Why did the only guy I actually liked have to be a criminal?
What was wrong with me?
I did my best keeping him at a distance, keeping my feelings locked up in a safe inside my heart, but now that he was pursuing me harder, it was becoming difficult to ignore him. It was becoming difficult to pretend he meant nothing to me.
Truth be told, I was tired of going out to find someone special, only to be disappointed time and time again. The rest of my family had settled down with the perfect partners, even Vanessa. Conway married a model and now had a kid, my brother had Mia, who was also lovely. And Vanessa had a man who loved her more than anything else in the world.
I was the only one alone.
Being alone never bothered me because there was a distinct difference between being alone and being lonely.
I never felt lonely.
But I did want that special man to spend the rest of my life with.
I was starting to wonder if he was really out there.
I was at home when Bosco called me.
I took a deep breath before I answered. “Hi.” Now that the relationship was different, I didn’t know how to talk to him. He wasn’t my boyfriend. But he wasn’t just some guy I was screwing anymore. I wasn’t sure what he was.
He got straight to the point. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
I stood in my living room with my arm wrapped around my waist. I’d been to dinner with dozens of guys, but none of those dates made me nervous. This one made me nervous as hell…because I had no idea what I was doing. “Alright.”
“I’m outside whenever you’re ready.”
“Maybe you should ask ahead so you don’t have to sit in the hallway forever.”
“I’m not sitting in the hallway. I’m in the car on the street. One of my men will escort you.” Click.
The man seemed to be chauffeured by two dozen men everywhere he went. I wondered if he would close down the restaurant like he did last time. That seemed over the top and unnecessary.
My hair and makeup were already done, so I pulled on a black cocktail dress and heels before I left my apartment. Just as Bosco said, there was a man in a suit waiting in the hallway for me. He walked ahead of me and guided me downstairs. He spoke into the intercom in his ear. “She’s coming, sir.”
I did my best not to roll my eyes.
Bosco was standing on the sidewalk next to his blacked-out car. There were two other cars in front of him and behind him, making him look like a president who was protected by the Secret Service. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He wore a white V-neck and a black blazer, dressed nicely, but not overly nice. His eyes settled on me, and he looked at me with the same intensity he always watched me with, like he wanted to press me against the car and screw me then and there.
I walked up to him, feeling my heart beat fast in my chest. I was nervous, nervous that I’d agreed to do this.
His hands immediately circled my waist, and he leaned down to kiss me softly on the mouth. He pulled me closer as he deepened the kiss, claiming me right on the sidewalk and in front of his men. He gripped the fabric of my dress and made it rise a little higher.
I wanted to pull away first, but I couldn’t. Hypnotized by his possessive kiss, all I could do was take it.
He finally pulled away and opened the back door for me.
I got inside, and he sat beside me. Then the car pulled forward, and we headed to our destination.
“I hope you aren’t planning on closing down the restaurant like last time.”
“That’s the only way I dine.” He faced forward, his knees wide apart with one arm propped on the windowsill. “I’m not a fan of people or the public.”
“Well, people aren’t fans of an asshole who shuts down their favorite restaurant.”
He smiled slightly. “It really bothers you, huh?”
“I think it’s a little excessive.” Okay, not a little. Extremely excessive.
“Fine. Then I won’t shut it down.”
“Good.”
He stayed on his side of the car and didn’t try to hold my hand or give me any other kind of intimate affection. He didn’t try to talk to me either.
I was still nervous, nervous that I was going on a real date with a man I knew I should stay away from.
We arrived a few minutes later, and Bosco wrapped his arm around my waist as he escorted me inside.
The man at the podium immediately panicked when he saw him. “We can get the restaurant cleared out, sir. Just give us—”
“Not necessary,” Bosco said as he kept me into his side. “At the lady’s request.”