Athena
I nearly lost my shit.
I had seen Luciano kiss countless women. I had seen him grip them and shove them against a wall, table, counter top or even a bed during my quest to kill him. And whatever tremors that I felt- if I felt any, were nothing compared to the ones that currently racked my body.
Good lord, the man could kiss.
He was demanding. In nature and this very kiss. His mouth prodded and plundered against mine hungrily, seeking and finding the seam of my lips. A silky hot tongue stroked against it, seeking entrance and It was there I drew the line. I had succeeded in breaking his resolve, that was enough for now. There was no need to take this any further. With a sigh, I pulled away- well I tried to, the brute barely allowed me to step back an inch before growling like some bear who had lost his honey. His hands around my waist tightened and he pulled me back against him.
I felt it. Every hardness crushing against mine, sending thrills, tingling my nerve endings. He placed a palm on the crook of my neck, cupping it and tilting my head so he could have better access to my mouth. I searched his face until my eyes locked with his. The lust that brewed in them made my thighs clench involuntarily. The way he looked at me, Oh good fucking gravy. I had to stop this before things escalated beyond my control.
Luciano leaned forward then, ready to devour my lips a second time but paused when I said in a false breathless tone, “Mr. Moretti, We need to stop. W-We’ll get seen.”
That seemed to snap him out of it. His brown eyes which had boiled so hot and intense blinked in surprise then receded into a squint. He turned away abruptly and marched down the stairs with a stride so fast, I thought he would disappear from me. For a minute, I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath and think above the noise of my [pounding heart. That had been borderline wild. When I leaned up to kiss him, I hadn’t expected much of a response. I doubted I had thought about what I was doing at all. He was so close and so warm, Closing the gap between us had felt like the right thing to do.
And that was dangerous. Too fucking dangerous for me!
Since when did I start allowing my heart to decide shit for me? I should have possessed all my thinking faculties with me. I shouldn’t have done shit on a whim just because I wanted it.
“This is bad, Athena,” I whispered, brushing my fingers against my lips. They felt tender and swollen and my hands quickly retracted. This was bad. I had to get back in control or I was going to lose this game big time.
“Miss Gonzalez, I will be more than happy to leave you in Vegas, if that is your wish!” Luciano spat from below the stairs. I couldn’t see him but considering the irritation that rang clear in his voice, he was pissed.
Quickly, I pulled away from the wall and ran down the stairs to meet him at the bottom. Oh damn, I was thoroughly doomed. Big time. Luciano wasn’t pissed, HE WAS LIVID. Keeping a neutral look on my face, I tried to walk past him when his large hand grabbed my arm.
“If you breathe a word of this…”
Giving him a small smile despite the severe look on his face, I patted his hands. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, Mr. Moretti,”
My answer didn’t seem to satisfy him though. Molten brown eyes seemed to search my face for something. A fealty? A promise that I wouldn’t tell a soul? Hilarious, who exactly would I tell? I almost snorted at the thought but made sure to keep my face as smooth as possible.
Whatever it was that he searched for, he apparently did not see it because he shoved me away from him like I made his skin crawl and marched towards the car park.
“He’s going to make next week hell for me, won’t he?”
Yep, my mind answered. Definitely.
***
When Monday rolled by, I dreaded going to work. I laid on my bed face down trying to list reasons why I had to no matter what.
“You need information,” I mumbled into the mattress.
Really? Did I need information though? Frederick was the one who wanted information on the damned bastard. All I wanted was to see his pretty neck slit. So who cares what Frederick wanted? He would not be the one bearing the brunt of Luciano’s stupid tantrums just because I kissed him.
“I owe it to Frederick though.” I tried to convince myself again.
True I did owe Frederick. If he hadn’t saved me that day, I could have been stabbed and gutted and left somewhere to die. Probably in a ditch. He had pulled up at the last minute and turned the fight around. Those guys hadn’t stood a chance against Frederick’s brutal fists. I sighed and rolled on my back, eyeing the ceiling. It was only right to pay him back.
And this was the last time I would pay shit back. Once Luciano was dead, I would quit my job with the FBI. I was tired of it all. I just wanted to move to some quiet place, preferably near the sea, and live the rest of my life in solace like I deserved. A murderer had no place in enforcing the law and by the time this mission was done, I would be one.
My phone beeped, informing me it was seven o’clock and I had less than an hour to get my ass back to work. What was my plan this time? Go on ahead to keep driving him crazy with my outfits or play things quietly?
***
I chose quietly.
But it didn’t matter what I chose or didn’t. Luciano was a beast! Before twelve, I was a mess. I had cleaned our office because the damned idiot had shredded paper all over the place. Then he spilled his coffee on it and walked on it until they were a matted mess. He had done that shit before I had even shown up for work at all. When I stepped into the office, his eyes ran over my very modest outfit. I had chosen a simple free top that covered every part of me and a longer skirt whose hem brushed my knees just so he wouldn’t get madder.
Ha! The first mistake I made was thinking Luciano was predictable. I regretted it big time. He went from mad to furious and I could swear the whole building heard him bark orders at me all morning.
“Miss Gonzalez!” He bellowed from his office and I groaned, hanging my head back, tired and angry. I had mopped the whole fucking office barely ten minutes ago and was currently typing a stupid report on why walruses were good marketing animals; it made no sense, I knew that; I couldn’t deal with another crap. “GON. ZA. LEZ!”
Ah shit, I rose to my feet and slipped out of my office into his. He sat behind his desk, brooding- handsome yes- but so damn annoying. His eyes, nearly black watched me waddle towards him. My hair was a mess. I had tied it into a ponytail but a few strands were stuck to my sweaty face. Whatever makeup I had used that morning was gone, I’d had to wipe it off in the bathroom when things got awry.
“What is it, my lord the King and Majesty?” I bit out, voice laced with as much sarcasm as I could infuse. I was done with him treating me like trash.
Luciano’s eyes narrowed in warning, obviously not liking my tone of voice. “Why is my coffee cup empty?”
“Because you dribbled your coffee all over the floor, sire,” I replied, pursing my lips in anger.
“Refill it immediately-”
“No, I will not!” I spat, folding my arms, my eyes narrowed in a glare.
“What,” He asked in a low, threatening tone. “Did you just say?”
A huff slipped from my lips and I held my head up, holding his gaze. “I said I won’t. I’m not your slave Mr. Moretti! I am your employee! This has to qualify as abuse.”
Luciano stared at me as if I had grown ten heads. He rose to his feet slowly and my lower belly clenched.
“What will you do then?” He asked in a mocking tone. His eyes held mine and for some reason, I couldn’t look away even as he walked round the desk towards me. “Will you report me then?”
“I will,” I deadpanned.
His eyes lit up with mirth and he chuckled. He reached out to my face, swiping the hair that clung to it away from my face. “To who, Raven? The police?”