Ryder's Claim (Mafia Heirs 2)

The day she arrives, I try to keep myself busy. I try not to think of my brother's bride being in the same house I'm in. But even so, I already know this is a recipe for disaster. All of us under the same roof... there's just no fucking way this is going to end well.

I keep my distance that morning and allow Adrian to welcome her to the mansion. That afternoon, I decide to take a stroll in the gardens and curse inwardly when I realize Nicoletta had the same idea. But it's too late, her eyes are already glued to me, and she's coming over.

Seeing her again after all this time merely proves my feelings haven't changed. She's eager to speak to me and I'm ashamed by my own excitement at seeing her again. But I keep my mouth shut and cordially answer her questions, avoiding any topics that would be too personal.

"There's a maze on the property too, right?" she asks, her eyes sparkling. "I heard about it from Adrian but I haven't seen it before. Maybe you could show me around?"

I knit my brows together. "What do you mean, you haven't seen it before?"

"Well, I was here when I was a little girl once," she admits with a small smile. "But I've never been to the maze. Will you show me around, Ryder?"

Now I just feel fucking confused. "You don't remember meeting me in the maze when you were a kid?"

"What?" She shakes her head, laughing melodically. "You must have me confused with someone else, Ryder."

She walks over to the entrance to the maze, a vision in a light blue dress that matches her eyes. "Aren't you coming with me?"

Reluctantly, I follow in her footsteps, but her words are still playing in my mind. Why is she pretending we didn't meet here all those years ago? Her games are fucking with my head, and only convincing me furthermore that there's something going on with Gustavo and his daughter. Something smells fucking fishy about this whole situation, and I'm determined to get to the bottom of it.

"This place is beautiful," Nicoletta gushes as we get lost between the hedges. There's no maid around – they trust me enough to know I'll protect my brother's bride. But they fucking shouldn't.

As I devour Nicoletta with my eyes, I'm reminded just how close to her eighteenth birthday we are. Soon enough, she'll be ready for Adrian to stake his claim on her. And yet I'm determined never to let that happen, because I want the Carlucci girl for myself.

My lips tighten as I follow her deeper and deeper into the maze.

"Do you know your way out of here?" Nicoletta wonders.

"Of course." I nod. "I memorized it when I was a little boy. The maze always intrigued me."

"It's gorgeous here. All these rose bushes..." Her fingertips glide along the luxurious, plump and velvety rose petals. "Ouch!"

She pulls her hand back. On the fingertip of her index finger, a thick drop of scarlet blood blooms and trickles down her hand.

"Watch out, you'll get your dress stained," I mutter, taking Nicoletta's hand in mine.

Our eyes meet and a moment of tension follows. I fight the urge to suck her finger into my mouth. “You need to suck it,” I tell her, thrusting her hand to her lips.

She smiles a sly smile before sucking her finger into her mouth. She pulls it free, leaving a spot of blood on her bottom lip. The urge to kiss her makes my cock twitch.

Her eyes linger on me, but I'm already striding forward to the center of the maze.

"Nobody will find us here, will they?"

I'm not sure whether she's insinuating something, but there's no way I can get tangled up in Nicoletta's web again. Her wedding to my brother is coming up and I'm already struggling trying to remember she belongs to Adrian, not me. I remain silent as she follows me around, admiring the gorgeous flowers in the maze.

"Have you been thinking about me?" she asks in a low, husky whisper that reaches my cock and makes my balls tingle.

"My brother is excited you're finally here," I lie smoothly, ignoring her dangerous question. "All the wedding preparations can begin now. You'll start your new life with Adrian soon enough. Are you happy?"

She doesn't answer me, instead wrapping her fingers around a peony. She plucks it out, deeply inhaling its scent before tucking it into her hair. She looks like a principessa out of a fairytale – fucking perfect. The fact that I can never so much as touch her again hurts.

"How was your journey to the mansion?" I ask.

"Pleasant."

"And your papa, how is he doing?" Nicoletta shrugs, making me wonder why she won't give me a straight answer. "Everything's alright, isn't it? You seem to have lost a lot of weight."