The Carrero Contract - Selling Your Soul (Mafia Romance)

That gets me blinking up at him and catch that weird half smile he does that has a crazy softness to it. My insides flip flop all over, warning me how dangerously close I am to falling right back under his spell. I need to be smarter. He has so much power over me and exerts so little effort to use it.

There is so much more weight on this now, I have to be stronger.

“Why are you being so smug and annoyingly confident right now? You weren’t so self-assured last night, so what is it that’s got you smiling and acting like I’m a done deal today?” I snap at him, not so much in anger but irritated that he is making me crazily nervous and awkward, making assumptions, and I’m making an idiot of myself. I hate that I’m not in control of me. Alexi just grins at me.

“You’re still here. My odds went up massively when you stopped trying to escape via the elevator. And you haven’t stopped blushing since you came out here. I can see it even in this light, so I’m reading that as progress.”

Wanker.

“Ugh, you’re an arsehole you know that?” I sigh at him, turning a mock raised brow and pouted facial expression but he silences me with a swift move and pauses just before we lock lips. Catching me off guard with such a smooth move so I don’t react initially.

It’s almost like he is awaiting the rejection or seeking permission, and when I make no move to stop him, too busy being mesmerised by his sudden nearness, he inches the last small gap and kisses me softly on the lips.

Moulding his warm, soft mouth to mine gently and making me incapable of any thought.

I should have stopped him. I don’t know why I didn’t. I truly am a complete idiot sometimes.

It’s not a full-on snog or a kiss that requires a response, just a soft pressing together to render me mute, delivering a very effective stomach of butterflies and skin erupting orgasm of sensations before he pulls back again. Still staying close enough to graze his nose against mine in a cocky way. Almost like confident ownership, and I have no words as I just struggle to breathe properly.

“Another ten percent rise.” He grins, annoyingly so, and I sucker punch him in the abdomen in a bout of pissed off that his words have thrown me. Enjoying the muffled ‘ugh’ that I extract from him when my limb connects with all that carved muscle; winding the son of a bitch.

“You have a lot to learn about romance.” I huff and shove him away from me harshly. Annoyed that all it took was one tiny little kiss and I turned to mush. Arrogant tosser needs a good kick in the balls.

“I’m sure you will train me in time.” He retorts and this time it’s rewarded with a glare and an unimpressed hair flick.

Cocky bastard thinks I am a done deal and I give him a sterner look than the last one. Not sure I like that he is certain that all it will take are some well-timed kisses and garbled love confessions and I’m under his spell. He seriously is a complete arrogant wanker with an ego far too big for any single man to possess.

“I liked you better when I was leaving; I might go pack a bag after all.” I sulk, sticking my chin up and get nothing but a smile from him.

Arsehole.

“Have dinner with me tonight.” He ignores my threat and swoops in with a charming smile and leans in so close I’m sure he might try for another kiss, but this time I lean away. I concentrate on getting my cup out of the microwave as it beeps, relieved to have an excuse not to look at him. Although I’m aware that he is so close to my face that one little turn sideways, and I will end up lip to lip without trying. I pretend I cannot see him and carry on.

“I have a club to run. Money to make and all that.” I point out, eyes down on my hands as I almost scald myself with hot milk and shovel in scoops of sugar haphazardly. I don’t even take sugar but it’s a task that makes it seem like I’m ignoring him. He needs to learn his place.

“Lunch then.” He presses, not giving up and I throw him an exasperated look and a heavy frown, careful to lean further back when I turn, so I do not end up knocking noses and having that mouth on me again. He isn’t moving back, despite my flip to cool and huffy, and in fact, it’s just annoying me more that he’s oblivious to it.

“We did that already, and it wasn’t that successful,” I reply dryly.

“That wasn’t … okay, forget that. Breakfast … it’s not even sunup, we have plenty of time to get ready and go find someplace to eat.”

Relentless, pushy control freak. Not taking no for an answer. How very Alexi!

time. Now he really is frustrating me as domineering, bossy shithead moves back in and I wonder if Alexi the love confessor was a figment of my imagination. I thought it would last a lot longer than this, but nope. Right back to his usual prick self. Pushing me around and trying to coerce me into what he wants, and not giving a toss about my boundaries and my needs.

for. Temper snapping and full-blown diva taking hold. I won’t have him shepherding me to what he wants and trampling all over my feelings like they don’t matter. He has done that too many times. I slam the things I’m holding down and turn on him aggressively, rage igniting, and tears close

me so badly Alexi and you cannot just push me around and bully me into dating you just because you decide to be fucking nice and say a few sweet things to me. This isn’t how it works!” Tears erupt dramatically and blur my vision as I swing away from him to hide my upset, abandoning my cup but don’t get very far. Alexi catches me by the upper arm, naked arms in the flimsy negligee I’m wearing, and pulls me back into his embrace, wrapping me up and holding me tight. Giving me no choice but to remain his prisoner in a manly hug that’s

of losing you, and I’m trying to be patient, but I need to be around you. I’m sorry, Cam. I

my jets a little, but they don’t turn off the waterworks running down my face. His strained tone and genuineness simmer

I said I don’t trust you. This isn’t how to change that.” I manage to push myself free from his hold and yank myself away to stand by myself, hating that he can break me down to an emotional mess without trying. He stands still and watches me, looking like his usual foreboding self, knowing he shouldn’t do anything else. He has the sense to leave

to do this, or how to behave. I’ve never wanted this before and never knew how intense this could be. I feel like I can’t breathe when I’m not with you and now I’ve finally told you, I don’t want to pretend anymore. I’m done hiding how I feel about you.” He looks as lost as I feel, eyes boring into me so very desperately and some of my upset dissipates a little at the lost boy look on that face

to do this, it’s not like

the blind

me, Alexi. Really, really destroyed me, and I never fully recovered. It’s not that easy to let someone who does that back in when you found it hard enough to do the first time around.” I admit honestly, sheepishly and can’t look him in the eye anymore. Flinching

what I did.” The tender caress of a lover and not the man who terrorised me and reduced me to ashes. My body responds with tiny shivers and I pull his hand away from me, unable to bear this when feeling so unsure. I’m not ready for

being allowed to

than anything in the world, all I need right now is to let it all sink in and catch up and try to get my head around things. I don’t even know what happened last night while he was gone, who was shot, what went down,

would be a mess. He cares about

strong point.” Alexi reverts to sheepish too, and I think he realises his confidence was a little premature. We are not just going to fall into sex and love and happy ever after like a goddamn romance book. We have so much between us, and I’m not sure if I can move past any of it with him. My life is

a crash course in romantic relationships because I have no clue how to have

okay?” I ask finally, annoyed at myself that, until these last few minutes, I never thought to ask. So much for being his friend. I just assumed that he was okay because Alexi seemed okay and

a shitty

question, looks a little suspicious and moves away suddenly to walk to the couch and give me space. My radar pings immediately, and despite feeling like I have been dragged backwards through an emotional bush, all my attention peaks at the sudden change in his behaviour and his obvious ignorance of a shootout in which I thought he was dead. His instant decision to give me space after practically leg humping me, says it all. I honestly might cry if this is yet another hidden story that he should have

There’s more.

is being an evasive tosser. This is one of those times. I don’t know if I have the mental capacity

rest until he tells me. I

need to know who was hurt and why it happened. I need to know if Alexi is in danger if he leaves this building again,

it or not, I care about this wanker and I don’t want anything to happen to him.

is swirling at the thought of a repeat of that agony and it makes my insides tighten

look that’s his normal ‘conversation over’ face and I gawp at him. The urge to smack him on the head is curbed instantly and

never once thought he would be behind something like that and put himself in the

surely doesn’t mean that, does he?

should tell me. Either that or wondering why I walk around his apartment in see-through black lace scraps of satin lingerie when he’s not allowed

he’s annoyed that he has to explain himself to me or justify his business actions, but he seems to know better than to deny me right

heavily. His frustration

It’s a need to know.” He shrugs it off and picks up his cell from the table, swiping the screen and I get annoyed, yank it out of his fingers and slam it down on the leather couch impulsively. Exasperated with the return of King Carrero attitude, I swear he has more personality changes than

precisely, rage consuming me that I went through all the worry and agony when he could have just told me it was his fucking doing. He

kind of fucking arsehole to do that

nerve at taking his phone and pulls it back from the seat. Putting it back on the table in front of us, slowly and precisely to make a point that it

cookies, sweetheart.

over him. Guess it works both ways and I could get

to get under the thumb so it had to be extreme.” He glances at me sideways, but I do not move an inch,

bet it’s why neither