Detained: A Dark Mafia Romance (Beneath The Mask Series Book 4)

Song- Tennessee Whiskey, Austin Giorgio

I start applying my makeup in the mirror of his en-suite. His predatory stare meets mine in the reflection as he slowly approaches. No, Zara. Today is a new day. But damn, him in that navy suit, his brown hair perfectly styled and a hunger in his gray eyes is certainly what I need in the morning.

His fingers brush against the back of my neck, lingering on the raised, angry red marks.

“How am I supposed to go out like this?” With a playful smirk on his lips, he pulls down his collar, revealing a glimpse of the red scratches that trail along his throat and shoulder.

“Oh, shit.” I cover my mouth with my hands.

I mean, it’s really hot knowing this powerful man is walking around with marks I gave him.

“I think you got away lightly, Zara. I have to walk around looking like I’ve had a fight with a damn tiger,” he says with amusement.

My stomach erupts into butterflies.

The touch of his lips on my neck ignites a fire within me, and I struggle to suppress a moan.

“Come on, I’ve made us breakfast and we have things to discuss.” He slaps my ass before he turns and leaves.

I’m not far behind him, breathless and needy for him, admiring his ass in those tight suit pants. As the scent of freshly cooked pancakes wafts through the air, my stomach grumbles and my mouth waters.

“Sit.” He gestures to the large dining table, set up for two people. There’s coffee and orange juice for each of us.

My eyes are glued to him as he places the food in front of me. As he sits down, the subtle contact of his knee against mine sets my heart racing. I have no idea what is happening to me.

Picking up my fork, I shove in a bite of the most delicious fluffy pancake I think I’ve ever tasted.

“So, what do you want to discuss, Mr. Falcone?” I ask between mouthfuls.

With a swift motion, he pulls out a key and slides it across the table towards me, the sound of metal against wood filling the room, causing me to catch my breath.

“Our living arrangements,” he says, before popping a piece of pancake between his lips. “I assumed I was going back to my place now it’s been cleaned up?” I tease, taking another bite and fighting my grin.

His eyes blaze as I push the key back towards him.

“You think I was joking?” His fingers tighten around my wrist.

With a chuckle, he shakes his head, unable to contain his amusement.

“You think once was enough? You think that was you truly being mine?” I hold my breath as he leans in, feeling a surge of nervousness.

“We barely even scraped the surface, angel.”

I open my mouth to speak and snap it shut.

As we lock eyes, neither of us is willing to back down.

“I still want my own bedroom.” I bite down on my lip.

His eyes go wide, as if he was expecting more of a debate with me. “No deal.”

His touch on my thigh sends a jolt of electricity through me, making me squirm in my seat.

“This is all mine, dolcezza. I can do as I please with you wherever and whenever I decide to. You are mine, therefore you belong in my bed.”

I pout at him, crossing my leg over the other, squeezing his hand tightly.

“I don’t want to be controlled by any man.” I narrow my eyes.

“It’s different with me. I take some of your control, in return you gain the freedom you need.” He grabs my chin, forcing me to look back at him.

“And what if I say no?”

His perfect white teeth appear as he smiles. “Try it,” he breathes out.

I can feel his warm breath on my lips, distracting me from whatever I was thinking about. There is one burning question I can’t stop thinking about.

“Why me?” I ask.

“You want a challenge? Is it because I’m different from all those other girls?”

I know I don’t fit in his mold, of most people’s, actually. The ink that spans my body often gets me dirty looks. The fact I’ve never had girlfriends, I’ve always been more comfortable with the men. It’s why I got myself involved in a gang in my teens.

I chase that excitement. That’s why I thought being a cop wouldn’t be so bad. It was still dangerous.

He shakes his head. I can sense the conflict running through his mind right now.

“You’re different from them, yes. That isn’t why.”

He pauses, causing me to frown in response.

“It’s because deep down, you and I are similar. That fire in you—I want to tame it for me, never for anyone else. You, Zara, were meant for more in life. I can give you that. You have shown me that time and time again.”

I stiffen at the reminder of what I’ve done.

His lips purse as he watches me. “Please don’t insult me by thinking I care that you killed that cop. One thing you need to quickly understand is that it was by far the sexiest thing you could have ever done in front of me.”

I can’t help but notice the fire in his eyes, mirroring the desire in mine. He isn’t lying. He genuinely likes the dark streak that I try so hard to hide.

He picks up a pancake, holding it in front of my mouth. “Open.”

Leaning forward, I open wide enough to suck the offered morsel from his fingers , biting down on them as I do. I slowly lick them and then chew my food.

“Well, looks like I better go get a dress sexy enough to have you and every other man in there distracted tonight,” I say, pressing my hands on the table and standing.

His jaw clenches, a subtle twitch in his facial expression, and he shifts restlessly in his seat.

“You like me being different. Remember that, Mr. Falcone. You wanted this.”

I flip him off and rush up the stairs two steps at a time, expecting him to chase after me and bend me over his knee. Slamming the door, I lean against it for support.

Why do visions of him doing exactly that make me so hot for him?

It’s late by the time I get back from my shopping spree, courtesy of Frankie’s black AmEx.

The house is cold and empty without him here.

I didn’t miss the fact Jax and Kai were tailing me the whole time. I’ll be having words with him about this.

I know I fucked up; I ran from him. I will have to earn his trust, but he has to earn mine, too.

There’s a feeling that I can’t shake that tonight’s events are a test for him. All I know is, I want to pass it with flying colors.

He’s promised me power, and to work alongside him if I prove myself.

I can’t help but smile as I pull my new dress up, mesmerized by the way the small diamante’s glimmer in the light. It’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, like it was made for me. With a black leather skirt, the top half is a sparkly meshed material, with a halter neck, plunged neckline and open back.

There is a jacket to put over the top. I’m not sure how he’s going to feel about introducing me to his friends and people at the club with all my tattoos out. Especially having one arm fully covered in ink.

I don’t want to embarrass him. Men don’t always take well to seeing my skin.

I love them. I started getting them after what happened with my ex, Ash. Dad controlled every part of my life, so every time I felt overwhelmed or pissed off, I’d go and add to the collection.

It’s freeing. The pain and the reward. Perfectly imperfect.

For years, I’ve had to hide them. That’s why I always avoided putting them on my neck and hands. These are for me more than anyone else, something I could have control over.

I spend the next hour applying my make-up and straightening my silky black hair, finishing off the look with a swipe of deep red lipstick. Running my black nails through my hair to give it some volume, I take a look at myself in the mirror. My dark smokey eyes bring out the green, the lipstick a pop of color against the black.

Finally, I shuffle into my dress, making sure my tits look perfect for him.

I want his jaw to hit the floor when he sees me. I finish off the lock with a pair of heeled biker boots, fully embracing my style.

As the door crashes open, I look up and see Frankie freeze in his tracks, his eyes slowly traveling up my body. I feel my cheeks heat up as he bites down on his fist.

“Holy fuck,” he hisses out, and it sets my whole body on fire.

“I-I’m speechless, dolcezza.” His tone is husky as he stalks toward me.

My breath catches as he traces his finger along my throat and down the neckline of my dress. I’ve never felt more beautiful in my entire life. The way this man is looking like he wants to bend me over and fuck me like an animal has my heart racing.

“The most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.” There is a sincerity in his tone that has me speechless.

His touch ventures down my dress, reaching the hemline that stops at the center of my thigh.

“How am I going to concentrate on anything other than this perfect body?” he groans, his hot breath beating against my sensitive skin.

His other hand tightens around my ass, causing me to snug against him, my body pressing into his solid chest.

“It’s a sex club. You don’t need to think about work.” I smile.

“This is work, baby.” His lips graze against the shell of my ear. “We might be able to fit in some fun,” he whispers.

I shiver in anticipation at his words.

“You might like this, then,” I whisper. Placing my hand over his at the hem of my dress and guiding him underneath, his fingers brush along the lace at the top of my crotchless panties and he trails it down towards my bare pussy, sucking in a breath as his finger circles my clit.

“Just for you, sir.”

“Such a good little slut for me.”

I can’t deny the way his words get to me. He withdraws his hand and taps my ass.

“I’ve got a bottle of champagne chilling downstairs. Let me go and have a shower and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

My hand trails over his hard cock, straining against his zipper.

“You don’t want me to fix this for you before?”

With a wicked grin on his lips, he shakes his head in amusement.

“You’ll be getting plenty of it tonight. Don’t worry about that.” He places a fierce kiss on my lips, almost leaving me breathless as he waltzes off into his en-suite.

Bringing the glass to my lips, I savor the sensation of the fizzy bubbles dancing on my tongue before the silky liquid goes down my throat. Sitting on the barstool, I keep looking over to the hallway, waiting for Frankie to come down. Even from just a little bit of the alcohol, I have that buzz of excitement running through me.

For the first time, I think I belong somewhere. I’m accepted for exactly who I want to be. Even with my recklessness, my defiance.

My mouth gapes as Frankie walks through the door, tugging his black suit jacket tighter, giving me a boyish grin, letting me get another peek of the tattoos on his forearm. His crisp white shirt with the top button undone. That smart yet rugged look about him, a perfect match to me.

“Look at you, handsome.” I wink at him and hold out his flute of champagne. His hand wraps around my waist, and the familiar aroma of his masculine aftershave fills my senses.

With a swift motion, he tilts his head back, emptying his glass in one gulp. After he places it on the counter, I feel a rush of warmth as his nose brushes against my neck.

“We have to go, baby.”

I run my hand along his coarse beard, feeling the roughness against my fingertips, before bringing his lips to mine to steal a passionate kiss.

I grab my jacket from the counter and put it on.

“What are you doing?” He pulls back with a frown, looking at the black leather covering my arms.

“Take it off.”

His harsh tone catches me off guard, causing me to blink at him in surprise.

“Don’t you think this dress would look better with all my tattoos covered?”

My dad always told me that my skin looks a mess and they make me look unprofessional and reckless.

He pushes it off my shoulders and tosses it across the room onto the dining table.

I look away, staring down at the snake tattoo I have wrapping around my forearm. This one was always my favorite, so I put it in a prominent place. Why do I want to hide that?

As he grips my chin, he turns me to him, his touch gentle, yet firm. His face softens and I feel a warmth in his gaze as our eyes meet. “No, dolcezza. That ink is a reflection of you. If they don’t accept you for who you are, they don’t deserve a single fucking second of your time.”

I don’t know what to say.

His finger trails down my arm, tracing past the flowers, the butterflies and on the delicately detailed snake. “I never want you to hide, not from me, not from anyone. You need to realize just how special you are, angel.”

I blink rapidly, trying to keep the tears from welling up in my eyes. Never in my life have I been accepted, not like this. “Thank you, Frankie.”

As he leans in, his tongue glides across my shoulder, leaving a trail of tingling sensations down my arm. His eyes never leave mine as he explores every inch of my skin, finally ending with a tender kiss on the top of my hand. I squeeze my thighs together as his face is just a breath away from mine.

“Plus, every time I look at them, I get hard as hell thinking about tasting every single one.” With a panty dropping grin, he takes a step back, his hand outstretched towards me.

Without hesitation, I place my hand in his.