Page 38 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
She said she had been here before, which I kind of found strange. I know Maria to be one who defied the norm, but it appears with the time we spent away from each other, there is a lot I didn’t know about her. She used to dislike loud music or crowded areas.
I guess I didn’t know her as well as I thought. Now, I wanted to ask her about her experience and know all the parts of her that weren’t visible to the surface. Instead, I cleared my throat.
“This is where I spend most of my time,” I said, gesturing around. “The club, the casino…they’re the face of the business.”
Her gaze flickered to mine. “And the rest?”
A smirk tugged at my lips. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
She rolled her eyes, but I let it go.
I walked her through the space, pointing out the different areas—VIP booths, the bar, the gaming rooms beyond the main floor. I kept my voice easy, letting her take her time.
She seemed fine. Until—
Her eyes landed on the women.
A group of them stood near the bar, talking amongst themselves, a few shooting glances our way. They were part of the club—bartenders, hostesses, dancers—I mean, the strippers practicing for the night.
I knew exactly what Maria was thinking before she even opened her mouth.
“Are you always surrounded by this many women?”
I turned to her, unable to stop the slow grin that spread across my face.
“Well, I won’t use the word surrounded,” I teased, but she didn’t smile, not even a bit. I mused, leaning a little closer, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound jealous.”
Maria scoffed. “Jealous? Please.”
But her arms crossed, and her chin lifted just slightly—a dead giveaway.
I stepped into her space just enough to watch her breath hitch. “You sure? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were worried.”
She held my gaze, stubborn as ever. But I caught the flicker of something in her eyes—something she didn’t want to admit.
A slow, dangerous smirk spread across my lips.
“Relax, Maria,” I murmured, my voice low and deliberate. “You’re the only woman here I’m interested in.”
Her breath wavered just for a second. And that second? It was enough.
I dragged my gaze down the length of her, slowly, letting myself take in the sight of her trying to fight off her pink, flustered cheeks and the smile about to form on her lips.
Maria shifted like she wanted to step back. But she didn’t. Instead, she lifted her chin higher as if daring me to do something.
And fuck, I wanted to. I wanted to so badly it hurt every inch of me.
Then, she looked away.
I frowned, following her gaze. Her shoulders had gone tense again, her fingers curled at her sides. Whatever had passed between us was gone, replaced by something uneasy.
My voice softened. “You alright?”
Maria hesitated. “I— I am,” she said, but her expression told a different story.
I watched her carefully. “Come to my office.”
She exhaled like she had been holding her breath. Then she nodded.
