The next morning, Maria knocked at my door bright and early. "Mr.DeLuca says to be ready within the hour." She rolls in beautiful luggage as I drag myself out of bed and towards the shower.

If this man expected me to be ready in an hour, he was even crazier than I thought. Taking my sweet time, I shave every inch of my skin leaving it silky smooth.

After blow-drying my hair, I return to my room wrapped in a soft robe. I glance between my bags and the luxurious bags Elio had so graciously given me.

After a short debate, I shyly grab a white sundress with delicate flowers and puffy sleeves. Stepping into the white heels that were among the clothing, I pack everything else into the expensive-looking duffel bag.

A few hours later, I had finally finished. Before my hand can grasp the nob, a sharp knock sounds at the door. "Lina, are you ready? We were supposed to leave an hour ago." I roll my eyes at his short tone.

Opening up the door, I'm met with the smell of his aftershave. He wore his usual suit and Italian loafers, his hair slicked back. His eyes glance down my dress, stopping where the slit exposed my smooth thigh.

Looking back up at me, his eyes darken. "You look beautiful, bambola." His voice sent chills down my spine as I glance away from him. I let out a small thank you while picking up my bag.

His large hand envelops mine as he grabs the bag from me and swings it over his shoulder. I watch the veins in his hand and arms bulge while he grasps at it. I run my gaze over him, my eyes growing heavy with lust. He was certainly handsome.

He clears his throat, causing me to snap back to reality. I bite down on my lip and walk out of the room, embarrassment creeping up my stomach.

He totally just caught me checking him out. I shake my head at my stupidity, he's holding me captive and works for the mafia. What am I thinking?

I feel his presence close behind me as we walk down the stairs and towards the door. Maria stood in the living room, her bags in hand.

I smiled, thankful that she would be joining us. I wonder who was going to be there. Elio had said it was his family home, did he have siblings?

And what about his parents? Will they be kind? My mind races as we drive towards the airport, I'm assuming. Everyone had been deadly quiet, I didn't dare breathe a word.

Panic surged through me as we pull into an abandoned field. Was he going to kill me? My heart begins to race as I look around frantically, searching for an emergency escape plan.

I panic more as I realize there was no escape, the three burly gentlemen that accompanied us made sure of that.

Suddenly, an airport strip comes into view, revealing a lavish-looking plane. As we pull onto the tarmac, everyone piles out. Elio barks an order to the guys who joined us, they began loading our bags with no hesitation.

Desire races through me as I watch him take action. He was a boss and he never once let it falter. The power he held stirred something in me, something I never knew was there.

I try pushing it away, knowing his life was one I didn't want to be caught up in. I let out a small snort, so much for that. I'm quite literally leaving the country with him.

"What's so funny?" I snap out of my thoughts and bring my gaze to Elio. He stood a few feet from me, studying me. "Nothing, sorry," I say quickly. I wasn't sure what kind of mood he was in today considering he was so hot and cold all the damn time

"We can board now." He says sternly, gesturing for me to step up the stairs. I duck my head down as I approach the door. The interior was a beautiful nude setting with elegant seats and drapes over the windows.

My mouth drops in awe as I walk further in and settle onto the lounge chair near the back of the plane. To my surprise, Elio takes the spot across from me.

I suck in a sharp breath, everything feeling extremely cramped all of a sudden. His long legs sat outstretched in the aisle, his broad build taking up most of the space. And the air, it felt.

Maria takes a seat a few rows up from us as she takes out her book and begins to read. "It's an eight-hour flight, so get cozy." I hear Elio say. I nod my head and slip off the heels.

I was not wearing those for eight hours. Tossing my legs up on the seat, I pick up one of the magazines settled on a small side table.

The next few hours are filled with turbulence and Elio's steamy gaze. Every so often I'd peek up at him through my lashes, quickly adverting my attention back to the magazine any time he caught me.

I'm not sure when, but somewhere along the way, my eyes grew tired. Placing one of the small pillows under my head, I drift off to sleep.

Lina's sleeping body lay across from me, her bare legs on display. I pull my lip between my teeth as my eyes rake over her body. I wasn't expecting her to wear the dress I had specifically picked for her, knowing it would compliment her tan skin and gorgeous, bright eyes.

God, when did I become such a pussy? Now I'm calling the girl gorgeous? She was sexy, that was a given. With her sultry voice and her petite curves.

My mind flashes back to last night and what I had said to her before I left. "Doll, I want nothing more than to see you drenched in luxury." I had meant every word.

I wanted to see her body littered with nothing but thousands worth of jewelry. The thought sends a surge of heat to my groin, causing me to shift in my seat

I needed to calm myself down before we landed. My mama and sister were meeting us at the airport, deciding to leave thing one and thing two at home. I was thankful, I knew they were going to pounce all over Lina before she even had a chance to breathe.

With a few hours till landing, I decided to call Alessandro. I hadn't told him I was leaving, but I knew he wouldn't find it suspicious. It had been a few years since my last visit, I was eager to get home and see everyone.

Alessandro's voicemail beeping cuts me out of my thoughts."Ciao don, ho deciso di visitare la mia famigila per un po. Potrei essere qualche mese, Mamma sta morendo i'ora di vedermi."

(Hi, Don. I've decided to visit my family for a while. It may be a few months, mom has been dying to see me.)

Leaving it at that, I hang the phone up. This may have bought us a few months, but I had to come back sooner or later and I wasn't sure what to do.

Looking back over to Lina, I notice her clutching her arms as if she were cold. Standing, I gently lift her legs from the couch and take my place. Her legs sat neatly in my lap, making a small smile grow across my lips.

Shrugging off my suit jacket, I place it over her. She lets out a sigh, nuzzling her face against the newfound warmth. After a while, I found myself nodding off along with her.

"Elio." I hear a soft voice call out, a delicate hand being placed against the swell of my arm. I snap my eyes awake, being met with the same green ones that seemed to be haunting my every dream. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. We're about to land."

She tries to play the last part off, but I could see the excitement in her bright eyes. I definitely needed to show her around. Show her off, more like. I shake my head at the thought, it'll be purely for educational reasons.

We began to descend as we reached my small Italian hometown. I breathe a sigh of relief, happy to be home. As much as I loved my life and being able to provide for my family, things could get lonely. "Thank you for covering me up." I hear her gentle voice say.

She holds out my jacket, our fingertips brushing while I grab it from her grasp. Her fingers were soft, everything about her was soft. I run my eyes over her face, feeling myself gravitating towards her.

I watch as her eyes widen with fear, but her body arches in anticipation. Her beautiful eyes flutter shut as she waits for me to make another move. Grasping her face in my hand, I lean forward.

"We're here!" Maria says, popping up from her seat. Lina's eyes fly open as she scoots back from me, a blush settling over her cheeks. Maria mouths out a sorry, but I shrug my shoulders. It was probably a good thing that she stopped whatever was happening.