“What’s wrong?” I ask, confusion and desperation lacing my tone.
This night cannot end like this.
“Nothing. I just have to go.”
The once-fun and -flirty girl is completely gone now.
“And you’re not going to tell me your name?”
“Mystery girl,” she says, but that’s not good enough for me. I’m not going to let her get away without knowing exactly who she is.
She turns to walk away, but when she does, I pull the ribbon at the back of her head, releasing the mask. My mystery girl’s hands fly up to her face to catch the falling silver piece.
She slowly turns and looks at me, eyes wide.
Liana DiMaggio.
The niece of Aurelio DiMaggio, one of New York City’s dons. I’ve seen her a few times around campus, and I’ve always thought she was beautiful, but tonight… tonight, she captured my fucking attention like never before.
“I-I have to go,” she stutters out again.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I say, tightening my hold on her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. “I just have to go.”
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost, then?”
“That’s not what it is. I just… I don’t dothis.”
I raise a brow at her. “And what exactly isthis?”
She raises her brows, like I should know what she’s talking about, and maybe I do, but I want to hear it from her.
She shrugs and says, “Hooking up. I don’t do one-night stands.”
I let out a deep and slightly deranged laugh. “You think this would be a one-night stand?” I drag her toward me, and she stumbles into my arms, dropping her mask and pressing her hands against my chest to steady herself. “You and I both know it would never be a one-night stand between us. Now that I’ve had a taste of you, I won’t be letting you go.”
This possessive need I’ve developed in the short amount of time I’ve known her is fucking barbaric, but I don’t care. I’ve always known what I want, and what I want now is Liana DiMaggio.
I’m the heir to the Bonetti family, so being with Liana would make sense. It would align my family with the DiMaggios, making us one of the most powerful in the nation. It’s like this was meant to fucking be.
“T-this isn’t going to happen. Now, let go of me. I want to leave,” she says.
As I stare deep into her eyes, taking in the frown on her face and the worry in her voice, a switch flips.
Forcing myself on Liana isn’t something I necessarilywantto do, and right now, there’s something about me that has her shaken. It’s something I need to figure out, but tonight is not the night.
“Fine,” I say, releasing my hold on her.
Her brow furrows, and she takes a step back. “That’s it?”
“You said no and I said okay. Did you expect something else?”
She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Well, yes. Men like you typically…”
“Men like me?” I ask, raising a brow at her.
“I know who you are.” Her tone is accusatory, as if I should defend myself to her.
