The Proposition
Yazar
Laila Callaway
Okur
745K
BölĂŒm
27
Alejandra Castillo, a successful restaurateur, finds her life turned upside down when she catches the eye of Domenico Lencioni, a powerful Mafia don. What starts as a business proposition quickly spirals into a whirlwind of passion, danger, and unexpected romance. As Alejandra navigates this new world, she must decide if she can trust Domenico with her heart and her life. Will she embrace the thrilling yet perilous path that lies ahead?
Chapter 1
ALEJANDRA
I slam the door to my office with a force that echoes my anger.
That creep!
One moment weâre talking about my restaurant, the next heâs asking me out to dinner. The thought makes my skin crawl. I invited him for the purpose of enticing him to invest in my business, not myself.
Heâs over two decades my senior. Not a chance.
I push the thought of him out of my mind. I need a drink.
My office is well-equipped for working, but it could really do with a drinks bar of some sort. Luckily, itâs attached to my restaurant. I have another one, but itâs two hours away in a different city. This flagship location is my pride and joy; my parents started it when they moved here from Colombia.
When I was twenty and in my second year of university, they died in an accident. I inherited the restaurant, and my uncle managed it while I finished my business degree. At twenty-two, I took over and poured my heart and soul into making a name for myself.
Three years later, Iâve opened a second restaurant and have been featured in a local magazine. Both restaurants cater to an exclusive clientele. Not many can afford my prices. I offer fine dining and a luxury experience.
I need an investor, but Iâm not settling for that creep. I take a moment to calm myself down and then I step out of my office.
I check my reflection in one of the mirrors hanging in the corridor, smoothing down my bodycon dress. Pushing through the employees-only door, I step into the restaurant in my six-inch heels, acting like I own the place. Oh, wait. I do.
Iâve worked my ass off to make this place what it is. I was handed everything by my parents, but that doesnât mean Iâve had it easy. Losing my parents was anything but easy.
I hope theyâd be proud of what Iâve done. Iâm pleased to see that all the tables are filled. Itâs only Thursday night, so thatâs a good sign. The maĂźtre dâ, Jeni, spots me and rushes over.
âBoss, I didnât know youâd be here tonight.â She looks flustered.
I find it amusing when she calls me boss; sheâs literally fifteen years older than me.
âDonât worry, I wonât stay long. Just had a bad meeting with one of the investors. The creep was hitting on me,â I explain and shudder again. âI need a drink and then Iâll be out of your hair.â
I flash her a smile and head for the stairs.
âNo problem. Stay as long as you want, boss!â Jeni calls after me.
Bless her, sheâs scared of me. I have no idea why. Iâm not a horrible boss. I know the staff gets nervous when Iâm in the restaurant, so I wonât stay for more than one drink.
I head upstairs to the second level, where we have the more exclusive tables and the bar. I lean against the bar and wait with an amused smile for Rafael to notice me. Heâs pouring out the remnants of a cocktail into a glass.
He adds some edible violets and slides the drink over to the waitress. He catches sight of me in his peripherals and smiles, coming over to my end of the bar.
âHey, boss. What can I get you?â
âPink gin, elderflower tonic, large,â I order and give him a look that shows what a day Iâve had.
He smirks and gets to work. âComing right up.â
I scan the room, checking for any notable customers that I might recognize. A table of men in the corner catches my eye. Theyâve booked the most secluded table in the restaurant, which I know costs extra.
There are nine of them around a circular table. They all look Italian or Greek, and theyâre wearing suits. The one facing my direction catches my eye. Heâs so handsome. I can see, even though heâs sitting down, heâs tall.
He has jet-black hair, dark skin, and dark eyes. Heâs the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Heâs leaned back in his chair, relaxed and confident. He runs his thumb over his bottom lip as he listens to one of his colleagues.
I want to look away. This man has an air of danger about him. They all do, actually. Something tells me the work they do isnât exactly legal. They look like bad news.
Mafia.
If a romance book ever taught me anything, itâs what a table of Mafia members might look like.
As if sensing my gaze, the man suddenly switches his eyes to me. We hold eye contact for a moment, and he lowers his hand from his mouth, giving me full view of his plump lips. His mouth turns up at one side in a smirk, and I manage to tear my eyes away, embarrassed to have been caught looking.
âHere.â Rafael places my G&T in front of me.
âThank you, Raf,â I mumble and eagerly take a sip.
I grab my drink and sit down at the bar, making sure my back is to the table so I canât embarrass myself further.
âRough day?â Rafael asks. For the next half hour, we catch up.
I like Raf. Heâs my age, and I donât often get to talk to many people my age. I only have Hanna, my best friend. I spend the majority of my time doing the accounts for the restaurant and checking our expenditures.
We donât have a bookkeeper. I do it all. When my parents died, I had to grow up and be responsible much faster than people my age. I donât often go out, but Hanna manages to drag me out occasionally.
âYou know, thereâs a gentleman at table thirteenââthis is the exclusive table; I already know who heâs talking aboutââwho hasnât taken his eyes off of you. Iâm surprised you canât feel them burning holes into your back.â
I can feel them, actually. Iâve just been choosing to ignore it. I take a large gulp of my drink.
âHeâs rather attractive, isnât he?â I muse.
Raf raises an eyebrow. âWithout overstepping the line, boss, itâs been a long time since you got some action. Maybe you should go introduce yourself,â he suggests.
I glare at him. âHow would you know?â
Rafael laughs at me. âBecause youâd tell me. You always like to come and have a drink here when something big has happened. Tonight is an example of that.â
I roll my eyes and scoff, but heâs right. I consider Raf a friend, and I really do tell him everything.
âYouâve got me there.â
âSo, boss, how long has it been? A year?â he asks.
I wince. âAlmost two,â I mumble and drink some more.
âYou havenât had sex in almost two years?â he splutters, his mouth hanging open in shock.
âAll right, no need to say it so loudly,â I hiss and self-consciously glance around to make sure no one heard.
âI mean this in the nicest way, but how is that possible? Youâre hot,â he blurts.
I glare at him. âIâve been busy! There are a lot of other things on my plate right now.â
âEven the prime minister must find time for a little action,â Rafael remarks with a smirk.
I canât help but let out a sigh.
âMaybe. Hanna is always pushing me to meet someone when weâre out, but Iâm choosy. Itâs not easy finding the right guy these days. Most are either scared off by me or theyâre just colossal jerks.â
The last time I had sex was a forgettable one-night stand. He was so self-centered he didnât even bother to check if I was having a good time.
The whole experience was a huge letdown.
âI get it, itâs tough. But honestly, youâre not giving yourself enough credit. You deserve some fun,â he chuckles, and I find myself nodding in agreement.
I finish my drink and express my gratitude to Raf.
I decide itâs time to head home and grab a bite to eat. Itâs past seven.
As I get up from my seat, I find myself locking eyes with the handsome Italian man again.
Wow, heâs really good-looking.
But thereâs a nagging voice in the back of my mind warning me he could be trouble.
I flash him a quick smile, wave goodbye to Raf, and head downstairs.
âHey, boss!â Jeni calls out just as Iâm about to leave. âWasnât sure if you had dinner plans, so I had Michele pack up some of his lobster ravioli for you.â She hands me a bag with a take-out box inside.
âYouâre a lifesaver; thank you.â
Well, thatâs dinner taken care of.
I hail a cab, and twenty minutes later, Iâm stepping into my apartment.
Iâm grateful for the solitude. Iâm a bit of a clean freak and couldnât handle messy roommates, but Iâll admit it gets lonely at times.
I unpack the food, kick off my heels, and settle down in front of the TV to savor Micheleâs signature dish.
Michele is my head chef, and heâs honestly a big part of why the restaurant is thriving.
After dinner, I draw myself a hot bath and light a few candles. I sink into the water and lean back, relishing the tranquility.
Unable to resist, I slide my hand between my legs and pleasure myself. Being careful not to splash any water out of the tub, I rub myself in small circles.
It doesnât take long for me to reach a quick but satisfying climax.
I rest my head back against the edge of the tub and sigh contentedly.
Once Iâve dried off, I remove my makeup and flop onto my bed. I respond to some emails and check my social media before turning off the lights.
My dreams are dark and erotic. When I wake the next morning, Iâm incredibly horny and my thighs are sticky.
My cheeks flush as I recall who I was dreaming ofâthe Italian man from my restaurant.
A girl can dream, canât she?
I fight against my growing desire to see him again. I can only pray that I can control myself if that happensâŠ
