AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Prologue
Lorenzo
Lorenzo strains his eyes to find the little vixen who stole his heart a little over a year ago. Men muddle about, covered in dirt and sweat from their grueling construction work, but the five-foot-nothing slip of a woman is nowhere in sight.
He grinds his teeth. He’s completely off his game, utterly out of sorts, all because a woman told himno.
Josephine Holland flipped his switch the moment she walked into his restaurant with her drafting program detailing his new casino. Lorenzo remembers sitting there awestruck by her beauty, and wondering where the fuck the man he hired for the job was. Undoubtedly, the designer he had been communicating with through emails and texts had sent thisbellezzato sweeten the deal and win him the contract. Still, Lorenzo was a businessman and didn’t appreciate working with someone who hadn’t shown his face.
Lorenzo raised a hand to stop the woman mid-speech. “Excuse me? You’re doing a fine job, Signorina…”
“Josephine,” she reminded him with a gorgeous smile.
His cock twitched in his slacks at the notion of having those rosy lips around his cock. “Giuseppina,” he said like a caress. “Why is Signore Holland not presenting? I don’t like doing business with faceless names. It’s a waste of my time.”
Her gorgeous smile morphed into a tight line, and her eyes flared. “Mister Bianchi—”
“Lorenzo,” he interrupted, giving her a charming smirk.
Thebellezza’sjaw ticked. “Lorenzo, Mister Holland will not be joining because Mister Holland isn’t a mister but a miss.”
Lorenzo’s eyes bulged with surprise. “You’re Jo?”
Giuseppina shrugged her shoulders, cocking an attitude. “The one and only.”
Astounded, he stared at her. This vixen bamboozled him—not something which had happened before.
Typically, after projects like this were completed, he’d empty a round into the engineer to ensure his secret gambling rings would remain undisclosed. However, this woman would be the exception. It wasn’t because she was a woman—heavens no—he had killed his fair share of men and women without blinking an eye.
But, this woman seemed to be completely on board with the project, realizing the risk it could mean for her career. She never once stated what he requested was illegal or showed concern for herself. No, this mysterious stranger was all about the business: How much square footage? How many craps tables? Will there be slots?
While messaging his wishes for the casino, Lorenzo had a hunch he’d finally found his forever engineer. The designer seemed to grasp every desire he requested. Now, a woman—a sinfully, sexy woman—revealed she was the faceless name making his dreams a reality, and he knew instantly she would be his partner in crime.
Lorenzo’s eyes trailed longingly over her fit body, perk and luscious in all the right places. He had bedded many women—countless—but he had yet to meet a woman who could handle his line of work. But before him stood a goddess who didn’t blink an eye when he revealed who he was and what illegal activity would take place in his new business development. Either she was extremely desperate to land the job, or she was…
A slow smile crept across his face.“Dove sei stato tutta la mia vita?”
Her brows pulled together. “I’m sorry. I don’t speak Italian.”
“I said, ‘how soon can you start, Pina?’” he lied smoothly.
Lorenzo chuckles at the memory, recalling how Pina worked tirelessly on the build, creating a casino straight out of the golden age of Las Vegas,The Rat Pack. As a mafia Don, this was the start of Lorenzo’s golden goose era. He already had casinos in Aspen, Denver, and Colorado Springs, but with Giuseppina and her ingenious engineering architectural designs, he could take over Colorado and force his competition out.
Smitten, he asked her to dinner and nearly rocked backed on his heels when she flat out said no. No one had turned him down before. Figuring she was playing hard to get, he asked her the next day, and again he was told no. Every time he asked, the answer was the same and never in his favor.
When Lorenzo’s charms failed, he showered her with gifts. What woman didn’t like having a man spend money on her? He sent her flowers—she told him not to. He sent her candy—she shared it with her construction crew. He sent her clothes and jewelry—she returned them. Lorenzo got pissed and started a reoccurring order for red roses to be sent to her home weekly with a card asking for a date. She saidnoway more than he cared to admit. He sent her one last card stating his offer was on the table for whenever she was ready—she never responded, and he still sent her flowers.
He couldn’t understand it. Why wouldn’t she take a chance on him? He’s an attractive man—extremely, some would say. Yes, he’s older by ten years, and he lived a playboy lifestyle, but he’s in the prime of his life, in tip-top shape, and willing to commit to her. He’s wealthy, successful, and feared by his enemies—he’s the total package.
What fucking gives?
Toward the completion of the project, Lorenzo bombarded her one night as she was leaving the site. He demanded to know what her reservations were. Her fiery blue eyes told him she didn’t want to get into it, but he was relentless.
“One,” she snapped, raising a finger in his face. “I don’t date clients. Two, I don’t have to say yes because you ask or give gifts. Three, I recently got out of an eight-year relationship, and I’m not looking to get involved with anyone. Don’t get in my face demanding shit you’re not entitled to. I work for you—it’s not going to happen.”
What the fuck?!Was she actually speaking to him this way? No one had the gall to put him in his place, but this woman…whoa. She was fire and brimstone, and it was desirable. He must have her.
The rejection stung, and though she listed her reasons, Lorenzo wasn’t easily swayed. For the remainder of the project, he supervised her progress. She was an enigma, and he needed to understand what made her tick and use it to his advantage. She was not amused, but Lorenzo needed to wear her down and strike when the iron was hot. Of course, he continued to send her flowers—she needed reminders he was still interested,veryinterested. But as the project wrapped up, Lorenzo still was at a loss as to how to win her over.
