Page 74 of Taming Nikki

While the rest of the table laughed, I put my arms around his neck, kissing him lightly. It placated him but he was still stiff and grouchy. I bumped my forehead against him, keeping my voice low so we wouldn’t be overheard.

“You’re getting some serious brownie points. I might consider a repeat of last night if you keep this shit up.”

A wicked grin overtook his face, and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Which part?”

I lifted my chin, raising my eyebrows. “All of it.”

He pulled me in for a kiss but couldn’t linger because Diego started complaining almost immediately.

“That’s gross, man. She’s my sister.”

Laughing, I gave Leo a small peck and slid back into my seat. This was shaping up to be one of my best birthdays ever. We laughed and drank. The guys all made bets on stupid shit around the restaurant, winning Diego a lot of money because he’d been coming here for years and knew all the dirt with the staff. I talked with Emma about her work. She was a travel blogger and getting really popular. She mentioned a few places she went to recently that she thought I might enjoy. All in all, I had a blast, and I didn’t even have to do something crazy to pull it off. I just got to be me.

I was leaning back in my seat, Leo’s arm resting on the back no longer bothering me. I had a bit of both cupcakes. Emma had gone for decadent chocolate with a mousse whipped topping. I was trying to decide if I liked Leo’s more because it was unexpectedly thoughtful or it actually just tasted better.

“So, Nikki. Did you enjoy the game? I had an article to finish so I couldn’t be there, but I watched it on TV.”

I nodded, but Diego rolled his eyes. “What little of it she saw. She was working the entire time.”

I could hear the frown in Leo’s voice without even turning around. “What do you mean the entire time? When did she start working exactly?”

Frozen, I tried to shoot Diego a ‘shut the hell up’ look, but he was getting a little tipsy and didn’t notice me. “Yeah, right after she joined us in the dugout. She was working all the way until after the game ended. The only time she stopped was to borrow your friend’s phone to make a call. You work too much, hermanita, I’ve always said so.”

Leo stiffened, and Mikey and I shared a panicked look. I turned slowly, watching Leo’s face. His mask of indifference was up, but I could see the fire in his eyes. He was pissed.

He stayed silent for the rest of the evening and it left me on edge. By the time I finally said goodbye to Diego and Emma, I was overly tense and getting aggravated. On the defensive before we even got to the car, I rounded on him.

“Okay, start talking. You’ve been silent and moody for over an hour now. Why?”

He glared at me. “You know why.”

I threw up my hands, already over this conversation. I knew where it was going. “What? You’re mad because I stepped up to help you? Or are you mad it was a girl who got you out of trouble?”

His mask fell and fury danced across his face. “No, Nicole. I’m mad that you overstepped. You don’t work for me. If you would’ve gotten caught, it could’ve had huge consequences not only for you but for my entire family. It’s not a fucking game!”

I ground my teeth, clenching my fists. “Who says it was a game? I worked my ass off so that you wouldn’t be framed for someone else’s shit, and this is the thanks I get? Real nice, Vitale.”

I spun on my heel, done with the conversation. That only seemed to piss off Leo more. He grabbed my elbow, dragging me to the side of the restaurant away from the smokers out front who were watching us argue. I struggled, trying to rip my arm free but he only tightened his grip until I flinched and stopped fighting. He pushed me against the wall, towering over me with a menacing scowl.

“I’m getting really tired of chasing you, Nicole. You don’t walk away while I’m talking to you.”

“Or what, asshole?” He sounded like my papa and I wasn’t going to let him talk to me like I was some errant child.

Leo looked like he wanted to hurt me, and part of me wished he would try it. I might have been unarmed, I don’t bring weapons to the stadium, but I wasn’t a chump. I knew how to defend myself.

“I’m not in the mood for the brat routine. You overstepped. You should have kept your nose out of my business. Or did you forget our deal?”

My head jerked back like I had been slapped. A lot had happened since that deal. He knew way more about my business than I ever intended to share with him and had included me in his more than once. That deal was also before we started sleeping together. Before he was kind and thoughtful, and obviously before I figured out he was incredibly good at hiding his true feelings from me. No matter what we’d been through, he still saw me as the mafia princess who needed to know her place.

“Deals off, Vitale.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I am talking about our deal. We didn’t even last 48 hours. I’m not giving you the whole week when you keep showing me time and time again that you only ever see me one way.”

He scowled. “You don’t get to make that decision. The deal stands because I didn’t break any of the fucking rules. Unless you want to go to the courthouse?”

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