Allegra doesn’t laugh. She takes a step towards me until her body is crammed between my legs. Her palms reach my face and I’m speechless. Any bravery I had has melted quicker than the cream in Mamma Picollo’s cannoli.
Our eyes lock, and I couldn’t look away now, even if I wanted to. I don’t. Is she asking for permission? Without thinking, I nod, and her lips descend. But before I feel her mouth on mine, she whispers, “You’re beautiful too…outof wool.”
And then Allegra Malgeri, crime boss extraordinaire, is kissing me like the world is about to end.
I’ll admit my kissing experience isn’t profound. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve had some nice make-out sessions before. Not many, though, and nowhere near as explosive, fulfilling, and lust-inducing as this one. I’m shrouded in her scent and warmth. My hands travel to her hair because, apparently, I am all in. And her platinum locks have called to me from the very first time I saw her.
Scraping my fingers across her scalp, something primal takes over. I gather her tresses and pull, making her moan. This isn’t me. I’m fiery in temper but never with a woman. I’m the “soft touches” kind of girl; the one who likes sweet and slow. Whoever the hell I am at this moment doesn’t want any of that. No. I want her passion, and I want to show her mine.
A flick of her tongue across my lower lip has me opening my mouth to let her in. She delves in and immediately owns me. Her hands snake around me and grab my hips, pulling me closer until my crotch is firmly against her. I naturally start rocking because I just can’t help myself. That is, until the bubble is shattered. We both hear Lorenzo’s voice filter down the hallway, heading in our direction.
Allegra wrenches herself from me, looking half-crazed. I try to say something, but my throat closes up and she shakes her head. We set about straightening our clothes just in time. Lorenzo rounds the kitchen doorway with my dads in tow.
I see the flicker of recognition on my dads’ faces. They know exactly what was happening seconds before they entered, and I can’t stop my face from flaming. Lorenzo seems utterly oblivious, which I’m grateful for.
“Bonnie, Allegra, it’s good to see you both,” he says affably.
“Lorenzo, Mark, Phillip. I hope you’ve had a good day,” Allegra replies, calm as a sodding cucumber. My heart is doing the Cha-Cha Slide, and I can hear blood pulsing through my ears.
“Very nice, thank you,” Pops says. Dad is staying silent. Shit.
“We were just coming to grab a snack,” Lorenzo prattles on. “Is that Mamma Picollo’s?” he asks. Allegra nods. “Oh, it’s been far too long.”
“Feel free,” she replies. Lorenzo doesn’t wait to dig in. “If you’ll excuse me.” She gives me a quick, side-eyed glance and then leaves.
“Mark, Phillip, you absolutely need to taste this. Mamma Picollo is an institution around here.”
I need the awkward stand-off to end right now. “You should, it’s fantastic. Anyway, I’m off to bed.”
“Bonnie,” Dad begins, but I’m not doing this now. I’ve got to process that life-shattering kiss Allegra just planted on me. My dad’s shock will have to wait.
“Tomorrow,” I say with conviction. “Good night, Lorenzo. Maybe…um, maybe we could talk in the afternoon?”
Lorenzo stops chewing, and his eyes bulge. It’s kind of funny. He rushes to chew and swallow, but he’s already nodding his head.
“I’d love to. I’ll be in the restaurant all afternoon.”
I give him a smile and half a wave. “Okay, then. Night.”
Glad to be out of there, I take the stairs two at a time and then freeze. Allegra is just down the hall from me. Is she thinking about that kiss? Did it affect her as much as it did me? Am I brave enough, or stupid enough, to go and find out?
20
Allegra
Ioncetravelledtothe States to meet a drug lord who was far too persistent in trying to get the Ferrante family back into the drug business. I turned up to that meeting with just my gun and Toni as back-up. I faced down that little arsehole and his crew of overgrown toddlers, without a flicker of apprehension.
That is the level of calm and control I have over myself—hadover myself—until I kissed Bonnie. I’d rather take on a thousand drug cartels than feel this unnerved by that woman. No one has ever gotten to me like that; not even Petra.
But when Bonnie grabbed my wrist and looked at me the way she did, I was powerless to keep calm. My nerves became electricity pylons, and her attention sent them into overdrive until I short-circuited.
I’ve been called beautiful before, but the way Bonnie said it, after everything we’ve been through together, broke something in me. She wasn’t telling me my body was beautiful; she was referring to something she sees in me—something I’ve never let anyone else see.
Even with Petra, I had to keep up a façade. She was a part of my world and knew what it took to be in a position of power. Maybe, deep down, I knew Petra wasn’t a safe option to open myself up to.
It doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that I had my tongue in Bonnie’s mouth and my hands on her hips. I expected her to push me back, maybe even strike me for being so presumptuous, but she didn’t do those things. In fact, she grabbed my hair in a way that told me she was more than enjoying our shared experience. And then it was shattered by none other than her parents and Lorenzo.
She must be freaking out now. No doubt she’ll ignore me in the morning or even hide from me. Of course, she’ll realise what a monumental mistake it was to kiss the woman who shot her best friend.
