Page 31 of Contracted

I wrenched free from his near painful grip. “Don’t fret. I won’t cheat while you’re paying for the privilege of exclusivity.”

His eyes darkened, anger swirling in their depths. “Guess I can count that as yet another perk of being rich,” he said bitterly. He laughed, the sound brittle. “Not that I should complain, I’ve gotten what I wanted thanks to my money.”

I wanted to reassure him and take back my words, but it was too late now, the damage had been done. I was supposed to be his fantasy lover, not some toxic shrew making his life hell. I might make money from sex but it didn’t mean I was a nymphomaniac who couldn’t keep her legs shut.

It didn’t stop me from adding, “Once a whore always a whore. You’d do well to remember that.”

He sighed indulgently, his mood shifting fast. “If you think I’d judge you for that, you don’t know me very well at all,” he mused.

Our drinks came then, the air hostess delivering the whiskeys with yet another annoying come hither smile at Serafino while she batted her long lashes. “Anything else you need?”

“That is all, thank you.”

Why was I all but chasing Serafino away with my snarly comments then waiting with baited breath for him to find interest in someone else? Was I trying to keep him at arm’s length because he was the only client who interested me?

I chugged down the quality drink, the air hostess returning a few minutes later to take away our glasses even as the jet’s engine whined as the pilot prepared for takeoff.

We put on our seatbelts, Serafino reaching out to hold my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. His touch burned through my nerve endings and made my stomach flutter. I might have been with a lot of men, but they all faded into oblivion when I was with him.

I looked down at my tiny leather skirt and yellow blouse that deliberately clashed with my fiery red hair. I’d wanted to stand out, and I certainly did. Even my knee-high dark leather boots with their spiked heels drew the eye.

Perhaps I should have stuck with my lawyer look, at least then the air hostess might have viewed me with a little more respect, instead she’d practically ignored me and focused on Serafino. I was nothing more than competition to someone like her.

Stop playing yourself down. You’re beautiful and smart, men want you and women wish they were you.

Minutes later the jet took off and we were high in the air, the gentle hum of the jet’s engine diluted by a soundtrack of popular songs played through surround sound speakers. I must have dozed at some point, waking only as the jet touched down on the runway.

How much sleep did I need? At this rate I wouldn’t sleep for the next week. My stomach fluttered. Perhaps I was mentally preparing for Serafino’s ravenous needs.

That I had my head tucked under his arm made me realize how comfortable I’d made myself. I blinked up at him. “We didn’t use the bedroom.”

He smirked, his eyes glittering. “As much as I’d planned, in stunning detail, to take you there, you looked way too comfortable to disturb. You clearly needed your sleep.”

Something shifted in my chest. I’d assumed sexual gratification was all he cared about, but he must care for me too.

Or maybe he really does want to keep you fit and healthy for the next month while he pushes your body to the limit.

I ignored the snide little voice in my head. It was time to earn my position as his lover and so far today I hadn’t been doing a very good job at it. A smile curled my lips. I had more than made up for it in the bedroom earlier.

The jet taxied to a stop and Serafino looked down at me and murmured, “Let’s go paint Vegas red.”

Chapter Seventeen

Serafino

There was something exhilarating in watching the beautiful woman next to me eagerly taking everything in. It seemed almost impossible to believe that such a worldly woman had such a sheltered life when it came to traveling.

That she was seriously impressed at seeing the Costa dark-stone and glass circular tower with its laser lights that streaked up and down the building before encircling it in constant, ever changing colors and patterns left me smiling.

I was a cynical bastard at the best of times but she’d changed all that, had opened me up to a life I couldn’t imagine without her in it. Love might be a fucked-up emotion, but I was ready to dip my toes into its murky waters.

She didn’t need to know I’d taken her out of New York and to Las Vegas to get her away from the potential threat of the Irish mafia. Rumors had increased to fever pitch about their new don’s desire to prove himself and his position via an act of vengeance against the Costa mafia. It meant Delilah—any of my family’s partners—were in the firing line as much as the rest of us Costas were.

I shook off my thoughts and concerns. I really was ready to enjoy this week and soak everything in right alongside Delilah. She made everything feel like it was a first time for me too, my jaded outlook falling off me like a cloak.

Only time would tell if my past fears and traumas would fall away as easily.

The driver took us to the carpark beneath the Costa Tower, and she giggled at the dazzling laser lights that streaked beside us and then ahead, lighting the way.

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