Chapter 16
Michael
“You will avenge their deaths.” Her words startle me, but then I remember she is Alberto Bonita’s daughter, and vengeance is in her blood. When I don’t reply, she prods. “Michael, promise me.”
“I promise,” I say without thinking and realize I have just lied to her again.
She walks toward me and gives me a hug. “There are a lot of things I don’t understand. I realize I am told things on a need-to-know basis, but Michael, there will come a day when I will remember everything.”
I rub my hands over her back, enjoying the closeness and reply, “I know, sweetheart. I know.”
She abruptly steps away, and the warmth she provided suddenly turns cold. “You should go.”
What?I’m always the one walking out on her, and she’s been the one begging me to stay. But now, she’s dismissing me. What the fuck is up with that?
I take a step toward her and say, “What if I don’t want to go?” I stare at her intently as I close the space between us again.
She looks at me defiantly and says, “Fine, have it your way.” She reaches for the bottom of her dress, lifts it up, and pulls it over her head. My mouth drops to the floor as she stands before me in a white lace bustier and garters.Holy fuck!
“What the hell, Zaira! What the fuck are you doing?” I yell.
“Look, Michael, I asked you to leave, and you had to push. I need to change clothes. If you aren’t gonna leave when I ask, then stay here. I really don’t care. But make up your mind.”
“What do you mean, make up my mind? About what?” I’m finding it hard to concentrate with her standing there in the sexiest lingerie I have ever seen. She is pure perfection with curves in all the right places. God, I’d give anything to be balls deep in her right now.Stop it! Get your head on straight, Michael!my conscious screams at me.Fuck!
“You know exactly what I mean, Michael,” she yells back.
I grab her by the waist and pull her close. “I don’t know what you mean, darling. Why don’t you enlighten me?” My head is spinning. The proximity of having her so close in this state of undress is intoxicating.
“It’s simple, Michael. You either want me or you don’t.”
Moving in toward her lips, my eyes never leaving hers, I whisper, “Oh, baby, there’s no question about wanting you. Surely you’ve figured that out by now.” My lips crash down on hers. She eagerly opens for my kiss, and my mouth devours hers. Her body melts against mine, and the intoxication I was feeling earlier consumes me. My hands roam all over her body. She clings to me as if she is afraid I will back off. She knows me too well.
Breaking the kiss, I push her away. We’re both breathless, and I know that if I don’t leave now, I’ll do something I will regret. Something I can’t take back. “I’m late for a meeting,” I say and turn toward the door.
“You can’t keep running away from me,” she yells.
“Watch me!” I say as I close the door behind me.
Out in the hallway, I look at my watch. Another lie. I’m not late for any meeting. I don’t have a meeting.
Zaira doesn’t join us for dinner again, and I don’t see her for the rest of the night. My father is suspicious. I can see it on his face, but he doesn’t say a word about her absence.
***
I’m up early this morning preparing for my meeting with the other New York families. I’ve got about fifteen minutes to go, and I’m spending it in solitude in my office. I should be getting last-minute advice from my father, but instead, I decided to hide out in here. Thoughts of Zaira in her lacy lingerie last night consume me. Visions of last night’s encounter with a different outcome fill my head. I’m lost to her and then I am startled by a knock at the door.
“Yeah?” I say.
Ricco opens the door and says, “They’re all here except Vince, but he called and should be here any minute.”
“Good. Are they in the den?”
“Yes.” His radio beeps, and he answers, “Yeah?”
Marco’s voice comes through. “Vince’s here.”
“Send him to Michael’s office,” Ricco replies. He clicks off his radio and looks at me. “You two should walk in together.”
