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He hesitated. “I can pay for the room.”
Vespa made a face. “I don’t like that. Makes me feel weird somehow.” The whole thing was starting to spiral in her head, and she shifted her feet. “Look, I’ll go do this. If you change your mind, no harm done, just say so in a text back.” She turned but then spun back. “Oh, and I’m not, you know, on anything. For birth control. So you run to the store or something if you need to.”
His lips were back to looking soft. “I’ve got that covered.”
She nodded. “Good. Well, see you soon. Or not.”
Still wondering what the hell she was doing, she hurried out of the alley, nerves jumping in her stomach as if she was heading into an ambush instead.
Chapter 3
Antonio hadn’t felt this insecure since his mother was alive. He fumbled out his vape pen from the jacket, which was still hiding his erection, and took another drag. His shoulders slumped against the brick wall as he slowly let out the smoke that reminded him of the past. It was fucked-up that it settled him. Dealing with toxic people he could control or kill was much easier on his nerves.
He should have never kissed Vespa. She was the type of forthright and honest that he craved, but that also scared the hell out of him.
Which was why he’d panicked and dragged her out of the bar. Not even Giovanni was aware of his fluid sexuality, and he trusted his half brother more than anyone else in his life. He didn’t trust Vespa. She had the tendency to say exactly what she was thinking. He should have chased her off the second he’d seen her. Instead, he’d given in to the worst type of self-sabotage and flirted with her.
Part of him wanted to go to that hotel room in order to manipulate her, but there was a huge part of him that just fucking wanted her. Then there was the small, sweet sliver that would be content just to hold her all night to make up for whatever she’d been through that could bring a haunted look to someone like Vespa.
It would be best to ghost her when the room number came through. He pulled his coat against him more tightly as he slid the vape pen back into the inside pocket.
“Antonio?” Josh called tentatively from the mouth of the alley.
Antonio had seen him hesitating there for a full minute and wondered how best to play it. The smile that had worked on Josh and so many others slid into place, and he pushed off the wall.
“Hey. Sorry to run out like that.”
Josh blinked like he had the first time he’d been hit with Antonio’s charm. His lips twitched as he shook his head. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t mean to cockblock you tonight.”
Antonio chuckled, but it was more to himself. His former sex partner had actually done the opposite. He’d lit the match to self-destruction. “You didn’t.”
Those dark, gentle eyes that Antonio had been attracted to in the first place settled on him. Vespa had dark eyes, too, but they weren’t gentle. “That’s not what it looked like to me. It’s just, I was a little surprised.” Josh blew out a breath. “And jealous, to be honest.”
Antonio sauntered closer but didn’t reach out to touch him. He lifted an eyebrow instead. “Jealous?”
Josh ran a hand over his blond hair. “Yeah. I know we agreed to nothing serious, but I’ve been thinking about you ever since.” He was the one to move forward, to lean in closer. “Thinking about the things you let me do to you.”
In the past, the words would have aroused him, but his body was much more interested in the woman it had been pressed against so recently. “I’m flattered, Josh, but I haven’t changed my mind. You and I ran our course. It was great, but I’ve moved on.”
Those dark, gentle eyes fell, and Josh’s mouth twisted. “I had to try. To be honest, I came back here tonight hoping to see you.”
Antonio wasn’t surprised, but he also wasn’t interested and didn’t feel bad about it. He’d continued to be pursued a few times before, but he was always honest with all the people he hooked up with. They’d have a good time but only for a short while. Coming back to the same bar to hit on the next person added to the reputation he had there. A reputation he’d carefully built as a release valve separate from his normal Mafia life.
When his phone vibrated in his pocket, his lips thinned. Vespa was on the cusp of linking his lives, which wouldn’t do at all. She wouldn’t be an easy one to manipulate, but maybe he could make her forget everything, even her name.
He took out his phone and brought up the messages. The text was very much like her—nothing but the room number.
“Sorry, I have somewhere to be.” He forced his smile again. “I appreciate the sentiment, Josh, I really do, but I’m spoken for tonight.” He paused next to him, channeling sincerity. “It was good to see you. I would have been tempted for old times’ sake if it were any other night.”
Josh’s lips tilted up. “I bet you’d say that to half the people in there, but thanks.”
Antonio let his smile speak for him and turned out onto the sidewalk. He took in the scenery at a glance, not seeing anything to be worried about. That was why he’d picked the neighborhood and likely why Vespa had as well. It was in none of their borgatas, and most of the made men he knew wouldn’t be caught dead among the glitter and bustle.
That was why Vespa had stood out in her typical black suit, with her hair pulled back in a severe bun. It was her normal style and looked good on her, but it in no way blended with the strappy dresses and pastel polos. She’d also thrown back her head and laughed that boisterous bray that he’d heard a time or two, never at anything he’d said. Oh, he’d noticed Vespa very early on. She was talked about, of course, because of her rise in power as a woman, but he’d also made a point of keeping tabs. Every time he was around her, she bristled and snapped, but that hands-off sign was even more tempting to someone as masochistic as he was.
He’d been truthful when he’d told her that her honesty attracted him, but he’d also been attracted to so much more, so he’d lied to get her to kiss him. He’d been almost certain the kiss would be combustible, and he hadn’t been disappointed.
A glance at the still-open message reminded him that there was a reason she had his number. He’d made a point of texting her when their joint acquaintance had survived, and he’d read her correctly at the time. Despite Vespa’s hard exterior, she was a total softy. Feeling responsible for almost getting someone killed had weighed on her.
