OLIVIA

Luca and Julie. My hand slammed against the curtain. Of course, they would hook up. Stunning club owners and model-like hostesses were an obvious match.

The ugly feeling, which clawed inside me as I remembered her satisfied expression, left me nauseous from the images my mind conjured all too readily.

"See something you like?"

Luca's amused voice startled me. An infuriating smirk tugged at his lips while he made no effort to tidy his dishevelled state.

Crap. I jerked back, warmth flooding my cheeks. Had he been watching me this whole time?

"No. I mean....sorry... Didn't realise anyone was still here." My words stumbled out in a sad attempt at casualness.

"Wait."

The command halted my clumsy escape. With a crooked finger, he beckoned me over, and my feet moved of their own volition against all logic.

"Just collecting glasses." I shoved the excuse out, my nerves jangling. "I'll get out of your way."

His smirk deepened as he straightened. "Slow down."

The closer he got, the hotter my face got, but I refused to let him fluster me. "I have to get back."

Tiny bumps prickled across my flesh when his fingers circled my wrist, anchoring me in place, before he gently reeled me in.

"Why the rush?" His smile was sin incarnate. "Don't go yet. I insist."

The man was shameless. Moments ago, he was in here doing god knows what with Julie, and now he was asking me to stay?

I wrenched my hand back, my heart rate skyrocketing. "I figured you wanted privacy after..."

Gesturing at his state, I tried not to picture his hands roaming her curves. Or acknowledge the unwelcome flare of jealousy inside me. Most importantly, I had to avoid his gaze, or I'd dissolve at his feet.

"After what?" His brow arched. Was he going to deny it?

"I saw Julie leaving. She looked rather...flushed."

"Is that right?" Slowly, he swiped his cheek with a thumb, wiping away the lipstick. His stare locked with mine, goading a reaction. "I might think you're jealous, cara."

"Jealous? Absolutely not," I scoffed, hoping the heat creeping up my neck wasn't noticeable in the dim light. "You're not my type."

Who was I fooling? With his charm and smile and body, he was every woman's fantasy. Powerful. Sexy. Untamable.

Criminal, remember?

His grin widened, seeing right through me. "No? Then you won't care to hear how she became so flushed."

Curiosity warred with humiliation and something worse. Envy. Against my resolve to stay away, a treacherous part of me wished I had been in Julie's shoes, feeling his skin against mine.

No, I had no right to care what—or who—he did in his free time. I shouldn't. I didn't...

And yet, I heard myself ask, "Did you?"

"Did I what?" Luca chuckled. "You'll need to be more specific."

Damn him. He was going to make me spell it out. "Did you and her...you know..." The words tightened in my chest. Could I not even finish the question? Pathetic.

"Fuck?"

My stupid heart skipped a beat at the bluntness. The air in this tiny space vibrated with his energy, leaving me breathless. He revelled in this power play, and I was his captivated audience.

But what could I say to this? Well done for hooking up with the gorgeous hostess who's ten times hotter than me. Even in my head, it came out bitter and petty.

"Forget I asked. It's not my business who you're intimate with."

"Is that so? You seem rather interested for someone claiming otherwise."

Argh. I grasped for some scrap of dignity. "I don't care who you sleep with—I simply wouldn't want to interrupt anything...private."

"Mhmm." The husky hum vibrated through me as he moved closer. Between his mocking doubt and overwhelming presence, it was all too much for my overloaded senses. My knees weakened, traitorous things. "Why don't I believe you?"

Shit. Being this close to him was messing with my head, my thoughts straying in ways they definitely shouldn't.

"Who's to say you wouldn't enjoy it if you came across something more explicit?" His question was a gravelly whisper meant only for me.

A helpless sound threatened to escape as he traced a fingertip over my collarbone, dipping teasingly low before travelling back up the column of my neck.

My head spun when he leaned in. Damn him for smelling so good.

"I suspect you would enjoy the show, cara."

Dear god, is he trying to end me?

An uncontrollable need rushed through me, setting me alight, stealing my breath in a ragged gasp. Well done, hormones. Let's throw common sense out the window, shall we?

Breathing the same air as him was an indecent exhilaration at this point.

"I don't think I'm interested in watching your conquests, thank you very much." The braver Olivia was back, thankfully. Perhaps I wasn't a completely lost cause after all.

"Can you picture me fucking her against this table?" His warm breath caressed my ear. "Hear her desperate moans transforming to cries of ecstasy?"

My heart. Against my ribs. A drum gone rogue. Was this a heart attack? Because I was one pounding beat away from it bursting right out of my chest. Except I imagined myself, not her.

"Do you wonder what sounds I could draw from you?" The words ghosted over my neck as his arms caged me against the table. A resounding 'Yes' rang in my mind.

His thigh slid between mine, and I gasped as our bodies aligned. My nerves lit up like live wires, electricity sparking everywhere we touched. Only Luca could flip this switch that sent a surge of desire through every cell.

"Perhaps you wish it was you I bent over instead?" he asked.

Molten desire pooled low in my belly. Was he a hypnotist casting a spell?

"Or pinned you against the wall, devouring those pretty lips?"

My breath hitched, stunned by his brazenness... Or was it the fact he was reading my thoughts?

Because I wished for that very outcome—him on me. I wanted strong hands gripping my hips, my fingers tangling in his hair, while his mouth found all my sensitive spots. The rasp of his stubble against my flesh as he tasted every inch.

Need throbbed between my thighs, growing stronger. I squeezed them around his and bit back a whimper.

This man was going to be the death of me; that much was clear. If he kept whispering indecent things in my ear, I'd combust on the spot. Although if this overwhelming rush were any indication, at least I'd die blissfully satisfied.

"Are you going to admit what you want, Olivia?" He drew out my name like a caress.

His thumb traced my lower lip, stealing a whimper. My mouth parted without a thought, and Luca seized the chance to trace the inner edge. Such a simple touch, yet fireworks exploded across my senses.

"Tell me you haven't imagined how I could make you feel." His demand edged towards torturous, flooding my mind with impossible scenarios. "How having my hands and mouth all over you would make you ache, soaked for me."

Lulled by the pull, I swayed toward him. His eyes darkened at my willingness, his thumb pressing more firmly, demanding entry past my lips.

Everything was on fire. Everywhere. Cheeks. Core. My curling toes too. It would have been so easy to draw it into my mouth and explore it with my tongue. Just for a little...

What on earth am I thinking? I pulled away, severing the contact before I was lost completely.

"I'll take this as a yes." His tone dripped with dark satisfaction.

What was he doing to me? Days of his indifference, then...this. A few words—a few very hot, filthy words—and I was reduced to a putty in his hands, wanting him to have his way with me.

The logical part of me screamed to walk away. Or better yet, run. Instead, my feet refused to budge.

My fingers curled into my palms. I wasn't supposed to want this....or was I?

A taste... That was all I craved.

The truth was there, a forbidden indulgence waiting to be unlocked. He was temptation and danger, and I was milliseconds away from giving in. But this surrender carried consequences which could destroy everything I cared for.

Some shred of sanity slammed back into me. I couldn't let him dismantle me like this.

I ducked under his arm, putting some needed distance between us. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Mr Moretti. Wouldn't want to strain your ego." My defiant words masked the effect he had on me. "You must think highly of your skills if you assume every woman is imagining you in compromising positions."

"Mr Moretti?" He chuckled, as confident as ever. "Well, little doe, I assure you—I never boast idly. My reputation is well-earned, if you would like a demonstration."

Treacherous thoughts of how exactly he could prove it came rushing in. No, being with him would be thrilling and certain to scar me. I couldn't forget who he was.

"Somehow, I'm sure your schedule is already too full to demonstrate whether it's true." Was I flirting back? Nononono. A reckless impulse. "Like I said, you can sleep with whoever you want. Makes no difference to me."

Regardless of my bravado, the hunger rising in his gaze made my skin burn. I couldn't ignore it, nor how my whole being sang at his nearness, longing to be the sole object of his desire.

He laughed, infuriatingly composed. "You're cute when jealous."

"Not jealous." I rolled my eyes, praying it didn't look as desperate as it felt. "Jealousy implies I care...and I don't."

"Almost had me fooled." Amusement still danced in Luca's eyes as he adjusted his shirt. I forced myself to look away from the hint of muscle straining against the fabric. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me...for now."

My secret. The remark was a douse of ice-cold water.

"I-I should get back to work. Wouldn't want to get on Carlos' bad side."

"Don't let me keep you." He paused while I scrambled to grab the glasses from the table, his attention on me. "And, Liv? Let's just say Julie is a lucky woman tonight. Fortune sometimes smiles on those in need."

What did he mean? I frowned, but he stepped back, allowing me to leave the booth.

With a thumping rhythm in my throat, I hurried away before he could unbalance me further. It was a miracle I didn't drop the glasses, which shook, much like my hands.

"Hey," Sadie called out as I returned to the bar, clutching the tray like a lifebelt. "You get them all?"

I winced. The remaining booth. "Almost. One more to check."

Reluctantly, I trudged back, keeping my fingers crossed I'd avoid another run-in with Luca. My lack of self-control around him was more than evident.

But instead, hushed voices drifted toward me.

"Did you hear about Julie?" a waitress asked.

My ears pricked up. It was a Julie day, apparently.

"Yeah, can you believe it? The Morettis are covering her brother's life-saving surgery."

What? The information stunned me.

"I'm so happy for her. She was so upset, poor thing, because her family couldn't afford his treatment," another said. "Asked for extra shifts to get more money."

"Louise told me the bosses found out and offered to pay for everything—the surgery, hospital stay, all of it. Luca told Julie tonight."

So that was the fortune smiling? I'd misunderstood the whole situation... Heat stung my face as mortification pulsed through me. Well done, Olivia, jumping to conclusions again.

"They did the same when my mum was ill," a younger girl added.

"I heard they paid off Adam's student loans—"

The women chatted away, but I moved on before they realised I eavesdropped. 

Did Luca and Dante care about their staff? It seemed they went above and beyond to support them.

Their generosity ensured loyalty, no doubt. Still, doubts lingered. Had Julie earned Luca's favour intimately? 

The notion twisted like a knife, but I clung to it as a shield, a reminder to keep my distance from him. Maybe the Moretti brothers had occasional moments of kindness piercing their reputation, yet it still protected darker things beneath.

Something inside me wanted to trust Luca. Although his kindness conflicted with everything I thought I knew about him, I wanted to believe it revealed the man under the mobster mask.

But I couldn't afford naivety. He was a Moretti at his core, dangerous in more than one way because being near him made the world fade away.

"Perfect, thanks." Sadie's voice yanked me from my reverie as she grabbed my last empties. "We're done for today. Ready to head out?"

"Yes." I forced a smile, following her toward the exit. It had been such a bizarre night, full of contradictions. I wasn't sure what to believe or think anymore.

Waving her goodbye, I approached my car. A tall figure, silhouetted against it, made me freeze. 

One of the bartenders, a lit cigarette hung between his fingers. He bent forward slightly, concealing his face in shadows.

"Erm, hi." Uneasiness trickled down my spine. "Need a lift somewhere?"

He shook his head, taking a long drag from his cigarette, the tip flaring bright before fading. "Wanted to chat a bit."

"About what?"

His gaze lowered to my necklace while he exhaled smoke slowly, and I tensed. Did he know it was a camera? I peered down, relieved to find it tucked under my blouse.

"Friendly advice, sweetheart. Some things are best left undiscovered." What? Did he suspect I was snooping? "Never know what might bite back."

I swallowed like a deer caught in headlights. How could he know? I'd been extremely careful up to now.

But what if he didn't know about my investigation? Maybe he was warning me away from the rumours and whispers surrounding the Morettis?

Whatever the case, this wasn't good—he had noticed me.

Despite the fear which threatened to paralyse me, I answered, "Thanks, but I'm only here for work. Nothing more." 

"We'll see about that." He flicked the cigarette to the ground and walked into the night.