Maid for the Mafia by Jaylee

him? "It's unlocked," he informedas we approached.

Walking into his sitting room, my eyes went straight for the back of the couch. To the very spot Stella had been

leaning over yesterday. *| would not be sitting there. *

The sound of the dead bolt sliding in place hadturning around. Alex was leaning against the door, drinking

from that damn bottle like it was water not liquor. My lip rose in disgust. *How can anyone drink like that?*

Alex shook his head as he slowly sauntered toward me, his bright green gaze locked on my face. Once in front of

me, he passedthe bottle and before | could decline, said, "Take a fucking drink."

| ripped the bottle out of his hands and after thinking about it, | took two long pulls of burning amber liquid.

Maybe, just maybe, | was going to want to be drunk for whatever this was. "Satisfied?" | hissed, putting the

bottle on the table behindso that he couldn't get to it as easily.

Alex's eyes grew heavy with fire as he gazed down at me. "Not yet," he answered.

Then, with absolutely no warning, he grabbedby the arms and yankedagainst his chest so that he could

glare down at me, but he didn't say a word. My chest started heaving and | raised my hands against his chest,

however, | didn't push away. He was drunk, | had just seen him kill someone for God's sakes, and | *should* have

been afraid. But something in his eyes wouldn't letbe. He was angry, certainly, and his grip on my arms was

anything but gentle, but | coud feel him hesitating. Fighting within himself about something.

The beating of his heart against my hands was wild and erratic, and for sreason, it madewant to kiss

him. Even though he hadn't shaved and he reeked of a fucking brothel, he was still beautiful. My breath hitched,

my gaze falling from his eyes to his lips. Suddenly | was reminded of that look he gavein the Meeting room,

after | tried to take his gun. | wanted to know what it meant. | needed to know what had him acting so strangely

with me. But at the moment, all | could see were his lips and | wanted to taste them.

| closed my hands over the top of his shirt, pulling him downward and licking my lips.

"What are you doing?" he growled, his grip on my arms loosening. That was just what | needed to gain a little

more leverage and | tugged with all my might, bringing his face lower, watching his eyes as they flared wide.

"Alex," | whispered, stroking one hand up over his neck and trying to pull him down to my lips.

"No!" he snapped, releasingand shovingaway. "I'm not going to kiss you. | don't *want* to kiss you."

The sting of rejection blazed across my cheeks. Embarrassment cripplingas | suddenly felt like my old self

again. The girl under Matthew's Thumb. Confused and insecure.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you try and kiss me? After-" he cut off, running a hand through his

hair in frustration.

| didn't know what he was about to say and | didn't care. All | wanted to do now was to go back to my suite, pack

my things, and leave this place for good.

| frowned, my eyes blurring with tears as | thought about everything this place had done to me. Done to Ruby.

"Don't worry," | said quietly, blinking away the moisture in my eyes. "lI won't ever try it again."

Alex growled, stalking toward his bottle. The moment he picked it up and began drinking, | headed for the door.

"Where the fuck are you going?" he hissed, behind me.

"Out of here. | quit," | said, barely making it to the door before he was on me.

His arms closed aroundfrom behind, lockingin against his chest. He laughed steeringaway from the

exit and down the hallway.

"Letgo!" | shouted, digging my heels in the carpet and pushing backward.

He sighed, shifted his grip on me, then lifted my feet off the ground and proceeded down the hallway. "You are so

much trouble," he snapped.

| was about to try and head butt him, but the whiskey chose that precise moment to wash over my body.

Suddenly, | *felt* like trouble and trouble was all | wanted to give him. "Letdown," | commanded. "I want to

slap your stupid face again. Put *me* down!"

Alex carriedthrough the largest door at the very back end of the hallway. The light was dim in the space, but

I could see that it was his room. For sreason, that fact filledwith wonder. | had never seen his bedroom

before and | was curious.

He placedback on the down and | spun toward him just as he finished locking the door. His eyes were dark

as they studied me, the green going black, despite that he was fuming pissed.

"You are something else," he chortled, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. "Wanting to quit just because | don't want to

kiss you."

| flinched, wrapping my arms around myself as disappointment foundagain. "Like I said, it won't happen

again. | won't quit, but I don't want you touchinganymore." *Lies.*

"It won't happen again? Don't touch you?" Alex's eyes shaded, salien emotion swirling in their depths. He

pulled off his shirt and threw it into the corner and just like that | found myself staring at his chest. Liquid pooled

at my center watching his muscles ripple and flex as he stalked toward me. | lowered my head, turning away

from him. | couldn't think properly with his abs in my way.

"Listen to me," he snarled, grabbing the hair at the back of my head and forcingto meet his eyes. His other

arm went around my waist, tuggingcloser as his eyes studied my lips that he hated so much. "I..."

He trailed off as | whimpered, raising my hands up defensively as he leaned in closer. | meant to keep him away,

but the moment my fingers touched his skin, something cover me. Something snapped. His chest was warm

under my hands, the skin smooth and enticing. | stroked my palms over his stomach and his chest. Tracing and

shaping each little dip and rise of muscle. He shuddered, his eyes falling closed and his hand on my head

lowered until it cradled the back of my neck.

He opened his eyes to gaze down atand cursed, "Fuck."

Then he pulledagainst him and slammed his lips down on mine.