Page 37 of Mob Boss's Second Chance

The questions circle in my head like a dizzying carousel.

“I—I—” My voice falters as my brain struggles to catch up. My head shakes, searching for an answer that doesn’t exist. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ethan’s lips curl into a cruel, calculated smile, one that turns my blood cold. “But you do,” he counters, his tone laced with quiet menace. “You thought you’d slip through unnoticed, didn’t you? With your exaggerated smiles and your efforts to win over my men.”

I take another step back, but he follows, his presence looming over me. “You shouldn’t have come in here,” he continues, his voice dropping lower, colder. “Because I know who you are, Natalie Monroe. And I know exactly what you’re trying to do.”

The accusation in his tone steals the air from my lungs, and I stumble backward, hitting the desk. My first thought is the food, and I turn around and reach out to steady the tray.

I never touch it because Ethan grabs my wrist, forcing me to look at him.

“Tell me who sent you,” he presses.

“Anthony,” I yelp when his finger digs into my wrist. “Anthony told me to bring your lunch here. I don’t know what else you’re talking about.”

Ethan frowns for a moment, his confusion mirroring mine, but he quickly recovers and goes for my chin instead, tilting it as he stares down at me. “Who sent you, and what do they want?”

Oh.

My eyes widen as it dawns on me. He thinks I’m a spy. That I’m here for some grand scheme.

Well…that’s insulting. I scoff lightly as I flash him a look of annoyance, throwing him off. If I were here to steal, I would’ve done it a long time ago.

“Why risk getting caught with prolonged interaction?” His voice is sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

“I’m not a spy,” I snap, the frustration boiling over as I push his hand away.

My pulse pounds in my ears, but I refuse to let him intimidate me. “I don’t know why you think that, but your spy radar must be malfunctioning if you’re accusing me. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

I try to step to the side, eager to put space between us, but before I can take even a single step, he catches my wrist. His grip is firm and unrelenting, and before I can react, he grabs my other hand, pinning them both behind me. My back presses against the edge of the desk as his hold traps me in place.

“What the hell are you doing?” I demand, twisting against his hold, but it’s no use. His strength easily overpowers my efforts, leaving me locked in place.

“Don’t lie to me,” Ethan growls, his voice low and dangerously close to my ear.

His breath brushes against my skin, and a shiver races down my spine despite the heat rushing through my body. “I can see right through you, Natalie. You think you’re clever? That I wouldn’tnotice? Your generous gestures, your availability… everything points to the truth.”

Huh.I’m tempted to laugh, except I can see that he believes his truth.

I glare up at him, refusing to back down even though my heart is hammering in my chest. “You’re insane,” I spit back, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and something I can’t quite place. “You don’t even know me.”

“Oh, I know enough,” he counters, his face only inches from mine.

The intensity in his eyes is searing, almost burning through me. Not in the way I’d expect if I were being interrogated, though. I’m angry—yes—but I can feel his breath on my face, and I can smell him.

There’s no distance between us, and the thought of breaking free from his grip and touching him… repeating that night burns through me.

In essence, lust.

I want Ethan. I want those eyes that look at me accusingly to have the same intensity when my hands are running down his body. I want him staring deep into my soul when my thighs are wrapped around his waist, and he’sfuckingme.

I know I shouldn’t want them.

I try to turn my head, but his hold keeps me firmly in place. “Let me go, Ethan,” I demand, my voice firmer this time, though I can hear the slight tremble in it.

“Not until you tell me the truth,” he says darkly, his gaze never wavering.

His proximity is overwhelming, a mix of danger and everything inexplicably magnetic, and for a fleeting moment, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to make him believe me.

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