Their food arrived, and Isadora smiled at the waiter as he placed the platter of food in the middle of their table. He could hear Cooper’s laughter where they were seated outside the private room. Normally they ate with Dominic, but that night was different.
Isadora picked up her glass but kept looking at Dominic, deciding against taking another sip. “It feels silly now to ask you to tell me about yourself.”
“Because I’m a mobster?”
She laughed then as she placed her glass back on the table. “And here I thought men like you had no sense of humor.”
“Tell me about you. I still haven’t decided if I like you or not.”
When she smiled, it was in that smile that Dominic could see he had her. She wanted him to like her. “Since you knew my name before I introduced myself, I think you already know all about me.”
“I’d like to hear it from you.” Dominic wasn’t sure what it was about her, but she intrigued him for some reason. The background check he had done on her showed nothing that concerned him.
“I’m not sure what to say. I work in the city for a small up-and-coming advertising agency, and I was only staying in your hotel until I could find a suitable apartment. My previous apartment was really terrible, so now I’m looking for a new one,” Isadora said.
“Which agency do you work for?”
“Winsome Ads,” Isadora said. She looked at him for a moment before frowning. “You don’t own it, do you?”
Dominic smiled and shook his head. “No, I don’t. It’s a very small company, though; what do you do there?”
“Nothing glamorous; I work reception.”
They finished dinner with more small talk over coffee as Dominic caught himself staring again. He wanted to know more about her than the things he could find by himself. She seemed too relaxed for a woman who had just met someone with ties to the mafia.
“This was really nice, Dominic; thank you,” she said with sincerity in her eyes.
“You know that it’s tomorrow someplace,” he said, testing the waters, to which she laughed.
“As nice as this was, I don’t fuck on the first date either.”
Dominic laughed, then nodded his head. “Then I will order you a car and take your number. Perhaps we can do this again.”
“I’d like that.”
Dominic pulled her against him, kissing her like she’d never been kissed before. It was a kiss filled with a strong sense of need, the promise of tomorrow, and what would undoubtedly be the most passionate sex before he released her. Dominic leaned his forehead against hers and smiled.
“Wow,” Isadora whispered.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Isadora,” Dominic said.
Ethan escorted her to another SUV, where she waved when the door closed. Dominic watched as her SUV sped off before he finally slid into the back seat of his own SUV to go home. The drive back to the penthouse didn’t take long, and Dominic moved swiftly to the elevator after Ethan parked the SUV in the underground parking lot.
Dominic kept thinking of Isadora. Usually, women couldn’t wait to sign the NDA and jump into bed with him. They eagerly did everything he told them to do. Isadora seemed to be different. He liked her, and that was a problem. He couldn’t like her too much.
There was no future with her, and Dominic wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He’d been raised with the knowledge that he would marry a woman of his father’s choice, a woman who would further their alliance within La Famiglia.
“First time Dominic gets rejected,” Cooper said with a grin as they stepped inside the dark foyer of Dominic’s penthouse.
“I didn’t get rejected per se,” Dominic replied.
“At least she didn’t slap you,” Hudson quipped from behind.
“I thought you liked getting slapped,” said Gage, who spoke from the shadows.
Ethan’s hand was on his gun, only relaxing his stance as Gage emerged from the corner of the dark kitchen. He was like a ghost, and the expression on his face told Dominic that he hadn’t kept on drinking.
“Fuck, Gage,” Ethan said.
Hudson turned toward Gage and grinned. “It depends why you’re getting slapped.”
“Do you already have a little stiff one, Hudson? All this talk about getting slapped gets your blood pumping, right?”
Hudson was the wild card—dark and dangerous. He had a twisted sense of right and wrong and a soft spot for prostitutes, animals, and Dominic. He had a tendency to go off the rails, and more than once, Dominic had to bail him out of jail. Hudson also had longish hair, but it was his eyes that scared people.
Ethan was more level-headed, an outdoor person who loved to cook and experiment in the kitchen. Ethan was from Australia, could fly anything with blades or a wingspan, and he took pride in his ability to drive safely like a maniac.
Cooper was the youngest of the group, kept his hair in a buzz cut, and had a knack for quick wit. Humor was his friend as he doted on Hudson, making it his life mission to keep Hudson out of trouble. Cooper was also the best sniper the military had ever produced.
“Rather, ask Dominic about pumping blood since he got rejected,” Hudson retorted after a few seconds of silence.
“You didn’t fuck the woman from the bar?” Gage asked him.
“I’ll fuck her tomorrow,” Dominic said as he walked past Gage into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
“You have too many rules, Dominic. It’s not a job application; it’s just sex. Pull on a condom and just fuck her, wherever,” Gage said.
“The rules are there for a reason, and I’m not fucking a woman I haven’t vetted.” The look on Dominic’s face told Gage that he wasn’t going to discuss this further.
“I’m having trouble seeing how you get laid at all. Signing an NDA isn’t exactly romantic or a turn on,” Gage retorted.
“Seeing my cock for the first time usually does the trick,” Dominic said as he walked past Gage towards the hall and his bedroom at the end of it.
Inside the SUV, Dominic pulled his phone out as he dialed Isadora’s number. It rang several times before it went to voicemail. Dominic didn’t like that she hadn’t answered. He wasn’t used to people not being at his beck and call, and he knew he wouldn’t attempt to reach her further.He smirked as her name flashed on the screen of his phone. “Isadora.”“I was in the shower, seeming to have just missed you,” she replied a little breathlessly.“Good. Be ready to leave in thirty minutes, and pack an overnight bag. I’ll send someone for you.”“What if I already have other plans?” Dominic could hear the smile in her voice, but he wasn’t one to play games, especially not with women.“Then cancel them. The car will be there in thirty minutes. Don’t make me wait.”Austin chuckled as he looked at Dominic. “Yeah, tell her, boss. Nobody makes you wait.”Isadora’s stomach clenched when someone knocked on her hotel door. Her hands trembled slightly, and she drew a deep breath before opening her onl
Dominic noticed how Isadora tried to remain in control, not giving in to her insecurities and he relaxed his stance. “I would never try to control your life like that. If you lived here you wouldn’t have to travel to see me and I would know that you were safe from hoodlums.”Her cheeks heated again. This man had no shame but at least he was honest up front and she knew exactly what he wanted. If she lived in his apartment, he’d have a semblance of control over her life. She swallowed nervously as she looked at him.“It would be cheaper to live here instead of staying at the hotel, but I’m still going to look for an apartment while I live here.”Dominic smiled again and emptied his glass of wine. “I’m glad you agree to that. Now you only need to agree to my two other requests.”“What happens when I do?”“Then you’ll get your shot, go through to the relaxation room and spend a few hours getting pampered, whatever you want. We will order dinner and spend the night indoors.”Isadora watch
Dominic was up before the sun rose, and he knew that Isadora would be sleeping for a while. He’d taken her twice during the night; her screams had filled his ears, and he’d loved every second of it. During sex, her face was an open book, which she clearly didn’t realize.At the kitchen counter, he poured himself a cup of coffee, grunting a good morning to Austin, who stood on the other side. Ingredients lay out on the counter as he prepared to start breakfast. Dominic hadn’t slept much, and neither had Austin, it seemed.“The look on your face says it was a productive night,” Austin said with a grin on his face.“It’s been a while,” Dominic replied.“What time do you want to leave?”Dominic stretched his arms over his head and emptied his cup of coffee. “We’ll leave tomorrow at five sharp. Take the day and night off; spend it with whatever floats your boat. I won’t be going out.”“Do I still have to make you breakfast?” Austin’s grin had Dominic grinning too.“Definitely not; you’re n
“Anything specific you want to do today?”She looked thoughtful for a moment, and Dominic watched as she shifted on the soft cushions. He was pretty sure that she was still a little sore. He wanted to take her again, but he wouldn’t. It wasn’t in his nature to hurt people he didn’t have to, and never a woman, unless she deserved it.“Do you ever do anything normal?” She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as she watched him.“Define normal?”“Like ice skating or going for ice cream, maybe going to the movies or eating at a diner,” she said.“I’ve done all of the above … when I was twelve or so.”Isadora laughed delightfully as she stood up from the couch. “Great! I’ll go get ready, and then we can walk around the market square. There’s always lots to do there on Sundays.”She disappeared down the hall before he could tell her that he hadn’t exactly planned on going out, and he wasn’t sure who’d be more pissed off, Hudson or Ethan, but there were ways around that as well. He
At exactly five am, the elevator doors dinged open, and Dominic stepped inside. Ethan smirked as he looked at him, and Dominic knew that he hadn’t said a word, yet. In the basement parking lot they climbed into the SUV, and Cooper sped off through the quiet streets.“Anything to report?” Dominic asked the four quiet men in the SUV with him.Cooper grinned and shook his head. He was the nicest of the four, the nicest manners, courteous, and respectful to others. He didn’t drink or smoke, didn’t go to strip clubs, and he never helped himself to the hookers they had on payroll either.Austin was less reserved. He knew what he wanted, and took it when he wanted it. He liked women, and a lot of them. He drank on occasion, but usually only when they were at the house with no plans to leave. He was a reader, and spent a lot of his time outdoors.Ethan liked to be in the shadows. He never really left Dominic alone, he was always somewhere nearby, and it had proved valuable over the years. He
The four men were led into the small meeting room adjacent to Dominic’s study. His men took up their positions as did his brothers. Dominic had given them each a slice of the proverbial pie, and they had their own responsibilities under his watchful eye.Casio Robustelli reported directly to Gage, and he had a hand in the gun trade. Their guns were bought from the Russians, and distributed for personal use in their territories.Giovanni Manso reported to Eris, and they kept a firm eye on their strip clubs. Eris was good with the women, and washing their money was second nature to him.Santino Conti reported to Faro, and he was a genius when it came to their gambling rings. He never misplaced a cent, and handling money was what he was good at.Dominic watched Elmo Larussa, and the many escort clubs they owned. Prostitution was easy money, and Michael De Santis, an Elder, also owned a few escort clubs. At first the Elders voted against Dominic’s escort club but he soon showed them that
Isadora was a breath of fresh air in Dominic’s life. Within a month, he slept at his penthouse every night, curled up against her. Talks of finding her own apartment had dwindled, and Dominic had only gone to his country estate for his twice-a-month meetings.The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. Most nights she cooked dinner for him and his men, and afterwards they’d watch a movie or talk about their lives. She’d talk about work, and more than once she’d refused his offer of a better job in one of his own companies.Dominic had left Giovanni with the girls in the warehouse to question them before he made his move, but they’d been there for two weeks with no results. He wasn’t the type of man to condone the torture of women, but he was getting tired of not having answers.Ethan parked the large SUV inside the warehouse, and Dominic stepped out, not waiting for the men to flank him. They were indoors but he knew Hudson would have something to say, he always did.“Can
Isadora smiled as she read the text on her phone from Dominic. Her life felt like a fairytale. Every morning Dominic woke her with coffee in bed. They’d take a shower together, and get ready for work.Ethan always had breakfast ready when they emerged hand in hand. Her driver, Remy, would take her to work, and pick her up again in the afternoon. She’d started paying off a lot of her parents’ debts since she had no living costs.“What are you smiling about?” Susanna asked her.Susanna was the first one to befriend Isadora at work, and they always took their lunch together, and ate whatever they bought in the park across the street from where they worked. She liked Susanna, and so far she’d only told her that she’d met someone.“Can’t I smile?”“Nuh uh, that smile says someone’s getting laid tonight,” Susanna said.Isadora burst out laughing, and shook her head. “I get laid every night.”“Oh my word, Isa! Spill it, girl!”Isadora sighed, but she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “T