Part Two

Dominic headed down the stairwell before looking at the woman at the bar. Her eyes were cast upwards, as though they were searching. Dominic smirked as he made his way towards the bar. Ethan and Cooper blended in well as they circled away from him.

“Are you looking for me?” Only then did she notice Dominic standing in front of her, causing her breath to hitch in her throat.

Her cheeks reddened at being caught, but she straightened her shoulders and looked Dominic in the eye. “No.”

Dominic chuckled low in his throat, and a bottle of water appeared. Dominic nodded his thanks to the barman. “You are a bad liar, Isadora.”

“How do you know my name?” Isadora asked him with narrowed eyes.

Dominic didn’t change his demeanor as he looked intently at her. “Come now, Isadora. We both know you know exactly who I am. You’ve been here quite often, always seeking me out. You’re even staying in one of my hotels, which makes me wonder what you want from me.”

Isadora smiled then. “Perhaps it’s not what you think.”

Dominic checked his watch, and Isadora bit her bottom lip—an action that hadn’t gone unnoticed. Ethan and Cooper now stood directly behind her, keeping other people away. “I have to do something, but if you want to continue this conversation, then my men will take you somewhere more private.”

She turned to look behind her and blinked before turning back towards Dominic. “Somewhere more private?”

“Like a private room at a restaurant.”

“I hardly know you,” she said, but Dominic could see that she wanted to.

“If it makes you feel any better, then you can wait here and we’ll leave together. I know you want to.”

Her gaze traveled down the length of Dominic’s body. “I’m not going to sleep with you.”

Dominic leaned in closer, watching as Isadora shivered from his close proximity. “I don’t fuck on the first date.”

Her eyes widened, and then she laughed. “You looked so serious just now as you said that.”

“I was serious, Isadora. There is a process to be followed before I even think about fucking you. I don’t even know if I’ll like you after tonight.”

Her smile disappeared as she regarded him with interest. “Is this like an interview?”

“No. I would like to take you to dinner and get to know you. If the chemistry is still there at the end of the night, then I’ll fuck you tomorrow.”

“Excuse me? Who says I’ll like you at the end of the night?”

Dominic grinned then as she watched him. “You didn’t even want to go anywhere with me, yet now you’re already thinking ahead to the end of the night. I like my odds.”

“Smooth, very smooth.”

“I’ll be back soon. My men will stay with you.” Dominic turned towards the barman again and motioned for him to come closer. “Place the lady’s drinks on my tab, Gunter.”

“Yes, boss.”

She quirked her eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Ethan and Cooper nodded their heads at Dominic, who simply nodded his head as he walked away from the bar. He didn’t play games often, but this little girl had piqued his interest. The only games he did play were the ones he was sure he’d win.

In his office, he watched Isadora on the security cameras. She didn’t look at other men, nor did she make any move to strike up a conversation with his men. He liked that. Dominic didn’t share, and watching a woman when she didn’t know was the fastest way to know for sure.

“I can handle it on my own, Dominic,” Gage said as he looked at the screen Dominic was watching.

“Mark the asshole. People need to know they don’t fuck with Vittori’s and get away with it.”

Gage nodded his head and left the office alone. Austin walked in front of Dominic while Hudson brought up the rear as they headed back downstairs to the bar area. Isadora’s eyes found Dominic’s the moment he stepped into the bar area, and she stood up.

Dominic offered her his arm, which she took without wavering. Cooper grinned as they started walking back to the staircase. The men led them through the hallways, heading out of the back door into the alley. She kept looking around, and Dominic could see the nervousness in her eyes.

“The car is right there,” Dominic said as the SUV came into view. The men watching the SUV appeared, and Ethan nodded his head as he pressed his finger against his ear.

“All clear, Dominic.”

They slid into the car, where Isadora sat next to Dominic, as Ethan sped out of the underground parking lot, heading towards the city center. The restaurant was ten minutes away as they once again parked at a back entrance before they were led inside to a private booth.

A waiter appeared with a sealed bottle of wine and uncorked it as Isadora watched the exchange silently. Her eyes took everything in, yet Dominic hadn’t said a word. The wine was poured, and Dominic tasted it, nodding his head at the waiter, who filled both glasses half-full. “Bring us a sample of the chef’s menu.”

“Who the hell are you?” Isadora asked him a little breathlessly.

“You know exactly who I am.”

“Yes, I do.” Isadora’s gaze didn’t waver as she kept looking him in the eye. “You’re a mobster.”

“I prefer to call myself a businessman since we don’t call ourselves mobsters.”

Isadora smiled slightly and emptied her wine glass. “But you have ties to the mafia.”

“With ties to the mafia,” Dominic agreed. It wasn’t something he could hide because reporters ran stories about his family almost weekly. They knew what Dominic wanted them to know about him, and they’d gotten good at keeping much of their lives private.

Dominic refilled her glass as the waiter brought out their rolls and left again quickly. They knew Dominic’s preferences for not wanting them to linger. Isadora wasn’t looking at him, which had him wondering what was going through her mind.

“Do you want to leave?”

Isadora looked up at him as she finally smiled. “You promised to feed me.”

Dominic took a sip of his wine before smiling back at her. “I did, didn’t I?”

“You did.”