Page 5 of Pregnant By the Mafia Boss

Rachael and I are the only ones who know her so intimately. “He sure is. I feel so alive!” I proclaim, fanning myself as I strain my eyes to look through the strobe lights, and the haze of writhing bodies on the dance floor.

Rachael giggles, wiggling her eyebrows as she sips her fruity cocktail. “So fun! And the night is young. I think we should play like a dare game to spice things up,” she suggests, pointing at me.

Maybe its liquid courage peeking through, or the fact I think I look super-hot in scarlet red, but I’m feeling extraconfident tonight. “I’m up for the dare. Let’s do it,” I shout out over the music as more people join our booth.

Sophia and Rachael exchange hesitant glances, but I’m keeping my word. I want this. Whatever challenge they set, I’m on it.

“Okay, but you have to follow through and not chicken out,” Rachael tests.

“I won’t. I’m down for the dare,” I tell her bravely, the beat of my heart rushing around my ears.

“Okay, okay, since you want to go first and you’re willing to take the plunge,” Rachael says excitedly with a drum roll, “you have to go to the bar and kiss the first man who approaches you.”

“The first man who approaches me,” I say slowly, with a serene smile. I nod my head, reaching into my purse and popping a breath mint. “Okay, I’m going to head to the bathroom first and freshen up. I’ll head to the bar right after.”

“Don’t run!We’re going to be watching, and you’re going to be timed,” Sophia calls out as I wink back at her. The line is short when I head in, but the vague thought I had at the back of my head during the week about losing my virginity is coming to the forefront.

I’m ready to prove my friends wrong in all ways, and the alcohol in my system is helping. As I reach the bar, the slight increase of nerves begin to kick in, but I promised myself I’d follow through.

The bartender scoots down to my section of the bar with a smile on his face. “What can I get for you?”

“Umm, I’ll take a tequila sunrise,” I tell him as he smiles, and I giggle, pointing to my friends, who are watching me like ahawk from the sidelines. Turning to them, I slyly point towards the bartender, wondering if he counts. They shake their heads as I continue sipping, thinking about my limited interactions with men. They’ve been few, and the ones who have approached me in the past have beengross.

Not having a father figure in my life hasn’t helped, either. I don’t even know who the ghost of a guy is. My friends—especially Sophia, being a law student has offered to help me find him.

“No,” I told her firmly on the day we spoke about it over lunch. “If he can’t reach out to find me, then why should I go hunting the guy down? Fuck that.”

Letting the memory slip, I vow to not let the ghost of a man haunt my present. It’s not as if I don’t want a boyfriend, I’m just afraid of being hurt by the wrong type of guy.

I’ve played it smart. All my other friends have been played by men. Even Sophia and Rachael.

Taking a sip of my sunrise, I feel as if I’ve dodged a bullet. I’ve got enough drama at work, and I’d rather stay away from trouble and drama altogether. But sometimes, just sometimes, I feel like I wouldn’t mind sharing my life with somebody.

Tonight is a little fun, and I don’t have to take it any further. I turn my body slightly to the dance floor, checking to see if there’s anybody I like, but there are too many bodies and they’re cloaked in dark light, so I can’t recognize anyone.

Staring at the empty barstool in front of me, I feel a weight drop in my chest. Maybe nobody’s going to approach me, but just as I’m losing hope, a tall man, whose dark, enigmatic presence sends chills down my spine, appears.

Slowly, I lift my head as the tall, bearded man in a black leather jacket, slacks, and polished shoes approaches.

Holy shit.Who is this guy?I can feel his importance as he stands by the empty barstool, the dark heat radiating from his pale skin. His eyes almost look like deep, dark orbits of space, and for whatever reason, I know they’re not for diving in, but I’m so suffocatingly hypnotized by the man that I want to.

This man is fucking dangerous, and he’s the perfect type of man to ruin my life. Charming like a snake and attractive. The direct opposite of what I want in my life.

“Is this seat taken?” he asks politely with only a hint of a curve on his mouth.

“No, this seat isn’t taken, feel free to sit down,” I tell him in a bubbly voice.

“Hi, I’m Ruslan. Nice to meet you.” I shake his hand, the ripples of sizzling heat dancing between our palms. It’s scintillating enough for me to retract my fingers from his palm with a confused frown. Ruslan is like a live wire of hot-blooded energy, and it’s one I’m not familiar with.

“Nice to meet you too,” I croak, my streak of temporary confidence wavering under the intense weight of his gaze. I withhold my name hoping it will make me seem more mysterious.

Ruslan’s hooded eyes hold my attention as he openly admires my body from top to toe. “You’re hard to miss in that red dress. It fits you perfectly.”

Blushing, I hold my own, smiling demurely back at him. “Thanks, you look very handsome too. Do your tattoos mean anything?” I ask, feeling tongue-tied. Ruslan’s deceptive smilebroadens as his thick hands tap the bar. “That’s a long story, but yes every patch of ink on my body has meaning.”

“Oh, they do? So why do you have three skulls on the inside of your forearm?” I question as Ruslan surveys me.

Ruslan chuckles darkly, signaling the waiter with one finger, his gaze returning to me.

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