She arched a brow, her face incredulous. “You sure you’re one of those mobster guys with all the crazy, uptight rules around their women?”
“I’m a Lanza and have been a made man for the past thirty years, so yeah, definitely one of thosemobster guys.” I leaned in. “But you’re notmywoman.” Not yet.
Something flickered in her eyes, something furious. “Damn right I’m not.” Then she yanked the vape and sucked in a breath.
Her lips hung apart for a second before a puff of smoke came out. I licked my lip reflexively, big twitch in my cock.
“Good stuff.” She held the vape out, the tips of her fingers at the bottom, like that would prevent me from touching her hand if I wanted to.
Although I wanted to tease her and feel her tremble under my touch, I took it back without touching her fingers. A girl like Nicky needed to be treated with care even when teased. “How do you know it’s good?”
Her jaw twitched for a second before she put on a stern face. “I’m in college, and I don’t give a shit if you tell Tino.”
I bit the inside of my cheek on a laugh. There she was. The little girl she was trying to hide underneath, afraid of Daddy’s punishment.
A twisted jolt of jealousy and fury bit me. Jealousy of the bastards at her school she might have smoked with and fury at what she might have allowed them to have then. All her firsts should have been with me. Wasn’t it enough what her father had stolen from her? From me?
Jealousy of Tino, and not because I thought the little girl in her might have had a crush on him. She hated him. I had no doubt about it. But hate was much stronger than love.
Fury at my ally because Nicky didn’t only hate him, but she feared him too. Those feelings, hate and fear, took over you more than anything else could. Consumed you. Fucking ruled you. These, too, should have been mine.Mustbe only mine.
And for that to happen, I needed to play my cards right. “Who said I’d tell?”
“Dunno. Maybe you think you can blackmail me or something.”
I cocked a brow. “Into what?”
“Into doing whatever the fuck you want from me, Domenico.”
“And what do you think that is?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Something I don’t give, especially to your kind.”
Little relief washed over me, knowing that she didn’t. Hadn’t yet. I leaned closer. My lips closed around the smear of her lipstick on my vape, my tongue savoring her lingering taste. So fucking sweet. How would her lips really taste without the lipstick?
Her eyes went back and forth from my gaze to my mouth. I smirked, filling the air between us with smoke. “My kindknows how to respect, protect and take care of a woman…and above all, knows how to please one.”
“Good for you. But guess what, Casanova? If a man doesn’t respect me, I make him, and I don’t need someone like you to protect or take care of me. As for pleasure, I have a hand and a battery-operated cock. They work just fine.”
“Oh,” I laughed. “I see. But I can assure you,” I bent farther, my lips almost touching her ears, “myhand andmyDom-operated cock are much better.”
“Fuck you.”
“With pleasure, signorina. Just say when.”
Her hand flew up, looking for my cheek, but I caught it before she slapped me. “Careful now. Respect goes both ways. If you don’t know how to respect a man, I’ll have to teach you.”
She tried to take her hand out of my grip, but I wouldn’t let her. “Teach me? Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“The guy you’ll be screaming his name over and over and over as he keeps you high on orgasms for the rest of your life. The guy you’ll be purring and hissing under in no time, little kitten.”
CHAPTER 4
Nicky
I waved my other hand, aiming for another slap, but the fucking asshole tossed his stupid vape on the recliner and caught both of my hands now. Then in one swift move, he brought them behind my back, his fists tight around my wrists.
“What did I just say? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were asking for it.” He fucking winked at me.
