The dealer dealt him a seven. His up card was nine. Mia grimaced. Sixteen was too low to stand on but if he hit he’d probably bust. Nico’s fingers skirted the edge of her dress and she gently slapped his hand away.
“This game is about emotional control,” he said, frowning at being denied the opportunity to feel her up in public. “Although around you, I find it a particular challenge.” He tapped the table and got a five.
“Very nice, sir.” The dealer counted out a huge stack of chips, and Nico waved for him to keep them.
The dealer smiled and retrieved the chips. “Much obliged, Mr. Toscani.”
“You don’t want all your money?” Mia looked back over her shoulder as Nico led her away from the table.
“I’ve got something worth much more.” He guided her through the casino, pointing out the new improvements he was testing for his refurbishment of the Desert Dream Hotel. He opened the elevator with his key card, and moments later they were on the tenth floor.
“I thought we were going out.” She looked around the newly decorated office, so different from the first time she was here. Dark wood, rich leather, and thick cream Berber carpet had replaced the cold, functional décor, and the walls were now a colorful mix of posters from old gangster movies and photographs from the days when the Mafia ruled the Strip.
“We’re staying in.” After closing the door, he settled in the leather chair behind his new reclaimed oak desk.
“Why did you ask me to dress up? I could have come straight from work. I had to leave Jules in charge so I could go home early and change.”
A slow, sensual smile spread across his face. “I’ve been imagining this moment since the first time you walked into my office. The things I wanted to do to you that night, bella…” He licked his lips like a predator about to feast. “I want it all. Now.”
“You want that night over again?”
“Yes, but this time you won’t be walking out the door.”
She shivered in delicious anticipation at the wicked look in his eyes. Oh yeah. She was fully on board with his plan.
“Sit.” He gestured to the chair in front of her, his tone laced with the same hint of command she’d heard that very first night.
Mia pressed her lips together, trying to remember how their first encounter had played out. “I prefer to stand.”
Nico expressed his displeasure with a scowl. “Sit,” he said curtly. “Or I’ll make you sit.”
“Are you trying to turn me on?”
He fought back a bark of amusement. “That’s not what you said. I remember every word. You asked if I meant to break your nose, and I told you it was too lovely to break.”
“Is that meant to be a compliment?” She arched an eyebrow and put one hand on her hip, tugging up her dress just enough to give him a hint of what was hidden below. Although she didn’t let on, she remembered their conversation, too.
Nico’s eyes widened and he sat forward in his chair. “Do you want compliments?”
“I want to give you this.” She put her leg up on the chair nearest the door, and pulled back the dress to reveal her stocking, and the garter decorated with skulls and chains.
He drew in a ragged breath. “This is supposed to be my fantasy, bella. You’re making it hard for me to stay in my chair.”
“My apologies, Mr. Toscani.” She slid her finger inside one of the garter straps, tugging on the little chain. “I didn’t mean to make it … hard.”
“Over here.” He slapped his hand on the desk. “Now.”
“Tsk. Tsk,” she teased. “That’s not how to play the game. I think you asked about my family next. And Luigi’s.” She regretted the words as they dropped from her lips, worried she had ruined the game by bringing up such a painful memory.
Nico came around the desk and perched on the edge. “I made the mistake of thinking you weren’t capable because you were a Cordano and a woman. I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
Mia walked toward him, working the heels and the dress until his mouth went slack. “Was that before or after I cupped my breasts and told you about stabbing your guard? Did you know I was incredibly turned on?” She paused for effect, loving the power she had right now. “Did you know I was wet? So wet. When I went home…” She trailed her fingers down her neck to the curve of her breast. “Well, I’m sure you can imagine.”
His eyes blazed and he reached for her, only to swipe at the air when she stopped a few feet away. “I was so fucking hard I couldn’t think. I told you a man couldn’t be distracted, but you were the most distracting woman I’d ever met.”
She stepped between his parted legs, the way she had done before. Electricity crackled between them, and she gave him a mischievous smile. “So you’re saying…” She dropped her hand and cupped his erection, straining beneath the fabric of his fine wool pants. “When I dropped my hand that night, you wanted me to touch you like this?”