Page 12 of Savage Mafia King

She stares at me, utterly shocked. "What the fuck are you talking about? You think I need to steal money from you?"

"I think you need a lot of things you didn't realize until recently," I growl. "You wouldn't have been seen with me a few weeks ago, and now, here you are, on my arm, playing the attentive girlfriend. Right?"

She wants to argue with me, I can see it in her eyes, but she thinks better of it. She shakes her head. "I'm doing what I need to do, Marcus. This is all an act, remember?"

"All an act, huh?" I demand as I move a little closer to her, just a few inches between us. "You really still think that?"

"Marcus, what are you—"

But before she can get the word out, I press my mouth to hers and silence her completely.

I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I know, to everyone watching us, there's nothing wrong with the way I'm kissing her. As far as they're concerned, we're a couple anyway, and anything we do together is perfectly natural. But as my hands slide to her waist and I pull her against me, kissing her hard, my tongue thrust deep into her mouth, I know I've crossed a line I can't walk back.

I expect her to shove me off and tell me to leave her the fuck alone, but she does nothing of the sort. No, instead, she sinks into my arms, letting out a long, low sigh, her lips parting as she allows me to deepen our embrace. Her arms wind around my shoulders, her body giving in to me, her heart pounding hard against my chest.

And then, all at once, I come back to myself.

What the fuck are you doing?

Much as I don't want this to end, I know I can't let it go on. We're supposed to be doing this for a reason, not because we want each other. No matter how fucking hot she is or how sexy I find this defiant attitude of hers, I can't let things get more complicated than they already have.

I pull away and cover my mouth, not breaking her gaze for a moment. She stares back at me, her chest rising and falling fast, and reaches up with a shaky hand to touch where I just kissed her as well.

"I have to keep an eye on the next game."

I don't wait for her to respond before I turn and stalk off. Desire courses through me, but I ignore it. I'm not going to let her get the better of me, not a chance in hell, not when I knowwhat she's capable of and not when we're only going to see this through until we accomplish our goals.

I pause by the table, where Giovanni is already waiting. He looks over at me, a strange expression on his face.

"You alright, Marcus?"

"Fine." The word comes out harsher than I intended it to.

I push down the irritation, trying to contain the fury that wants to get the better of me.

And as I look over my shoulder, I see that she's still staring after me, her lips still parted, like she's not yet done with the moment we just shared.

Chapter Six—Isabella

"I just don'tknow,"I confess to Martha as I flop down on her couch and run my hands through my hair.

"Okay but just tell me about it from the top," she says as she joins me, handing me a coffee.

I got back late from the event with Marcus the night before, and I'm still trying to shake the enormity of everything that happened. I'm not sure if I should be pissed or turned on by the way he kissed me, but I'm dealing with a mix of both right now.

Which is why I'm with Martha, my second-in-command at the sorority, who has always been my trusted advisor when it comes to any matter of social capital. I'm in her room in the Greek house, the familiar smell of her linen-scented candle wafting through the air along with the fresh pot of coffee she brewed downstairs.

"I... I don't even know," I admit. "I thought I was in control of everything, but that kiss..." I trail off, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples.

I can feel her looking at me, and I can almost see the concerned grimace on her face.

"I mean, I thought you were crazy, getting involved with someone like Marcus," she tells me finally as she reaches to give my knee a squeeze. "Don't get me wrong, he's hot, but he's all kinds of trouble. All kinds that I don't want anything to do with. And I didn't think you would, either, but..."

"But I need to keep my family safe," I finish up for her.

After my first outing with Marcus at the fundraiser, I had to come clean with her about what's been going on between us. If there's anyone I can trust with the truth, it's her. She'll take my secrets to the grave, and I need someone to talk to about all of this if I'm going to be able to keep my head.

"But I thought it was just an act. I didn't realize you actually... you know, had feelings for him..."

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