'So how about come and live with me?'
His bold question took her off guard, and she choked a little on the wine that was going down far too easily.
'Live with me. Here, in this house. Like I said, I want to be surrounded by beautiful girls, because why not? I have that desire to look after to you, to provide you with whatever you want. Clothes, cars, diamonds, holidays. You say the words and it's yours.'
Lucy's ears began ringing. This was making no sense. Why would Joey Leonardo want a small town girl like Lucy living with him, just because? Just because he thought she was pretty? Because he felt sorry for her, that she didn't have anything else going on in her life?
'Now I must make it clear, you are not... an escort, a prostitute if you will. You will owe me nothing, and you are free to leave at any time. When you realise what ambitions you have, you're more than welcome to leave, to pursue them.'
'But...why? I don't understand.'
'Because I like beautiful women, Lucy,' he repeated, 'and that's all there is to it.'
His green eyes glinted in the light, and something tingled somewhere within her lower stomach. Maybe it was the wine, which was sliding down her throat so easily, but if this wasn't too good to be true, she's basically won the bloody lottery. He'll just give her everything she wants, for what? In exchange for looking pretty around this amazing house?
But she still had questions niggling at her.
The waiter brought over plates of steak, fresh vegetables and fries. Lucy's mouth salivated at how incredible it looked. She hadn't eaten anything substantial in almost a week, and if this the type of food she'd be eating if she agreed to move in, then very well sign her up.
'Enjoy, sweetheart, I feel like you deserve a little bit of luxury.' Joey raised his glass to clink hers, and gave a quick wink.
They ate in their entire meal in silence, as Lucy tried to get her head around what was going on, although her mind was getting fuzzier with all the wine she was drinking. It was crazy that this time yesterday, she was in a tent in the wasteland of Northern England, and 24 hours later, she was dining in opulence in the mansion of Britain's most powerful Mafia boss.
Joey didn't take his eyes off of her the whole time, smiling a beautiful, white smile every time she glanced up at him.
When the waiter came back to take away their plates and fill up their glasses for the umpteenth time, Lucy remember a vital question.
'Mr Leonardo -'
'Oh goodness, please, call me Joey,'
'Sorry, Joey, why did Oliver tell me you were going to kill me, and have me traipsing around England in hiding?'
Joey let out a bitter laugh. 'You think this is the first time he's done it? I called him, hysterically crying, when my sister turned up in that coffin. I asked him, why. And you know, he said to me that it was because he could. And I'll never forget, what he said to me before he hung up the phone. He said: "Everything you ever want in life, I will take it away from you. Until you leave my country."’
He breathed out through his nose heavily, and shrugged it off. 'I used to have 50 girls here, but he kept…interrupting, and now I have only two. Emma - who I believe you have already met – and Rachel.'
He reached for Lucy's hand, to bring it up to his lips again. 'And now,' he whispered, 'hopefully also you.'
Lucy couldn't help but smile. Her heart felt fuzzy and warm, and her legs tingly. She knew it was probably just the alcohol, but she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
'He would have killed you, you know.'