Page 4 of Merciless Desires

“Welcome to New York.” The pilot’s voice pulled me from my unsettled memory.

In a few minutes, I would come face to face with the man who had unwittingly broken my heart when he left for America. I tried to forget him. I didn’t contact him like he had requested because I wanted him to have the next move. He hadn’t reached out to me either.

Was I just the twenty-year-old girl with a crush on the ruthless mobster from New York? Gio flirted with me for years. From the time I was fourteen, I had loved him with all my heart. I had met him when I was even younger, but I didn’t know then that he would become the center of my world. He teased me, taught me English, made me forget my sheltered life, but then he left for a few years. He returned this summer, and he didn’t see me as a child anymore. There was a spark between us. We just needed time to explore it.

After going through customs, my guards, Alberto and Leo, retrieved my luggage. I sent my father a quick text telling him I had landed. He would have preferred I called him instead, but I still held a grudge for him making me come here without any input from me. Of course, I wanted to see Gio, but I wanted Gio to have been the one to send for me.

I never understood my father’s motives. It was no secret how I felt about Gio, but it was even less of a secret that my father wasn’t going to approve of a relationship between him and I. Over the summer, I thought he might be softening to the idea, but as his business became unsettled, he was far too focused on work to entertain what I needed.

Once I stepped out of the huge automatic doors, the crisp fall air swept over me. Gio stood in front of a black SUV, much like he had the last time I had seen him. I hadn’t caught his eye yet, but he had certainly had my attention standing there in his dark suit that was tailored for him. Even in the dim lighting of the underpass where the cars waited to pick up their passengers, his shoes shined and his silver watch sparkled.

Absolute perfection.

I was used to well-dressed men. My father was meticulous in every aspect of his life and insisted the men who surrounded him look the part of the business he involved himself in. Even if I wasn’t supposed to speak of his dealings, I knew he wasn’t a legitimate businessman. Neither was Gio, but I didn’t care.

Gio was on the phone, listening intently. He nodded a few times as he leaned against the vehicle. He didn’t have a tie on and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing the black ink that was sprawled across his solid chest. He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair. My fingers twitched at the thought of being able to thread them through his luscious locks.

If he was aware of the women who practically walked into him because they were so busy staring at him, he didn’t show it. I had gotten used to random women seeking his interest whenever we went out. My own aunts and cousins were guilty of trying to steal his attention away from me. Again, if he knew he was the object of all these women’s desires, he never mentioned it.

As I approached Gio, he ended his call and placed his phone in his inside jacket pocket. When he looked up, our eyes connected. My stomach flipped in excitement and I couldn’t help the smile that took over my face when he grinned at me.

No! He left me. I wouldn’t make his new babysitting gig easy for him.

“Bellissima.” Gio came toward me, leaning in and kissing both my cheeks. “You look incredible.”

I wanted more than a peck on the cheek, but I wouldn’t show my disappointment.

“Gio.” I touched his bulging bicep as I breathed in his comforting, fresh scent. “Ciao.”

“How was your flight?”

“Uneventful.” I glanced at his driver who waited by the passenger door. “It was so kind of you to pick me up.”

“Are you ready to go home?”

“Home?”

“I have a penthouse in the city. I’m sure you’ll love being in the center of everything.”

“I assumed I’d be staying at a hotel.”

“A hotel? I don’t think so. Didn’t your father tell you you’d be staying with me?”

“He was quite vague.” I didn’t expect to stay with Gio. This could work to my benefit, but I didn’t want him to know that. “He said you’d be looking out for me and that I shouldn’t give you any trouble.”

“Trouble?” His lips curved into the most delicious smirk. “I doubt you’d be any trouble.”

Don’t be so sure.

“I can stay at a hotel. I’ve researched a few places. I want to overlook Central Park. I’ve seen it in movies. I want to be able to go shopping on Fifth Avenue as much as possible.” I motioned to Alberto and Leo. “I have my own security, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

“That’s very considerate of you, but you’ll be coming home with me. Alberto and Leo will be on your security team, but I’ll be taking the lead.” He turned to his driver. “Conti,” he said. “Help them load Ms. Malatesta’s things into the SUV and then we can get going.”

“Sure.” Conti smiled at me. “Welcome to America.”

“Thank you.” I turned to Gio. “What do you mean you’ll be taking the lead?”

“I don’t plan to let you out of my sight.”

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