Page 6 of Surprise Quadruplets for the Mob

“You can leave,” I tell her, although I really, really hope she doesn’t. “Now, or at any point.” Then I let a wry smile curl my lips, thinking about the ridiculous tantrums I’ve seen common men make when rejected. “I’ll give you my word that I won’t make a fuss if you change your mind.”

“No,” she says quickly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear with a shy smile. “I want to stay with you.”

Music to my ears.

I want her to feel safe with me even though she probably shouldn’t trust me. More than anything, though, I want to keep seeing that beautiful smile. I already know there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to keep her happy.

The city lights blur past us as we ride to the hotel, and my heart drums an impatient staccato rhythm against my chest. I’ve been watching her ever since we left the ballroom. She’s alert butdoesn’t seem too anxious or nervous. I hope she feels the same kind of connection with me that I feel with her.

When we arrive at the hotel, I can’t seem to get the key card into the slot fast enough. As the door swings open, I usher Abby inside and give her a quick tour of the suite, ending in the sitting room. She’s standing in front of me, looking up with wide, expectant eyes.

Fuck, I want her so bad.

My eyes linger on her pouty lips, and all I can think about is leaning down and capturing them between my teeth.

I feel myself tilt towards her, and I lift a hand to brush a stray curl back from her silver eye mask. “Shall I pour you a drink?”

She leans her head to lean into my caress, and I almost throw being a gentleman out the window entirely. But then she smiles and says, “I’d like that,” and I know I can’t deny her anything.

I lead her to the couch by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sparkling city below, and pour us both a glass of white wine before sitting beside her.

“You know,” she says as he takes her glass from my fingers, “I just now realized I’ve known you for all of three seconds, and now I’m alone in a room with you and nobody knows where I am.”

Well, if she’s suddenly worried about that, it just about tells me she doesn’t follow men home after a night of drinks very often. Somehow, this little tidbit of information makes me soften towards her even more.

“I told you already,” I murmur quietly, lifting a hand to the back of her head and toying with the tie to her mask. “I am no danger to you.”

She giggles, maybe a little nervously, and takes a sip. “Sounds like something a murderer would say.”

She doesn’t know how close to the mark she really is.

“Would that be a deal breaker?” I ask sardonically, and this gets me a laugh—a real one, throaty and warm, and she scoots around on the couch to face me more and takes another long sip.

“Depends on who you’re popping off,” she says with a mirth-filled grin. My fingers grip the ribbon lightly, and as she leans daringly towards me, the bow comes undone, and her silver mask slips free. “Only psychopaths and scoundrels, right?”

“Of course,” I respond playfully—and truthfully—as I stare at her face.

Beautiful. “Then maybe we can forgive it, this one time,” she says softly, and I can’t help but notice her eyes look even bluer now that they aren’t hidden from me.

Her own hand lifts to my mask, and for a moment I consider stopping her, keeping my mask on and keeping my face hidden. But the moment passes, and I do nothing as she hooks her fingers underneath and draws it off me. Somehow, I want her to see me. All of me.

“Oh,” she breathes, as her eyes dart all across my features. “You’re even more handsome than I thought.”

I let out a breath, somehow more affected by those simple words than all the more elaborate compliments I’ve heard in my lifetime, and my hand finds its way to the back of her head,gripping the hair at the base of her head before I even realize I’m doing it.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” I whisper.

“W-wait.” She pulls back suddenly, wide-eyed and flustered, and I purse my lips in disappointment but release my fingers from her hair. “The wine, I’m…I’m going to spill it, if…”

She looks away suddenly, blushing and searching for somewhere to put her glass, and now it’s my turn to laugh. I can’t help but think she must be the sweetest girl I’ve ever seen.

I smoothly take her glass from her fingers and stand, placing both our drinks on the small table on my side of the couch before extending my palm towards her with a smile. “Come.”

She blinks and puts her fingers in mine, and I draw her up, reveling in the way her breath catches.

“Nowmay I kiss you?” I ask, already closing the distance between us and resting my hands on her hips. “I’ve been dying to get this close to you all night.”

She nods and sucks in a sharp breath as I lean in closer. Her chest is rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths and I feel like I can almost hear her heart fluttering wildly when our lips finally meet.

---