Chapter 13: Chapter 13

“Where’s the restroom?” I ask.

Eden pulls away from me and points to a closed door. “Over there.”

I get up and walk the short distance. When I open the door, I glance into a bedroom where I see a neatly made bed with pink covers and pillows.

Going into the restroom, I shut the door and relieve my bladder. While I wash my hands, I notice a laundry hamper with the tight shorts and shirt Eden was wearing Friday night.

Remembering the great sex, I start to get hard, but I adjust my cock into a more comfortable position, then ignore the thing because I don’t plan on fucking Eden tonight.

Glancing around, I notice there’s only a shower, a toilet, and a small sink. The single cupboard above the sink is packed with toiletries. The toothpaste is squeezed empty. There can’t possibly be anything left in the tube.

It keeps hitting me how poor Eden is, and everything in me screams to help her. However, I get the feeling if I tried to help out, she’d lose her shit, and that would be the end of us.

I’ll just have to be patient until we’re an actual item.

Stepping out of the restroom, I return to the couch and sit down again.

My eyes drift over Eden’s face as I wrap my arm around her shoulders, wishing I could take her out of this place.

Patience, Dario.

She snuggles into my side, and brushing her palm over my Balenciaga sweater, she asks, “Why do you like to watch me dance?”

“It calms me,” I answer honestly. “There’s something about your movements that casts a spell over me.”

She tilts her head back to look up at me, and we stare at each other for a moment before I say, “I love looking at you.”

“Ditto.”

I lower my head and slowly press my mouth to hers. When she tries to deepen the kiss, I lift my hand to her face and grip hold of her jaw to keep her in place. I keep the pace slow, taking my time exploring her mouth and memorizing her taste.

Eden grows impatient and tries to move onto my lap, but in a swift move, I pin her down on the couch, and locking my fingers around her throat, I force her to take it slow as I continue to kiss her tenderly.

Her breaths become shaky, and her fingers dig harder and harder into my biceps as my tongue caresses hers as if she’s my greatest treasure.

When I finally free her mouth and lift my head, Eden’s eyes slowly flutter open, and she stares up at me as if I’ve performed some kind of miracle.

She looks at me as if I’m a god, and it makes me close the distance between us so I can continue worshiping her mouth.

I have no idea how long we kiss, and I love every second, but the apartment’s getting colder and colder with each passing minute.

When the place feels like a fucking freezer, I lift my head and scowl down at Eden. “Does it always get this cold in here?”

“No. I think the heat went out again.” She gives me an apologetic look. “Coffee?”

The corner of my mouth lifts, and I press another soft kiss to her lips before I sit up. “That would be nice.”

Eden gets up, and going to the kitchen, she makes two cups of coffee. She adds one sugar to mine and three to hers before she brings the cups to the living room.

“Thanks,” I murmur as I take the beverage from her.

She sits down again and tucks one of her legs beneath her. Getting comfortable, she sips on her coffee while she stares at me.

“Does the heat go out often?” I ask, worried about her sleeping in the cold.

“Yeah, but I have extra blankets, so don’t worry. I’ll get the building manager to fix it tomorrow.”

Hearing that makes me feel better.

We’re quiet for a moment before she says, “It’s weird.”

“What?”

“Even though you’re into ballet and opera, it feels as if there’s something edgy about you that I can’t quite place my finger on.” Her foot rubs up and down my shin, as she admits, “It has a weird pulling effect on me. It makes me want to dig beneath all the expensive clothes to see what you’re hiding.” Looking at me from over the rim of her cup, she murmurs, “Do you have a dark side, Dario?”

You have no idea, Tesoro. I have a long list of bodies lying in my wake, but that’s a conversation for another time.

Bringing my hand to her face, I trail my fingers along the sexy curve of her jaw. “Everyone has a dark side.”

She finishes the last of her coffee and sets the cup down on the rickety coffee table before she snuggles against my side again.

After a few minutes of silence, she asks, “Do you really want to date someone like me?”

I don’t hesitate to answer, “Yes.”

She tilts her head back to meet my eyes. “Do you think it could work between us?”

I nod. “Definitely.”

Her gaze searches mine for something. “Are you going to break my heart?”

I set my coffee down so I can place my hand against her cheek, and giving her an earnest look, I promise, “I’ll never hurt you intentionally.”

She pushes closer to me until I can feel her breath warming my lips. “Where do we go from here?”

“We date,” I murmur before brushing my mouth against hers. “No seeing other people. I don’t share.”

“I don’t share either,” she whispers as she crawls onto my lap. “If you cheat on me, I’ll key your sports car.”

I let out a burst of laughter. “Luckily for my car, I’m a one-woman-at-a-time man.”

“Good.” She presses kisses along my jaw and down my throat, then whispers against my skin, “You smell so good.”

I wrap my arms around her and squash her to my chest as my mouth finds hers. Again, I have to restrain her so I can kiss her deeply.

Lifting my head, I ask, “Have you never just made out with a guy?”

She lets out a chuckle. “That’s so old school. No one does that anymore.”

“I do.” My eyes caress her beautiful face. “I love just kissing.”

“Talking about old school. How old are you?” she asks.

“Thirty-one. You?”

“I’m not nearly as old as you,” she says with a teasing tone. “I’m twenty-four.”

My phone starts ringing, and it has Eden moving off my lap. I dig the device out, and seeing Franco’s name so late at night, I say, “I have to take the call.”

“Okay.”

I get up and answer, “What’s up?”

“Renzo says you’re seeing someone. Why am I the last to find out?” he mutters.

“It’s still brand new. I was going to tell you the next time I saw you.”

“What’s her name?”

“Eden…” I pause, my eyes flying to her as I realize I don’t know her last name.

“What’s your last name?” I ask.

She frowns at me. “Who wants to know?”

“I’m on a date,” I tell Franco. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Come over for a drink.”

“Okay.”

I end the call then focus my attention on Eden. “So, what’s your last name?”

“Taylor.” She gestures with her chin at my phone. “Who were you talking to?”

“One of my friends.”

“Oh.”

Walking closer, I lean over her and press a kiss to her mouth. “I’m going to head out. It’s late, and you probably need to get some sleep.”

“Yeah.” She gets up off the couch and walks me to the door. “Thanks for this evening.”

I press another kiss to her mouth. “You’re welcome.”

I leave the apartment and head down the stairs. When I exit the building, I immediately spot one of the local gang’s scouts before he hurries around a corner.

I press the fob to unlock the SUV’s doors and climb in. Starting the engine, I pull away from the curb, my eyes scanning the area as I slowly drive down the road. Not even a mile up, I see Frankie’s black sedan. When I pull up behind him, he gets out while his friends remain in the car.

As he comes up beside my SUV, I let the window down.

“Mr. La Rosa,” he says with respect coating his tone. “It’s not every day we see you in these parts.”

My eyes lock with his, and with the full force of the Cosa Nostra in my voice, I say, “If anything happens to Eden Taylor or her neighbor Tyrone, there will be hell to pay.”

“She your girl?” he asks. When I nod, he says, “I’ll spread the word.”

“Want to make some money on the side?” I ask.

“I’m always looking for extra cash.” He glances around us. “What you got in mind?”

“Keep her safe without her finding out I hired you.”

He nods, his eyes constantly roaming the area for any threats. “Sure. I can do that.”

When I start to let the window up, Frankie walks back to his sedan and gets in.

Frankie and his men wait for me to drive past before they follow me to the border of Brownsville. Flashing their lights, they make a U-turn, then head back the way they came.

Feeling better now that I have some kind of protection detail on Eden, I drive to Franco’s place.