Page 5 of The Mobster’s Secret

A piece of me stirs. I’ve dreamt of men like this. Men who just ooze dominance and control. Men who don’t take no for an answer. It’s not like I’ve never had attention from guys before, but what I got from them was nothing compared to the power and authority radiating off this man.

Change my life? He’s not lying.

I can see it in his eyes. In the way he carries himself. I’d even go so far as to say he sees right through my smart mouth and into my fantasies. The urge to submit to a man who can fully take charge and take me places I’d never imagined.

But this man is dangerous.

This man is trouble.

He comes from a world I don’t understand. And with his good looks and the offer he’s giving me, there’s a good chance he’ll just run through me and toss me aside like a piece of garbage. The last thing I need right now is to let myself fall for a man who will take my whole life off course.

No. I came here to make money. Not fall in love.

There’s one line I’ve yet to cross, and I will not cross it.

“Tell me, Mister Oleff,” I breathe. “Why would a big crime boss like you need to pay for a girl like me? You must have countless women throwing themselves at you.”

“Countless.” He nods. “But the forbidden fruit always tastes sweeter.”

“Is that what I am?”

The smile in his eyes grows. “You still haven’t given me a number, beautiful.”

My heart skips a beat. “So am I beautiful? Or am I a fruit?”

Ivan chuckles. His laugh is deep and strong, like the stone holding up a mountain. Even in a suit, I can see the massive ropes of muscles coiled beneath the tailored silk. His eyes drag down my body, soaking my panties.

“Forty thousand dollars.” I just throw a ridiculous number out there like a brat. He’ll never go for it, of course. And just like that, he shakes his head, laughing to himself.

I raise an eyebrow. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll get back to work.”

Just as I start to turn, his voice stops me. “Eighty thousand.”

My stomach plummets into my feet. “What did you just say?” I gasp. That’s my rent for years. That’s my college tuition. That’s a new car.

He can’t be serious.

“You heard me.”

My heart is wobbling like a worn-out bicycle tire. “But I said forty…”

“And I said eighty.”

“For what?” I ask suspiciously, glancing around as my heartrate turns hot and heavy. “You want me to fuck you, don’t you? That’s it! Up here in the VIP section like some kind of porn-style fantasy?”

His face hardens, reminding me of the way Dad looked when he was about to cuss me out. I brace myself, but Ivan’s voice remains calm, restrained. “I would never insult you by offering you money for sex, Willow.”

There it is again. My name from his mouth, like a delicious evening breeze. My thighs are tingling now.

I cock my head to the side. “What if I don’t find it insulting? What if it makes me feel special?”

There I go, being a brat again. But Ivan sees right through my games and shakes his head.

“No. You’re not that kind of girl.”

“Oh? And you would know that how?”

He looks at me like he’s known me forever. I can’t hide anything from this man. “You’re not even a stripper, Willow.”