Page 42 of Gin & Trouble

Frankie

“Suck it, you big hairy mutant!”I leaped from the gaming chair and took a victory lap around the room.

We’d lost hours playing the video game. It was pure escapism and exactly what I needed. I couldn’t stop smiling.

“That was freaking incredible. I thought for sure that orc was going to swallow you whole.” Laughing, Dante pushed to his feet. “I need to crash while I still have some pride left.”

“Come on Danny, one more…” As soon as the name left my lips, the dark cloud that’d followed me since the convention returned.

“Hey.” He captured my chin and turned my face up to his. “I’m sorry. I should have told you my real name from the get go, but I’m still me.”

I couldn’t hold his gaze, not without feeling like a complete hypocrite. He might have given me a fake name, but at least he wasn’t a DNA-stealing, computer hacking spy.

Dante stared until I glanced up. “I didn’t want to scare you off, or worse.”

“Worse?”

He shrugged. “It’s hard to know if people care about me or my family’s money and reputation.”

The weight of his words threatened to crush me. I knew firsthand what it was like to live in the shadow of your father’s illegal activities, but my experience was different. Outside of Sicily, the Abruzzo name wasn’t as well known as the Marchionnis, and it certainly wasn’t immediately associated with the Cosa Nostra.

“Scare me off because of the mafia?” The words fell out before I could stop them.

Maybe I was born without a brain-to-mouth filter, too.

Dante released my chin and did exactly what I’d come to expect from him—cracked a joke. “I’d tell ya, but I’d have to kill ya.”

“I remember the scandal with your father and the mayor on the news last year. That had to be hard.” I played with fire bringing it up, but I’d always had a terminal case of curiosity. Plus, as much as I hated his family, I cared about him. Although lately, I’d begun to wonder if the Marchionnis were as awful as my family had made them out to be.

“Hard is an understatement.” He brushed my hair back from my face and kissed my forehead. “It’s late. Let’s get some sleep.”

His touch was feather-light, but I felt it everywhere. I must have been born without abrain–to-body filter, because I slid my arms around him and pressed close—too close—and not close enough.

Dante hesitated for one, two, three, heartbeats before slanting his mouth over mine. The moment our lips touched, whatever had held him back seemed to vanish. His arm snaked around my waist and his fingers threaded through my hair.

It was a kiss that never should have happened. A forbidden pleasure—the sweet taste of poison before it stops your heart.

And I want it.

I felt the moment his brain got in the way of our pleasure. I had no idea what he was thinking, but he’d slowed down when I wanted him to speed up. He’d pulled back when I needed him to give me more. He’d released me when I wanted him to hold tighter.

Dante pressed his brow to mine and closed his eyes. Drawing a deep breath, he whispered, “Julia, my God… You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do that again, but—”

“But it’s been a long day.” I wrapped my arms around my middle to stop the sinking feeling in my gut.

He stared as if unsure how to respond. “For both of us. I’ll get the extra bedding.”

What was I thinking?

I’d grossly underestimated his effect on me when I’d rooked him into inviting me to stay at his place. I couldn’t let my guard down again, even for a second. Despite what Dante had said, everything had changed when I found out who he was and was not.

Danny was a myth. A funny, charming, kind myth with a last name like Jones or Smith—not Marchionni.

Dante led me to the hall closet and pulled out a pillow and blanket. “You sure you don’t want me to run to your place and pick up your things?”

The last thing I wanted was Dante in my apartment. Not that Sophia and I had family photos laying around, but I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t find something with our real names on it.

“I’ll call Iris. She can bring my bag to work tomorrow.” I grabbed the pillow and hugged it to my chest. Everything was fine until I made the mistake of drawing a deep breath. It smelled like spiced wood and sex and him. My body reacted instantly.

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