Devoted

Book 3: Beneath the Mask

by Luna Mason

Genres: Action & Adventure Romance; Billionaires Romance; Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

Forbidden desire simmers between a mafia king, and his enemy's daughter that could ignite a war within New York City.  

 
Luca
From foster kid to mafia boss, I was the undeserving king to the throne, forced into this role after my estranged father’s death. I gave up everything to build my empire. Nothing else mattered—until I kidnapped my enemy’s daughter. Rosa Falcone. Il mio tesoro. When fate drags Rosa back into my world, I can't make the same mistake again. Even when the future of the mafia depends on my arranged marriage. I still can’t resist her. There’s no way in hell I can watch her marry another man. Even if it means starting a war.

Rosa
The wild child, the spoilt mafia princess. No one understood my pain, so I hid behind the mask. That was until Luca Russo stole me from my life, only to put me back together again. I gave him my heart, and he let me go—back into the arms of my abuser. This time, I don’t have anyone to protect me. Or so I thought. Luca might not be mine to keep, but that doesn’t stop me from falling deeper. But when the world is against us, how much would we be willing to sacrifice to have our happily ever after?
 

Release date: November 19, 2024

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 304

Sample

I sit back in my chair as my men walk into my dining room. Grayson and Frankie, two of my best, take the seats on either side of me. 

“Boss.” Grayson’s blue eyes meet mine. 

He tugs on his collar before reaching over for the bottle of scotch in front of us. Pouring his own before hovering over my now empty glass.

“Refill?” 

“Please.” 

When the last guy, Enzo, who runs our security services, closes the door, I clear my throat, all eyes now on me.

Their leader. 

The top tier of my organization take their seats, the further twenty surrounding the table stand to attention. There has been word amongst the group that there is unease since my foster brother, Keller’s, departure. 

Our masked hitman, our main asset. The man who put the fear of God into our enemies. 

This was never the life he wanted, but the one we were forced into. I gave him his freedom; it’s not something I will ever have. I had to let him go, to finally have the family he deserved with Sienna.

I stand and clap Grayson and Frankie on the shoulders.

“Marco’s kidnapping of Nico is an act of war. As such, we will respond in that way. Every single one of us will not sleep until he is home. We will bring him back to his wife. We hold no prisoners. Any Falcone fucker who crosses our path will die. This city is ours, and no Falcone can take that from us.” 

The men cheer. “How are we taking Marco out, boss?” 

“We keep breaking him down. Every shipment, every warehouse, every man who steps into our territory, we kill. He might have numbers, but there is no power behind them. Not like us. Right now, nothing comes in or goes out of New York without my say so. We have the commissioner in our corner, so we fight.”

I knock back the rest of my scotch, the empty glass bangs back down on my oak dining table. I nod to Enzo. “Any more intel on Marco?”

He runs a hand through his jet-black hair. “I’m digging into his past family dealings. I think if there’s anything to find, I’ll have it soon for you, boss.”

If anyone can find it, it’s Enzo. There isn’t anything he can’t tap into.

I raise my voice so my words are crystal clear. “We take Marco when the time is right; we fold them, we break them.”

The room goes silent. After Keller’s rampage over the Falcone’s, torturing and killing fifteen of his men, they hit back, stealing our cocaine shipments, burning our warehouses, and now, taking Nico.

I ball my fists.

“Vince, Ramos, I want you keeping tabs on Carlos at all times. Oversee every single fucking shipment. I’m not losing anymore. If I’m missing a single gram, you’re paying the consequences.” 

Ramos gulps. “Got it, boss.” 

“In the meantime, Grayson and Frankie will be leading the takedown operations. Every building they own will be burned to the ground. You listen to their orders. Enzo will be working the security to keep finding their warehouses, their hideouts, and feeding it through.” 

Grayson rubs his hands together. He loves an explosion. 

“Now are you ready to hunt?” I throw my arms up victoriously.

The room erupts into cheers and grunts of my men.

“Fuck yes.” Grayson looks up at me with a devilish grin.

* * *

“I said, ‘where the fuck is he holding Nico?’” 

He claws at my calf, gasping for air, his eyes ready to burst out of their sockets. I release the pressure of my foot from this Falcone fucker’s neck.

He spits a mouthful of blood on the leg of my Armani pants. I sigh and press back down on his throat with my body weight. 

“Let’s try this again. Last chance. Where is–” 

I pause as gunshots ring out to my left, my ex-marine right-hand man, Grayson, is firing some asshole’s brains out. He gives me a menacing smirk as he wipes the blood spatter from his forehead. 

“These dumb shits don’t know a thing, boss,” Grayson grunts. 

The jackass under my foot coughs. “Oh, sorry.” I lift my knee momentarily, leaving him wheezing on the warehouse floor, and I crouch down, pulling my knife from the sheath on my ankle. 

“Where was I? Ahhh, yes.” 

Tears stream down his cheeks. I chuckle as a dark patch appears on his gray sweatpants. 

“Don’t worry, it will all be over soon,” I whisper while pressing the tip of the blade under his chin. 

“Where the fuck are they holding Nico?” I grab his greasy hair and tilt his head back.

“I-I don’t know,” he croaks out. 

I half believe him. Marco has an army of utterly useless men, and this one is no different.

“Well, that is a shame.” I stab my blade up through his throat, right into the base of his brain, and slide it back out as he goes limp under my grip.  

After wiping my blade on his sweater, I stand, dusting off my suit. 

“Frankie?” I call out. 

“It’s all clear, boss,” his voice echoes through the large building. 

He comes around the corner with a grin, holding a handful of phones. His kill count multiplied tonight by the looks of it. 

“Get those delivered to Enzo. Let him work his magic.” With all the people here, I find it hard to believe they were all clueless.  

Frankie nods, running a crimson stained hand through his chestnut hair. 

“Are we ready to light this shit up?” Grayson asks from behind me. 

“I wouldn’t dare stop you,” I chuckle.

Commissioner O’Reilly will no doubt have something to say about yet another warehouse fire. But it’s either that or twenty dead bodies for him to deal with. 

Grayson douses the building in gasoline while Frankie and I wait in my Bentley. I spark up a cigarette and take a deep inhale, resting my head back.

Another night, another dead end. But, one step closer to ridding New York of the Falcones. 

Frustration forms a hard knot in my head as the flames start to consume the building. Grayson jumps into the back seat, slamming the door shut with about as much grace as a six foot four killing machine can do. 

“All good?” I look at him through the rear-view mirror. 

“Nothing like a burn out to end the night. I can’t go for a drink to celebrate, though; I’ve got somewhere I need to be.” He shifts to pull out his cell and glance at it before meeting my eyes.

“You mean, you’ve got someone you need to be in?” I retort, biting back a grin. 

Frankie sniggers next to me while Grayson’s shooting me a death glare. 

Grayson and Maddie, the worst pair on the planet at hiding their relationship. The man who swore off kissing a woman for almost eight years sure as hell kissed her. The truth is, everyone can see what they have is the real deal, no matter how they try to hide it from us. 

A whole year we’ve had to put up with them avoiding each other, and now, it looks like they’ve finally caved. I’ve got a ten grand bet with my foster brother, Keller, that they would screw by the end of the year. I probably should up the bet to ‘married’ by the end of the year. 

I’ve known Grayson since the moment he stepped foot into New York seven years ago. I gave him a life here when he ran from his own in Chicago. The best decision I’ve made. I gained another brother and right-hand man. 

“Fuck you,” he grits out. 

“I’d rather you stick to fucking Maddie, thanks.” 

Frankie slaps his palm against his thigh. “Who’s Grayson fucking?” He turns to me. 

“Maddie, Sienna’s best friend. You know the blonde one. She’s sassy as hell.” 

I can feel Grayson’s gaze burning into the back of my head. 

“Ohhh, getting down and dirty with the best friend, nice.” Frankie gives him a wink. 

Grayson stiffens in his seat, and I can’t help but laugh. 

“We’re just giving you shit, G. You know I’m happy for you.” 

And I am. Much like Keller, Grayson has found his person. Happiness suits the grumpy marine. 

I turn on the ignition and put the raging inferno of a warehouse behind us.

When I pull up to the curb at his place, Grayson nearly jumps out before I even stop. He must be itching to get out of the car for his date with Maddie. 

“Have fun not fucking Maddie,” I call out as he makes his way towards his building. 

I drive to my estate with Frankie. Once inside, I head straight towards the liquor cabinet in the kitchen. 

Taking his scotch, Frankie lets out a sigh as he leans against the marble counter.

“Boss, Marco isn’t going to let up. We need to hit harder, do something that will break him. These men don’t mean shit to him. They are nobodies he’s plucked off the damn streets.”  

I take a moment to savor the smooth burn of my own drink. He’s right. In all these months, Marco has been unpredictable. But, no matter what we do, he just recruits more. 

It’s always been hostile with the Falcones, since the day I was given the keys to the Kingdom after my birth father’s death. 

He must have seen me, the little street rat, as an easy target. Well, I’ve proven that fucker wrong. I’ve managed to keep the power in my hands all this time. 

Things were at a standstill until he made the world's greatest mistake. He orchestrated the kidnapping of Keller’s wife. He started a war that I fully intend to finish. The commissioner’s even backing me. 

“We need to do something big. But we can’t risk Nico’s safety. I mean, we know Marco is unhinged.” He steps into the next room and lowers his tall frame to the black leather couch. Crossing his ankle over his knee, he looks more comfortable in my living room than I feel most of the time.

“Enzo sent over the files on Marco’s daughters.” I briefly looked at them this morning, but I haven’t had a chance to dig deeper yet. 

The cushion creaks as he leans forward and his dark brow rises.

“He doesn’t hide them well.” I pull out my phone and open the email, clicking on the first picture. Two Italian girls stare back at me.

“Eva, the youngest, on the left. Rosa, on the right,” I mutter, reading the contents of the email. 

The one redhead on the left is younger, not by much. She looks nothing like the woman on the right that I can’t take my eyes off of. Smaller than her sister, she has a waist that looks like it's begging for my hands and a set of hips that I bet would fit mine perfectly. Her big brown eyes are staring right at me over a set of deep red fuck-me lips. I can’t deny it–despite being the daughter of the enemy, she is beautiful. 

Rubbing my hand along my day old stubble, my eyes still fix on her. Rosa. My cock starts to twitch against my zipper. I shuffle in my seat to try to rectify it. What the fuck is going on with me? 

This isn’t how we do things. We respect women, always. It’s non-negotiable. My foster mom would rip my heart out of my chest for bringing harm to a woman. 

“This could break him.” Frankie takes another long sip, watching me closely over the rim. 

This could be the way to end this. 

“It shouldn’t be hard to find them. I’ll get on it with Grayson. It’s a bold move. They could kill Nico,” Frankie says, breaking me from my haze. 

Doubt stabs into my chest. “Or they take another one of ours. Hell, they could take Maddie next. They’ve proven how low they will stoop. I can’t do that to Grayson.”

His gray eyes meet mine, and he nods. 

“Come on, let’s go. I need to get a real drink.” I pocket my phone, letting out a ragged breath. 

I need to down some scotch and then sink into a woman. Preferably of Italian descent. With big brown eyes, long, curly jet-black hair, and a killer body.

“Rosa, get your ass here now!” The deep resonance of his voice carries up the balcony. 

“No!” I scream down the stairs at my dad. 

I slam my old bedroom door shut, leaning against the heavy wood. This is why I never come home. As if it wasn’t enough having me followed around by his spies, now, he wants me married off. None of that holds my interest. I only come home for one reason: his supply.

Pain sears through my spine as I am thrown onto the floor when he barges through the door. It’s dulled by the fact that I’d already raided his vodka stash before he caught me. 

“Get out!” Kicking my legs, I push myself across the smooth floor, away from him.

He yanks me up by the arm. His dark eyes, much like mine, bore into me. His brown hair is graying at the sides, but there isn’t any weakness as his fingers bruisingly tighten into me.

I try to tug it away, but he holds me in place, towering over me. “You need to sort yourself out, girl.” 

“I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just having fun.” It’s the lie that everyone around me knows. The mafia princess without a care in the world, who goes out to party every night. 

“You can’t keep running, Rosa.” 

I straighten my spine. “From what, Dad?” I spit out his name with venom. 

“You know what.” 

I let out a laugh. “You can’t even say it, can you? You can’t accept what happened to me! If you can’t speak about it, how the hell am I supposed to deal with it? Do you have any idea how fucking hard it is?” 

I snatch my arm from him. He sighs, taking a step away from me. Emboldened, I press closer. The one thing about being constantly drunk and high: the courage that comes with it. 

“I am dealing with it the only way I know how. You decided to let him live; you didn’t protect me. The same way you didn’t protect Mom or Nona.” 

His eyes flash with anger, his face reddening. He lifts his hand and I flinch. It doesn’t take away the fact he is completely responsible for their deaths. What happened to me was due to his failure. 

“Clean yourself up. Next week, I am discussing a marriage arrangement for you. No one is going to want to marry a junkie.” 

I bow my head. Tears sting in my eyes. I don’t want to be this way, chasing my demons away with any poison I can find. Anything to make me feel numb, to stop the nightmares, the fear. The embarrassment. 

No one understands. Not even my own dad. 

“Well, I won’t be getting married, then. Like you said, no man wants a woman like me.” 

“Go to therapy, to rehab. You have to find a way. You can’t live like this.” 

It’s the only way I know how. 

“It’s either you or Eva.” He crosses his arms across his chest, and his jaw tightens as he stares at me down his nose.

My younger sister, my light in the darkness. I’ve protected her since mom died. She’s the one person I try to be better for. The reason I keep myself alive; I can’t leave her with dad on her own. I don’t trust his men. I don’t trust this life. I will never let anything happen to her. 

I narrow my eyes. “You wouldn’t.” 

“I need to try to forge a deal with Romano. I need his backing to take down that son of a bitch, Russo.” He grits his teeth as he speaks, his fists clenching by his sides. 

Wow, that Russo guy has really gotten under his skin. Good. 

“That isn’t my problem. I thought Romano was the enemy?” 

“He was. The accident was a long time ago. This is my way in.” The accident. He means my mother’s death. 

“You can’t make me marry anyone,” I whisper. 

I know deep down he can. A bit like every man, they can take away your choice with the snap of their fingers.

He tips my chin up aggressively. “You’ll do as I say. And no more stealing my coke. I’ve locked up my supply. If you’re that desperate, you’ll have to find your own way. Forget the past and grow the fuck up.” 

He lets go. I stumble back and watch as he storms out and slams the door behind him. I pull at my hair. Shit. He can’t be serious. 

My hands start to shake as anger and panic rush through me. I don’t want to feel. I need my fix before the world creeps back in. 

I pull out my phone and call Liv, my best friend. She’s the life of the party, she’ll know where to get the good stuff.

“Girl, where are you?” I can barely hear her over the music.

“I can’t get anything from dad’s,” I whisper, biting at the skin around my nails. 

“Well, Miss Mafia Cocktease, looks like you’ll have to bat those lashes at the men at the bar tonight because I’m out until Carlos can sneak me more.” 

My heart sinks. I hate having to do this. Talking to random men, no matter how drunk I am, puts me on edge. My friends call me ‘the cocktease’, because they think I’m using these men for the drugs, but won’t go any further. Everyone thinks I’m a virgin, saving herself for marriage. It’s an easy lie in this life.

They have no idea it’s because I’m petrified of being intimate with a man. That I’m tarnished. That I haven’t been touched by anyone since him.

And I’m not sure I ever will.

Smoke meanders from the lit end of my cigarette over the steering wheel before slowly drifting out the open window where I rest my elbow. I take another drag and loosen my tie. 

Today started off the worst way possible. A box was delivered two days ago with a gruesome surprise: Nico’s head. My blood boils with the need for revenge.

“How are things looking?” I ask Grayson, as he hands me some of the surveillance pictures he’s taken.

“All good, boss. Should be an easy grab. She’s shit faced most of the time. I’ve never spent so much fucking time in crappy clubs in my life. There are a couple of bodyguards; nothing we can’t take care of, though.” 

I nod, a grin forms on my lips as I turn to face him. 

“I’d love to see Marco’s face when we take his precious ‘Princess’. We’re going to make that asshole pay.” He might have thought he one-upped us by delivering Nico’s decapitated head to my doorstep. No wonder none of his men had a clue where Nico was, he was probably dead by then. What I have planned is going to rock his world. 

“Taking his daughter is a good start. What are your plans with her?” Grayson has a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

“Depends on how Marco behaves. If he doesn’t back down, I’m not opposed to ridding the world of another Falcone.” I shrug. 

Frankie clears his throat in the back seat. When I look through the rearview mirror, I notice my green eyes are bloodshot. I don’t know the last time I slept properly, not since Nico’s death. 

He runs a hand through his chestnut hair, and I raise a brow. 

“Everything alright back there?” 

Frankie is my newest recruit, who has quickly become one of my top guys. He’s ruthless, like Grayson. But has the mafia experience. He worked with Romano Capri in Italy for a few years. The top organization in Europe. 

“Is taking his daughter really the best next move? He has backed off since we’ve obliterated nearly all of his facilities. We’ve killed over half of his men. He’s weak.” He slides to the center and pushes a knee against each of the front seats.

“Exactly. I don’t just want him on his knees. He’d come back like cancer. I want him broken, watching everything he loves die. Only then will I kill him.” I can hear my own voice almost crack, trying to contain the rage bubbling inside of me.

“But–”

“How about you remember who the fuck you’re talking to.” I swing my head around to face Frankie. “Do you have a problem with how I lead?” I cut him off.

Grayson sniggers next to me. 

I’m doing this so the next time it’s not one of my family. I will always protect them, no matter what. 

Frankie chuckles and lifts his palms up in a sign of retreat.

“Glad we cleared that up,” I huff, turning back to Grayson, who is biting back a laugh. 

“Shut it.” I don’t have the patience for his humor today. “Okay, so when is it taking place? I need it done yesterday.” 

I toss the cigarette butt out of the car onto the driveway of one of our warehouses. I’ve had a complaint about how we’re packing our coke, so I’m about to go in there and slap them into shape. 

“Friday. She has plans to go to Trance with a couple of friends. We’re scoping it out tonight and will work out the best course. She seems like she’d take well to you, boss. Just flash her a little bag of the good stuff and she will chase after you.” He gestures at the squat brick building we’re parked in front of. 

I laugh. “I won’t have a problem. You don’t think you’re up to the job? Lost your touch on getting women already?” 

Grayson runs a hand along his perfectly manicured stubble. “I- Er.” A hint of red works its way over his cheek.

“You’re pussy whipped. I think that’s what you want to say?” I bite back a grin. 

“Fuck off, Luca.” Grayson clenches his jaw and stares out the window.

Frankie bursts out into full bellied laughter in the back. 

“You two are like a fucking married couple.” 

We both turn to look at him. “Don’t be jealous, Frankie. There is room for you. Don’t they call it a throuple now?” I wink at him before turning back to Grayson. 

“I’ll be ready Friday. Send over any information you have collected on her. I want to know who and what I’m dealing with. Mafia princess’ can be pains in the fucking ass. I don’t have time for that.” 

“Will do, boss.” Grayson nods. 

“Good, now back to work. I’m going to go beat the shit out of Ramos. Useless fuck can’t even pack coke right.” 

I swing open the door, straighten up my dark suit, and tighten my tie. 

Grayson hangs out of the window and calls my name. 

“Did you forget something?” He’s waving my black gun in the air with a grin.

Shit. 

I need to get my head back in the game. “Don’t kill him. Poor kid is only twenty-one. He’ll get there,” Grayson says, holding onto the Glock. 

I roll my eyes and snatch my weapon out of his hands, holstering it in the waistband of my pants. 

“No promises. Now, you two fuck off, and get back to work.”

I tug down on my tight black dress as I walk through the doors to Trance, our favorite spot for a Friday night. Bobby, my bodyguard, opens the door for me. As I walk through, he grabs my wrist. I turn to face him with a scowl. “Don’t touch me,” I spit out. 

“I promised your father I won’t let you make a fool of yourself. He has a big meeting tomorrow, and the last thing he needs is to clean up after you again.” His breath, tinged with whiskey, chokes over me.

I huff and snatch my arm back. Like my bastard of a father cares. He stopped being my dad the day my mom died.

He didn’t want to accept what his man did to me. He couldn’t bear to be around me after I told him. All he is a power hungry thug. 

“Well, he doesn’t need to worry. I’m totally fine. Just having a good time, living my life.” 

I cross my arms and straighten my spine. I’ve gotten good at pretending to be okay. I do it every time I leave the house. 

“Look. He cares about you; he just has a lot going on at the moment.” 

“Are you serious? He’s had a lot going on for years!” I can’t disguise the hurt in my voice. 

“I’m not having this conversation with you.” 

He frowns, and I turn my back on him and keep walking, the urge to shoot some vodka taking over. If I’m sober, I feel. I feel so fucking much it cripples me. 

He shakes his head and assumes his position for the night to watch me. I storm off and search for my friends in the sea of faces. Spying Liv’s bouffant blonde hair, I head to their table at the back of the room. 

The top is lined with drinks. Liv and Jas eye me suspiciously as I toss back a shot before even saying a word, letting the vodka set my body on fire. Making me numb. 

Just how I like it. 

But it’s not enough. Nothing is ever enough. This is my life. Day after day, drink after drink. It’s the only way I can stop the recurring nightmare of him. Even just temporarily.

“Hey bitches!” I say, plastering on a smile for them. 

“Stressful day?” Jas asks, looking over her nearly empty glass with a grin. 

“Something like that,” I mumble. 

“What’s the plan for tonight?” Liv says, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. 

A smile creeps up on my lips. I spy Bobby to my left, watching me like a hawk by the entrance to the bathroom. 

“The same as all the other nights. Get fucked up, pass out, maybe find some guys to keep us up,” Jas interrupts before I can reply. She finishes her glass of wine, then licks her bright red lips. 

“Come on, little mafia princess, you had best head to the bar. You look like you need to catch up.” Liv slides towards me. 

I can’t remember the last time I even had a hangover; that’s mainly thanks to the cocaine. Since flunking out of college, the three of us moved in together, and we’ve partied hard since. The second I start to sober up, I can feel his teeth biting into my flesh, the weight of his body pressing me into the mattress. His cold hands gripping onto my hips. 

I shiver in my seat, almost feeling his warm, whiskey-laced breath gagging me. Bile rises up my throat, and I swallow it back down. 

Alcohol is not going to cut it tonight. The memories have been creeping back in more and more frequently. 

“You’re right. I need some shots and maybe something more.” 

My friends both look at me with a knowing smile. 

“You best get to the bar and find us a guy; they always give it up for you. Little miss perfect tits and ass. Hell, how you get away with not sleeping with them for it, I’ll never know,” Liv giggles and downs her shot. 

I scan the bar area, filled with suited men. One of them is bound to have what I need. I hate doing this, but when dad cuts me off the desperation takes over. 

“Fine,” I huff out.

My drug lord father apparently draws the line at me taking what he supplies. What he doesn’t know is that little line of white powder is the only thing keeping his daughter sane. 

He wants to act like nothing happened to me. Fine. But I can’t forget the moment my life was shattered by one of his men. 

So I’ve found my own way to forget. Being that wild child, living up to my reputation.

“Well?” Jas questions, shaking me from my thoughts. 

“I’m on it,” I say and stand, shuffling my dress down over my ass and readjusting my bra so my tits perfectly fill my plunging neckline. I prop my arms up on my favorite place and signal to the fairly attractive, dark-haired bartender. 

“What can I get you, love?” the bartender grins. 

“A vodka and coke, please.” I bat my eyelashes at him. 

He nods and starts pouring. “This one’s on me,” the bartender drawls out, snapping my attention to him. 

I bite my lower lip, wondering if he has what I’m looking for. 

“Thank you.” 

He gives me a wink and starts taking the next woman’s order. I stir my straw around my glass and take a sip. Maybe if I drink it fast enough, I can call him back and ask him if he knows who I should talk to.

I just need a few more of these and a bump and he won’t even be on my mind at all. 

A deep voice booms from behind me.

“Asher, double scotch on the rocks, please.” 

Asher immediately stops what he’s doing and starts pouring the scotch. I turn around, trailing my gaze up the tailored black suit until I am struck by emerald eyes. 

Wow. 

His dark hair is that perfect length I could run my fingers through. Day old stubble frames his sharp jawline. He kind of has that sexy, rough around the edges vibe. 

“What’s a gorgeous woman like you doing here ordering her own drinks?”  

I stare at his full lips as he speaks. I blink a few times and shake my head to refocus.  

Straightening my spine, I pull back my shoulders and meet his eyes. “Because it’s the twenty-first century?”  

He closes the distance between us, and I feel like I’m drowning in the heady scent of his aftershave. 

What the hell is happening right now? This isn’t me. Men don’t get to me. 

I close my eyes as he leans in, his lips brushing my cheek.

“Is that right?” he murmurs.

Heat spreads along my chest in a wave and crawls up my cheeks. 

I turn my face into his and whisper, “There is something I need, though.” 

He chuckles and my heart rate picks up. The cut of his suit and the easy way he pulls his black Amex from his wallet screams money. They are always the ones with the good stuff. Just what I need to numb my brain. 

His arms frame me against the bar. I can feel the heat of his body surrounding me as he leans his full lips near my ear. “And what is that, then?” 

He raises a brow and gives me a boyish grin, his hand going into the inner pocket of his designer suit jacket. I notice a tease of a tattoo sticking out beneath his cuff as he pulls out the little baggie of white powder. 

Leaning back in, his breath hits my cheek. “So, do you have a big night planned?” 

Bingo. 

“Yes.” I bite my bottom lip and play my role, batting my lashes at him. 

He takes a step back, his eyes roaming my body. He runs a hand over his stubble and lets out a ragged breath, his glance flicking to the bathroom. The now bodyguard-less bathroom. 

“Not here.” His voice is low. 

He holds out his hand, but I hesitate for a second. His green eyes pierce into me, making me feel weird things in my chest. 

Fuck it. If it means I can be numb again for the night, I’m taking it. 

The second our palms connect, a spark flies, enough for me to try to jerk my hand back. But he doesn’t let me, he just squeezes it tighter. 

I follow his lead towards the bathroom. Not my place of choice, but it’ll do for now. Excitement courses through me.

“Hey, what’s your name?” I ask out of curiosity.?