Athena
I walked into Moretti Industries the next day with an ear-splitting grin on my face. I most likely looked like I was high on Molly but I could not and would not give a shit. I was getting to Luciano, that fact alone made my day- and it was not even nine yet!
Making sure to add an extra sway to my hips, I ignored the dirty looks I got from my coworkers and made a beeline for the elevator. My dress was sure to call attention. A white body con dress that I had gone shopping for last night. It had a high neckline, different from the V necks I always wore. But that was not the interesting part. The interesting part was the round hole directly above my breasts, revealing the mounds pressed up together in a rather sensual fashion. The rest of me was wrapped snugly in the white dress ending above my knees. I liked how amazing I looked of course, but I was even more certain that it would get the job done.
Frustrate the shit out of Luciano.
The elevator lurched to a halt and I sashayed out of it, feeling every inch the bold woman I was before the bastard made me some fucking slave. He wasn’t immune. The fiasco yesterday made that very clear. He was simply resisting and I, Athena Hernandez, was going to break that resolve with a hammer if I had to.
“Good morning!” I greeted cheerily when I slipped into his office.
Familiar dark eyes met mine swept down to my slightly exposed breasts, then slowly as if stoked by fuel, anger blazed in them. I grinned at the sight of him rising from the desk, knowing what to expect. He would most likely stalk toward me until I was pressed up against him and the wall. All those hard sinewy muscles crushing me. A tingling settled in my lower belly, and my tongue darted out, wetting my lips in anticipation. I was so close to making him break, I could feel it in my bones.
Well, at least I hoped he was. This cat-and-mouse game was becoming very tiring.
“Get out,” Luciano bit out and my brows jumped up in surprise. Now he was simply running away and to think I thought he was brave enough to continue the game between us.
“Is there a problem Mr. Moretti?” I asked, blinking at him innocently.
Luciano gritted his teeth and growled with each step I took, drawing closer to his desk. I made sure to hold his gaze before leaning on his desk with my hands, offering him a view of what was to come.
Fall already, I taunted in my mind. This mission ought to go smoothly from there afterward. All I had to do was wrap him around my little finger.
“Get the hell out of my office,” Luciano deadpanned, the anger dying in his eyes. The calm mask, the same expression that everyone had come to assume was the resting bitch face of the CEO of Moretti Industries was back. Mahn, he had the resolve of a freaking bear. And balls of steel if I might add.
“Why?” I asked, folding my arms in anger, done with the hot and cold attitude he always gave me.
“Don’t question me, Miss Gonzalez. Last I recall, I am the boss, not you.” He warned and lowered himself back onto his seat.
His rebuff stung more than I expected. Perhaps it was because the longer he ignored me, the longer this mission would take. Or because I had seen him date people way worse than Raven Gonzalez and his refusing my advances, subtle or not, felt like a blow to the face. Everyone in the undercover ops had faith that I could win him over. I could not fail them now!
Ignoring the warning in my head that told me not to do anything stupid, I leaned lower slamming a palm on the table while glaring at him.
“What on earth is your problem?!” I demanded, my voice coming out in an annoying whiny tune.
Luciano’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“You,” I retorted. “The big bad alpha of Moretti Industries who’s doing something as chicken as hiding from a woman!”
“Gonzalez!” He bellowed, eyes flashing in anger.
Good. I needed him to be mad. I needed him as angry as possible. That was way better compared to him treating me so fucking passively as if he wasn’t attracted to me!
“Is there something wrong with me?! Is there a reason why you detest me so much? Why do you fight what could be between us?” I sounded like a major lovesick fool, but that was the goal wasn’t it? The more I could convince Luciano that I was crazy about him, the higher the chances of success.
Luciano rose swiftly then, gripping my jaw fiercely from across the desk. I must have been too damn distracted or he must have moved too fast for me to block him.
Rough fingers dug into my chin slightly causing a bit of pain. When my eyes found Luciano’s, they were not blazing. He stared at me with cold dead eyes as if I had pushed him to his wit’s end. I most likely had.
I must have been around him too much, that I had forgotten who the man before me truly was. Yes, he was the CEO of a multi-billion company but behind that farce was a sinister, cold, and deadly man.
The mafia Lord.
I had gotten too comfortable and let my guard down. I had gotten carried away with playing office with him and forgot that I had to act with discretion.
Damn him! Somehow he had a way of getting through the barricades and facades I had erected for myself. To forget who I was and why I was in his office in the first place. I eyed him warily, calculating my next course of action if he tried to snap off my neck. I had seen him do that before to one of his men a year ago and just the memory of it gave me chills.
“This is your final warning, Raven Gonzalez,” Luciano muttered. “You are quite efficient and that is the only reason I have allowed your persistence. One more slip like this and you are fired.”
He let go then, ignoring the gasp that slipped from my lips and pointed at the door. “Change into something more work appropriate or don’t come back at all.”
And from the look in his eyes, I knew he meant every word.
***
“It won’t work Frederick,” I sniffed into the phone pressed against my ear. I was back at home, locked up in my bedroom as I contemplated how much I had messed up.
“I always did say you did not have to seduce him. We just need you growing close enough to find dirt on him,” Frederick explained.
“How was I supposed to do that without getting his attention first?” I grumbled and flopped on the bed. Everything was a damned mess.
“Athena, you got cocky-”
“I don’t need you telling me shit I already figured out. That’s not why I called you, Freddy.”
“I know,” He replied. “You wanted me to stroke your ego and take the blame. If I hadn’t made you take this job, You wouldn’t be in a pickle. You’d be happy to know I’ll let you decide what to do after this.”
“How very gracious of you. I shoved myself into this mess now I’m tasked with the responsibility of bringing myself out.” I said dryly and heard him chuckle.
“That’s just how life works kiddo.”
“For the record, I dislike you sometimes.”
Frederick snickered. “I’m guessing now is one of those times?”
“You’re still smart I see,” I mumbled. “Well, I guess I had better find a drab dress to wear, or my ass is fired, and no intel for you.”
“Right,” He replied. “Just be careful Kiddo. Luciano is not a man to be messed with. You’re quite fortunate he only threatened to fire you. He could have done much worse.”
“You’re right,” I whispered. I had to do my best to maintain boundaries between us or I could find myself in deep shit. The phone call dropped and I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Frederick was right. He always was. I had grown overconfident during the mission. A rookie mistake that I had not made in almost four years. It was time I adjusted.
I heaved myself off the bed then and sifted through my wardrobe for a partially modest dress. The aim was to remain in Moretti Industries all along to ferret out intel. I needed to focus on the goal and not the means. To avenge my father’s death, I had to be willing to do whatever I could to get rid of Luciano.
“Any means necessary,”