Dancer in Lingerie (Lingerie 13)

His reaction was instant because he didn’t need a moment to pause. “Beautiful…” He chuckled over the line as he said my nickname, like my words were nothing but comical to him. “Be careful what you say next.”

I was afraid that he didn’t take me seriously at all, that I was the one dumping him, and he was the one making the threats. “You asked me to give you a chance, and I did. You aren’t right for me. I know what I’m looking for…and you aren’t it.”

“That’s ironic. Considering you’re exactly what I’m looking for…”

My heart started to race quicker, started to beat like a heavy drum. “I’m being serious, Bosco. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

“I know you’re being serious.” His tone began to deepen, began to turn darker and more sinister. “But I don’t care.” Without another word, he hung up and the line went dead.

I dropped my phone on the table and watched his name disappear from the screen. As if I could hear his footsteps from down the hall, I knew he was approaching. It was only a matter of minutes before he arrived. What would happen when he got there, I had no idea.

But it wouldn’t be good.

He got past my locks without effort then stepped into my apartment, wearing a long-sleeved fitted shirt and black jeans. His shiny watch was on his wrist, his hair was neatly combed, and he looked like the most terrifying and beautiful man I’d ever seen.

The whole bottle of wine wasn’t enough to chase away the fear.

I was terrified.

I’d never been more afraid of anyone in my life.

He moved across the dining room until he pulled out the chair across from me. He sat down and faced me, his eyes hinting at the rage circulating in his veins that very moment. He was pissed but doing his best to keep it bottled deep inside.

I had to stick to my guns. I couldn’t give up. So I looked him in the eye and crossed my arms over my chest. “I meant what I said, and I won’t change my mind.”

“I’m not here to change your mind.” The cryptic message was impossible to decipher, but it was filled with such a heavy level of threat that it stopped my heart from beating. We’d just crossed into new territory, a place I’d never wanted to visit. “I’m here to tell you how this is going to be from now on.”

“How what’s gonna be?” My voice started to shake even though I did my best to control it.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.” A slight smile was on his lips. “After you talked to Vanessa the first time, I thought I’d straightened you out. I proved how much you needed me…how much you wanted me. Then you spoke to her a second time…”

My heart convulsed in terror when I realized he knew everything, spied on every conversation I had with anyone. I didn’t even realize one of his men tailed me everywhere I went because they were disguised so well. They even eavesdropped on my conversations, which meant they were within ten feet of me at all times. The idea made my body shiver, but not in a good way.

“I thought you would come to your senses again…and realize it would be the biggest mistake of your life.” He shook his head slightly, his look full of disappointment. “But you chose wrong.”

My arms tightened around my chest, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. I’d been backed into a corner by this man, and there was nowhere for me to run. The police would ignore my calls, and if I called my family, they would all die.

Bosco kept his ice-cold stare on me. “You never gave me a real chance.”

Now my voice was hardly audible. “Yes, I did…”

“If that were the case, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’m everything you want in a man—powerful, rich, and good in bed. You won’t find a better man out there, and we both know it.”

“There are lots of better men out there…”

“If that were the case, you would be able to fight me. But you can’t. Let’s not pretend that you aren’t utterly terrified of me, that I could wipe out your entire family with a slight nod to my men.”

My hands were shaking because I was so scared.

“You want me in your bed every night. You want me to sleep on my chest because it’s your favorite place. You want to keep walking the streets with your invincibility. The only reason you’re doing this is because you’re afraid of me…even though I told you I would never hurt you.”

“You just threatened to kill my family,” I whispered. “And that would hurt me more than anything else in the world.”

He stared at me with those intense eyes, eyes so cold they reminded me of the Arctic. He sat perfectly upright, his shirt fitting his body like a glove. He was a man of muscle, built like a racehorse. “But I would never lay a hand on you. And I would have no motivation to hurt your family if you give me what I want.”