I wasn’t too proud to admit he scared me.
If I saw him on the street, I would immediately turn the other way. I didn’t need to know who he was to understand he was lethal. He was a threat to every single person on the planet, especially with that sneer.
He wouldn’t stop staring at me.
He looked at me the entire time, hardly paying attention to the game because I was more fascinating. The only reason I didn’t walk away was because being next to Bosco was the safest place in the world for me.
But I didn’t like it.
Finally, something scared him off because he looked away and never turned back.
Bosco probably did something.
When Bosco was finished with his hands, he handed his chips to one of his men then approached Ronan on the floor, his hand around my waist.
Ronan addressed me before his brother. “Carmen, you look lovely.” Unlike the rest of the men in the casino, he seemed to be a gentleman. He leaned into me and kissed me on the cheek. “And my brother looks a lot better because you’re with him.” He grinned then turned his gaze on Bosco.
Bosco obviously trusted him because he wouldn’t let another man touch me otherwise. “She makes the casino look better too.”
“No arguments there.” He slid his hands into the pockets of his suit. “So, I hear you cleaned up pretty well.”
Bosco shrugged, remaining humble despite his immense winnings.
Ronan chuckled. “Carmen really does make you better.” His statement seemed to refer to a previous conversation they’d had when they talked about me in private.
Bosco didn’t challenge the statement. “I know she does.” He pulled me closer into his side.
The room smelled like cigars and booze. I was glad I didn’t wear any of my own clothes to the casino because the smell would never come out of the fabric. Bosco was the only one who didn’t smoke. I wasn’t sure why he’d suddenly cut back.
One of Bosco’s men approached him, in a black suit with a visible earpiece. He leaned toward Bosco and spoke quietly so only Bosco could hear.
Bosco nodded then turned to me. “There’s someone I need to speak to. My brother will keep you occupied until I return.” He kissed me on the corner of my mouth before he walked away with the man who approached him.
Most of his men stayed behind with me, discreetly surrounding the two of us. Ronan watched his brother walk away before he turned his gaze on me, his blue eyes the same color but not filled with the same intensity and longing. He stepped closer to me so we could speak easily over the loud noise around us. “Still not a fan?”
“Of what?” I asked.
He nodded to the floor. “All this.”
“It’s impressive, but not for me.”
“I don’t blame you. Women are treated as second-class here, unfortunately. Not you because you’re with Bosco, but that’s the mentality around here. Anytime a woman is in here, she’s usually topless. That’s what the men expect.”
Well, they weren’t going to see me naked anytime soon. “One of the men at the table wouldn’t stop staring at me. I was relieved when the hand was over.”
His eyes narrowed, his gaze turning serious. “The one with the facial scars.”
“Yes.” It looked like that man stuck out like a sore thumb too.
“Don’t worry about him. Bosco would never let anything happen to you. Neither would I.” He gave me an affectionate look. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to my brother. He used to be a robot, but now he acts like a human being again. You’re putting him back together…piece by piece.”
My eyes softened at the sweet words. “He’s a good man.”
“I know he is. But I think he forgot for a while.” He gave me a smile that was friendly. He was far more approachable than his brother, not having the dark intensity that fueled Bosco. “I see the way you look at him. You’re crazy about him.”
I wanted to deny the claim, but I couldn’t. My heart had completely melted for the man. I was weak in the knees and head over heels. This man had made me weaker than anyone else, had affected me more deeply than anyone ever could. I’d never come close to feeling this way about any other man. Not even at all. “We have a connection.” I wasn’t going to put my heart on the line in front of his brother, not when I wouldn’t even tell Bosco how I felt. I was still determined to walk away from this relationship at the end of our arrangement.
He smiled. “Alright, I’ll stop grilling you about it. But in case it wasn’t as obvious to you as it’s been to me…my brother is crazy about you too.”
I already knew that, based on the way he looked at me every single morning, afternoon, and night.