The Forbidden Prince

by Bonnie R. Paulson

  There had to be something I could do to relieve that stress. If I could get the go-ahead from Sofia or my father or the fish guy at the pier for that matter, I could put my extra energies into pursuing her and her sassy little smile. Chasing a new conquest was usually my way of decompressing.

  Sitting there in my bed thinking about her was not helping alleviate anything.

  Three-thirty and I was already awake. Did I try to go back to sleep for a couple hours or did I just get started on my day? With as much to get done as I needed to, I slid from the silky linen sheets and threw on my gym clothes. Ole Mercurio’s place was open twenty-four/seven. He knew what our lives were like in the families. Many of us didn’t have time to visit the gym during the day. I doubted there was anyone in that early, though.

  I pulled on my speedbag gloves as soon as I walked through the door, beelining for the boxing area set up in the south corner.

  The gym had an old school feel to it with a boxing ring in the center, a collection of sandbags and speedbags set up in a strategic arrangement on the far side. Wrestling mats lined the west part of the gym area and wooden flooring had been left open for rope work and shadowing.

  Boxing was a thing in our family. We all learned how to fight at a young age. My half-brother had taken boxing to a whole new level for Little Italy. The first successful professional fighter since Freddie Steele in the 1930s.

  My brother was the only one who followed the rules. Thankfully, he’d left Little Italy behind as he’d pursued his career. I couldn’t be prouder. He visited sometimes, but for the most part, he wasn’t an option for the

  “Hey, Angelo. How’s your father?” The bell above the door would have woken the owner. His hair stuck out in various points around his head as he poked his head up, peeking from the window to his office. Mercurio ate and slept at the gym. He didn’t trust anyone else to run it, since he was neutral between the families. If he hired someone from one of the families, he’d lose his business from the others. It was a mess I was glad I didn’t have to juggle, but I sympathized with him for dealing with it.

  I raised my hand. “The Rossi is good, Mercurio. I’m just going to do bag work for a bit. You can go back to sleep. I’ll watch out for you.”

  We all worked together to keep the peace at the neutral spots around town. There weren’t many and as long as they were free of territorial zones, we could use them as rendezvous points with other families or businesses.

  Digging into the speed work of the bag, I let the rhythm of my fists connecting with the weighted leather sack ease the knot between my shoulder blades.

  Sweat dripped from my skin and after thirty minutes of speed bag work and working the ropes, I was ready for my day. I just needed a shower. I kept a locker at the gym and made my way into the showers to clean up and change.

  As I finished, I dumped the towel in the laundry and clicked my watch into place. I’d have a soldier bring a new bag with fresh clothes, watch, and toiletries down later that day to make sure my locker was stocked for my next visit. Who knew when I would come or what I would be wearing?

  Strolling from the gym, I glanced around, taking in the sound of flesh hitting a hard bag. A woman kicked a large boxing bag, the muscles in her legs apparent before I saw her face.

  As Sofia’s form came into view, I stopped, appraising the way she moved her hands and feet while holding her guard in position. She’d been trained and trained well. A sheen of sweat glistened on her skin, giving her an ethereal appearance under the fluorescent lighting. Her intense focus surprised me. Most people who came to the gym expected the type of equipment a trendy gym had with its treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals.

  While Mercurio’s gym had weights, they weren’t brightly colored or covered in silicone. Many of them had chipped paint and numbers etched in the sides that suggested they were made decades ago.

  I couldn’t help the side smile gracing my lips as I tucked my hands in my pockets and ambled over to the bag area. I didn’t hide my open appraisal of her form as she completed a roundhouse kick and spied me. Jerking upright as if I’d startled her, Sofia glanced past me and then flicked her gaze to my face.

  “Angelo.” She settled her hands on her hips, as if she wasn’t aware of the figure she struck in her tights and crossbody suit which hugged her curves in all the right places. She arched an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. “Are you stalking me now?”

  Her moxie did things to my insides and I suddenly realized all the wound-up stress inside my gut was gone around her. She seemed to sooth the chaos that was my life even while she was a huge part of what caused it.

  “Sofia, honey, I don’t stalk. That’s sneaky and underhanded. I’m pretty upfront. If I was following you, you’d know it.” I jerked my head back the direction I’d come from. “I just got out of the showers. I was here earlier, doing pretty much the same thing as you.” Except I didn’t do kickboxing. There was something about using my feet I wasn’t a fan of.

  Holding my gaze as her expression shifted from suspicious to playful, Sofia approached me. She reached out, running a finely manicured fingernail down the thin layer of stubble along my jaw. The scratch filled the silence between us. “Maybe I want to be stalked, Angelo. Did you ever think of that?”

  Her sultry dulcet tones suggested I needed to up my game. I appraised her once more and nodded. “Got it. I’m up to the challenge, Ms. Thompson. I just hope you know what you’re asking for.”

  Her grin as I turned away sealed my desire to get to know her better. Even with my father’s warnings clanging in the back of my mind, I didn’t care. He’d said to stay away from her – that was impossible since I had to make a deal with her. He’d said not to trust anyone – done. I didn’t want to trust Sofia. I just knew that the more I was around her, the more I couldn’t even trust myself.

  If I went into it accepting that, maybe I wouldn’t feel too bad when I grew bored of her.

  Something I was starting to think was going to be impossible to do.

  Chapter 6

  Sofia

  My muscles didn’t stop shaking until well after Angelo had disappeared out the front doors. What were the odds that I would run into him at Mercurio’s gym? I went as early as I did to stay away from the families and to burn off the stress of hiding in plain sight.

  A federal agent in the midst of the Italian families wasn’t safe, but I wasn’t safe anywhere else. I’d left Blue asleep in his apartment and all of my tracking gear on the nightstand by the bed I slept in. I couldn’t even call it my bed because nothing there was actually mine.

  The only thing I had was a cellphone and it wasn’t even on me. I’d left it in the small black bag I’d brought and stuffed into the locker in the women’s room.

  Suddenly, standing there by myself while the owner of the gym slept in the office wasn’t the smartest move for me. If Angelo could come in, then so could anyone else. Why hadn’t I considered that I wouldn’t be the only one unable to sleep?

  I took a deep breath as I pushed my ponytail off my shoulder and returned to the locker room. I locked the door to make sure I stayed the only one in there until I was done. I climbed into the shower, rinsing off the sweat and stress of my run-in with the boxing bags and then with Angelo.

  Getting dressed in the clothes I wore as the business woman, I tugged on impossibly high heels and texted Blue to meet me at the gym in fifteen minutes. The last touches on my hair would take just enough time to put me outside when he pulled up.

  My phone buzzed in my hand before I could tuck it securely back into the bag.

  Rumor. Dinner at Giovanni’s Italy with AR. Deal in the back. Need ears.

  I sighed, hanging my head and then scooting to the side to sit on a bench near me. I hadn’t gotten a dinner invite from Angelo, but obviously from my father’s message, I would be expected to be there with the son of The Rossi.

  A pit in my stomach warned me against chasing Angelo too far. He wasn’t the type of man to care lightly. Once it cam
e out that I was who I was… there’d be no turning back. If I lost my heart to him, the same heart that couldn’t differentiate between my Fed self and my illegal business owner self, I might never recover.

  Yet, on the other hand, my father believed I could do this job. Okay, that was a lie. I’d convinced him to give me a shot to prove myself. If I lost my heart over a man I was trying to collar, I’d never get the respect and love from my dad that I desperately longed for.

  All of it was a mess and I wasn’t sure how to make all of the parts of me work together. As far as I was concerned, none of it made any sense. I texted him back.

  Got it.

  As far as I was concerned, that’s all he needed to know.

  ~~~

  I glanced at the screen of my phone once more before tucking it into my purse. Angelo had texted me earlier that day to ask if I’d like to join him for dinner at Giovanni’s. His text had saved me from having to ask him.

  There was something wrong with a woman asking a man out. I would do it, if I had to, but I would rather not have to. Thankfully, Angelo had come through and asked me himself, ratcheting up my appreciation for him even higher.

  I’d worn the slinky green dress I bought with the intention to curl Angelo around my finger. I knew it conformed to every curve in my well-toned body. My vices did not include vanity and I had no problem acknowledging my looks for what they were – assets to get me what I wanted. I wasn’t bestowed with the appearance of the doe-eyed schoolgirl with the draw of Aphrodite for nothing.

  Angelo inclined his head when my eyes found him at the table in the center of the room. He hadn’t gone for privacy which meant he wanted to show me off. It wasn’t the first time I would play the part of arm candy for a man. The frustrating thing was that I just wanted time with Angelo – just me, minus the work. I wanted to go back to our word play and see just how far I could push him.

  As I closed the distance to the table a man approached me from behind. I stopped at the table and he walked by, reaching out a large meaty hand and slapping my rear with enough force it stung my skin.

  Even as I was taken by surprise, I didn’t gasp or react, except to narrow my eyes.

  Fury ruddied Angelo’s skin and he moved to stand. I shook my head at him, and he took my silent order to stay out of it but very grudgingly.

  “Excuse me.” I called out softly to the man who wasn’t even completely past Angelo’s table yet.

  The man paused and turned, an indolent expression on his face as if he expected to get yelled at and for me to cause a scene. He obviously had no reason to fear me as I was easily a foot shorter than him and probably only a third of his size – at the most. He’d never heard of me either. Well, things were going to change.

  I put on my best seductive smile and walked the few feet to him. Confusion furrowed his brow. Reaching up, I gripped his collar in my fingers like I was going to move closer to him and possibly kiss him. “I would suggest you don’t touch a lady like that again.” I raised my knee and stomped the spiky heel of my shoe into the inner curve of his foot, all while holding the smile on my lips.

  He inhaled sharply and I grinned, knowing he wasn’t sure what to make of me or the situation. With my free hand I grabbed his fingers that were moving toward me to push me off or hit me, I wasn’t sure which. With minimal effort, I twisted his hand to the side and down, forcing his wrist into a painful position that made him freeze.

  Softly, as if we were lovers, I murmured in the direction of his ear. “Now, you can apologize to me and move on about your evening, or we can step outside and I can show you just what that little slap on the butt is really worth.”

  He winced, nodding tightly. I lifted my foot where I’d pinned his and released his hand slowly. He gripped his injured wrist with his good hand and stared down at the ground. “I’m sorry I did that. It won’t happen again.”

  I reached out and patted his arm like he was a good friend. “I know it won’t. Now, go on.” I shooed him on with a small wave of my hand and turned back to the table Angelo had procured for us.

  Sliding gracefully into the seat, I smiled at him, careful not to address the scene beside him. No one else in the restaurant had noticed the incident. I’d rather not talk about where I’d learned how to stick up for myself and why I justified it.

  Plus, as long as we didn’t talk about it, I wouldn’t have to find out if Angelo was a true misogynist – like most of the family men I had to work with. For some reason, that was one thing that would push me away from his darkly appealing charm. Knowing what he did for a vocation wasn’t pushing me away.

  Maybe to keep my distance, finding out about any sexism or anything else would be exactly what I needed.

  I sipped my water, unaffected by the situation with the man but nervous that Angelo would suspect something.

  He leaned over, running a finger down the smooth line of my hair. “Nothing out of place. You’d think you were raised a Rossi.” The respect in his voice had never been so apparent. He lowered his hand and motioned toward the menu. “I recommend the lasagna for a brawler like you, Sofia.” He winked and I realized the best way to get through to Angelo was to be everything I kept trying to hide.

  Done. He was about to get the real me. Hopefully he was ready for just what I could be.

  Chapter 7

  Angelo

  I’d never been more physically aware of anyone in my life. She’d handled the man who had the audacity to touch a Rossi’s date with efficiency and decorum. I’d been sure there would be a scene and the deal between the Capones and the Rossis taking place in the backroom would be showcased.

  Instead, Sofia had kept everything contained, even her revenge had been controlled. A woman like that couldn’t be Italian or Hispanic even. She would have to be otherworldly. She’d spiked his foot and twisted his arm without breaking a sweat or even appearing that much put out.

  Reaching out to touch her hair had been the only thing I would allow myself to do. If I attempted more, I’d push her against a wall and definitely make a scene as I kissed the calm right out of her. I don’t care what my father said. A woman like that wasn’t one you walked away from.

  If I had the chance, I was going to take it.

  I must have been staring because Sofia glanced over her creamy shoulder and then back at me. She arched an eyebrow and leaned forward, the dark shadow of her cleavage barely visible with the modest top of the dress she wore. “Do I have something on my face?”

  Blinking, I shook my head and turned my gaze toward the menu I’d almost memorized. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not easy to impress and you have definitely done that.” I couldn’t tell her how much she’d captivated me. That would be neither professional nor appropriate, considering the parameters of our relationship.

  She inclined her head. “Thank you. I don’t usually get compliments after sticking up for myself.” Her elegant fingers closed around the stem of her water goblet and she sipped delicately before setting it back into place.

  I rested my forearms on the edge of the table and leaned forward, my gaze solely focused on hers. “I want you to go home with me tonight.” More than anything, but I couldn’t say that. Subtlety wasn’t my specialty and in fact, my boldness had served me well in the past.

  Cocking her head to the side, Sofia crossed her arm and set it on the table in front of her place setting. Her polite smile didn’t move from her lips as she studied me.

  Suddenly, I realized just what I had done. I’d put Sofia into the same category as every other woman I’d ever dealt with. This was a mistake. No other woman I’d ever known could beat a man into submission in the center of a busy restaurant without any witnesses. No other woman could wear a dress while manning the helm of one of the biggest corporations in the world.

  I inhaled deeply, holding her gaze. If I backed down now, she’d lose what little respect she had left for me, which I doubted was much at this point.

  She motioned between us. “There is a definite pu
ll, Angelo, but I’m better than a quick shag in your guest room. I thought for sure you already figured that out.” She inclined her head and pushed the chair back from the table. “This evening is just going to irritate me now. Excuse me.” She turned, leaving the chair out as she strode away.

  I stared after her, unable to call out or chase her down like I longed to do. I’d already embarrassed myself. If I stormed after her and begged her to forgive me, she’d only think I was as weak as my bodily demands. Not to mention everyone in the restaurant would see Angelo Rossi chase after a woman.

  That wasn’t how I worked. Somehow, though, I would have to make it up to her what I had just suggested. She wasn’t a one-night stand, but she was business and I had to keep my head wrapped around that fact before I let my heart get involved.

  The server approached, his hands clasped at his waist. He glanced after Sofia who walked out the front door and then back at me. “Will the madame be returning?”

  I shook my head and moved my finger in a circular motion in the direction of her place setting. “Clear this. I’ll take the lasagna and a Caesar.” I dismissed the server without another word. Leaning back in my seat, I considered my options.

  My frustration in my actions was going to haunt me the rest of the night and into the next day.

  But why did I care? It’s not like I would die, if I didn’t get to be with her. No, the problem was, she’d become this challenge I wasn’t sure I could overcome.

  That scared me. I wasn’t sure how to deal with possible failure. What was failure, though, with Sofia Thompson? She wasn’t the type that would be enough for one night, one week, or even a year. She’d be interesting and intriguing for a lifetime.

  A woman like Sofia would get deference in the community, if not by simply being her then by taking it one fight at a time. My turn to be dom would come. I’d be expected to continue the family line. Someone like Sofia would fit in beside me as my wife. I didn’t have to love her to marry her.