Page 24 of The Lieutenant

His smile could light up a room. “I’ll give you a little secret even my mother doesn’t know.”

“What’s that?”

“I prefer Italian food to Greek.”

“Does your mother cook?”

“She is an amazing cook,” he admitted.

“Then never tell her.” We laughed together and it felt natural.

He seemed more down to earth, or at least a man who enjoyed different aspects in life. However, he was just as charming as earlier in the day, a predator widening the scope of his hunt. Only I refused to play the helpless victim.

In my heels, I was still inches shorter than the man, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to hold my head high. Neither one of us blinked, as if in doing so we’d break the magical trance we’d placed ourselves in. Maybe my way of thinking was based a little too much on fantasy and very little on reality, but he was the ultimate fantasy.

“Your entire family appears close,” I said in admittance to just how far down the rabbit hole I’d gone in my attempt to discover all I could about him.

“We are very close. We were brought up to believe family was the most important entity in our lives. I hold that dearly.” His words resonated as he knew they would and when our fingers touched as he handed me the drink, I was floored at how wildly potent it was.

The touch was more about ownership, not just sexual appeal. God. I was seriously overthinking this. I kept my hand unwavering, determined not to seem nervous in any way. Of course I was. I’d realized he was watching me. I’d felt his eyes, the lust buried deep within them.

Yet I couldn’t help but believe his desire was about conquering something he didn’t truly feel he had control over, rather than intense yearning.

“Then the scathing news program must have hurt the family greatly.”

His nostrils flared. If he thought it could remain some big dark secret, he was wrong. “Yes, well, the information was scurrilous and I believe Mr. Artino has seen the error of his ways.”

“Does that mean you threatened him?”

“Kara. I’m a businessman first and foremost. I’m not in the habit of making threats, only promises.”

I shuddered from the dark inflection he used. It was a clear indication to drop the subject.

“At least we agree on how important family is. If Dimitrios is the Boss and you are the Lieutenant, who is considered your Enforcer? Christos?”

“Ah. You’ve schooled yourself on the differences in Greek mafia.”

“To a point,” I admitted. “Godfather of the night?”

Every time he laughed, my pussy throbbed. “Well, we are considered the most dangerous men in our country. The term suits my brother, at least his exterior.”

“A pussy cat inside?”

“Very much so.”

I rolled my eyes and he caught the gesture.

“You don’t believe that someone can appear dangerous without acting on any concept of violence?”

“What I believe is of no consequence.”

He nodded. “Ah, yes, the truth and nothing else but the truth. Was your decision to study criminology based on your father’s current profession or a more personal endeavor?”

As he’d done that morning, he was trying to get under my skin. The bastard. “My desire to learn the ins and outs of the criminal mind is definitely personal. I hate evil. But I will admit the psychological aspect of a pathological thief or murderer is truly fascinating. I would thoroughly enjoy having a heart to heart with a serial killer.”

“Now, they are truly twisted individuals.”

“Isn’t that what you are? A serial killer?”

---