“Yes, sir.” My voice sounded husky.
We walked down the driveway to the rose garden on the other side of the front yard. The garden was edged with rose bushes and an intricate, metal fence. Romano opened the gate and ushered me through, closing it behind us with a click that set off every alarm bell in my head.
“Lucien Esposito is a very important man,” Romano said carefully. “But then you come from an important family, so you’re surely a match made in heaven. All thanks to me, I was the one who recommended it.”
I kept quiet.
“What sort of man do you think he is?”
I paused at an archway covered in white roses. “He seems like he’ll make a good husband,” I said, choosing my words with care.
I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want to discuss my fiancé with his boss. It made me incredibly uncomfortable.
“He is loyal to me, is he not?” Romano asked after a moment.
So that was what he was after. Did he suspect Lucien of something? I frowned, wondering what on earth could have led him to believe Lucien might not be loyal. It was widely known that honor and duty to the outfit were the cornerstones of Lucien Esposito.
“Of course, we all are,” I said swiftly.
I looked up at the mansion glittering beyond the rose garden. I was feeling incredibly helpless without Lucien, alone in the dark with a man whose power was limitless. He could take out a knife and slide it into my heart right here and there would be no one to stop him.
“Of course,” said Romano, nodding. “Lucien is one of the good ones, the best really.”
“He’s very respectful, I have no complaints,” I said.
Romano took my arm and slid it under his, the warmth of his body permeating my skin. I glanced up at him as he moved through the garden, talking absently of the party and asking after my family. I responded politely, my body loosening as I grew more comfortable in his presence.
I glanced down at his hand as he paused beside the fountain in the center of the garden. There was a faint mark on his finger where his wedding band had sat. I knew his wife had died a few years ago during a shooting in one of the outfit’s restaurants. I was also aware that their marriage hadn’t been a happy one and Romano had scarcely bothered to conceal his relief at his newfound freedom.
“I never realized how beautiful you are,” he said. “Lucien is a very lucky man.”
My throat tightened as I attempted to swallow. “Thank you, sir.”
His hand came up and touched my stomach between my ribs, just below my breasts. My nipples tightened, more from the simple contact of his skin than arousal. He dropped his gaze and it lingered over my breasts for a long, thorough moment.
“You really mean to tell me that Lucien hasn’t touched you?” he murmured.
“Lucien wouldn’t…he hasn’t,” I breathed, my heart pounding.
Romano stepped closer to me and I backed up, the stone edge of the fountain pressing into my bare back. A shiver went through me as his fingers skimmed over my hip and every nerve tingled with alarm.
I shifted my thighs and realized my panties were wet, sticking to the bare folds of my sex. Was this my body’s fear response? I didn’t feel aroused, I felt scared. Forcing myself not to attempt to flee, I lifted my eyes to his face and found him studying me with a hungry expression. He was handsome, in his own way, not so different from Lucien. They were both made men, lethal and sexual to a degree I didn’t fully understand yet.
Romano tugged my skirt up, baring my leg from the knee down. Without thinking, I dug my fingers into the fabric and ripped it from his grasp. His eyes flashed and he took a step forward, trapping me against the fountain.
“Please—please don’t touch me,” I whispered.
“I’m your capo, I have every right to touch you.” The words came out in a hoarse rush, almost as if he growled them at me like an animal. A fresh wave of fear went through me and I wrapped my arms around my body, hoping desperately it might help deter him.
“You’re wet right now, aren’t you? Is that why you won’t let me touch you? Or is it because you were lying and Lucien already claimed his rights with you?”
“Lucien wouldn’t—”
“If you’re under the impression Lucien is a good man, you’re in for a disappointment, girl,” Romano said. “Now, are you going to spread your legs for me or not?”
I needed to get out now. My vision started to tunnel and my mouth went horribly dry. Romano’s body pressed up against mine, his hard hips pushing into my thigh, grinding his erection against me. I jerked my body and he seized both my wrists, gathering them in one hand to hold me still.
His touch slid up my inner thigh beneath my skirt and I gasped, choking back a cry of protest. Then his fingers skimmed beneath my skirt and found the scrap of lace over my hips and his body tensed against mine. He released a harsh sound, cross between a moan and a growl.