Page 59 of Taming Nikki

Oh, this was going to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought it was. I grabbed the glass of wine in front of me and took a healthy swallow. I couldn’t stand wine, but I would need copious amounts of alcohol to get through this dinner.

I focused on my meal, taking a large bite every time Marino said something that made me want to stab him. It may not have been the worst idea to take the knife away from me. Marino was a piece of shit. He talked crap about his wife while she was right next to him, he was horrible to the staff, and he was a fucking moron. Twice already he started talking business while the wait staff was standing right next to him. While I was sure they’d been paid off, my papa never let business slip if there were too many ears. It was how he stayed so powerful. He was careful.

“So, when did you decide to settle down? I would’ve offered my daughter if I had known you were looking. She’s a beauty and knows her place.”

It was a jab at me, but I kept my face placid as I locked eyes with him. He ran his gaze over me hungrily, and I resisted the urge to scowl.

“It wasn’t planned. Nicole charmed me and it went from there.”

He was making it sound like a love match, which was the exact opposite of what was happening, but I wasn’t sure if the deal between him and Papa was public. I flashed Leo a small smile, bumping my shoulder against him, much to his surprise. That’s right, asshole. I knew how to play the game.

Marino’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard about Morelli’s daughters. All perfect princesses except one. The bastard.”

My spine stiffened. That word was a trigger. It was like pushing the big red button marked ‘do not push.’ I swung my gaze to Marino, my face darkening, but Leo spoke first.

“Call my fiancée that again and you’re going to regret it. I’ve been looking for an excuse to kill someone this week.” It was low and calm, like he was discussing the weather, not threatening the don of another family. Leo didn’t even look at him until the last possible moment, and if looks could kill, Marino would already be dead.

A choking sound came from Marino, his face burning, and still Leo’s posture never changed. He kept his hand slung over the back of my chair, the other playing idly with the knife next to his plate. He blinked slowly, watching Marino’s every move. I knew the game he was playing, the casual act masking the tension in his shoulders. I leaned into the crook of his arm, letting my mask slip a little as a small grin flashed over my face.

There was a moment where I thought Marino might do something stupid and attack Leo. I could easily reach the knife Leo took from me and I could see Leo’s gun tucked into the small of his back. But Marino must’ve seen the promise in Leo’s eyes because he sat back with a frown.

“I apologize. It won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t. Are we done here?”

Leo didn’t wait for Marino’s reply. He pushed from the table, offering me his arm as I stood next to him. When we moved past him, I couldn’t help myself.

“I heard you have bastards of your own, Marino. You must be going broke with the amount of money you have to pay to get women to sleep with you.”

He spun in his chair, his face furious. Leo’s eyes narrowed at him and Marino made the first smart decision of the evening by keeping his mouth shut.

Leo stayed silent the entire way to the car. I waited for him to berate me like Papa always did when my mouth ran away with me, but he just held my door open for me and closed it quietly behind me. I held my breath as his door shut, but the yelling never came. We made it down the street before I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Are you waiting for me to apologize? Because I’m not sorry. He was a dick.”

“No. I’m not looking for an apology from you.”

I frowned and stared at him. “I insulted a don of a powerful family and you’re just… okay with that?”

He nodded, but I didn’t believe him. His knuckles were white, he was gripping the steering wheel so hard and his mask was slipping. He couldn’t pull off impassive anymore. He was too angry for that.

Leo already had the address of the club I was doing the drops at but we were at least an hour too early and I wasn’t going to be able to do my job with him all pissy like that. They’d be too intimidated to get anywhere close to me.

“Pull over.”

He frowned at me. “What?”

“Just fucking do it!”

ChapterTwenty-Seven

NIKKI

He jerked the wheel,pulling off into an empty parking lot. I had my seatbelt unbuckled and my mouth on his before he had a chance to put the car into park. He growled. Parking and throwing his seat back as far as it could go, he yanked me across the seat and into his lap, my knees on either side of his hips.

I rolled my hips against him, groaning when his hand gripped the back of my hair roughly. He forced my head back and ran his tongue down my neck. I ground against him, gasping when he started dragging the front of my dress down with his teeth.

Biting kisses trailed down my neck to my breasts. He pulled one peak into his mouth, sucking hard enough to make me cry out. I laced my fingers through his hair to keep him there. Every pull of his mouth I felt in my clit. I lost focus, my hips stilling until Leo took control. He dragged me against him with his hands on my hips. His own focus splintered, and he released me, his breath panting against my chest.

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