I clutched my fist over my chest, my heart racing. I barely held onto my sanity with his body so close, especially with the scent of cologne, musk, and smoke. It was as though someone took every fragrance I was fond of, mixed it into one container, and spritzed it on him, making him mouthwatering. Then, his devilishly handsome face mixed with a masculine jawline, perfect lips, and dimples in his cheeks grew closer and I shook my thoughts away.

That was dangerous. I never had sex on the job, yet I almost did, just from one glance. But Nicolo Romano was sex on legs, and I never understood that term before now. I pressed myself against the door to my bedroom that night, still unable to stop my racing heart.

Those green eyes darkening with desire, massive hands holding mine. Even his muscled form, though stereotypical, made sense since he was the Boss of a Family. Heirs needed to project a certain image. The thought of those strong, responsible hands touching me, holding me down and pleasing me sent expectant shivers down my spine.

I shook the thought from my mind and lifted myself from the door. I still had work to do, so there was no time to lie around waiting for evidence to fall into my lap. After taking my shower, I sat at my desk with her laptop and earphones. I had to keep up appearances since Nicolo selected me for his personal maid, so I could only review the audio files for about an hour every night now that all the bugs were in place.

It was the fastest way to cool my heated flesh after such naughty thoughts about Nicolo. I shook my head again, my eyes narrowing on the files on my computer, ears listening for any sound showing guilt or innocence. It became obvious Nicolo rarely used his office, as I caught no verbal communication in there in several hours’ worth of recordings.

Perhaps I should install a video bug as well. I chewed on my cheek as I considered my next steps. And proceed with caution around Nicolo. I could at least admit the way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine. A giggle parted my lips at the fire in his stunning green eyes before I stood, waving my hands in front of my face.

What I would not give to get that man out of my mind or in my bed for a night? Especially when I should focus on my next steps. Nicolo seemed intent on figuring out who I was, so I would have to watch my step. Right as this thought occurred to me, the door to my small apartment slammed open, and I automatically reached for my nightstand in shock.

“Lili…! Oh…!”

~~~~~

The glare on her face went ignored as he got an eyeful. It was wrong; he knew it was wrong, but one glance had his eyes shutting tight to the scene. Too late. The memory of her tanned skin burned into his lids. Had she no modesty? He turned away from her, still unable to shake the shameful, lusty thoughts curling through his mind.

What he saw of her flesh had an inaudible groan parting his lips, and he knew he needed to escape the room lest he lose control. But he was frozen. He could smell her all around him, and it seemed to emanate from every corner of the room. His feet would not move. Nicolo tried for words, only to find his throat dry.

“Clothes…” He grumbled over his shoulder, and he refused himself a curious glance. “Your… clothes.”

“That…” she stated calmly, making him wonder if she was unaffected by her nudity. “Is why you don’t randomly walk into a woman’s room! Have you no common decency?”

Nicolo knew his mind would break if he turned to look at her, so he swallowed thickly, unable to remain still. The sound of his foot tapping against the floor had him nervous she would misunderstand, so he focused on it instead of the shifting of clothes he could hear behind himself. But those perfect peaks, just enough to hold.

The hardened buds were ready to bloom under his touch. Long shapely legs. Nicolo was a passionate man, much like the old rumors said, so how could she be wholly unaffected? Was that how used she was to having men in her bed? How could she make him turn his back when she served his family? He kept his eyes averted until the shifting stopped.

“What was it you needed, Sir?” she wondered, and he turned to find her standing before him as though nothing happened. “I assume you have something important to speak with me about?”

“Ahem. You will transfer from your position as my maid to my lover.” He tried, with a joking chuckle, hoping to play it off. “No, I joke. You will move to the kitchen to help in the evenings. That is when I will have the least number of duties for you.”

~~~~~

Ever since then, I have done my best to completely avoid him outside of work-related reasons. I even refused to see him when he called for me several times. What was I supposed to do? I felt awkward. He saw me naked and turned away immediately, almost like he found me gross. It was almost instinct to avoid him now. Still, he acted like nothing happened, so maybe he didn’t see anything. I even knew how stupid that logic was. Nicolo saw everything.

I was sure someone was tailing me. I sighed as I rounded another corner, possibly confusing my pursuer. Perhaps Nicolo’s interest in me put me in danger. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me at all. Left. The click of my heels on the pavement was almost silent when I suddenly shot right, concealing my body just behind the corner of an old building.

In this position, I could let my pursuer pass me without being detected. I took in a deep breath, shutting off everything except my focus on my unknown stalker. There were several people I was familiar with by this point, and I knew the best from the worst by their early morning patterns. It was how I avoided attention, but I knew the stalker was getting closer.

This was what my training dictated for years on, so I slowly let out a breath as their footsteps grew closer. With my magnum in hand, I waited until their head appeared before taking slow aim. Then I shifted to a different spot nearby that would conceal her. It was the devil. I could not come face to face with Nicolo right now.

He was trying to get answers about my disappearances. What he seemed oblivious to was my desire to be left alone. Especially since this was a job. He was making it difficult to make a fair judgement on top of investigating whoever was selling information to the government. The Omertà demanded they pay, and upholding the Omertà was part of her job as the next Donna.

This could be a passing fling, something they would come to regret later, which made me hold off. Everything about him had me almost crying for more, but that was not something I wanted to face. I refused. Not on the job. I had to keep telling myself that. I passed through another gate, into a narrow, secret passage and under the house, straight to my apartment.

The family currently owning this antique Mafioso Villa clearly did not know their own secrets. I changed back into my robes, hid my purchases, stuck the thermometer in my mouth, and leaned back against my twin-sized bed. I knew the part I had to play. This thumb drive would tell me the results of three months of surveillance, so I need to be careful now.

Nicolo was a man of his word, often thinking I slept as I listened to music when he came by, and letting me rest without question. Thanks to my mother’s training, the desire I had for him could be ignored by translating the messages encoded in the music. Whatever that man wanted, I wanted nothing to do with. It was too much. That burning desire and wanting to let go of every inhibition and free myself. I knew, on an instinctual level, that I would love for him to put me on my knees. But this was work.

‘We have a majority of the guilty in custody and are cleaning up, Princess.’ The message whispered into my ears, relief curling down my spine. ‘But there is one last kingpin on the estate. He’s high in the family, but we cannot tell how high. Though without his contacts, I doubt this Consigliere will know we’re onto him. You’ve done all you need unless you want to find him… Identity confirmed. Angelo. Motive confirmed. Hit placed.’

‘No wait. I will handle this.’ I confirmed, my fists clenching. ‘Give me two months. The darkness here is deeper than we realized.’

My family knew how strongly I wanted to help my people and did their best to incorporate it into my schedule despite my occasional away missions like this one. Unfortunately, I had a bad feeling and they were usually right. There was something wrong with their income and what they were covering. And Angelo had the perfect motive, potential, and ability. Now I could hide away from Nicolo’s fiery gaze and go home.

Would I ever really be able to hide, though? I moved to my bed, feeling even more exhausted than normal after a successful job, and thought back to earlier. What response did I want Nicolo to have to seeing me naked? I closed my eyes to the view of the ceiling above and imagined his desirous gaze from a few weeks ago. Maybe I wanted his hands to trace my body the way his eyes did.

I ran my hands down my body, wishing they were his. Nicolo would never know about this, but I could give myself this one night. Just to pretend I was in his arms. My spine arched as I thought of him, from his lips to his dimples and eyes, down. The perfect man. No, my perfect man. I knew it was selfish, but I needed this. As a wave of pleasure washed through me, I collapsed back against the bed.

“Ugh.” I groaned, still not quite sated.

How many times was it now? No one made me feel like him enough to do this. Why did I want him so badly? I curled up under my bedsheets and sighed, still feeling a little sore about his response. Why did he look away? And he seemed impatient, too. Maybe he didn’t like what he saw as much as he thought he would? I’ve never compared myself to other women before now, either.

I don’t have big breasts or a huge butt. My body is small in every way for a five-foot ten woman. It was something perfect for intel gathering since I could be unassuming, but from day one, Nicolo stared at me with such heated looks. The kind that could make a woman melt where she stood. A gaze that made me feel like I was burning up from the inside out. I wanted more.

But I belonged with the Accardi. I wrapped the blanket tighter around myself, suddenly feeling a little sad about what was to come. Not only did I commit to handling Angelo, I knew just what had to happen. Betraying the ages old Omertà for the sake of money was a crime punishable by death. And Angelo was leaking information about other families, too. If too much information was released, most Old-World families would face arrest. That could not happen. There was too much at stake.