The Mafia Contract Series

As I expected, Malik’s room resembles an exclusive gentleman’s outfit store, located at the finest address in the world. I’m guessing he has a carbon copy of this in every house he owns and wonder again about the wealth his family enjoys. A gold lined prison can’t be all bad and I just pray his clothes fit me because I’m a little more well defined than my Arab friend.

Settling on a white shirt with black formal trousers, I pull a dinner jacket out and test it for size. It amuses me to be going on a date. I’m not sure I ever have before because I don’t date women. I fuck them and send them home. This is as new to me as it is for Charlotte, and I’m surprised to find I’m looking forward to it.

A date sounds just the right thing to put a smile back on both our faces and seeing the pain in her eyes almost made me forget my own mind. If she’s hurting, I’m hurting, and I wonder about that. When did she become more to me than a job? I’ve done shit like this a hundred times before and I’m guessing I will multiple times in my future. But somehow things have changed between us, and it can only be because I’ve spent longer with her than most. That’s all this is, and I must remember that. No emotion, no shit and I must distance myself from her.

But for one night only we can both dream.

Maybe tonight will be a precious memory for both of us to pull out when we need it most because one thing’s certain in both our lives, the future is a dark one.

I must be as mad as Massimo telling her I would think of a way to save her. I was caught up in the moment and hated seeing her cry. It wounded my soul and I’m wondering about that. I shouldn’t care, but I do, and I’m surprised that this is the hardest thing I have ever done because she’s involved. A beautiful innocent virgin who has been set free from her cage, only to fall into a steel-clad prison with me and there is no way out of that. She’s a mafia princess and I must remember her father is the king. I wouldn’t be safe from him if anything ever happened to her, and I must sacrifice her to bring Winter back where she belongs. I keep on telling myself that Charlotte belongs by his side, but it crushes my heart picturing her living in his world of madness.

We have all heard the rumors surrounding Massimo Delauren and none of them are complimentary. A vile bastard of the cruelest kind. A psychotic murderer who kills for pleasure. A man who keeps young men as pets and makes their last days on earth a living hell and I am sending an angel into the fire and will have to stand back and watch her burn.

It’s too much to bear and so I sigh heavily and vow to make this night count for both of us.

Charlotte wants a dream date. Well, I’ll try my best.

ON THE HOUR, I head back to her room and knock gently on the door, and it takes her only a few seconds to open it and I almost step back at the sight dazzling before me.

She looks so beautiful it momentarily stuns me and I openly stare at a transformation so astonishing, I blink to test she is real.

Charlotte is standing tall in ivory satin heels, wearing a dress that looks as if it was crafted by angels. Ivory silk encrusted with small diamonds and lace, with intricate braiding, covers a tightly fitting bodice that causes her breasts to push temptingly against the fabric. Small straps shimmer in the light that rest against her smooth, ivory shoulders. Her arms are bare except for the diamond bracelet that hangs from her wrist and the matching choker momentarily blinds me. She has swept up her long hair on top of her head, causing her slender neck to offer me a bite like the deadliest vampire. The make-up she has used is smoky yet subtle and the slight hint of rouge on her sweet soft lips, is like a beacon to a feral man who has only one thing on his mind. Her.

“Do you like it?”

She spins on the spot, giving me a good view, the backless dress hanging low enough to draw my attention to her shapely ass that the fabric is caressing like the most desperate lover. It falls out like a mermaid’s tale and spills around her, the silk shimmering slightly as if its gentle waves are lapping against the shore. I’m certain this dress cost thousands of dollars, but the woman wearing it is priceless. I have never seen anyone as beautiful as she is and as she spins back around to face me, my jaw drops and my heart pumps like fury inside me.

This is the moment something happens that takes me by surprise. This is the moment when I discover I have a heart and it’s beating so hard for the woman before my eyes. And this is the moment it hits me like a bolt of well-directed lightning. Charlotte Richmond is going nowhere without me by her side. Now I know how I am going to save her, save us, and I need a moment to think this through.

“You’ll do.” The dry words make it out and I hate seeing her face fall a little. Now I feel like a bastard because she deserves the fairy tale, but I am no prince. I’m the beast and so I hold out my hand and say slightly on edge, “Shall we?”

Her soft hand finds mine, and she smiles, appearing a little nervous.

“Where are we going?”

She regards me with amusement, and I try so hard to enter into the spirit of the occasion and say playfully, “To the finest restaurant in the world. Nothing is too good for you, princess.”

I wink, but it all seems hollow because I can’t pretend. I am suddenly afraid for probably the first time in my life. Afraid of losing her, the one woman I can’t have because her future is out of my control.

“Is it far?” She keeps up the pretense, and I shake my head. “No, it’s closer than you think.”

As we walk down the marble hallway toward the dining room, I hope my instructions were carried out. However, as we head inside, I was obviously worrying unnecessarily as Charlotte gasps at the sight before her eyes.

A table has been set by the window where the candlelight of well over one hundred candles, flicker around the room reflected a thousand times over. Two open fires dance on either side of the panoramic window that only serves as a black canvas for the lights to shine against. Candles burn on every surface, including the floor, set in glass lanterns around the perimeter of the room. Huge floral displays create a heady scent, and the polished floor shines as we step across it. The fur rug on the floor has me imagining Charlotte naked on all fours, and I push away the depraved thoughts in my head right now. She deserves better than me and it’s up to me to play at being the prince for once because she should have the best on offer and sadly for her, that’s me.

I hold out her chair and she glances up at me, her beautiful blue eyes shining with excitement and a blinding smile on her pretty face. “Thank you so much.”

She bats her lashes and my heart twists, causing a pain so sharp, it momentarily stops me. I just stare at this natural beauty and experience a craving so strong, I can’t deny it, and leaning down, I suck her tempting lower lip into my mouth and can’t resist tasting and exploring it deeper. My hand wraps around the back of her head and I pull her in hard and her low moan makes my cock strain against the well-tailored pants I’m wearing. I have never wanted anyone as much as her and I’m struggling with that.

I pull away and say ruefully, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. You look so beautiful.” I love how she blushes and sucks in the same bottom lip I feasted on seconds ago and I say almost desperately, “Fuck, I need a drink.”

I waste no time and retreat to the other side of the table knowing that I’ll need superhuman strength to keep my hands off her and as I sit wondering if I have enough willpower for that, a waiter appears as if in a puff of smoke and says respectfully, “Sir, madam, allow me.”

He lifts the champagne I ordered from the ice bucket nearby and pours it into two crystal flutes and leaves as silently as he came. As I lift my glass to hers, I say huskily, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I am the luckiest man alive because you agreed to go out on a date with me.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

She touches her glass to mine and says with a soft smile, “Thank you for asking me.”

I watch as she takes a sip of the cool liquid and the pleasure in her eyes causes me to smile like a kid who can’t believe his luck and she says with a groan, “This is good. You know, I’ve never been a fan of champagne before, but well this, it’s simply exquisite.”

Just hearing her clipped British accent makes me hard all over again because she is everything I’m not. Well educated, composed, graceful and poised. Perfect manners and perfect everything and ordinarily would never be seen dead with a brute like me. It’s almost painful to look at her knowing it’s a fleeting vision in my head and I wonder if I will ever be able to close my eyes again and not see her standing behind them, wearing that dress and playing this evening on repeat in my mind for the rest of my life.

If I knew how to love, I’m guessing this is the closest thing to it and as the waiter arrives with our starter, I settle in for a very difficult evening ahead.