Page 14 of Ruthless Mafia Boss 3: Vino and Claire

“I told you I don’t want anything to happen between us.”

He chuckled, low and quiet. “I know, Claire.” His grip loosened and his hand slid down my arm until he was holding my small hand in his larger one.

“My SUV or yours?” he asked, leading me toward the curb as if I’d already agreed.

“Mine.”

He nodded, meeting my gaze. “Good.”

The difference between Angelo and Vino? Angelo wore a mask when we spent time together. With Vino, there were no barriers. I could see his handsome face, and that was dangerous.

Don’t fall for him, Claire.

I tried to tug my hand free, but he held firm, his smirk teasing. “Too much physical contact?” he asked, clearly enjoying himself.

Renato opened the car door, and I climbed inside, with Vino sliding in beside me. Amadeo, seated behind the wheel, gave a polite nod.

“I had a quick chat with your bodyguards before I ran after you,” Vino said. “Nice guys.”

I arched a brow. “You didn’trunafter me.”

He shrugged. “You walked fast. I took long strides.”

Amadeo peeked over his shoulder. “Where to?”

Vino rattled off an address, and Amadeo began driving.

I fastened my seatbelt, sneaking a glance at Vino. The tan suit hugged his broad frame, the hint of a skull tattoo peeking from beneath his jacket sleeve.

“We could have dressed casually for dinner,” I commented.

“I don’t often dress casual unless I’m at home,” Vino replied.

In contrast, my yellow sundress felt light and easy, flowing just past my knees.

“Did you design this dress?” he asked, surprising me.

“Yes,” I said, my enthusiasm spilling over as I explained the fabric’s softness and cut. He listened with a quiet intensity until Amadeo pulled up to the restaurant.

The warm breeze and sunshine felt good on my skin as we approached the entrance. Vino spoke briefly with the hostess before she led us to a booth near the kitchen. He sat across from me, his blue eyes scanning the restaurant.

The restaurant’s air conditioning sent a chill through me.

“You’re cold,” Vino observed.

He quickly stood up, took off his jacket, and draped it over my shoulders.

“Thank you,” I said with a smile.

Our server introduced himself and went over the specials. Vino ordered a bottle of red wine.

“Take your time looking over the menu, and I’ll be back with the wine shortly,” our server, Lepree, said with a smirk towards Vino.

As I perused the menu, I tried to think of ways to avoid going out to eat with Vino again. Even though this wasn’t technically a date, it definitely felt like one. Should I just ignore him? Would that turn him off? I peeked at him from behind my menu. Did he really care about my opinions on fashion design, or was he just pretending to keep me talking and happy? Time to switch things up.

“So, Vino, tell me about yourself.” I forced a polite, neutral smile.

The server returned to pour our wine and take our orders. Once he was gone, Vino’s gaze found mine.

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