My thoughts of Cara are interrupted by thoughts of the boss finding out what happened between us. He’ll be furious for sure and ask for my head on a plate. I mean, he can try.
There’s a reason why my own men obey me without question and why Benicio keeps me by his side. Our enemies tremble in fear just hearing my name. That’s not even an exaggeration. I’m not above doing whatever I need to do to accomplish my goals. I’m not part of Cara’s family and over the years, I’ve received offers from other familias.
I’m leaning against the car when the doors to the mansion open and Cara steps out. Fuck, I forgot how beautiful she is. She’s wearing a short blue dress and I quickly quash that urge to bunch it around her waist and take her while standing.
Her long blonde hair is parted into two and braided. She looks so young and innocent—both things I’m not. Seeing her up close and inhaling her scent drives me crazy with desire.
I get back into the car and drive away from the mansion and into the concrete maze of buildings in the city.
I focus my sights on the road ahead until Cara speaks up. "Carlo, about yesterday, I want to thank you again for pulling me out of that situation. I appreciate it."
"Just doing my job,principessa. Glad I can be of help," I say, meaning those words.
She looks at me from the rearview mirror and smiles softly.
"So where are we going?" she asks.
"Where would you like to go? You say you want to relive old memories, so you must have something in mind."
"Let's go to the Empire State Building. I remember going there with my mother when I was 8 just before she passed away, and the view there was breathtaking.”
We make small talk as we head to the location, and she tells me more about her childhood. I notice her voice becomes more animated, less formal, whenever she talks about something that means so much to her.
"So, did your parents ever take you up to the observation deck to watch the airplanes land at JFK?" I ask.
Cara rolls her eyes and chuckles. "No, they didn't," she replies. "But I bet yours did."
"Of course, I did," I say. "I've always been a bit of an adventurer."
Cara looks at me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I bet you were a daredevil when you were younger, always pushing the limits."
I nod, a smirk forming on my lips as I reminisce on my own childhood. "You seem to have figured me out. But I've grown up since then."
Cara chuckles and shakes her head. "I'm not so sure about that. You still seem pretty…daring to me."
I hold her gaze for a brief moment at the stop light. "Is that a challenge?" I ask. “Because I never back down from a challenge."
She continues to chuckle with amusement. "Alright then, Mr. Adventure," she raises one brow. "Prove it to me."
Our conversation is cut short as we arrive at the Empire State Building, and I find a place to park the car.
We use the elevator and make our way to the observation deck. As we reach the top, Cara gasps. Her hand slips into mine. I turn to her, a questioning look on my face, but she just looks up at me with a smile and a slight shrug.
We continue to stare at the buildings that tower above us, casting long shadows over the streets and sidewalks below. The city buzzes below us, but up here, we're in our own world.
I turn to Cara, and she looks back at me, her eyes wide with wonder and her cheeks a light shade of pink. "It’s as incredible as I remember," she says. "Thank you for bringing me here."
I smile at her, the feeling of my palm clasped around her small hand making my skin burn with need. "Anything for you,principessa," I whisper as my gaze locks into hers.
We stand there for a long time, my whole body tense with lust and desire. We’re so close to each other that I can feel the heat radiating off her skin. I’m close to risking it all when my phone suddenly vibrates and rings loudly, shattering whatever held us at that moment.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I curse in my head but pick up the call anyways, removing my hand from hers and offering a mouthed apology. She just waves me away.
My life has revolved around “my job.” For the first time, it doesn’t fill me with anything except irritation at coming between me and Cara.
I go back to her and find her clutching her phone tightly.