Page 3 of Saved By the Mafia Loverboy

The Chardonnay went back in favor of a Moscato, and I turned to head toward the register when I slammed hard into someone’s chest. Nearly dropping the wine, I felt the stranger’s arm around my waist, holding me up and I looked up into his eyes. Dark, brown eyes with wavy brown hair and honey-colored streaks through it. His stubbled face was firm, chiseled, and sucked me right in before I realized who it was.

“Cam?” I regained my composure, backing away. Frustrated, I scowled at him. Had he been the one following me and now he was in the store too? “What are you doing here?”

“Well, it’s Monday evening and I needed some bread.” He waved a loaf of bread around and grinned. “You okay? I didn’t mean to run into you.”

He was standing so close that had to have been a lie. He must have planned this on purpose. “It’s okay.” I side stepped, hoping to avoid some awkward conversation. I didn’t know who his father was, but given the fact that he’d walked out of that police precinct faster than I’d dragged his sorry ass in, I didn’t think I wanted to know. With a name like Riccio the implications were obvious.

“Hey, Kitty.”

The way he said my name made me shudder. I paused but didn’t turn abruptly. “What.” Slowly I pivoted to take him in. A man that good looking was no good for me. I knew it. I’d been the butt of too many jokes in high school to believe that a player like him would do anything besides break my heart. He wanted one thing and I wasn’t putting out.

“I just wanted to say sorry for the way I acted the other day. I swear I’m not an asshole. Just give me a chance.” His expression pleaded with me to let the past be the past, but he was fighting more than just his bad behavior. There was a mountain of hurt behind guys like him. I liked the bad boy type and that meant scars from battles I shouldn’t have had to fight.

“Don’t worry about it.” I had to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I didn’t have to date him. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

I turned and walked at a brisk pace away from him. When I glanced over my shoulder he was gone. Again, I sighed in relief and turned toward checkout. This time of night there was only one woman on the register, and the customer ahead of me had a full cart, half of the belt piled high already too. I tapped my foot anxiously, wishing they’d go faster, hoping Cam didn’t just magically appear.

But wishes don’t always come true.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Cam chuckled and I looked down at what he was carrying as he stopped in line behind me, maybe a little closer than he should have been. He held the same loaf of bread and a can of beer. It was a porter, heavy and dark and not at all my taste, but to each his own.

“Yeah.” I looked back at the register where the cashier steadily swiped items past the laser. Eachbeepwas a second less that I had to stand next to him.

I had to admit that he was very good looking, and on any other day, a guy like that would make me swoon. I just didn’t like the fact that he thought he could put his hands on me when he didn’t even know me, and then the way his father got him out of there without even a shadow of the charge on his record infuriated me. People like that though they were above the law. The law I sought to uphold and defend.

The woman in front of me paid, and as she did I set my stuff down. Cam asked me another question, which distracted me and I turned as the cashier started swiping my things.

“What?”

“I said, it looks like a depressing feast. Wine and fat food? Are you depressed about something?”

“That’ll be $27.82, please.” The cashier’s statement pulled my attention back to the register and away from Cam. Did I look depressed?

I shuddered to think that I wore my feelings on my sleeve that obviously. I reached into my pocket for my wallet but it was not there. So I patted every pocket, even my breast pocket, to find I had left it in the car or even back at the station. In my haste to get away from the person following me, I must have stressed myself out so much I forgot it.

“Shoot. Can I run to my car quick?” I glanced at Cam and the woman behind him in line with her little toddler strapped into the seat. “It’ll just take a sec.” I prayed the uniform was enough to convince her to have mercy on me.

“No way.” Cam interrupted, pulling out his debit card. “For one of Jersey’s finest, I got this.” He handed the card to the woman, who smiled and blushed. She was impressed by his act of chivalry even if I wasn’t. Cam leaned down and looked at her nametag. “So Gina, do you think that Officer Murphy here should accept my apology for being rude a few days ago and go to dinner with me?”

Guys like this had so much charm. I wanted to smack him.

“Oh, gosh, yes.” She bubbled as she rang me up and handed him back his card.

“So will you?”

Him buying my groceries was a nice touch; I’d give him that. If dinner was all he wanted, then I would consider it. “Fine. But not ’til Friday.”

Cam grinned and set his things on the belt. “Perfect. I’ll be in touch. No need to worry.”

I picked up my bags and walked out of there feeling less than human. He had just guilted me into dinner by buying my groceries. What on earth was I doing?

4

CAM

Murphy was stunning. Her simple black dress hugged her body like a glove, giving my cock all sorts of fun ideas. She strolled into the dining room, empty except for the table where I sat waiting. I had only told her where to meet me and to wear something nice. I hadn’t expected her to deck herself out in makeup and jewelry too. It was nice. I stood to greet her as she looked around.

“Why is this place empty?” She squinted at me suspiciously.

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