Cissio Accorinti had been meeting with other Capibastone regularly. He organized dinners and generous gifts, and presented numbers that were too good to ignore. When he tried to do the same with me, he received a refusal that greatly displeased him, but which I hoped left him in no doubt about the irreversibility of my answer. Now he was devising ways to lead the police to my cocaine shipments in Gioia Tauro and trying to usurp our quota. And on that day, I would know whether I could count on the other Capibastone of our region or not.
At lunch, I would find out which of the four families who ran businesses near our territory intended to enter the human trafficking business and which did not. It would be an efficient way to protect myself from unpleasant surprises. But business would have to wait until later.
For now, I had other priorities.
That villa and the skinny American woman who was stealing my sanity.
Daisy stormed into the kitchen. She didn't even look at me. She walked around the island in the center of the room and began preparing my breakfast.
“Buongiorno, Daisy,” I murmured with a smile on my face, but the truth was that guilt was coiled around my throat.
“Good morning, Mr. Vicari.”
Mr. Vicari. I sighed, letting my shoulders slump. I deserved that.
When she set the espresso and a chocolate cornetto in front of me, I could see her face was extremely puffy from crying the night before, and I couldn't resist grabbing her wrist. Her skin under my fingers felt like silk and sent waves of heat through my body.
“About yesterday...”
“I understood everything you said, Mr. Vicari.” Her formality left me feeling cold, but I still didn't let her free herself from my grip. “I'll follow your rules.”
“Daisy...”
“Mr. Vicari?” Finally, she held my gaze, and there was no trace of the cheerful, cheeky Daisy I knew. There was no sign of my Piccola Furetta. Her expression was cold, almost unreadable.
I stood up slowly, never letting go, and pulled her toward me, leaving barely a foot between us.
“I was too harsh in my choice of words.” She didn't take her eyes off me, but although her breathing was rapid, her distant expression remained. “Can you forgive me?”
“Of course, Mr. Vicari.”
“Daisy... I'm being sincere.” I murmured, her strawberry and chamomile scent penetrating my lungs. My gaze lingered on her lips, thinking of the countless things I could do with them. “I didn't mean to threaten you or insult you.”
“I understand... Mr. Vicari.” Again, the same distant response.
She tried to pull away.
I didn't let her.
Very slowly, seeing the look of astonishment on her face, I turned her back to me and held her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her delicate frame. I held her close, burying my face in the curve of her neck so I could inhale her scent, and smiled as I felt her heartbeat quicken and her skin break into goosebumps.
“Scusa...” I purred in her ear, lightly brushing my lips against her earlobe. “Scusa, sì?”
“L—Let me go!” she stammered, but barely tried to break free from my embrace.
I moved my hands down to her waist and pulled her closer to me, pressing her pert bottom against my groin. She moaned softly and I smiled, satisfied, realizing that the attraction I felt was mutual.
“I'll let you go when you forgive me...” I purred again and pressed my lips against the skin of her neck, lingering there as long as I could.
Dio, her skin was so soft.
“I already told you, Mr. Vicari—” I bit her skin, stealing a whimper that almost sounded like a moan of pleasure, and rubbed my groin against her ass, feeling my body stiffen more and more with that closeness.
I slid my tongue along the curve of her neck, stopping only at her ear, savoring it.
Cazzo.
My pants were too tight for my erection. I rubbed myself against her again, so she could feel exactly what she was doing to me. Hearing her breath catch and feeling her whole body stiffen, I realized she was well aware of the reaction she was causing in me.
