Dominic headed down the stairwell before looking at the woman at the bar. Her eyes were cast upwards, as though they were searching. Dominic smirked as he made his way towards the bar. Ethan and Cooper blended in well as they circled away from him.
“Are you looking for me?” Only then did she notice Dominic standing in front of her, causing her breath to hitch in her throat.Her cheeks reddened at being caught, but she straightened her shoulders and looked Dominic in the eye. “No.”Dominic chuckled low in his throat, and a bottle of water appeared. Dominic nodded his thanks to the barman. “You are a bad liar, Isadora.”“How do you know my name?” Isadora asked him with narrowed eyes.Dominic didn’t change his demeanor as he looked intently at her. “Come now, Isadora. We both know you know exactly who I am. You’ve been here quite often, always seeking me out. You’re even staying in one of my hotels, which makes me wonder what you want from me.”Isadora smiled then. “Perhaps it’s not what you think.”Dominic checked his watch, and Isadora bit her bottom lip—an action that hadn’t gone unnoticed. Ethan and Cooper now stood directly behind her, keeping other people away. “I have to do something, but if you want to continue this conversation, then my men will take you somewhere more private.”She turned to look behind her and blinked before turning back towards Dominic. “Somewhere more private?”“Like a private room at a restaurant.”“I hardly know you,” she said, but Dominic could see that she wanted to.“If it makes you feel any better, then you can wait here and we’ll leave together. I know you want to.”Her gaze traveled down the length of Dominic’s body. “I’m not going to sleep with you.”Dominic leaned in closer, watching as Isadora shivered from his close proximity. “I don’t fuck on the first date.”Her eyes widened, and then she laughed. “You looked so serious just now as you said that.”“I was serious, Isadora. There is a process to be followed before I even think about fucking you. I don’t even know if I’ll like you after tonight.”Her smile disappeared as she regarded him with interest. “Is this like an interview?”“No. I would like to take you to dinner and get to know you. If the chemistry is still there at the end of the night, then I’ll fuck you tomorrow.”“Excuse me? Who says I’ll like you at the end of the night?”Dominic grinned then as she watched him. “You didn’t even want to go anywhere with me, yet now you’re already thinking ahead to the end of the night. I like my odds.”“Smooth, very smooth.”“I’ll be back soon. My men will stay with you.” Dominic turned towards the barman again and motioned for him to come closer. “Place the lady’s drinks on my tab, Gunter.”“Yes, boss.”She quirked her eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Ethan and Cooper nodded their heads at Dominic, who simply nodded his head as he walked away from the bar. He didn’t play games often, but this little girl had piqued his interest. The only games he did play were the ones he was sure he’d win.In his office, he watched Isadora on the security cameras. She didn’t look at other men, nor did she make any move to strike up a conversation with his men. He liked that. Dominic didn’t share, and watching a woman when she didn’t know was the fastest way to know for sure.“I can handle it on my own, Dominic,” Gage said as he looked at the screen Dominic was watching.“Mark the asshole. People need to know they don’t fuck with Vittori’s and get away with it.”Gage nodded his head and left the office alone. Austin walked in front of Dominic while Hudson brought up the rear as they headed back downstairs to the bar area. Isadora’s eyes found Dominic’s the moment he stepped into the bar area, and she stood up.Dominic offered her his arm, which she took without wavering. Cooper grinned as they started walking back to the staircase. The men led them through the hallways, heading out of the back door into the alley. She kept looking around, and Dominic could see the nervousness in her eyes.“The car is right there,” Dominic said as the SUV came into view. The men watching the SUV appeared, and Ethan nodded his head as he pressed his finger against his ear.“All clear, Dominic.”They slid into the car, where Isadora sat next to Dominic, as Ethan sped out of the underground parking lot, heading towards the city center. The restaurant was ten minutes away as they once again parked at a back entrance before they were led inside to a private booth.A waiter appeared with a sealed bottle of wine and uncorked it as Isadora watched the exchange silently. Her eyes took everything in, yet Dominic hadn’t said a word. The wine was poured, and Dominic tasted it, nodding his head at the waiter, who filled both glasses half-full. “Bring us a sample of the chef’s menu.”“Who the hell are you?” Isadora asked him a little breathlessly.“You know exactly who I am.”“Yes, I do.” Isadora’s gaze didn’t waver as she kept looking him in the eye. “You’re a mobster.”“I prefer to call myself a businessman since we don’t call ourselves mobsters.”Isadora smiled slightly and emptied her wine glass. “But you have ties to the mafia.”“With ties to the mafia,” Dominic agreed. It wasn’t something he could hide because reporters ran stories about his family almost weekly. They knew what Dominic wanted them to know about him, and they’d gotten good at keeping much of their lives private.Dominic refilled her glass as the waiter brought out their rolls and left again quickly. They knew Dominic’s preferences for not wanting them to linger. Isadora wasn’t looking at him, which had him wondering what was going through her mind.“Do you want to leave?”Isadora looked up at him as she finally smiled. “You promised to feed me.”Dominic took a sip of his wine before smiling back at her. “I did, didn’t I?”“You did.”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 h
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