"We do not need you in our lives with all your lies and manipulation." She yelled out at the top of her voice causing her to almost pass out.

They have an instant connection, one they label as lust, but goes much deeper. He is wealthy, arrogant, rather distant, and emotionally unavailable, or so it seems to her after their first steamy encounter. He practically dismisses and gives her instructions like she is of no consequence. But she is not one to take orders and has a mind of her own. She demands to leave the next morning, though he warns her it might not be safe. She tells herself she never has to see him again. After all, he is a billionaire and she is just a lowly small business owner. It is a case of one and done, her hurt is a matter of pride and has nothing to do with deeper feelings.

He finds he has a real problem on his hands. He recognized the well-dressed goons that crashed the gala he and she was attending. They are part of his past, one he had thought was long behind him. He refuses to leave her to defend herself, so he takes her to his penthouse and then does what he does best. He turned on the charm and seduced her. Much to his chagrin, he feels an unexpected connection to her, something he has never felt with any other woman, but with his past coming back to haunt him, she will not be safe anywhere near him. He assumes his indifferent, distant demeanor and watches her leave, knowing it is for the best, but noting the dismay he feels deep within himself.

Her surprise pregnancy puts a different spin on everything. Growing up without parents, he has always wanted a family of his own. Now he is going be a father and he will do everything to protect her and their baby from his mafia past or die trying. She is rather feisty, very independent, and not amenable to his plans to have her stay within the walls of his penthouse, heavily guarded and away from friends and her work. Their story becomes a bit of a battle of wills, fierce passion, and deeper feelings that neither will admit. It also includes danger, suspense, and some surprising twists.

The Mafia's Pearl

As I sat down, Ashton came in with a broom and mop cleaned up the pieces of glass and then mopped the floors.
“What are you going to do?” I asked. “What do they want? What does this mean for me?” My breath was coming in shorter gasps, and I knew I was hyperventilating. Knowing did not help me stop ...

Chapter 25