If you make every game a life-and-death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.

Dean Smith

Haven Pierce's POV

I stared at him in disbelief and I was not even sure if I heard him correctly. Did he just propose that we should stay for the night in Rome when we should be back in Sicily tonight? I swallowed hard, a huge part of me thought that this was not a good idea at all. "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, looking very much the devil himself. "I thought that maybe we should stay here until tomorrow noon so you can go sightseeing around the city. I heard from the maids that you mentioned before that you wish to visit the Trevi Fountain."

I moistened my suddenly dry lips. "Yes, but—"

He smirked in my direction. Does he know how sinfully handsome he is when he's doing that? That should be considered illegal. "Since we're already here it's such a shame to travel back to Sicily without visiting the famous fountain here in Rome."

"I—I don't think that's a good idea."

He frowned at me while his eyes pierce through my soul. "Why not?"

"Well, you see..." I couldn't even finish my sentence because I was only aware of how my heart was pounding loudly in my heart. It was as if there was a marching band inside my chest at the moment.

He cocked an eyebrow, his eyes were now filled with undisguised annoyance in their depth. "Why? Because you don't want me to accompany you? Because you rather want to spend the day with your friend, is that it? But he already went back to the US because of his internship."

I sighed deeply, avoiding his intense gaze. Noah went suddenly went back to Los Angeles because he was unexpectedly accepted for the internship he applied for so soon. He did not expect at all to receive an immediate call from them and it would be a shame if he would turn it down when it was a dream of his to work in that big company that's why his trip to Sicily was cut short.

"It's not like that," I answered after a moment, still unable to meet his gaze.

"Then, how is it? I'd like to know." He asked casually, tucking his arms in the middle while looking at me with forceful eyes.

I bit my bottom lip, slightly feeling embarrassed about the whole thing. "I just don't think it's a good idea since you are my guardian and going on trips with you feels like going out on a..." I was unable to finish my sentence because I felt ridiculous about my reason.

"On a what?" He demanded, but there was a small smile tugging on his lips.

I took every courage that I could muster and stared at his face. My heart nearly jumped in my throat when I realized that he was already standing too close for my comfort. "It feels like we're dating—I know that's ridiculous but people might see us together might think that way. It will be awkward for both of us!"

I thought he would understand but my lips parted in disbelief when his dark eyes shone with unholy light in their depth. "So you think that way when we're together, huh?"

"No!" I denied fiercely, eyeing him with horror in my eyes. How could he misunderstand? "You got it wrong. People might think that way. And I am sure that you don't want some rumors like that. People might talk behind your back about how you could date the woman who was left in your care by her deceased father. I am just thinking about your reputation it will be ruined by false rumors."

He chuckled sexily, the hair on my neck stood up at the sound of his sensual laugh. "You think about my reputation, Haven?" He asked hilariously. "Me? Sicily's most notorious mafia? Do you know how people throw mud in my name daily? I've been accused of so many things in the past that will probably make you faint if you hear them so a false gossip will not even make me blink."

"But..."

"Unless it's your reputation that you're worried about. I don't blame you, to be honest. Because being associated with me would be the worst-case for you. You will be in constant danger because of my work."

"Is that supposed to be a warning?"

A reluctant smile fitted his lips. "No. I am just telling you the truth. Besides, I don't do commitment I am fuck and go type of guy."

I eyed him dryly. "You don't seem to be remorseful about it but thanks for the warning I will keep that in mind. I just don't want another misconception about our association just like what happened a while ago with your ex."

"Veronica is a jealous type." He replied nonchalantly, his eyes were cold and distant. "But I want to be clear that I don't have a relationship with her in the past for you to consider her as my ex. I only slept with her once and that's enough."

"You're a heartless bastard, do you know that?" I informed him with a disapproving look. "I wonder what women saw in you for them to agree to spend the night in your bed."

"Sexual chemistry, sweetheart." He answered with a smug smile on his devilishly handsome face. "You don't need to love a person you want to fuck. Mutual consent will do the trick."

I shook my head in antagonism. "I still believe you should reserve your body for a person you love. I can't see the benefit of sleeping to an endless of women when your heart is empty with emotions."

He gave me a strange smile on his face. His dark eyes were hard at the moment. "That's how different we are in seeing the world. You view it through your rose-colored glasses while I see it in a 4K view of reality."

I was silent for a moment while studying him discreetly. What should I expect from him? He's a hard man inside and out. I should have known that he views the world with such cynicism. But a small part of me still believes that there was warmth in him beneath that cold exterior. He just needs to find the right woman who would change his beliefs.

"About my plan to stay for the night in Rome to see the Trevi Fountain tomorrow," he reminded me, going back to the original topic. "Are you game for that?"

I don't think it was a good idea to spend more time in his company alone. I don't want people to mistake our association again just what happened at this party so I shook my head regretfully. "Thank you for your kind offer but I have to turn down your offer, Santi." I smiled at him sweetly. "I want to visit the Trevi Fountain for the first time with the man that I love."

The welcoming smile on his face abruptly faded and his looks suddenly became reserved. "Is that so?" He asked in an icy voice. "Then, we should fly back to Sicily after this party."

I nodded in agreement, biting my bottom lip a little. From the expression on his face, I could perceive that for some reason he was mad about something, and I had some idea that it might be because I flatly turned down his ridiculous offer. Maybe he wasn't just used to being turned down like that by a woman.

I reluctantly placed my hand on his waiting arm as we went back to the party. It didn't take long once we were back inside the stunning mansion people started to approach him eager to talk to him about business and some just wanted to meet the powerful Sicilian man. I had this smile fixed on my face until I felt my jaw hurt from smiling like that.

I dared to glance in the direction of the Don and I mentally cringed when I saw his face was dark and dangerous. It was as if he was ready to kill anyone who irked him without as much as a warning. His attitude now was a far cry from when we first arrived at this party.

I watched in horror when a middle-aged man was talking to him about something and Santi wasn't remotely interested in the topic but the poor man kept on going the crime boss gave him a deadly look to silence him and the man visibly paled and excused himself.

"That was rude of you," I couldn't help to be silent any longer about his ass behavior. Somebody has to point out to him that he was already being rude to the other guests and this was not his party, to begin with. He was just also a guest like everyone else.

For the first time since we were back at the party, he spared me a glance, his eyes were filled with annoyance. "You think so?"

"Yes," I answered bravely. I didn't know why I bothered risking my neck here but I couldn't help it. "Why are you so annoyed? Are you mad about something?"

He stared at me for a long moment, his dark eyes felt like piercing deep into my soul. "I don't know what you were talking about, Haven."

"You can't lie to me. I've known you for a couple of weeks now and I know when you're irritated about something...or someone this time, should I say."

He avoided my gaze and looked in the other direction. I could see that he was pissed off by the way he clenched his jaw.

"Is this about my refusal to see the Trevi Fountain with you? Are you mad because I want to see it with the person I love and not with you?" I asked daringly. Though it was bold of me to assume things I could not think of another reason for his fuming behavior other than that.

"No." He immediately denied it, still looking in the other direction.

I was looking at him intently while he was still refusing to meet my gaze. "Are you sure? Because it feels like that's the reason why you're so ticked off in this party."

He let out an angry breath as he finally spared me a glance. "Don't assume of things, little one. This is my usual behavior at parties your rejection has nothing to do with it. I just offered to see that fucking fountain since we're already here in Rome but no hard feelings."

Liar. If there were no hard feelings then why the heck I was back being the 'little one'? I thought he was already accustomed to calling me by my given name so why do I feel that there was once again a huge wall between us? I decided to yield to the field because I didn't want to have a confrontation with him in front of this bunch of strangers.

So I remained silent throughout the party and only smiled politely and joined the conversation when they directed a question to me other than that I stood next to him like a trophy. He was getting frostier and snappier as the evening went by. I only let out a thankful sigh when he finally informed me that it was to go and his plane was already waiting for us on the tarmac.

We traveled in painful silence going to the airport where his private plane was waiting. He insisted on looking at the side of his window while I did the same. We bother to change our clothes as we would probably arrive in Sicily dressed like this.

Once we were inside his aircraft and the plane was readying to take off I was strapped in the seat across from him. The cabin crew placed a glass of juice in front of me while there was a glass of liquor in his at our shared table.

For some reason, he was still looking anywhere but at me. Now his gaze was fixed on his plane window even if there was nothing to see outside because it was pitch black.

He's mad at me.

I mimicked his gesture and looked out my window once the aircraft was already at a high altitude. I admire the night lights in the beautiful city of Rome from my plane window.

"So you're going to see the Trevi Fountain with that boy?"

My head snapped in his direction. I thought that the deafening silence would be our company throughout this journey. I was rather surprised to see him talking to me once again. I frowned at him. "Who are you talking about?"

"Your guy best friend." I could hear the sneer in his voice loud and clear. What's wrong with him today?

I rolled my eyes as I tamed down my annoyance. "I told you countless times now that Noah is just a friend of mine and nothing more. Why are you insisting that we have a romantic relationship?"

He spared me a glance, his eyes were dark and icy cold. "Then, who are you going to take there with you?"

I scoffed, remembering my reply to him back at the party. "I have yet to meet the guy who I will bring to see the Trevi Fountain with me." I beamed at him brightly. "Do you know the popular myth that surrounds the Trevi Fountain, Santi?"

"What myth?" His brows drew a single line on his forehead.

"If you throw one coin in the fountain you will return to Rome. Throw two coins and you will fall in love with an attractive Italian guy. Throw three coins and you will marry the person you met."

He glowered in my direction. "And you do plan on throwing coins in that fucking fountain?"

"Yes," I answered with a fit of giggles.

If I thought his appearance wouldn't be scarier I was mistaken. He was now looking at me with a thunderous face like the devil himself. "Who is this little fucker who invented such bullshit?"

I eyed him with an amused facial expression. "It's just a legend. Who knows who made it popular and I don't see anything wrong in trying if the legend would come true."

"So you want to meet an attractive Italian guy and marry him in the future?" His words were laced with acid while looking at me with callous eyes.

I shrugged nonchalantly as I propped my elbow on the table while resting my face on my palm and looking at him. "I'm open to the possibility but like I said I have yet to fall in love."

He made a sound of abhorrence and muttered something in Sicilian that I wish I understood. I looked at him with an interesting look. If I didn't know better I would assume that he was jealous. But that's a completely absurd idea.

This was Santi Marchesi we were talking about. The man who professed he wasn't capable of loving another human being and was a cold-hearted person.