Page 6 of Dark Mafia Bride

I chuckle, low and rough, as the temptation travels a dark path down my spine. Raking a hand through my hair, I force myself to ignore the desire creeping into my mind. It would be wrong, so wrong, to take advantage of her right now.

“You have no clue what you’re asking for.”

She leans even closer, her lips just inches from mine, the tension between us stretching tighter with each passing second. “Maybe I do. And maybe I don’t care. I like a little danger.”

My gaze drops to her lips, and for a fleeting moment, I imagine what it would feel like to taste them, to kiss her.

“Careful what you wish for, Bella,” I warn, my voice a low growl.

She swallows, her eyes flicking down to my mouth. “I’m not scared of you.”

“You should be.”

She nods, an unreadable expression crossing her face.

“I want you to make me yours tonight. Unless…” she trails off, and my body suddenly itches to hear the words leave her lips.

“Unless what, Bella?” I ask, my voice low.

“Just leave it…”

“Unless what?” I repeat, and something flashes in her eyes at the seriousness of my tone.

“Unless I find someone else who’ll satisfy my needs…someone who will make me feel like a woman…”

I don’t wait for her to continue before I toss some cash onto the table and stand, offering her my hand. She smirks, not hesitating to slip her hand into mine as we step into the cool night air. The rain has slowed to a drizzle, the droplets clingingto her skin, making her hair shimmer under the streetlights. Her dress sticks to every curve in a way that’s impossible to ignore.

We walk toward the car in silence, but the tension between us is suffocating, thick with anticipation. I open the passenger door for her, my fingers grazing her arm as she slides in. She shivers, and a vivid image flashes in my mind—me pressing her against the car, taking her right here in the rain while burning from anger at the thought of her mentioning another man.

I slide into the driver’s seat, the engine growling to life as I pull away from the driveway. The city blurs by in streaks of light and rain, but all I can focus on is her—Mirabella—sitting beside me, her presence undeniable.

Every time we hit a bump, her leg brushes against mine, and it takes everything in me to keep my eyes on the road. She’s stealing glances at me from the corner of her eye, and the silence between us is thick with unsaid words.

She shifts in her seat, her wet dress sliding higher up her thighs, and I have to grip the steering wheel harder than necessary to stay focused.

We pull into the entrance of a luxury hotel tucked away on the city’s outskirts. The rain continues its soft patter against the windshield as I kill the engine. The world feels muted, as if the downpour has stolen the night’s sounds to make this moment ours.

I glance over at her, and everything I’ve been trying to hold back begins to unravel. She has this magnetic pull, like gravity itself bends around her. I want her—badly. And the way her smoldering gaze locks onto mine tells me she feels it too.

“This where you bring all your rescues?” she teases, her voice wavering between boldness and uncertainty as she fumbles with the seatbelt. There’s a slight tremor in it, a hint of vulnerability she’s trying to hide.

“Only the ones I want to see again.”

Her eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering across her face. “You want to see me again?” she asks, almost disbelieving. The way she says it makes my chest tighten. It’s as if she’s never heard those words before—not in a way that mattered.

It makes me wonder about the kind of men she’s known—the idiots, the cowards. What lies did they feed her to strip away her confidence? To make her feel like she’s nothing more than a fleeting moment, a passing thought, a casual fling? Shit. Was I any different from them?

I grip the steering wheel even tighter, an ache of protectiveness settling in my chest. I’m going to erase every single one of those bastards from her memory. I’ll show her what it feels like to be wanted—truly wanted—by a real man.

“Why wouldn’t I want to see you again?” I ask.

She hesitates, her gaze dropping to her hands. “I just thought…” she starts, but her voice trails off.

“Well, there’s the problem. Don’t think, Bella. Just feel.” My voice softens, but there’s a command there, a promise. “When you’re with me, forget about the world outside. Just be here. With me.”

She looks at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine like she’s testing the weight of my words. “As long as we’re just having sex,” she finally says, her tone light but laced with caution. “The way you’re talking, it sounds like you want more than just this hotel room. You’re not a serial killer, are you?”

A laugh rumbles from my chest, low and deep. “I promise, I’m not. I love women too much for that.”

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