Chapter Eleven
VINCENT
"This is not good," Zia whispered low enough so that only I heard her. "You need to get out of here before this gets out of control."
I bristled at her desperate tone. I knew she didn't mean it as quite the insult it came across as, but annoyance filled me nonetheless.
"I think we both know that ship has already sailed. The way your director over there is keeping an eye on us he's already guessed that we've slept together and he's cooking up ideas on how he can exploit that fact on your show."
"Oh my God, Vincent, No! I don't know if you know this or not, but the parent company that owns our network is a family based network. Everything is strictly G rated. I'm not even allowed to cuss. Do you know how hard that is for me?"
I laughed at the horror on her face and in her voice. I did have an idea how hard it was for her to carefully choose her words. Actually more than an idea. My woman liked the F word in all its incarnations. Especially when she was getting fucked.
My muscles went tense at the memory of her in my kitchen, begging me to fuck her harder. To make her fucking come. She'd been so wild at that point and it made me equally crazed. By the time she'd exploded on my dick, nearly strangling me, I was going out of my mind. It had been the perfect reminder of how intense sex between us could be.
What she didn’t understand then or now was how this was barely the beginning. There was a hell of a lot more to come. One night in Italy had not been enough to teach her that lesson. Not when all I could think about was how perfectly she fit me. Nor did a second. No, I was far from getting my fill of this woman and I needed to repair the damage my absence this week had created quick before she put any more space between us.
I eyed the production crew across the kitchen. This certainly complicated matters. But I was nothing if not resourceful and television show or not, she was coming home with me tonight.
I'd walked in on her as she faced an anxiety attack most likely fueled by a lack of sleep, little food and an emotional state brought on by stress and my absence. Not that she'd ever admit that. And no that wasn't my ego talking. With the intensity of our connection, some sort of emotional response couldn't be avoided.
Not that this was the time to mention that little fact.
She had it in her head that she enjoyed being in control. And while that might apply to her while she ruled this kitchen, my little queen liked it more when I took control.
I regretted that I'd had to avoid her for this week, but some of my newly expanded family had descended on the casino and I didn't need to complicate matters by putting her in anyone's crosshairs.
Although watching the director animatedly chat with his camera man reminded me that in this circumstance that bell might have already been rung. If that Hollywood asshat had already decided to drum up publicity for her show with my connection, then my budding attachment for Zia would never stay hidden.
I frowned at my own thoughts. Attachment felt like a strong word at this point. Desire, lust and need were more appropriate. At least for now. After this fight and after I discovered who the hell had blackmailed Zia, then maybe I'd consider something more.
Maybe.
My life had turned complicated. I may be approaching my final fight, but that didn't mean my life would be any less dangerous when this chapter of my career closed. Events from Italy were far more complex than a simple case of blackmail. Discovering that I was the illegitimate son of a notorious crime family had taken my life to a whole new level.
Thank God I wasn't some kind of first born son or some bullshit like that. I wasn't about to let people I barely knew tell me what to do. Although I'd gotten the hint that I would soon be hearing from them again.
Understatement of the fucking year.
I'd no sooner returned to Vegas when I was contacted by a "cousin." Apparently, meeting me had brought on a heart attack for Capo Rossi and things were not looking good.
Now I needed to balance this life and that one before it all imploded. With my biological father on his deathbed, the appearance of a son, illegitimate or not, complicated matters. And in that family, complicated often got you or someone close to you killed.
Not that I had decided if I wanted to be a part of their family. But curiosity did more than kill the cat.
"Are you not taking this seriously?" Zia hissed at me, her anger palpable now. "You're not even paying attention."
"We're leaving," I announced.
"No we are not. Although maybe it’s a good idea if you do go. I've got to convince Zack what he saw wasn't really what he thought."
"Good luck with that, babe. That guy isn't going to let go of a cash cow when he sees it."
"Wow, your ego is incredible. How do you handle that thing?"
I ignored her biting sarcasm. She may have gotten past her earlier freak out, but the stress since then had increased instead of decreasing and her cracks were still showing.
"It's not ego. It's fact. That guy may be a douche, but he is smart enough to know an exploitable money grab when he sees one. He's not going to let that go."