As I lift the bottle to my lips, Luca suddenly lunges, turns his powerful body in mid-air, and slams the heel of his foot against the side of Viktor’s head. Then he lands on his feet and swipes Viktor’s legs from under him.
Jesus.
I’ve fought Viktor before, and I’ve never been able to get the drop on him.
The bottle is still suspended halfway to my mouth, my jaw practically lying on the floor as I try to breathe past the instant burst of lust warming my lady parts.
Viktor’s quickly back on his feet, and they lunge at each other, moving so damn fast, I can only blink as I watch them fight.
I realize Dad’s been taking it easy on my ass because I don’t stand a chance against them.
I keep drooling over Luca until they take a breather. With his breaths coming fast and a serious expression on his face, he glances at me.
So, so hot.
Then I realize Luca’s watching me watch him. My stomach does a crazy somersault, and rattled because I was caught ogling him, I turn to leave but head in the wrong direction. “Get your shit together,” I mutter under my breath before storming in the direction of the door.
I swear my brain melts into a puddle of hormones whenever that man is around.
It’s so frustrating having a crush on someone who doesn’t even see you as a person worth his time.
It’s your birthday tomorrow. Go collect the dress you ordered and pamper yourself.
Forget about Luca Cotroni.
Ugh, I wish.
I’ve tried getting over him for eleven years, but it’s no use. The more he ignores me, the more I want him.
It’s a vicious cycle I can’t escape.
Chapter 2
Luca
Mariya Koslov – the only woman alive with the power to drive me fucking crazy.
Christ, does she drive me crazy.
I’ve spent the past three months defending my turf in Europe from the Albanians, constantly flying between Italy and LA. Belonging to the Priesthood, a brotherhood of sorts, Viktor and I also had to take time to help Gabriel Demir, the head of the Turkish mafia, who took his revenge on the Polish mafia.
It's been fucking busy, as always, never having any time to even think about pursuing Mariya. My only saving grace is that most men are too fucking scared of her family to try to date her, and it’s kept her single while I took over the mafia from my father.
I’ve known her all my life, but where Viktor and I became best friends, there’s always been an invisible line drawn between Mariya and me. The only reason I haven’t mentioned an arranged marriage to our families is because I know Uncle Alexei will never agree to one unless Mariya’s willing. She’s a bratva princess, and no one will force her to do something she disapproves of.
As Viktor takes a fighting stance, my thoughts turn to the fucking sexy scene I walked in on earlier when Mariya flipped her father to the ground.
God damn, it was hot. I knew she received training, but I didn’t realize she was that good.
Viktor’s foot connects with my thigh, and I only have time to lean backward before his other foot narrowly misses my head.
“Stop fucking dreaming and fight,” he taunts me.
I focus on the sparing session, and we start to move. Having done this many times before, neither of us gets a good hit in, and by the time we’re done, we’re soaked in sweat and gasping for air.
Also, thinking about Mariya when I’m facing off with Viktor is just plain stupid, but damn, the woman is distracting.
She radiates elegance, beauty, and power – royalty in the mafia world. A true princess who’s worth killing for.
She’s one of the reasons I’m still single at thirty-four. The other is that I’ve been too busy working my ass off to bother dating. But I’m not getting any younger. I’ll have to figure out a way to erase the line between Mariya and me.
“Are you coming to Mariya’s birthday party tomorrow night?” Viktor asks.
“Of course.” I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s an excuse to be around the woman I consider my future wife.
People see her as a spoiled socialite who has nothing better to do than spending her parents' money.
But there’s more to her than meets the eye.
Mariya loves with all her heart. She’d die for her family and friends, and that kind of loyalty is rare in our world.
She’s stubborn, but that’s a turn-on for me. The more she snubs me, the more I want her.
But what I love most about her is that she’s always direct. The woman doesn’t play games, and that’s so fucking refreshing.
I have to make her love me, which is a problem because I’ve never seen Mariya date. I have no idea what she finds attractive and what she hates.