Page 4 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
A chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. “That does sound like a cliché.”
But he didn’t laugh.
His gaze bore into me—deep and searching, as if peeling away every layer and every mask until there was nothing left between us but raw, unfiltered truth.
My smirk faded.
He reached for my hand, slow and steady, bringing it to his chest, pressing my palm flat against the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt.
“What do you hear?”
My lips parted. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but—
I smiled. “Your heartbeat.”
His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist. “And what do you feel?”
I swallowed, suddenly aware of how fast my own heart was racing and how my breath had turned shallow and uneven.
I couldn’t answer because the truth was suffocating.
I wanted him.
Not just for the night. Not just for the illusion of it. I wanted to know who he was beneath the mask.
He leaned in, his mouth brushing against my temple. “You feel the synchrony, don’t you?”
A statement, not a question.
His grip on my waist tightened, pulling me flush against him.
“You fit perfectly with me.”
A sharp inhale.
I felt lightheaded and weightless—like gravity had ceased to exist, and the only thing keeping me tethered to the ground was him.
I shivered.
Every nerve in my body screamed at me to say no.
But the words never came.
Instead, I let him take my hand and lead me through the crowd, past the pulsing lights, and down a hallway lined with private rooms.
My pulse roared in my ears.
This was reckless.
This was stupid.
But when he turned to look at me and when his grip tightened just enough to keep me close—I knew I was already lost.
This was the best or worst decision I was ever going to make. Leading me through the crowd, his fingers gently guided my hand.
The room he took me to was a bit dark. The scent of leather and something faintly spicy lingered. There was a couch, a sleek bar, and a bed in the corner. My heart pounded.
“Are you sure?” His voice was a low, seductive rumble, his eyes hidden behind the mask as he studied my reaction.
