Page 42 of Magic or Madness

“Have I told you how incredible you are lately, Bambi?” He untangles my messy bun, running his fingers through my hair,and my eyes flutter shut, loving the feeling of his hands on my body after our emotional night.

“Maybe once or twice.”

“Smart mouth.” He pulls me in for a kiss with soft lips, and a gentle demeanor, enveloping me in the comfort I feel when he’s with me.

This kiss is passionate, the kind that radiates love, rather than lust.

“No more marks on your body, Fallon. I promise,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine.

My first instinct is to argue, and combat his fear of hurting me with the truth that I like it, but I decide to save that conversation for another day. His pain is on full display tonight, and I don’t want to chase him down another rabbit hole.

“You have to work in the morning,Mia Regina.” He gently lifts me off his lap, and when I check the clock, he’s right, it’s pretty late.

I climb under the covers on my side of the bed and feel his arms scoop me into his chest. Every night, Ozzy cuddles me until I fall asleep, whispering sweet nothings in my ear, mainly in Italian. We’ve been studying together, learning new words and phrases. It’s become one of our favorite pastimes, and it’s the perfect lullaby.

After the emotional toll the night has taken, there’s nothing better than feeling safe in his arms.

Midway through my shift,Keith, my boss, calls me into his office for a meeting, along with his brother Kevin. I have afeeling I know what this is about, and there’s a pit forming in my stomach.

“Ms. Mariano, you look lovely today,” Keith says, a creepy smirk on his face.

I’m wearing a black body shop hoodie, and a pair of jeans, but he never misses a chance to make me feel uncomfortable.

I feel his eyes staring at my ass while I walk to the chair opposite his desk, and a shiver runs down my spine.

Keith is a short, stocky man, with a receding hairline and tiny ponytail. His hair is graying, and more than usual he smells like fried food, which makes my stomach turn.

“What can I do for you, Keith?” I ask, and he pulls papers from his desk, handing them to me.

Just as I thought, we’re getting a delivery tonight. I skim over the logistics, reading the paragraph that is my business. Tomorrow morning, I’ll change the codes to the storage room using a randomizer, and after that, the buyer is expected to pick it up over the weekend.

That leaves the bike in the Body Shop’s possession for a total of three days, but I have a feeling that it’ll be long gone before then.

“This is huge, can you handle it?” Kevin asks, always straight to the point.

“Yes, I’ve changed the codes multiple times. No worries.” I smile, and he seems satisfied.

I shift uncomfortably in my chair, waiting for the opportunity to escape, but the brothers are going on about this bike.

“Anything else, boss?” I interrupt, and he nods, waving me toward the door.

I can finally breathe once I’m back at my desk. I haven’t heard anything new from Ozzy and the boys about this, but I now realize this is the job they have planned for this weekend.

I push that thought out of my mind, keeping a straight face as I file invoices and schedule payroll for the rest of the day.

Once the clock strikes closing time, I make a beeline for the door but Keith manages to corner me.

“Got any plans tonight, Fallon?” He asks, holding the door open for me.

“No, nothing special.” I smile politely, watching as he locks up, and I notice Ozzy’s truck out front, relief flooding through me.

Keith has tried to follow me home before, even though he has a wife and kids, and the way he’s ogling me tonight is starting to get uncomfortable.

“Come down to the bar with me, little lady, let me buy you a drink.” He places an arm around my shoulder, and my body freezes.

He’s leading me toward his car, and I try my best to pull out from under his arm, but he’s got a strong grip on me.

“Keith, I really should get going.”

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