Page 5 of Stranded with My Mafia Boss

When the edge of my hunger was off, I gave credit where it was due. "This is delicious. I had no idea you were such a good cook."

"Many people are surprised by what I can do," he sipped his wine. "How was Guatemala?"

"Beautiful." I took another bite of the tender shrimp. "It's also a bit strange. Like any time you visit a place for the first time. I’ll admit, I was worried when I had to get to the airport at night. All the guidebooks said women shouldn’t travel alone at night. Lots of Christmas decorations, though."

"It’s good to follow warnings. Every place has its dark side, Katie," he said, his voice low and intense. "As for decorating, good for them."

"What do you have against decorating?" I asked, trying to inject a little humor. He’d never been so personal with me before, and it was making me nervous, but at the same time, it made excitement fizzle in my, erm, lower belly. Very low.

"Waste of time." Damien spoke in that dark and dangerous voice, even though the conversation was trivial.

I took refuge in the food, eating another shrimp. And another. Once I finished chewing, I continued, "It was an adventure. It’ll be great to go back sometime when I have more time to explore."

He nodded, watching me eat over his wine glass.

Silence reigned for the rest of the meal. Beneath it all, there was an undercurrent, one that made me nervous just as much as it intrigued me.

I yawned, the last bit of pasta stuffing me and setting me on a path to bed. "Sorry, I’m tired. See you in the morning?"

"Certainly," My boss watched me as I rose, gaze lingering.

"Goodnight," I said, unsure whether to be grateful or terrified for his hospitality.

"Goodnight, Katie," he said, smooth and controlled, as always. "Sleep well."

How did he make that sound so inviting? Almost lewd.

Climbing the stairs to the guest room, my thoughts swirled like the snowflakes just outside the window. The evening had been nothing short of surreal. I'd seen a side of Damien Santini that made me want to know him better, which was just this side of suicidal.

Outside my window, the snow came down thick and fast, piling up. Several new inches had fallen, and the storm was still going strong.

Tiredness mugged me. I needed to sleep so badly it wasn’t funny, and the food in my stomach was doing its best to put me in a carb coma.

"Get a grip, Katie," I muttered, shaking off my worries and stepping into the room.

When I pulled back the duvet, the scent of lavender filled the air. The rich ivory silken sheets whispered seductively against my skin as I pulled them back.

Despite the storm raging outside, the room was warm and inviting, lit only by soft, glowing lamps.

I changed into a t-shirt, strangely vulnerable as I slipped between the cool, luxurious sheets and used the remote on the nightstand to dim the lights.

The pale glow from the security lights on the snow gave the room just enough illumination to keep me from tripping if I used the bathroom during the night.

Snuggling into the pillows, thoughts popped up like gophers despite my extreme exhaustion. What if Damien tried something? What if he came into my room while I slept? Then, a bad influence in the back of my head said, would that be so terrible?

"Stop it," I scolded myself, pressing a hand to my forehead. No thoughts in that direction, nope.

The wind howled against the window, a puff of snow splatting down from the trees.

I turned on my side and gazed out the window at the snowstorm. From a nice warm bedroom, it was pretty to watch. Like Damien from a safe distance.

Did I want to keep my distance?

With that unsettling question lingering in my mind, sleep rolled over me.

Katie

The alarmon my phone woke me. I’d slept soundly, with no dreams. None I could remember, anyway. My room was gray and dim, the snow still falling at a rapid clip. I needed to get a move on to the airportifmy flight hadn’t already been canceled.

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