Page 23 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

“It was just a one-night stand, Mikhail. It wasn’t that deep,” I replied, hating the unwelcome huskiness in my voice.

“But I want it to happen again. Heck, I’ve found myself wanting it to happen again since I ran into you at the gallery. I staged the whole thing with Xavier to get your attention, Arielle, and I’m not a man that cares for female attention.”

I felt my heart skip a beat, and my palms grew sweaty at his sudden outburst. I wasn’t prepared for this, not by a wide breath. I tore my gaze from him, scared he would see how much his words affected me. Get it together, Ari. He’s a fucking child trafficker, I mentally scolded myself.

I’ve heard people talk about how they were betrayed by their own bodies wanting things that weren’t good for them. I never paid heed to such claims and attributed it to lack of discipline, but here I was, nipples taut, pussy practically weeping for a man I should hate with every fiber in me.

“Mikhail, I don’t know—” I drawled, honestly not knowing. If I couldn’t fix whatever reaction my body was having to this man, then I’d throw my whole concentration into drawing as much as I could from him. I’ll figure out the chemistry when he’s gone, and my mind is no longer polluted by his presence.

“I want you, Arielle. It’s simple as that, and I know you feel it too. You want me.”

“What about your work? I might not know much about your world but I know you’d have a lot of enemies. What if they findout about me? What if they hurt me?” I rambled off, looking at him with the best puppy eyes I could muster.

“Nothing will happen to you, Arielle, not on my watch. We can keep it quiet and private, away from the public and anyone till you’re comfortable,” he reassured.

Till I was comfortable? What did he mean by that?

“Mikhail—”

“Three weeks, Arielle. If I don’t convince you to stick around after three weeks, then I’ll never bother you again.” His eyes were determined, and his words held a tone of finality.

Three weeks should be enough for me to figure out whatever was happening with the cargo and possibly more information. Three weeks was perfect. I can do three weeks.

“Three weeks?” I asked, my heart pounding in my ears.

“Three weeks.” His confirmation came out more as a promise than an agreement, and I couldn’t help but feel that I had just signed a deal with the devil and would pay with my blood.

CHAPTER 10

Mikhail

“You know you can admit my choice was better and openly enjoy the meal,” Arielle teased with a smile.

“It’s not better. It’s edible at best.”

She scoffed, “You’re currently on your second serving, and the way I see it, you’re heading for a third.”

“That’s only because you ordered enough food to feed a small football team, and I hate waste,” I countered, shoveling a spoonful of white rice and chicken soup into my mouth.

Yes, you heard right. Arielle had somehow figured out that if you prepared white rice and drizzled some spicy chicken soup on it, it would make an absolutely delicious meal with a side of salad. I have no idea what sort of trials and tribulations she was going through at the time to come up with such a combination, but here I was, enjoying it against my better judgment. Not that I would ever admit it.

I was only glad I rented out the entire VIP floor of the restaurant for us. How else would I explain the abomination that was currently on my table?

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” she rolled her eyes, flooding her rice with soup.

“You help me sleep at night,” I replied, and I could see a small dust of pink tinting her cheeks.

She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, and the past two weeks with her have opened me to a side of life I never thought was possible for men like me. It might’ve taken a little while, with her constantly glancing over her shoulders whenever we were out, but once she was settled, it was almost unbelievable how things fell into place between us. She complimented every part of my being as if she had been put in this world for me to find her.

It suddenly made sense why I had no prior interest in women and why no woman could hold my attention longer than a night. They simply weren’t her. I watched in amusement as she doused what was left of her rice in more soup. She was practically sniffing and her nose was red from consuming too much spicy food but she wouldn’t stop.

“What would your mafia people say if they find their all-powerful Don staring at a girl like that?” she asked, shooting me a playful look of disgust.

Another thing I’ve learned about Arielle was how much she loved playful banter. She never backs away from the opportunity to get into a witty exchange at any given time.

It was a quality of hers I didn’t think I’d be able to deal with. I was a man of few words and didn’t enjoy verbal exchanges, but I made adjustments for her, and now, I have a few comebacks up my sleeves.

“If you’re really interested in what they have to say, I have a few things we can try out to get them talking.”

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