Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
"Do we have a cleaning service?"
The question is unexpected. "We have a cleaning lady. She comes in once a week."
"Hm." Sandro pushes a handwritten list across the desk, his script neat and looping. "I need you to hire a decorator and cleaning crew for this office and Enzo's penthouse. I'm moving in, and from the looks of this place, his preferences aren't going to match what I need from my living and work spaces. These are the parameters and the must-haves. Otherwise, I trust your judgment."
My fingers brush his as I pick up the paper, and again that connection is there, making my heart race. Sandro notices, too, because his lips twist into a smirk.
"Y-yes, Mr. DeLuca."
"Sandro," he corrects again, then leans back. "Now. Tell me about yourself."
"What would you like to know?"
"Let's start with your background. You've been working for Enzo for a long time, haven't you?"
I nod, shifting uncomfortably in the seat. I'm not used to this much attention, and the way Sandro is looking at me makes me nervous. "My father was an enforcer. After he died during a firefight, your uncle took care of my mother and me financially. He hired me to be his assistant when I turned eighteen about four years ago, and I've been here ever since."
Sandro leans forward, his elbows on the desk. "I have a good sense for this sort of work, Emmy, and I get the feeling that Enzo didn't hire you just to be a secretary, right? If my instincts are correct, which they usually are, I bet he hired you to be his eyes and ears when he wasn't around."
He's good. Really good. I swallow. "I'm not sure what you're suggesting."
"You're loyal and intelligent, and that makes you invaluable." Sandro grins. "Don't worry, it's not a secret anymore. Your loyalty will be rewarded. In the meantime, I'll be keeping you very close." He stands, stalking around the desk until his large hands rest on my shoulders. "Very, very close."
My breath catches. Sandro is touching me. Sandro, the new Boss, who's hot and dangerous and is making me feel things I've never felt before. "How close, exactly?"
"Let's just say that I plan for you to have a much more enjoyable time working under me than you did with my uncle." His thumbs press against the back of my neck, rubbing slow circles over my skin. I gasp, and his hands move down my back, tracing the line of my spine. "I take care of what is mine, Emmy, and as long as you're here, you're mine."
Arousal and panic hit me in repeating waves, and the next words that burst from my mouth take us both off guard. "He let me live in the basement apartment," I blurt out. "Mr. DeLuca. The old Mr. DeLuca. My mom retired to Florida, but Enzo wanted me close and---"
He chuckled. "I have no intention of kicking you out, Emmy, but thank you for your honesty. Were there any other special circumstances attached to your employment that I should know about?"
I shake my head.
"Good." He moves his hands, stepping away from me. "I need to speak to the accountant. Please send him in."
"Of course."
"Emmy?"
"Yes, Sandro?"
"Take the rest of the day off. We're going to have a long week, and I want you well-rested."
"Yes, sir." I don't argue. Somehow, working with Sandro for less than an hour makes me feel like I've been here for twelve. "I'll see you in the morning, then. How do you take your coffee?"
"A double shot of espresso."
Dark and strong. It shouldn't be a surprise. "Yes, sir."
And with that, I exit the office, list in hand. I have a series of calls to make, but I might as well make them in the privacy of my apartment, where no one can see how much the new Boss is making me lose it.
The entire DeLuca crime family is in upheaval after the arrival of Alessandro, but none more so than me. Unfortunately, it's my job to keep cool under pressure, and it's been the hardest work week of my life.
It isn't that Alessandro is hard on me. A mafia boss is always going to have an air of toughness, but Alessandro rules with a cool competence. He's out of his office more so than in it for the first few days while the designer worked on the space, moving out a number of Enzo's old things and molding the space to Alessandro's liking.
Instead, he spends the time visiting the rest of the family and allies, letting everyone know that Alessandro DeLuca isn’t going to be hands-off. He's got his fingers on the pulse of Chicago's underground, and that's where he's going to keep them.
When he is here, though, it's a lesson in patience for me every time. I want to be close to him, to give him the opportunity to touch me again like he did that first day, but it never pans out. His smiles are disarming, his voice like rich caramel, but I never have him close long enough to really revel in it.