Bought age gap mafia rom.., p.2
BOUGHT: Age Gap Mafia Romance, page 2
“I read the profile,” she says. “And your list of rules. They made you sound like a real control freak.”
I hold back a chuckle. “That doesn’t sound like me.”
“Interesting.” Her blue eyes challenge me as she says. "Still. You go first. Lose the shirt.”
She’s an anomaly. I should end it right now. Send her away. Call someone else. But I don’t.
Instead, I slowly unbutton the top button of my shirt, keeping my eyes fixed on hers.
“Safe word?” I unbutton another.
“I don’t need one. You try anything non-consensual, and I’ll rip your balls off.”
And for the first time in longer than I want to admit, this isn’t just another night. This woman isn’t a brief escape. She’s the kind of problem you can’t just walk away from. The kind that burns slow and dangerous but never goes to embers.
She holds my gaze as if she owns it, as if she’s already inside my mind, unraveling the tightly wound knots of control I’ve spent ten years perfecting.
My fingers move to the next button on my shirt. Deliberate. Measured. A provocation, not a courtesy.
A test.
I don’t usually test women. I command. They follow.
But her?
She makes me want to find the edges. To see how far I can push her before she breaks.
All while feeling I’m the one at risk.
“Your turn,” I say.
She stays perfectly still, tilting her head to look at me as if I’m the one being examined. Her nerve should anger me. Instead, a heavy heat weighs in my core.
Need.
“You think this is a game?” I ask.
Her lips curl slightly, enough to suggest defiance. “If it is, you’re losing.”
Damn again. She may be a virgin, but she’s no shrinking violet.
Fine. Let’s see how she handles my next move.
I part my shirt. I move the fabric far enough for her to see the destruction that hides beneath, then wait for her reaction.
Her eyes lower, assess my damaged skin, flicker, widen, then return to my face. She meets my gaze with a smile. No fear. No flinch. Christ.
Not like the others.
I step forward, and she stays put. I take another step. Still, she doesn't move. When I finally get close enough to feel the heat radiating from her skin, I can’t help but want to reach out and wrap my hands around her waist.
“I don’t lose,” I say.
“Then prove it.” That strong chin juts out again.
The zipper at the back of her dress calls to me. I tug at the metal, my pulse quickening. The sound is louder than it should be, or maybe it's just this room, too quiet with only our breathing.
Feeling the upper hand slipping, I run my fingertips down her spine, a rush of energy flowing in me as she shivers under my touch, knowing I’m in control.
The dress slips off her shoulders. She wears a simple black matching bra and panties made of a silky satin that shimmers under the light. Practical, comfortable.
Bare essentials, but on her?
Sexy as hell.
“Turn around,” I order.
She does. Slowly. Controlled.
Every part of her body is tense, but not from fear. This is a woman holding her ground in enemy territory—and she’s doing it well.
My hands rest on her hips. I can feel her pulse beneath her skin. “You know who I am?”
“Yes.”
“You know what I do?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me why you’re still standing here.”
She glances over her shoulder. “Because you’re not the only one who has needs.”
Our eyes meet.
This—This is the moment I realize I made a huge mistake.
This isn’t just about sex. Not for me. Not for her. I should stop. Should send her away before she gets under my skin. But I don’t.
Because she already has.
Instead, I turn her back to face me, fingers framing her jaw. “You think you can walk away after this?”
“I know I can,” she says, steady.
My thumb brushes her lower lip’s edge. “We’ll see.”
Her lip is soft beneath my thumb. The look in her eyes isn’t. Not seduction. Not submission. It’s a challenge.
I shouldn’t take it, but I do.
I lean in with measured calm. A kind of restraint that’s more dangerous than rushing.
My mouth stops just short of hers.
I can feel her breath, warm and steady, without any tremor.
“Last chance to walk,” I say.
Her gaze holds mine. “Last chance to send me home.”
Fuck.
And in this moment, I know I’m going to break my own rule.
My hand moves to the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair.
She gives a light moan, “Don’t you dare.”
The words are a warning, but she says them like a plea.
I hold her there for a moment. And then…
I kiss her.
Not polite. Not sweet. A declaration. A test. Her lips part immediately, but not to surrender.
She meets me, presses in, and its fire in my veins.
My chest tightens. I don’t kiss women because kissing feels too intimate, too real. And this? This is already more than I can handle.
I deepen the kiss anyway.
Her hands rise to my chest. Not to push me away, just there, a point of contact. Heat radiates through the fine cotton of my shirt. I want her hands lower. I want them everywhere.
When I finally break the kiss, we’re both breathing harder.
“You broke my rule,” she says, all silky velvet.
“I like breaking rules.”
Her mouth curves slightly. “Dangerous habit.”
I let my gaze drop over her body, then back to her eyes. “Habits are for breaking, too.”
“Since we both broke the rule, who gets to dole out the consequences?”
I move in, close, fast, my hands gripping her waist, pulling her flush against me. “Seems like you already know.”
She inhales, sharp but steady, as if bracing for what comes next.
“I will always be the one in control. The one to command. The one to punish. And you will obey me.” I lower my head to her ear. “Now, take off the rest. Or I’ll do it for you.”
From the pocket of her coat, a phone rings.
CHAPTER THREE
Erin
My heart is still pounding against my ribcage from the kiss, and it beats double time with the music. Why is Cass calling? What do they need? Has something gone wrong?
“That’s another rule,” he says. “No personal phone calls.”
“Tough,” I snap.
Rushing away from him, I bend down and scoop up the coat. I pull it on, covering my scantily clad body as I fumble through its pockets.
Stepping outside for privacy, I answer the phone with a quick, “Hey,” just before it goes to voicemail.
The apartment door shuts behind me, and I finally take a breath.
Not because I was scared. That wasn’t fear back there. It was something worse.
Desire.
And now, this call. It has to be an emergency. She knows better than to call otherwise.
She’s calling my name. “Rin! Erin, are you still there?”
“Yes, sorry. What’s going on?”
“I had this strange feeling! I just had to check on you.”
“What?” I exhale, unsure whether I feel relieved or angry. Maybe both. “God! Cass! You can’t just—call me—when you get a weird feeling! You know I’m…with a client.”
“A client,” she snorts. “More like a pervert. What’s so wrong with him that he has to pay for sex?”
His face appears in my mind. Beautiful and cold.
“Nothing.”
“Yeah right. If you stay, you’ll see for yourself soon enough—”
I hiss into the phone. “I haven’t had the chance! Maybe I could figure out what’s wrong with him if you’d just let me!”
“Sorry,” she breathes. “I was just worried.”
“I know.” I stare at the door. “I have to go. I’ve got a job to do.”
Another pregnant pause fills the conversation.
“Don’t do this, Erin,” Cass pleads.
I think about her, Ryan, and the tough choices we’ll soon have to face if I don’t. I must.
I force a smile. “I want to. Honestly, he’s not bad. He’s actually really good looking—”
“Ugh,” she groans. “You’re really going to do this?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me anything else. Just get home as soon as you can.”
“I will.” I release a sigh. “Do NOT call again. Got it?”
“Got it.” Our pause. Feelings are being felt on the other end of the line. Then, Cass surprises me by saying, “Love you.”
“Wow. You must really be worried,” I tease.
She groans again. “Stop.”
“Love you too, Cass.” I grin. “Give Ryan a kiss for me.”
“Already did. He’s sleeping soundly.”
“Gotta go.” I hang up and turn off the ringer. No more calls, no more interruptions. I slip the phone into my pocket.
I grasp the cold metal door handle, hesitating before turning it. My reflection in the stainless steel looks like a stranger with flushed cheeks, slightly disheveled hair, and swollen lips. My body’s still vibrating, my skin still remembering every place he touched me.
I hate this.
This was meant to be simple.
A simple plan.
One night. One transaction. One step closer to what we need.
Instead, I stand outside his apartment with his scent still on my skin and his kiss echoing on my lips.
Last chance to walk.
I should have taken it.
This is already complicated.
I don’t date men like him. Never have. I don’t allow it.
Not after everything I’ve been through and the things I’ve seen.
I learned from watching others’ mistakes, then fought my way out of that world for everyone’s sake.
And I sure as hell don’t plan to drag us back into it for a man with cold eyes and dangerous hands.
Except…
He wasn’t only made of ice.
There were moments, tiny flashes, when I saw something warmer in him. Heat that should’ve made me run before I get burned, but instead it draws me in like a moth to a flame.
Turning the knob, everything inside me urges me to leave. Now. But something keeps me going forward. That heat. His body, his eyes, the sound of his voice. And maybe the challenge he offers.
I don’t want to leave; I want to stay.
I walk back inside, and the steel door shuts behind me with finality.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lucian
She stands in front of my door, clutching her coat closed with her hand. Having already seen what’s underneath, I want to see it again. And punish her for wearing those pretty little black panties she’s chosen.
This coat needs to go.
The steel in her gaze loses its edge as I close the gap between us. Her collarbone peeks out from the collar of the coat, and I run my fingertip along the exposed flesh just below it.
I tilt my head closer. “Where were we?” Before she can answer, I tug the belt loose and push the coat over her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor.
“My turn.” She steps back just enough to reach behind her, unclasp her bra, and slide it down her arms. No hesitation. No shame. Her eyes stay fixed on mine. She stands before me—bare from the waist up, chin tilted, gaze locked. Not an invitation.
A dare.
I don’t move. I don’t touch. I watch, and in this moment, I’m certain this is not a woman I can buy or tame.
Already, I don’t think I’ll be able to forget her.
Her head tips to the side. “Am I the only one undressing?” An invitation.
Or a command?
Spend an hour with me, and she’ll be begging.
A few more buttons and I begin to slide my shirt sleeves down my arms. Her eyes stay on the bare skin of my chest, as if she wants to reach out and mimic the motion with her hands. She doesn’t.
There is so much tension in the air between us, hot and pulsing. I can’t bear it. I close the gap in a single step. My hands slide up her arms, feeling, memorizing, until my thumbs rest just below her collarbones, wondering why I’m so attracted to this part of her.
Is it the pulse that races beneath her skin?
Her skin is warm under my palms.
Running a finger over her peaked nipple, I watch her body respond. “You’re trouble.”
She counters, “You paid for trouble.”
“No. I didn’t. I paid for an innocent virgin.” My mouth curves in something not quite a smile. “I paid for compliance.”
“Then you hired the wrong woman.”
My hands move lower, over her ribs and down to her hips. I feel the faint ridge of an old scar on her lower back, realizing I’m not the only one here scarred. I wonder who left their mark, and if they’re still breathing. If she were mine, they wouldn’t be.
That’s a dangerous thought. I push it away.
“One night,” I remind us both. I brush my knuckles over her cheekbone. “You’re not scared of me.”
“You don’t know what I’ve seen,” she says.
A rough laugh escapes me. It’s been years since anyone could look me in the eye and say that without trembling. It's addictive.
She’s addictive.
“Take off your shoes,” I say, aiming to make her as vulnerable as possible.
Eyes on mine, she slides them off, kicking them away, one by one. I look down at her. She’s much smaller than she seemed when she first walked into this room.
I raise one hand to grip her jaw, tilting her head back. “I could do anything I want to you, and you couldn’t stop me.”
Her lips part as she looks up at me, and for a moment, I expect her to be afraid.
“Try me.” Defiance sparks in her eyes.
The words hit me like a shot of adrenaline, and I know I’ll wake up thinking about her.
I bend, my mouth finding hers again—deeper, hungrier, less about testing and more about taking. Her taste floods me, sharp and warm, and I know I should pull away.
I remember my vow: no attachments. No women like her— the kind that make me lose focus, make mistakes, and risk everything. I don’t pull away. I can’t. I control the situation physically, but she’s getting into my head, slipping under my skin.
I wrap my arms around her in a bear hug and kiss her. She can’t break free no matter how hard she fights.
Her fists clench in my shirt, dragging me even closer. I laugh into our kiss. Have I met my match? My grip on her jaw tightens as my other hand slides down her spine, urging her naked breasts against my bare chest until every inch of her warmth is pressed against me.
She doesn’t pull away from my flaws. Instead, she leans into them.
When I break the kiss, I mutter, “This was supposed to be simple.”
“It still can be,” she says, that sexy, sultry voice of hers now laced with doubt.
We’re both feeling it—some magnetic attraction. It seems neither of us is truly in control. Something bigger is at work.
Fate? The universe? A higher power?
Who knows, but for one night, should we bow to its will?
My heart warns me, no, I shouldn’t. I can’t. Not while I’m memorizing the exact cornflower shade of her baby blue eyes and the feeling I get when she looks up at me.
My body decides for us as I take her wrist and guide her to the bed, each step deliberate, a silent dare for her to resist. She doesn’t. But she doesn’t give in, either—every movement a negotiation, a reminder she’s here on her own terms just as much as mine.
I ease onto the edge of the bed, pulling her between my knees. Her breasts are so close I could lean in and take one of those sweet nipples between my lips and suck. Instead, I smooth down her sides, and she sighs as I pass over her waist. I rest at her hips, my fingertips slipping over her black satin panties.
I feel a pang of guilt. I don’t want her to go, but I don’t want to ruin her.
“Last chance,” I say quietly. A warning. “If you want to walk out, do it now.”
She stares at me for one heartbeat… two…
Then she climbs onto my lap.
Fuck.
I exhale, my breath leaving with my resistance. I don’t want this to end tonight. She’s a mistake I’d repeat over and over, until it ruins us both.
She settles on me, straddling me, and my hands lock at her hips to keep her exactly where I want. The heat between us is unbearable. Her thighs press against my sides, and my cock is hard enough to hurt against my pants.
She feels it. I know she does because her mouth curves slightly before she leans in, lips grazing my jaw.
“Careful,” I warn.
Her eyes sparkle. “I thought you didn’t like rules.”
I fist her hair, tilting her head back to see her face. No fear. Just that defiant steadiness that makes me want to fuck her senseless and find out what she looks like when she finally loses control.
“I don’t like liars either.”
Her eyes snap to mine. “What have I lied about?”
I release her hair, leaning back as I stare at her. “There’s no way you’re a virgin.
“I don’t have to have had sex to know what a man wants.” Her lips brush my ear, tickling my skin. “To know what you want.”
God. And she does. This girl will kill me.
“Let’s see if I know what you want,” I counter back.
My free hand slides up the inside of her thigh, over the satin. The silky material is damp. My cock twitches, pushing up against her.
“You’re wet, for me,” I say.
She doesn’t deny it. Her lips part, kissing my earlobe, forcing a moan from me.
Where is the wallflower virgin I ordered, the one I’m supposed to control, then forget?
I shift my hand, knuckles grazing her heat, letting the fabric drag against her clit as I stroke her through it. Her breath catches, barely, but enough I notice.
