Page 5 of Contracted

Delilah

I nodded demurely at Serafino as he held open the front door for me. I didn’t have to worry about him caring about me. We might be attracted to one another on some insanely high level, but I wasn’t stupid enough to imagine he wouldn’t happily discard me come morning.

Whatever.

Despite my profession being a risky one, my wellbeing and safety had always been high on my list of priorities. Self-preservation had carried me this far, I wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to set me down on a path that was sign-posted self-destruct.

He put his arm around my waist as he led me deeper into the noise, the long-haired band members playing covers of rock songs like they were their own. Despite being unbalanced by the confrontation with Carlo, the music and the heady atmosphere brought my excitement back up a couple of notches.

I smiled up at Serafino and his dark eyes shone. He was clearly just as glad to have left the conversation outside behind and enjoy the moment with me. He lifted curled fingers to his mouth, imitating having a drink, before he nodded toward the bar.

I nodded back and mouthed, “I’d love one.”

I rarely, if ever, drank on the job, but tonight was...different. Not only was it my last night in my profession but I was reaching for the stars with this man and was happy to break my sobriety this once.

One of the bar staff was already pouring him a whiskey when we arrived, and Serafino turned to me and leaned close to my ear to ask, “What would you like to drink?”

I put up two fingers, then mouthed, “I’ll have what you’re having.”

He seemed delighted by my choice and I hid a smile. Did he think all women were champagne guzzlers? I might only imbibe occasionally, but when I did my bar at home attested to my expensive taste in both bourbon and scotch.

The band had broken into a slow rock ballad when Serafino nodded at the dancefloor. I giggled and nodded. If he wanted me to dance with him I was happy to oblige. As lovely as it was that he asked for my permission, he was paying me a hefty sum to obey his every whim.

He tipped his drink back and swallowed it down, and I followed suit, enjoying the burn as it went down my throat. The next minute he took my glass and set it down along with his own onto the bar top, then he plucked my clutch bag out of my hand. He handed it to the barman and said, “Look after this.”

The barman nodded, then indicated he’d leave it under the bar.

Serafino drew me out onto the dancefloor where probably a dozen couples were already dancing. I didn’t miss the raised eyebrows and shocked looks. Clearly he rarely danced, if at all.

I searched the fringes of the dancefloor and locked eyes with Evander. Going by his wide-eyed stare this was definitely new territory for Serafino.

Then Serafino took me in his arms and I closed my eyes as I pressed against his hard chest. Swaying across the dancefloor didn’t seem too overly complicated for him, not when he probably hunted like a silent and deadly, apex predator.

Another little thrill shot through me. What was wrong with me? I should despise men like him, instead I basked in his power, in the fact he’d never answer to anyone except his don, and perhaps his consigliere and underboss.

I looked up at him. He blinked, his brilliant eyes gauging, assessing. Had he read my worshipful gaze? Thanks to my profession, he probably thought it was all an act. Perhaps not. A second later his gaze darkened and he bent his head and kissed me again.

Damn. His dominant mouth only heightened the intensity between us, the simmering passion. If our first kiss had been a Fourth of July explosion, this kiss was just as heady. He knew exactly what he was doing. I didn’t even care about all the eyes on us. Though he’d done very little dancing in public, I’d bet he’d more than kissed other women in public.

A sharp, stabbing pain—jealousy?—had me jerk my head back, my eyes wide as I searched his.

He frowned, his hands tightening on my waist. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I lied, before adding truthfully, “I-I’m feeling things I probably shouldn’t.”

His hard face softened, his voice gentle when he leaned closer and said into my ear, “You’re not alone, my little firebird.”

Firebird? I shivered at the pet name that was clearly symbolic of my fiery red hair.

He pulled back and I blinked up at him, wanting to believe him, needing to believe him. The people in my life hadn’t left me brimming with belief in human nature; everyone close to me had either abandoned me or hated on me.

At least I could leave clients behind without any regrets. They were strangers, men I’d been physically intimate with while keeping my emotions safely locked away. That Serafino was becoming less safe every minute I spent with him was making me a little uneasy even as I reveled in the sensation.

I was finally letting down my walls and I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about it. Serafino wasn’t the most prudent option. Was my subconscious attracted to him solely because no one would dare mess with him?

That he seemed as fixated with me as I was with him only made me more drawn to him.

You’ll be with him for one night only, and who knows how violent he might become in the bedroom with no one else around.

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