me it was you.” She plays back with a little giggle I love.

It gives me an idea. A selfish one. Because I hope that she’ll still be with me even with this job. I hope my unusual kindness won’t take her away from me. I guess I’ll see. I reach for her and pull her closer.

“Go to dinner with me.” I can’t remember the last time I asked, or rather told a woman to go to dinner with me.

Shock registers on her pretty face and she searches my eyes like she’s checking I’m not messing around with her.

“What?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Go to dinner with me. Tonight.”

“Is that tasks for tonight Boss?”

She knows exactly what to do to make me crazy. She’s doing it now.

“You fucking know it’s not.” I tighten my grip on her arm but there’s no effect except for a saucy as fuck smile that dances over that pretty mouth of hers.

The smile teases me showing she’s not scared of me anymore. It makes me want to fix that, but I’m more afraid to lose her.

Me afraid. It’s odd.

“It sounds like a date,” she says.

“Because it is?”

“What? You couldn’t have just asked me out before?” she challenges.

She says that but I bet a girl like her would run a mile from me under normal circumstances. No one can tell me that when they look at me they don’t see danger. It’s there. I see it myself. I put it there.

“I like my way better.”

“So I could see your special tastes first.” She chuckles.

I nuzzle my nose against hers. “Special tastes? I haven’t tied you to my bed yet, Angel Doll.”

I’m not joking. Not one fucking bit and she knows it. The thought of tying her up and making her bend to my will is mind blowing.

Her eyes widen a little and those thick black lashes framing her jade gaze flutter.

It stirs that element of satisfaction inside me that wants to shock her and show her she may have loosened up some around me, but I’m still in charge.

“Dinner with me, Mia. I promise it will be something to remember.” I make it clear from the tenor in my voice that I’m not just talking about dinner. “I promise I won’t break you, too much. What say ye, Angel?”

I need her to say yes to me.

“Yes.”

Good…