Dancer in Lingerie (Lingerie 13)

“Why?” I asked, staring into his soft eyes.

“I’ve never seen a woman put up a fight like that. They just cry and scream. You didn’t give up. You held on to your dignity even when you were compromised. It didn’t matter that you were outnumbered. You weren’t going to stop until you were free. I respect that.”

I was flattered by the compliment when I shouldn’t be. Anyone else would have done the same thing. To assume a woman would just cry and give up was incorrect. Women were made of more strength than that. “Why did you owe him a favor anyway?” I asked, referring to Griffin.

“One of my dealers filled his pockets on his shift then took off with a few million. Bones is the best in the business, so I hired him to retrieve the dealer. Instead of monetary compensation, Bones asked for a favor debt.”

“What’s that?” I asked. “A favor debt?”

“It means he can ask me for anything at any time. That’s what makes Bones so unique. He works for loyalty as well as money, and that’s why it’s so easy for him to gain the intel he needs and also to operate in complete secrecy—because no one will rat him out. So when you said he was family in the alleyway, I was obligated to intervene.”

Now I was eternally grateful that Griffin asked for loyalty instead of money for some of his jobs. I didn’t want to think what would have happened if I didn’t have that trick up my sleeve. I would have kept fighting, but there was a good possibility I wouldn’t have gotten away. I may have ended up… I didn’t even want to think about it.

Bosco’s eyes were trained on my face, as if there were words popping up on my cheeks and he was reading them like a book. He examined me with a powerful stare, ignoring the wine on the table because he was focused on me so intensely. “I can keep you safe, Beautiful. With me, you never have to be afraid ever again. You can walk the streets alone naked, and no one will look twice at you—because they know you’re mine.”

“I never said I was afraid.”

“No.” He tilted his head slightly. “I’m a great poker player. Probably the best in Italy. I can read people extremely well, regardless of how hard they try to hide their insecurities. I know you’re a strong woman who will hold her head high even when she’s outnumbered—something I respect you for. But I can also tell that you’re frightened, that experience shook you to your core, made you realize how vulnerable you really are. If Bones hadn’t been a part of your life, where would you be right now? It’s a terrifying thought—and you should be scared.”

I held his gaze with the same resolution, but inside, I felt the tremors around my heart. Fear wasn’t something I admitted easily, but when he cornered me like that, I couldn’t deny it. I had had a few nightmares because of the ordeal, even though I pretended I was perfectly fine when I spoke to Vanessa and Griffin. I didn’t take a taxi home every night because I wanted to make Griffin happy. I did it because I was afraid to walk alone in the dark.

Bosco didn’t celebrate his victory. “You never have to be scared with me. You’d be invincible. Untouchable.” He slowly reached his hand across the table until his fingertips rested on mine. “As the woman on my arm, you’d be the second most powerful person in this city.”

“And what do you ask for in exchange?” I asked, knowing the answer before he even gave it.

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of my palm. “You.”

We got into the back seat of his car and got on the road.

I immediately knew he wasn’t taking me home because we were going in the opposite direction. We passed the shops and cafes as we headed to the west side of the city, the buildings that had perfect views of the hillsides of Tuscany.

He sat beside me in the back seat of the car, his large hand on my thigh and his fingers poking up my dress slightly. His scent filled the back of the car, cologne mixed with soap, creating a powerful aroma of pure masculinity. He turned his face toward mine and stared at me as we drove through the quiet streets of Florence. It was dark in the back seat, and his chiseled jaw was slightly covered in the shadow. The light from the street hit his eyes perfectly, making them sparkle like diamonds. He was a beautiful man, but some of his best features were hidden in the darkness—just like his soul.

He watched me for minutes, his eyes hardly blinking because he was so absorbed in my features. Now that I’d agreed to give him a chance, he seemed more possessive of me than before. He used to maintain a distance and listen to me, but now those boundaries had been shattered.