Heyy i meant to post this as a Christmas gift to all of you, but as some of you know, my Christmas got kind of insane. Hope you enjoy this one-shot from Patreon and happy belated holidays ❤️

When a family that may or may not be part of the mafia but regardless, is still a rich, powerful and influential family, asks you to plan a wedding, you do not under any circumstances turn them down.

It might've been the first time in my life I wasn't happy that I was doing so well as an event planner. I'd worked my butt off to get where I was. I'm sacrificed a ton, was temporarily homeless for a while, and never ate anything but ramen for almost a year, but it was all worth it the day that I was asked to plan a celebrity wedding, and as a result got a ton more contacts and was even on the cover of a magazine once.

All my hard work and sacrifices paid off. I was getting to do something I loved doing and I was doing a damn good job of it. I didn't mind the exposure or that other planners would get excited to meet me and want to bounce ideas off each other. It was nice, even if it was weird at times, that I'd come from so little and yet was able to make something so successful.

I'd loved every minute of it until the day Giana Azzaro walked into my shop one day, stating she'd be getting married in a year and a half and wanted me to be the planner.

It wasn't that Giana wasn't pleasant, on the contrary, she might've been my favorite client of all time. She was a complete sweetheart and the perfect balance of knowing what she wanted but leaving enough open that I could get creative. We hadn't had a single issue. Every time I brought something to the table after talking to her about her preferences, she treated it like the most priceless work of art and fawned all over me. She'd sent me countless gift baskets to thank me for my time and putting so much work into making her wedding beautiful. She was the world's greatest client. The kind we all believed were myths until I actually had her as mine. Giana was the epitome of what we all wished our clients were like.

Except the whole family tie thing.

Saying her family may or may not be part of the mafia was just because I couldn't legally say that. Allegedly was the word tossed around in newspaper articles. To the rest of the world, it was pretty clear that the Azzaro's were not only affiliated with the mafia, but were actually a head family in the mafia. The problem was, no one could ever pin anything on them.

That was the only issue with Giana. I was terrified of her and her family. They'd killed tons of people and everyone knew it but no one could do anything about it.

I recognized her instantly the day she walked in and I desperately tried to think of an excuse that I couldn't take the job. I didn't know what the hell I'd get into taking a job like that but I didn't want to know. The problem was I did actually have slots available and she was so sweet it was hard to say no. Then her fiancé, Alessandro, walked in the door looking like he could actually rip my place apart with his bare hands and so fear took over any logic and I agreed to plan it for them.

It had been the most stressful year and a half of my life. Giana was a sweetheart but while no one had directly threatened me in any way, her fiancé had a way of looking at me and saying "give her everything she wants and keep her happy" that made me want to crumble under his stare and worry what would happen if I did something to upset Giana.

It didn't help he was always carrying a gun. Or if he wasn't, someone else was with her carrying a gun. The sweet thing was that Alessandro was there for almost every single meeting and while he seemed completely uninterested in which flowers would make a better accent to the bouquets, he still tried. He still tried and the way he looked at Giana while she got giddy over the arrangements had me feeling so single, it was practically a personal attack.

Event planning of any kind was stressful, but it was a whole different kind of stress to plan the wedding of a daughter from a mafia family who could possibly kill me and get away with it if I did anything wrong.

All of that to say, I was sitting under a table before the reception.

I wasn't hiding, it's just that the tables were supposed to have twinkle lights underneath, behind the white table cloth, to create a sort of magical, romantic glow for the entire reception, and for some God forsaken reason, the only one that kept slipping was at the wedding party's table. Of course. They were all out taking pictures right now and I didn't have a lot of time to make everything perfect before people started arriving.

I fastened the last tack to the table and reattached the string to the cloth so it would all stay perfectly in place even if bumped. I leaned back, holding my hands out in case it fell again. I stared at that stubborn string of lights, narrowing my eyes at it and sending a warning in my head that if they didn't stay this time, I was going to take scissors to them until they were unrecognizable.

Well, at least Giana wasn't feeling like a bridezilla, even if I was.

Breathing a sigh of relief that they finally seemed to be staying, I took a moment to scan over my checklist on my phone so I wouldn't forget anything. I was scrolling through and marking things off when a shoe kicked it right out of my hands and sent it to the cement patio floor, screen down.

"Shit!" I said, snatching the phone, my heart sinking when I saw the shattered screen that was now blinking.

"What the fuck?" Someone murmured before grabbing the end of the tablecloth.

"No, no, no don't touch it right there!" I said swatting at their hands but it was too late. The part of the lights I attached to the cloth so it would be all even slid down and fell to the ground again. That same goddamn string of lights.

"Who is that?" Someone asked.

"Who am I? Who the hell are you??" I snapped, grabbing my broken phone and scurrying out from under the table, smacking my head on the edge as I tried to stand. I groaned at the impact and inhaled slowly but it did nothing to help the rage that was now brimmed over. A year and a half. A year and a half of stress and frustration was coming out in that moment and I was pissed. The entire wedding plan was on that phone. I stood, clutching the broken phone and rubbing the spot on my head I bumped. "Who are you besides the person that just completely screwed me and this wedding over? What is wrong with you? What the hell are you even doing here this early?"

I was too mad to even look at the culprit or wait for a response, I just stomped away, staring at my shattered screen. Of course. Of course this would happen at this wedding. That asshole was lucky I had a backup on my tablet.

"What the hell were you doing under the table?" He asked, following after me.

I ignored him, tapping my screen repeatedly even though I knew it was futile. It was broken. Totally broken. I'd have to get a new one. My tablet was in the kitchen and I was running low on time so I picked up my pace, walking into the giant mansion of a house and heading to the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," he said, his tone snappier.

"I don't care you're talking to me, asshole, get the hell out of my wedding reception," I snapped, pushing open the kitchen doors. "It's not open to guests yet. No one should have let you in and I swear to God, before you make things even harder for me-"

"Ah, Mr. Azzaro, you found the wedding planner," the chef said, giving me a look that said 'choose your next words carefully'.

I froze, my eyes going wide. Oh God, please not that Mr. Azzaro. Please not Giana's brother or dad. Please.

I turned slowly, cautiously bringing my eyes to the person I'd just been yelling at. Dark hair with equally dark and menacing eyes met my gaze and there stood Giana's older brother. A person that rumors suggested had taken over for his father though again, nothing confirmed.

He stared at me, taking a step closer, all six foot- God knows how much but definitely bigger than me in every conceivable way, seeming larger with every motion closer to me. He crossed his arms over his chest and I gulped. He wasn't wearing his tux jacket, just the white shirt underneath, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and showing some of the several tattoos that covered his body. More ink peeked out from under his collar and I was whole-heartedly convinced that his hand alone was bigger than my entire head.

"U-um," I said, swallowing and taking a step back from the man that could very possibly rip me in half with his hands. "Dante Azzaro?"

I wasn't sure why I was asking. I'd already seen him when he showed up just barely on time to the ceremony. I'd mildly drooled over him and his insanely attractive body and face before I focused on my work. We hadn't been introduced or exchanged a single word.

"Uh huh," he said, narrowing his eyes at me.

The nervous laugh that escaped me wasn't intentional nor in my control. I stared up at him with wide eyes, unsure what to say or do. I'd just mildly cussed out the possible head of the mafia. And told him to leave his own house. And I'd called him an asshole.

"I... I..." I tried to get my name out, to say something, but all I could do was replay the things I'd said to him. I don't care you're talking to me, asshole. If you don't get your dumb ass out of here...

Oh God. I was dead. I was a dead woman. He was going to kill me.

"What were you doing under the table?" He asked.

"I was... Fixing the lights," I said, my voice coming out shaky. His eyes narrowed further and I wondered why I didn't take the time to make my will when I knew I'd be working for these people. "Mr. Azzaro, I'm so sorry. I didn't know who you were and I was just frustrated because the lights kept falling and I finally got them and you knocked them down and you broke my phone and I just want everything to be perfect and-"

"I broke your phone?" He asked, his eyes darting to the phone in my hands.

"I mean, not on purpose," I said quickly, holding my hands up in surrender. "I'm sure it was an accident, how could you know I was sitting under the table?" I asked with a nervous laugh, taking a step back and wondering if I could outrun him. He was built, but I was a fast runner.

He snatched the phone out of my hands, frowning at it before looking up at me. "Were your wedding plans on this phone?"

"I... Yes," I admitted. "But I have a backup," I added. It was better for him to think of me as useful and then maybe he wouldn't kill me. "That's why I was coming to the kitchen," I tried. I swear I'm useful, please don't shoot me. "To get the backup."

"What's your name again?" He asked.

"Gemma," I answered, tucking my hands behind my back and avoiding his eyes because they were too damn intimidating. "I'm sorry, but I really should get back to the last minute touches before-"

"I'm sorry I broke your phone, Gemma," he said. "It was an accident. The kitchen staff told me my best bet to find you was on the patio and when I didn't see you, I figured my best plan was to sit in one spot until I found you."

I stared up at him, unblinking. Did the guy who was really supposed to be one of the most terrifying men alive... Apologize to me?

"I... No, don't apologize. It's not your fault, or anyone's fault, really. I'm just stressed because I want everything to go smoothly. I'm sorry I called you an asshole," I said, taking another step back because then I wondered if it was a bad idea I reminded him that I said that. "And for yelling at you. And for... Well, all of it."

"Apology accepted," he said, his lips turning up in a little half smile that had my stomach fluttering with butterflies. "I'll have the phone replaced."

"You don't have to do that," I said, shaking my head.

"I'll have it replaced."

His tone held finality and I didn't feel in a good position to argue. I simply nodded and muttered a thank you as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, nervous under his intense stare.

"Don't you have last minute things to do?" He asked.

"Yes," I breathed, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. "I'll just... Get back to work," I said, slipping past him and snatching my tablet from the counter.

"Gemma," he called out right as I got to the door.

Dammit, I was so close.

"Yes?" I asked, looking back at him.

"Word of advice," he said, walking up and bracing his hands on the door frame behind me and leaning in so close, my heart stopped. "Don't yell at or call anyone names at this wedding, no matter how stressful it is. Other people may not react quite as... Calmly as I did."

I nodded slowly, sinking back against the doorframe and wondering why I was noticing how good he smelled when I should be pissing myself from how terrifying he was.

"Let me know if you need an extra set of hands," he said, leaning back and waving me to go ahead. "It is my baby sister's wedding, I want it to go perfectly as much as you do."

"Of course," I said, slowly moving away from him. "Thank you."

I held the tablet close to me and rushed away from him. My heart was hammering in my chest at that interaction and I was so nervous I forgot he said he was coming out to find me. I paused, frowning and glancing back.

"Mr. Azzaro?" I asked.

"Hmm?" he responded, slowly heading towards me with his eyes on his phone.

"Why were you looking for me?"

"Ah, don't worry about that, Gem. You've got enough on your plate," he said, sliding his phone in his pocket, grabbing my chin and directing me up to look at him. "When I need you, I will find you."

Gem. He'd just given me a nickname and we barely knew each other. Man, I was starved for male attention if something so simple could make my stomach flutter again.

"O-okay," I stammered.

His thumb brushed against my jaw briefly before he released it and walked past me, taking a different hallway that went the opposite of where I was headed. I slumped back against the wall and smacked my forehead with my hand. "Way to go, Gemma," I mumbled before heading back outside to fix those damn lights.

I managed to get those lights up again and made sure to threaten them thoroughly if they dared fall down again. Everything else was more just rushing around making sure everything I'd already set up was still in place before Giana and Alessandro arrived.

I had less minutes than I would've liked to touch up my makeup and brush through my hair. I adjusted the black and white dress over my body, relieved to find that somehow despite all my crawling on the ground and rushing around the kitchen, there were no stains. I had a backup dress but I had to get back out to the patio for their arrival, so it was good I didn't need it.

Dante must've circled back around at some point to be part of the entrance with the wedding party because he walked in with the Best Man, having been Giana's maid of honor. Or, man of honor was what I should say.

Watching them interact once they were all settled at the tables and eating was kind of completely sweet. More than once, I heard Dante call Giana sweetheart and any time she tried to get up for something, he'd get up first and insist on getting it for her. It was something I'd planned to do but he was already on top of it so I was just left wondering what it was like to have such a loving brother. Or sibling at all, for that matter. I was an only child and always wondered what it would've been like to have siblings.

Thankfully, everything ran smoothly as far as Giana knew. I was a wreck, rushing around and having to touch up the cake after finding someone had brushed against it. I thanked my mom for teaching me how to decorate cakes while silently praying that no one would notice it was damaged and repaired. Someone else almost handed out a meal to a guest I knew was gluten-free, having misread the card. Thankfully, I switched it out before anything was eaten.

Those were only the small things. It was stressful as hell but I find myself relaxing as the party took over and we were nearing the end of the night. You just have to survive maybe another hour or two and then you'll be good, I told myself.

Dancing was what most people were doing while I walked around, making sure everything was still in place and picking up any trash that was left behind. As I did, I watched about fifteen different girls approach Dante and ask for a dance. He danced with some but not others and watching his hands move over them had me feeling some type of dangerous way so I went inside where I couldn't see him.

"DJ was asking for water," Tamara, one of my helpers said as I walked into the kitchen.

"I'll get it," I sighed, going to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water then pausing to wiggle my foot around in my heel. My feet were starting to hurt and I cursed myself for not breaking these shoes in better before wearing them all day.

Turning, I headed back out towards the patio but ran into someone on my way out.

"Oh I'm so sorry," I said, backing up and swallowing at the man in front of me. Damn, they really were all intimidating at this wedding. This one was big too. Not as big as Dante, but still.

"No problem, cutie," he said, a smile tugging on his lips. I could smell the alcohol on him and he wasn't even standing still. He was drunk. "You're the wedding planner, right?"

"That's me," I said, smiling politely and holding up the water bottle. "If you'll excuse me, I have a DJ to keep hydrated."

"I bet he'll survive a minute," he said, catching my arm and smiling down at me. "What's your name?"

I cursed myself for not having my pepper spray with me. It just sucked to carry a purse around while I was running back and forth but now I was missing it.

"Gemma," I answered, trying to pull out of his grip but he held tighter. "I really do have to get back out there."

"Gemma," he repeated, stepping closer to me. "Cute name for a pretty girl."

"Uh... My mom thanks you. She picked it," I said, nodding slowly and pulling back but his hand tightened again. "Let me go, I have a lot of things to take care of."

"You're supposed to make sure everyone stays happy, isn't that right?" He asked, his eyes darting to my cleavage, a smirk forming on his face.

"I'm supposed to make sure Giana stays happy," I corrected, yanking my arm back, finally breaking out of his grip and walking past him as quickly as I could.

"Well Giana can only be happy if her guests are and there are a few things I could use your help with," he said, following next to me and setting his hand on my back, dropping it down until he just barely reached my ass.

I was too mad to think about what I was doing, or what danger I would get into, I just turned and smacked him across the face as hard as I could. "Don't touch me," I snapped.

A second later, I realized this might not have been the best place to smack someone. In a mafia house, where it was likely he was a criminal. I stepped back as the shock slowly wore off his face. The playful drunk turned to an angry one and he lifted his hand like he was going to hit me and I did the only thing I could think of. I ran towards the party, where other people would be around.

I glanced back to see him catching up to me and cursed my heels. Not looking where I was going, I ran right into another person. I stepped back quickly, my eyes going wide when I saw it was Dante.

"I'm sorry, I was just-"

"Get over here," the guy behind me snapped, grabbing my arm.

A second later, he didn't have my arm anymore. Instead, Dante had his fist closed around the man's hand.

"What are you doing?" Dante asked, his eyes narrowed at the man.

"This bitch just slapped me," he snapped.

"Hm," Dante grunted, his eyes sliding to me. "Why did you?"

"He tried to grab my ass," I said, wrapping my arms around myself. I was a little afraid of what he would say, would he even care or worse, would he encourage it?

"You tried to grab her ass," he said, his eyes returning to the guy.

"She's lying," he said, pulling his hand back but Dante didn't budge, just closed his fist around the guy's hand until he whimpered.

"Is she lying or are you lying?" He asked, looking back at me. "Am I supposed to believe she just slapped you for no reason? I mean, I know she's got a temper," he said, his eyes sliding back to me. The small wink he gave me left me surprised and gaping. "But I don't know I believe she'd just go smack you for no reason."

"Come on, boss, you know me better," the guy laughed uneasily, trying again to pull his hand back but Dante didn't ease up.

"I don't know who to believe, but thankfully we've got cameras," he said, nodding to a security camera up in the corner of the hallway. "Should I take time out of my sister's wedding to solve this issue or are you going to own up to your actions?"

"I..." the guy started, whimpering when Dante's fist closed around his even more.

Dante took a step towards him and suddenly, the other guy didn't seem so big. At least, not next to Dante.

"You what?" Dante asked. "Decide quickly. In case you're forgetting, it's a special night and I really don't want to be dealing with trash while it's such a big day for my sister, or have anything happen to the wedding planner my sister has been raving about," he said, inclining his head towards me. "If you upset Gemma, you upset Giana and I both, does that seem wise to you?"

"No sir," he said quickly.

"Apologize," Dante said, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes darting to me.

"Now get the fuck out of my sight," Dante said, releasing the guy's hand and shoving him back against the wall. My heart stopped when he pulled out a gun and shoved it up against the guy's jaw. He whispered something and the guy paled, nodding fervently.

Dante released the guy and he tore down the hallway, not looking back. I tried to keep my breathing even as Dante put the gun away and turned towards me. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I nodded.

"I'm glad you're a better event planner than you are a liar, Gem," he said, his lips tugging up into a small smile. "Don't lie this time. Are you all right?"

"A little shaken," I admitted.

"Mhm," he nodded, his eyes darting to the water in my hands. "Where you headed?"

"DJ needs water," I explained.

He nodded and held his arm out, looking at me expectantly. I blinked a few times, looking between him and his arm.

"Well? Come on," he said.

"You don't have to escort me."

"I'm going to," he said. "No one will bother you after they see you with me. We have... Unspoken rules. They know better."

"He didn't," I pointed out.

"And now he'll be an example," he said, his eyes and tone hinting at something much darker than his words. "Come, Gemma."

I hesitated but took his arm and he led us down the hallway. I glanced back at where everything happened and briefly wondered what the hell he whispered to that guy that had him paling and running off.

"What did you mean by that?" I asked.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked, but he actually seemed surprisingly decent. I was terrified of being in a lion's den in this house but Dante had actually been... Kind. Despite his intimidating demeanor, he'd been kind to me.

"By what?" He asked, opening the door leading out into the backyard and onto the giant patio.

"Him being an example," I said, daring a look up at him.

He paused, seeming amused as a dark smile formed on those full lips. He bent his head down close to mine, so close I could feel his hot breath on me when he spoke. "You don't really want to know the answer to that, do you?"

My eyes widened slightly and he seemed amused by that too. He moved his hand to my back and leaned closer, his lips almost touching my ear. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to, little one. Take the DJ his water, and don't worry about anyone else bothering you for the rest of the night," he said, sliding his hand under my chin and turning me towards him. He placed a kiss on my forehead that got my heart racing before pulling back. "Now they know you're off-limits."

He walked away, leaving me staring after him and my emotions a complete mess. I couldn't decide if I was terrified, annoyed, or turned on. It was somehow all three. I turned and started to the DJ's booth, taking a deep breath and shaking my head. This was insane. There were zero parts of me that should've been turned on by any of that but when he threw that guy against the wall and brought out the gun...

I glanced back, seeing him talking to someone and laughing, as if he hadn't just threatened someone's life. His eyes found me and I looked away immediately, keeping my eyes on the floor as I hurried to the DJ's booth.

I handed off the water and walked around, checking on everything else, picking up some more trash and getting more water for Alessandro's mother who had way too much wine and needed some sobering up. I helped her into the kitchen where she decided she needed more food now and worked on getting her hydrated while she snacked on bread and cried that her baby got married and she could still remember what it was like to hold him the day he was born.

When she finally chilled out a little, I took her back out to the party that was somehow still going. Someone apparently brought more alcohol because the bartender was running out last I saw but her bar was restocked again and plenty of people were lined up to get more.

All right, maybe more than the hour or two I initially thought... But they had to get tired at some point. There was no way it could go on much longer, it was well past midnight when I brought Alessandro's mom back out.

I was wrong.

It was five hours later, and nearing dawn by the time the party was finally slowing down. I sat at one of the empty tables with my hand rested in my chin, watching the rest of them dance. I was tired, hungry, and mildly grumpy. It had been hours on my feet, hours of taking care of everything, and I was coming up on being awake for twenty-four hours.

My feet were killing me.

"Gemma!" Giana sang, rushing towards me.

I smiled and stood, wincing slightly because I'd been in the damn heels so long, I was getting blisters under the ankle straps. "How do you look just as stunning as you did when you got ready this morning?" I asked honestly. She was practically a goddess with her hair and makeup still perfect, smile still bright, meanwhile I was convinced I looked like a zombie at this point.

"Oh, you're too sweet," she giggled, pulling me into a hug. "Gemma, you are a complete doll! Thank you so much for everything!"

Oh good, if she was starting the thanking, that had to mean I could go home soon.

"Of course, Giana," I said, returning the hug. "Thank you for trusting me with it."

"I hope everyone was good to you," she said, pulling back and looking at me expectantly.

I could've told her about the creep but... Dante handled it and I saw no reason to put a damper on her special day.

"Everyone was great," I smiled.

"I'm glad," she said, pulling me into another hug. "And I'm sorry about the hour," she said, smiling sheepishly as she pulled back. "My family parties until the sun comes up."

"I noticed," I said with a lighthearted laugh. "Don't worry about it, it's a big thing to celebrate."

"Yeah it sure is," she said, glancing back at Alessandro with an excited smile. He noticed and smiled back at her the way I'd only seen him smile at her. Everyone else got a scowl but for her, he always had a smile. "Anyway, we're going to our hotel," she said, turning to me again. "But my brother will take care of you, so don't worry about it."

"You already paid me," I tried to say but she'd already rushed off to hug someone else.

Sighing, I seriously considered sitting again but then getting up would be even harder. Instead, I walked around the dance floor until I reached the cleanup staff who were also looking exhausted and ready to go home.

"We can start cleaning up more," I said. "Thanks for sticking it out."

"Gemma."

I turned at the sound of my name, seeing Alessandro standing there. I swallowed and put on my best smile. That damn man intimidated me so much with his resting bitch face. "You need something?" I asked.

"No, everything was great," he said, reaching into his jacket pocket. "I just wanted to say thanks for making my woman so happy," he said, pulling out an envelope and setting it in my hands. "If you ever need anything from us, don't hesitate, all right?"

"Um, sure," I nodded. "Thank you."

"See you around," he said, actually almost giving me a smile before heading back to the dance floor and scooping up Giana in his arms.

I smiled after them, shaking my head as I glanced down in the envelope. My eyes widened when I saw how much cash was in it. I glanced up and started towards them, ready to remind them they already paid me, but Dante stepped in front of me so fast I ran into him for the second time in one night.

"Sorry," he said, setting his hands on my hips to steady me. "Something wrong?"

"No," I said, stepping back out of his touch because the fact it was giving me goosebumps was not good. "I'm just worried she forgot I was already paid."

"She didn't," Dante said. "They just tip big."

"This is a tip?" I squeaked.

"Uh huh," he nodded.

"Wow," I breathed, suddenly feeling weird holding that much cash.

"And this is for you as well," he said, handing me another envelope.

"Okay, this is overkill," I said honestly.

"My baby sister had her dream wedding and the time of her life," he said. "It's not overkill. Don't undervalue yourself, Gemma, you went above and beyond tonight. Alessandro's mother couldn't have been easy."

"She was fine," I shrugged. Actually, she was a handful, but at least I got to sit most the time I was with her and give my poor feet a break.

He gave me a little half smile and leaned down, tucking my hair back and leaving his hands against my neck once he was done. His lips brushed against my ear and I suddenly became more awake. "Still a shit liar, Gem. We also appreciate your discretion regarding any details of this wedding."

Appreciate your discretion. That was sure a nice way of saying I needed to stay quiet if anyone asked about this wedding.

"Of course," I nodded. Giana already told me everything had to be hush hush. She even had me sign an NDA which was slightly terrifying but having Alessandro stare me down until I signed it was more intimidating.

"Thank you," he said, pulling back and drumming his fingers against my neck before letting his hand fall away from me.

He walked away like it was nothing that he got all close against me again, like he was completely unaffected. I let out a long breath and glanced back, watching him walk away. Holy shit. He really had that nonchalance thing nailed down.

I told my heart to calm down with the pounding and made my way to the kitchen, inhaling sharply when the next step I took hurt much more. Sighing, I lifted my right foot, glancing back at my heel and making a face. The blister was cut through and now bleeding, because apparently even the end of my night couldn't be easy.

I couldn't help my shoulders slumping as I bent down and took off my heels, rubbing into the sole of my feet a couple times before walking barefoot to the house. The bathroom wasn't far, thankfully. I would just clean it up for now and deal with it when I got home.

I turned the corner and headed down the hallway with the bathroom. I must've been too tired to think my actions through because I opened the door without thinking or knocking and instantly regretted it. Inside the bathroom were too girls, one on the counter while the other was knelt in front of her, her face between the other's legs.

I quickly shut the door and stepped back, my eyes going wide. Well, shit, finding two people hooking up was one way to wake me up.

"Do you always open shut doors without knocking?"

The gasp escaped because I thought I was alone. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Dante standing there and shrugged in exhaustion. "No, I'm too tired to think."

"I'd advise knocking next time," he said, seeming amused. "Is something wrong with your shoes?"

"Uh..." I glanced down where my heels were hanging from my hands and shook my head. "No. I just wore them too long and I'm suffering for it," I said, kicking up my heel to make the blister more visible. "I was just going to clean up. Is there another bathroom I can use?"

He stared at me a moment before nodding and inclining his head for me to follow. I set my hand on my stomach to calm the flutters of the butterflies as I followed him down the hallway to an elevator. He opened a keypad and hit a few buttons before the doors opened then waved me inside.

Part of me wondered if it was a bad idea to take a secret elevator with a known criminal but... He hadn't done anything to imply he'd hurt me. In fact, he'd done the complete opposite, so I stepped on the elevator and leaned back against the wall as it started moving.

"Do all your elevators have special codes?" I asked, just to break the silence.

"Only the private ones," he answered as the elevator dinged.

"The private ones?" I repeated, frowning.

He stepped off the elevator when the doors opened and his words made sense. Personal as in it went directly to a bedroom.

Dante's bedroom was full of bookshelves but one wall seemed to almost be entirely a giant window with a window seat right in front of it. Another corner had what looked like a drafting desk with a lamp, and in the center against the back wall was a giant, four-post bed.

I hesitantly stepped off the elevator and he set his hand on my back, directing me to the left where there was a bathroom. A bathroom that had about no privacy to the rest of the room since only perfectly clear glass separated it from the rest of the room. There wasn't even a door on it.

He gestured for me to sit at the tub and crouched down, going under the sink and coming back with a first aid kit. He set it next to me on the edge of the tub and those dark eyes nearly swallowed me whole when he brought them to mine. "Take your time. If you'll excuse me, I also was on my feet more than I'd like tonight," he said with a small half-smile, snatching a towel off the rack behind me and setting it in my lap. "Yell if you need something."

I nodded and he walked away, leaving me alone in the glass bathroom that was probably the size of the studio apartment I'd lived in before my business took off. Deciding it was best to hurry up and get out of there, I set down my envelopes of cash and turned on the tub. I lowered my foot into it, wondering how much money I needed to make to have a giant jetted tub like this one.

I cleaned out the cut and may have let my foot soak in the warm water a little bit before finding ointment and band-aids in the first aid kit. I pulled my foot out and dried it with the towel he left and was applying the band-aid when my eyes wandered, my breath catching when I saw him through the glass, removing his tie, tossing it on the bed before he started on the button up shirt he'd been wearing.

There was a sleeveless undershirt so it wasn't as if he was really stripping in front of me but... Warmth pooled between my legs as I watched the shirt slip off, leaving him with just that undershirt, giving me a nice view of the muscles on his back and shoulders, and the tattoos that covered seemingly every inch of his skin. His shoulders flexed as he removed the shirt then bent over and removed his socks and shoes.

I half-heartedly reached for the faucet to turn off the water but I kept missing because I couldn't look away from him. He set a gun down on his desk which gave me an unhealthy amount of adrenaline that really shouldn't be focused where it was. I slowly pressed my thighs together as he stretched his back, the muscles coming together, his shirt lifting a little and revealing even more tattoos. I was starting to wonder if any part of him wasn't covered in tattoos.

He padded slowly over to his dresser and removed his watch on his way over. Somehow even that action had the muscles in his forearms flexing, the tendons standing out even more and leaving me feeling overheated. He almost went out of view as he headed to the window and I found myself subconsciously leaning over so I could still see him.

I kept leaning more and more with every step he took. I leaned so much, I slipped. A squeal escaped me as I fell into the bathtub, gasping as the water hit me. Or rather, as I hit the water.

Dante was back inside in seconds. His brows that were furrowed in concern at first became a lot more lighthearted when he saw me half in the tub, one of my legs still hanging off the edge. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I... Slipped," I said, biting my lip and wishing the tub was a hole I could crawl into.

"No shit," he chuckled, walking over and offering me hand. "Here. Did you get hurt?"

"Only my dignity," I sighed, accepting his hand.

The way he so effortlessly pulled me out of that tub was way sexier than it should've been. He got me standing and I frowned, watching as the water dripped down, soaking into my dress.

"I'm so sorry," I said, looking up at him.

"It's just water, Gemma, I'm sure I'll live," he said, walking past me and opening a cupboard, pulling out two more towels.

He tossed me one and I moved over it, using my feet to shimmy over the floor I'd dripped on. He draped the other over my shoulders and looked way too amused by the situation.

"Shut up," I sighed.

"What did I say?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You said it with your face," I said, gesturing to him.

He laughed a deep, beautiful laugh that did nothing to help the growing attraction. "Are we already at the point we recognize nonverbal communication together?" He asked, crossing his arms across his broad chest and leaning back against the sink. "My, we move fast."

I couldn't decide if I wanted to glare at him or be amused with him, and it resulted in me giving him an expression that even if I didn't know the meaning of. I just knew I was tired and now, annoyingly horny. Having him in there now with that undershirt was not helping things. It put his arms on display, arms that I would not mind running my fingers along.

I realized I was staring too late and snapped my eyes back up to his, but he'd already noticed. Shit. This was bad. He was a criminal. I didn't even know what kinds of things he was into but now he was staring at me in a way that had my body growing even warmer.

He tilted his head, staring at me like he could see right through me. His eyes drifted up and down my body, doing nothing to help the spiking temperature or the growing pool between my legs.

"I have a question for you, little one," he said, pushing off the sink and taking two long steps until he was right in front of me, staring down at me.

"What's that?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even as I held his gaze. God, his eyes seemed like black pools of nothingness before but now... Now I was closer I could see they were brown, just a very dark, rich, beautiful brown.

"If I was to... I don't know," he said with a small shrug. "Kiss you," he said, his eyes darting to my lips briefly. "Would I also get smacked?"

I swallowed, my heart beating so hard I could feel it in my whole body. "I smacked that guy because he tried to touch me inappropriately and was giving me unwanted attention after I made it clear I didn't want it," I pointed out.

"And with me," he said, stepping closer so his chest was nearly touching me. "Would it be unwanted?"

"With you?" I asked, looking up at him shyly.

"With me," he said, stepping even closer, until we were touching.

He leaned his head down and even though the logical part of me said no, he was dangerous, this was dangerous, I couldn't help tilting my head up towards his, bringing our lips closer. "It depends on your intentions."

"My intentions," he said, his lips almost touching mine. "They're downright filthy, Gemma."

A throbbing started between my legs and getting air in my lungs suddenly felt more difficult. "How filthy?"

"So filthy that by the time I'm done with you," he said, bringing his hand up and grabbing my chin. "I'll have dominated every part of you, so you'll never be able to wash me off."

My brain repeated 'no' about a million times but my body wasn't hearing it. I was aching for the dangerous man in front of me.

"I can live with that," I whispered, moving closer so our lips brushed against each other.

My breath caught when his eyes seemed to somehow grow darker. His hand tightened on my chin, holding me in place as he pressed his lips against mine roughly. I moaned lightly as he dominated that kiss, his lips moving roughly against mine, getting them parted enough his tongue slipped into my mouth. I whimpered and he set his hand on my lower back, pulling me flush against him while his tongue moved along mine, claiming every inch of my mouth.

We broke apart and I was left panting, my lips already feeling swollen. He stared at me a moment before turning me until I was facing the mirror over the sink. He stepped right up behind me, so his body was pressed against my back, something very hard poking against my lower back and making the heat rush between my legs even more intensely. He stared at me through the mirror and his hand slowly moved across my shoulder, to my neck. He lowered his head until his lips were against my ear again, his fingers drifting up and down my neck.

"Full disclosure, little Gem," he whispered against my ear, placing a light kiss against it. "I'm a little bit of a..." his hand moved, wrapping around my throat and making me gasp, "control freak," he whispered, nipping at my ear. "Will that be a problem?"

"Control freak?" I repeated, my eyes fluttering as he stared placing hot, wet kisses against my neck, his fingers tightening around my throat.

"Mmm," he hummed. "Meaning I will fuck you until you can't move," he whispered, his teeth scraping against my skin. "I decide what we're doing, how hard we're doing it, how long we're doing it, how much I let you cum for me," he said, nipping at my neck. "I decide it all, Gem. All of it, and I don't do gentle."

I bit down on my lip, staring at him through the mirror. It was insane to give him that much control over me when I barely knew him and what I did know was he was dangerous. Still, there was an ache between my legs and every other part of me that wanted to feel his touch. "I can live with that."

He smiled against my skin, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror. "Good."

He had my dress unzipped and pulled down my body so fast, I'd barely registered he moved. His hands went to my hips but then went up, over my stomach and to my breasts. He grabbed both, pressing his cock against my back as he did. "My little Gem," he murmured against my neck, placing alternately light kisses with rough bites that left marks immediately. "You've got such fantastic tits. I'm going to enjoy them."

His hands didn't last long on my breasts, at least not like that. He slid them around to my back and undid my bra, throwing it to the side, his eyes drifting down to my breasts. He brought both hands around, cupping one breast but going straight for it with the other and tugging roughly on my nipple.

I whimpered, almost moving with the tug but he held me back against him and tugged harder. He rocked against me and smacked one breast before turning me around and planting his lips on mine. I brought my hands up on his wonderfully hard and sculpted arms, running them up to his shoulders. His hands moved down to my ass, cupping it and pulling me against him again.

I ran my hands down his back, sliding them up and under his shirt. He let out a small noise of pleasure then pulled back and tugged his shirt off before lifting me and pulling me into another hard kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried us out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. He paused in front of his bed, setting me down with his back to it. I looked up at him breathlessly and he brought his hand up, gently caressing over my cheek as he stared down at me. "Do you have any idea how much I wanted to punish you for the way you spoke to me earlier?" He asked, his other hand sliding down, running along the edge of my underwear.

I shook my head and that dark smile came back. He snapped my underwear and wrapped his hand around my throat so tight I gasped.

"I wanted to punish you so fucking bad," he whispered, caressing over my ass. "Seeing you fired up, completely irresistible with this nice ass," he said, smacking my ass and making me yelp, "and these big tits," he said, tugging on my nipple again, making me moan. "I almost bent you over right there."

"What would you have done?" I asked, setting my hands on his hard chest, running them down his torso to the hard ridges of his abs.

"Something like this," he said, placing a gentle kiss against my ear before sitting on the bed and grabbing me.

He bent me over his legs and pulled my underwear down, his hand coming down hard on my ass. I whimpered and clenched at the sensation and he did it again. And again. And again.

"Fuck, Gemma, this ass..." he said, smacking it again. "I could stare at it all day."

He smacked it again and again, until I felt like I was dripping for him. He ran his hand soothingly over the stinging that only turned me on more as he reached back, grabbing the tie he'd taken off. He grabbed my wrists, pinning them behind my back and tying them with that tie. His hand slid back down over my ass and I clenched, waiting for more.

"Let's see how much you like me punishing you," he said, sliding his hand down, past my ass and in my underwear until his finger was running over my pussy.

I gasped and whimpered when he sunk his finger into me. My eyes squeezed shut as he curled that finger, caressing inside me and making me moan.

"You're drenched pussy is telling me you fucking love it," he said, pulling his hand out and smacking my ass again. "On your knees, Gem."

He helped me move off him until I was between his legs, on my knees and gazing up at him, my heart racing with excitement. His hand moved to his belt and he removed it, then unzipped his pants. I licked my lips and gazed up at him, finding him staring down at me as he tugged his pants and briefs down all at once.

My eyes dropped to his cock and I bit my lip nervously. He was... Well, apparently all of him was huge. He grabbed my jaw and tilted my head up towards him, bringing our eyes back together.

"You're going to take all of it," he said, his thumb brushing gently over my jaw. "Until I'm down your throat," he said, leaning down and pressing a quick kiss against my lips. "Until you're choking on it. Understood?"

I nodded, my pussy clenching. He gave me a small smile and another light kiss before pulling back and sliding his hand behind my head, tangling his fingers in my hair and guiding my mouth over to him.

My tongue darted out on his tip, circling around it before I took him in. I clenched again, thinking about how thick he was, how he would feel inside me... God, he was going to destroy me. The thought had me growing wetter and I took more of him in.

He let out a low groan and gave me very few bobs up and down his length before he took control, holding my hair tighter and sinking me down on his cock until I gagged, my eyes watering.

"Fuck, baby just like that," he groaned, pushing me farther down, until my lips reached his base and he was fully sunk inside me. I could hardly breathe and my eyes watered, but I somehow didn't want to stop.

He pulled my head back, allowing me a second to breathe before he really took control, cupping my head and thrusting up into my mouth over and over, sometimes sinking so far down I couldn't breathe. He'd stay down my throat and groan, thrusting at that depth and making my eyes water so much, the tears went down my cheeks.

He pulled me back and I gasped for breath, panting softly and blinking a few times before looking up at him.

"You're fucking beautiful, Gem," he said, cupping my face and bending down to kiss me. His thumbs caught the tears from my eyes watering, brushing them away as he pulled me up until I was standing. He grabbed my hips and pulled me down on him, straddling over him.

He rubbed himself against my pussy and I bit my lip to hold back the moan. The way he had me completely at his mercy was insane. He sunk his tip in me and my eyes widened.

"Fuck," he said, placing another hard kiss on my lips as he stayed shallowly inside me before pulling out. "This little pussy is just begging to be filled," he said, moving his lips down along my neck, kissing and sucking while his hand went down between us, his fingers sinking into me.

I moaned softly, tilting my head back to give him better access as he started fingering me right there on his lap. I rolled my hips with his movement, feeling desperate for some relief. The friction wasn't enough because he kept slowing us down until I was whimpering for more. "Dante, please," I breathed.

"I'm in control, little Gem," he said, pulling his fingers out of me and sinking them in my mouth while his other hand wrapped around my throat. "Do you want to cum?"

I whimpered and nodded. His hand tightened on my throat and he slowly pulled his fingers out of my mouth. "Then be a good girl," he said, smacking my ass before lifting us and dropping me back on the bed.

He kicked his pants and briefs off the rest of the way then crawled over me. He moved over me so slowly, I was able to take in every movement, every flex of his muscle until he was hovering over me, a force to be reckoned with that was probably going to make me too sore to walk tomorrow.

He ran his hand down between my breasts, then around the curve of one before he took my nipple and tugged roughly, making me whimper. His head went down, catching my other between his teeth and sucking hard while he continued tugging. Pain and pleasure mixed together, making me arch my back towards him, eager for more of it.

He hummed in approval and sucked harder, biting down on my nipple before moving down, kissing over my stomach, down over my belly button until he was almost between my legs. My breath caught when he looked up at me and spread my legs open, but then he flipped me over and lifted my hips, smacking my ass again.

"Gemma..." he murmured, kissing down my spine, over my ass. He spread my legs and smacked my ass. "Arch your back."

I listened, arching my back and sticking my ass farther out. He caressed over my ass and sunk down between my legs, murmuring a quiet 'good girl' before his tongue was dragging along the length of my pussy.

"Dante," I moaned, my cheek sinking against the bed as he moved his lips and tongue over my aching core and clit.

"So fucking wet," he murmured, pulling back and sinking his fingers into me instead, pumping them in and out of me so hard and fast, I could hardly breathe. "Giving me control making you this excited, Gem?" He asked, smacking my clit.

"Yes," I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Good," he said, slapping my clit again before bringing his mouth down on me again.

I was so sensitive from all of it that it didn't take long for me to be pushed over the edge. I moaned his name, my nails digging into my palms and my toes curling as my orgasm washed over me. I hadn't even caught my breath before he was fingering me again. I whimpered, clenching around his fingers as he caressed over my ass, shoving them in and out of me so hard I cried out a second release.

I panted, sinking down against the bed but he lifted my hips and smacked my ass again. He grabbed the wrists he had tied back and yanked me back against him, his cock pressing against my pussy. "Gemma," he said, pressing a gentle kiss against my cheek. "I'm going to fuck this pussy raw."

Despite how sensitive I was from those orgasms, I clenched. I turned my head, our lips brushing against each other as I spoke. "Fuck me, then."

He smiled against my lips and in one move, sunk into me so deep I cried out. His hand wrapped around my throat and he kissed me as he started thrusting while still in me, hitting deeper and deeper and making me moan and whimper all at once.

He released me from that kiss and I could almost breathe again. That was until he pressed my cheek against the bed, holding the back of my neck so I couldn't move. He brought his knee up, bracing one foot against the bed before shoving into me. That change in position gave him a better hold so his next thrusts were so hard and rough, I couldn't help the scream of pleasure.

Pleasure and pain mixed into one until I craved both as he ruthlessly thrusted in and out of me over and over, his hand tightening on the back of my neck while the other smacked my ass. I whimpered and moaned, losing all semblance of control of any part of my body. He had it all. He was in control of my breathlessness, my pleasure, the way I held my body. He had it all and I wasn't sure I wanted any of it back.

He grabbed my wrists and pulled me back against him when the pleasure was building to a peak again. He held my throat even tighter, making breathing nearly impossible, then completely impossible when his hand slid down between my legs and started rubbing my clit.

"You're going to cum all over my cock, little Gem," he whispered against my ear as he continued pounding into me, his skin slapping against my louder and louder.

"Dante," I whimpered, throwing my head back against him as he rubbed me faster, fucked me harder, his hand growing tighter on my throat with every passing second.

I let out a small scream when I came, my body quivering as it came in waves, leaving me clenching on him again and again while he groaned and shoved into me deeply. He released into me with another groan, holding me tightly so he stayed deep inside me for every spasm until he was done and I was exhausted.

His hand loosened around my throat, going to my jaw instead and turning my head, his lips landing on where he'd held my throat so tightly. He let me lay down on the bed and I could've fallen asleep that instant. My eyes shut but a small smile formed as he caressed gently over my ass, still placing light kisses against my throat.

"Gemma," he murmured against my skin. He untied my wrists and turned me over, catching me in a kiss and bringing his hands gently over my breasts, soothing the tenderness he made from all the tugging. I sighed into that kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He pulled back and stared down at me, his fingers running over my lips.

"Go to sleep, little Gem," he said, laying next to me on the bed and pulling me into his chest. "You're going to need your rest."

A/N:

👀 So what'd you think?