My jaw ticked and Frankie smirked at me as he pushed a full tumbler of scotch my way.
“She’s a wild one, fratello,” he said, looking like he was trying not to laugh. “And I don’t think she’s the type to be tamed. You don’t survive the sort of things she has and come out weak willed.”
“I don’t want her weak willed,” I growled. “I just want her properly dressed.”
“She looks hot,” he said with a shrug. “And she’s only got eyes for you, so isn’t that a good thing?”
I huffed and downed my drink, having to agree with him and hating it and also knowing that I might have been a bit of a dick. But I couldn’t help it. She was mine. And I’d lost everything else I’d ever had already once. I didn’t intend to let her go the same way.
I let Frankie pour me another healthy measure of scotch and savoured the expensive taste of the liquor as it rolled down my throat. The sun was beginning to set over the bay beyond the huge windows and I gave my attention to the view to stop myself for staring/glaring at Winter too much.
I drummed my fingers along my glass, keeping to my spot on the stool as Frankie moved to join the others dancing. He called over for me to join them, but that had never really been my thing. Sure, I’d spent plenty of time in nightclubs orchestrating deals or enforcing rules for the Calabresis, but I’d never seen it as a social experience. I’d been restricted to VIP areas and back rooms, not dance floors, unless you counted waltzing the way I’d been taught in my fancy private school and this didn’t seem like that kind of occasion.
I’d never really had time for anything like that. Never really cared to try it either. I’d been a man with a purpose, a goal, a future that mattered...until I wasn’t anymore. And now I realised I hadn’t really been anyone at all.
My gaze inevitably slid back to Winter and fixed there. The way her body moved in that little green dress was hypnotic and she clearly knew what she was doing. I guessed that once upon a time she’d been the kind of girl who liked to go out dancing. As I thought about that, I couldn’t help but wonder yet again about whether or not she had people missing her. Was I being selfish by wanting to keep her here with me? Should I have been encouraging her to look into it? I kept telling myself that Duke might not be dead, that whoever had organised for her to be tortured could still be looking for her and that was why I didn’t want her to investigate it. But that was all bullshit really, I just didn’t want her to realise she had something better out there than me and leave me behind when she reclaimed it.
I released a slow breath, pushing those feelings aside. We’d made it plain enough how we felt about each other so there was no point in me letting my insecurities spiral. Just because I’d never been important enough to fight for by anyone else in my life before now didn’t mean she would turn her back on me too. Especially not after everything we’d been through together.
Enzo caught Winter’s hand and spun her in a circle as she let out a surprised and slightly nervous laugh. My jaw clenched hard enough to crack a tooth.
I sank another drink, welcoming the burn in my chest as it went down and got to my feet, slamming the glass down on the side a little harder than I’d intended.
I moved to join the others and caught Winter’s arm, dragging her against my chest and forcing Enzo to release her as I placed a rough kiss to her lips. Her mouth was hard and angry against mine for a few seconds but then she thawed like the first rays of spring sunshine were falling down on us and her lips parted for my tongue.
I ran my hands down the bare skin of her back, equally loving and hating this tiny scrap of fabric which apparently counted for clothing and squeezing her ass between my hands as I reached it.
She was pressed flush to my body and no doubt she could feel how much I was enjoying this kiss but with a wrench of determination, I pulled back, turning her