“Why not?”
“I can write a list a mile long why it wouldn’t work,” she said, staring at the ring.
“But it’ll work in spite of it all. Because I love you.”
This time, she looked him in the eyes, completely taken aback. She’d always felt so unlovable that it felt foreign to hear it—and believe it.
“Boss…”
“Marry me, Graciella Moreno. I swear to God, I’ll be true to you for the rest of my days.”
Her first instinct was to run, to refuse all the beautiful words. But he was right. Enough was enough. She didn’t think she was capable of it after everything she’d been through, but she loved him too. He drove her crazy and she loved him anyway.
She thought about him all the time.
Even now, she couldn’t help but remember their first time a week ago. Despite all the bullshit she’d endured in her life, he made her feel feminine, desirable, like she’d never known a man before him.
How could she walk away from that?
“Can we be alone?”
He rose an eyebrow. “When? Now?”
“Now.”
Boss raised one arm to request the bill.
They walked toward the cars in the lot. “Did you drive here yourself?” she asked. “Or did Chains drop you off?”
“He’s a good man. I wouldn’t have sent him to pick you up if I didn’t trust him.” Boss pushed his key fob and a navy-blue BMW chirped a few feet away. “And I do drive myself at times.”
“You’re full of surprises today,” she said, stepping into the passenger seat of his car.
****
She hadn’t said yes. Boss felt like a schoolboy vying for a girl’s attention. He wouldn’t go to sleep tonight until he had his answer.
He drove them to one of his many properties. The penthouse suite of this hotel was where he did a lot of business. It also had the best view of the city.
“Where are we?” she asked, entering the luxury condo.
“One of my offices. You like it?”
He watched Graciella as she made her way to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The woman knew how to move, how to use her body to drive men crazy. He wasn’t immune.
“I thought my condo had a good view, but this … this is unbelievable.” She pressed a hand to the glass, taking in the views.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I have a lot of things. More money than I can ever spend. Every toy and gadget a man could want. There’s one thing I’ve learned during all these years.”
She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What’s that, Boss?”
“Money can’t buy happiness.”
Graciella narrowed her eyes. “So they say. That’s a common expression.”
“No, it’s true. Things can’t stave off loneliness.”
“How can the great Boss ever be lonely? You could be surrounded by new people day and night and they’d beg for your company.”
“Then they go home. I need more, Graciella. Life is empty without love. After watching so many of my men get married, I always wondered what the fascination was—until you came along.”
“I’m nothing special,” she said.
“You’re everything to me,” he said. He kissed her forehead. “You never answered my question.”
She shook her head. “My debt, Boss. It won’t go away.”
“I know you talked to Viko this morning.”
“Of course, you do.”
“He’s paranoid. Everything’s falling down around him.”
Ever since finding out his man Manuel had double-crossed him, he’d been on a killing spree. The devil in him had been released and couldn’t be contained.
“Since he thinks of me as his personal slave, I guess I’ll be going down with him.”
“I’ll never let that happen,” he said. “You know who Manuel was working with in the cartel?”
She nodded.
“Don’t tell Viko. I’m going to make him a deal he can’t refuse.”
Graciella cocked her head. “What are you up to, Boss?” She ran her fingers through his hair.
“I want you to be mine, only mine,” he said.
“You want to own me.”
He growled. “Call it what you will. It works both ways.”
“Are you telling me you’ll never crave your weekly specials?”
Graciella was jealous to a fault. She believed she had reason, but Boss had never been more sincere. Just thinking about all those nameless whores made his stomach churn.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. A king is nothing without his queen.”
She smiled at that.
“You’re the best at everything, or so they say. Prove it to me.”
“Last week wasn’t enough?”
“This time I’ll keep score.”
This woman drove him wild. She wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t hold back her thoughts. It fucking turned him on to have a strong woman put him in his place. Of course, he let Graciella get away with murder. No other person pushed his buttons and lived to tell about it.
He leaned in and kissed her. The room was soundproofed, leaving only the sounds of their breathing. She began stripping herself, not breaking the kiss. When she pulled back, she was only in her bra and panties.