All Chapters of It Kills Me: A Forbidden Dark Romance: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I waited for her to leave, but she lingered.I knew she hadn’t ratted me out to her father. She’d had the chance when we first met, but she kept it to herself. And the reason was obvious—because she liked my attention. The attraction I felt the moment I saw her…she felt it too.“What are you doing here?” she asked.“Your father and I have business to discuss—as usual.”“I feel like that’s all you ever do,” she said. “Discuss…”“I do a lot of shit behind the scenes,” I said. “In the middle of the night when you’re dead asleep.”“My father never partnered with anyone before, so I was surprised when he agreed to this.”“If you want to stay in the game for the long haul, you’ve got to adapt. Your father knows this.”“And how long have you been in the game?”I crossed my arms over my chest, surprised by her question. She never asked me anything. Never struck up a conversation with me. I was the one who did all the talking most of the time. But now, the tables had seemed to turn. “About fiv

He must have seen my flustered expression because he said, “You look like you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar.”“You just caught me by surprise.” The ring was tucked inside my dress, the diamond cold against my flesh.“Who are you here with?”“My father.”“I didn’t realize he would be attending.” He looked at the painting I admired. “This is the ugliest shit I’ve ever seen.”I hadn’t actually looked at the painting. I stared at it but didn’t see a single color. All I could see was the bar and the Russian I’d just stolen from. “Yeah.”“You know who likes art? Pricks.”“My father loves art.”“What a coincidence…” He grinned.I couldn’t tell whether he’d insulted my father on purpose or not. “Are you here with anyone?”“I told you I don’t do dates.”“Why?”“Because if I bring a date, I can’t pick up a date.”“Gotcha.”“Is that jealousy I hear?” He watched me, eyes narrowed, that smirk still there.I looked at the painting and covered my expression by taking a drink.He contin

I looked over at him again, seeing him sitting there with his knees far apart, his arm over the back of the empty chair beside him, laughing at something one of the guys said. He never looked over at me. Never wondered if I was looking at him. If he was playing hard to get, he fooled me.His gray shirt fit his hard body so well, tight across his powerful chest and arms, but it was loose over his firm stomach. I imagined him shirtless, all muscle, all strength. I pictured him flipping tires at the gym in nothing but sweatpants, sweat gleaming on his beautiful skin.I grabbed my drink and made my move, but just as I stood up, I saw another woman make hers. Her eyes flashed to me, like she knew my intention and was determined to reach him before I could. She was blond and pretty, wearing a dress as scandalous as mine.I should have gotten up sooner when I’d had a chance. She beat me fair and square, so I should drop back into my chair and let the drink he bought me soothe my aches. But I

He set his phone aside and grabbed a few pieces of bacon and some eggs. He ate across from me, his eyes on me the entire time. Despite how pretty his eyes were, they were intense. Something so beautiful could also be so menacing.“What?” I asked, growing uncomfortable with his stare.“You look beautiful in the morning.”“I look beautiful when I’m dead tired and still wearing last night’s makeup?”He didn’t flinch. “Yes.” He brought his mug to his lips and took a drink. “Or maybe it’s just because I know that pussy is packed with a night’s worth of come.” He set down the mug, a cocky look in his eyes.“Are you always this possessive with a one-night stand?”“No.” His answer was immediate, his certainty ironclad. “But this isn’t a one-night stand.”“Excuse me?”“I spoke clearly.” He took a bite of his bacon and ate it as he stared me down.Last night, I’d given in to my weakness and thrown myself at him. Watching him turn that grown man into a pussy had been a serious turn-on. I’d dropp

Her soft smile slowly faded as she swirled her glass. “It’d be fun to attend culinary school in Paris or here in Florence…make my own recipes and open my own restaurant. That wouldn’t be a bad career option. The hours would be rough, but the satisfaction might make it worth it.”There was a missing page to this story, because I couldn’t understand how a protective father would allow his beloved daughter to run an empire that filled the streets with blood. She would always have a target on her back—and I couldn’t imagine him wanting that for her. There must be more to the situation, but Dante chose to keep that information to himself. “I can see it. Wearing a white chef’s jacket…black lingerie underneath.”She released a chuckle. “I like wearing lingerie, but not at work.”All my muscles tightened as my interest was piqued. “You do?”“Yeah. I like to wear it underneath my dresses before I go out…and watch his reaction when I undress.” She gave me a playful smile across the table, her f