I flag down the bartender, a cute guy with a sleeve of colorful tattoos. “Two vodka sodas, please!”
As I wait for our drinks, I let my eyes wander over the club, taking in the flashing lights and the sea of faces. I need to get laid tonight. As of tomorrow, I’ll be fucking engaged to some Mafia jerk. Sophia is unaware, since I didn’t want to ruin tonight.
My eyes snag on a possible target. Tall, with broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his black shirt. His arms are covered in intricate tattoos, the designs snaking up to disappear beneath his sleeves.
I’m so busy ogling this gorgeous stranger that I don’t notice the bartender sliding our drinks across the bartop.
“Your drinks are ready,” the bartender says, pulling my attention away from tall, tattooed, and gorgeous. I reach for them just as the mystery man steps up to the bar. As I turn back around, I manage to knock my drink right into him and spill it all down his front.
“What the hell?” he snaps, glaring at me. Up close, he is even more devastatingly handsome, with chiseled features and piercing blue eyes.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” I grab a handful of napkins, pressing them against his damp shirt. He catches my wrist, his fingers easily encircling it.
“I got it,” he says gruffly, taking the napkins from me.
“Let me buy you a drink,” I offer, feeling my cheeks heat. “It’s the least I can do.”
He studies me for a long moment, his gaze intense. Finally, he gives a curt nod. “Whiskey, neat.”
I signal the bartender and place the order as well as ordering another vodka for myself, sneaking a glance at the man from beneath my lashes. He is still watching me, his expression unreadable.
“I’m Carmela, by the way,” I say, offering my hand. “Carmela Bianchi.”
Something flickers in his eyes at my last name, there and gone too quickly for me to decipher, as if he recognizes it. Odd. He takes my hand in a firm grip. “Silvo.”
I can’t help but smile at Silvo’s grumpy demeanor. There is something about his brooding intensity that I find irresistible. Not to mention, he’s gorgeous. His face is all sharp angles—high cheekbones, a strong jawline covered in dark stubble. His eyes are a piercing blue, framed by thick, dark lashes. He has this intense way of looking at me, as if he can see right through me.
“So, Silvo,” I say, leaning against the bar. “What brings you out tonight?”
He takes a sip of his whiskey, his gaze never leaving mine. “Just needed to blow off some steam.”
“Rough day?” I ask, my fingers playing with the stem of my glass.
He shrugs, the motion pulling his shirt taut across his muscular chest. “You could say that.”
I bite my lip, trying to think of a way to keep the conversation going since he doesn’t seem like much of a talker. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. Nothing like loud music and overpriced drinks to take your mind off things, right?”
He huffs out a laugh, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “I guess.”
I take a sip of my drink, the vodka burning pleasantly as it slides down my throat. “So, what do you do, Silvo? When you’re not brooding in clubs, that is.”
His jaw clenches, and for a moment I think he isn’t going to answer. “I work in the family business,” he says finally, his tone making it clear that is all he is going to say on the matter.
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “Sounds mysterious. I like a man with secrets.”
He leans in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “Trust me. My secrets are the kind you don’t want to know.”
A thrill runs through me at his proximity and the danger that radiates off him in waves. I know I should heed his warning, walk away before I get in too deep. But I have never been good at doing what I should.
“Maybe I like a little danger,” I whisper, holding his gaze.
His hand comes up to brush a strand of hair from my face. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“So show me,” I challenge, my heart hammering in my chest.
For a long moment, he stares at me, his expression unreadable. Then, he downs the rest of his whiskey in oneswallow and sets the glass down on the bar with a clink, as if he’s made a decision.
“Let’s get out of here,” he suggests.
