Fearless: Mob Boss Book Two (Volume 2) Read Online Free PDF

had to resist the urge to sigh when she finally saw his face. The chiseled line of his jaw, the sharp planes of his cheekbones under a shock of dark hair so lush, she had a sudden memory of it, silky and thick, in her fingers. But all of these were nothing compared to his eyes. In an instant, they pierced the armor she’d built over the past six months, and she was again prey to Nico’s predator.
    Except now she was under no delusion that she wanted to escape. She almost forgot to breathe while she was held captive by his gaze. His body was mere inches from hers, and she caught his scent—raw masculinity, wool, and soap—on the ocean breeze.
    He headed for the back of the house, then turned to look at her. “You coming?”
    They entered through the glass doors off the living room. A fire burned in the hearth, and she had a flash of Nico, his naked body entwined with hers on the sofa while rain pelted the windows.
    She forced her eyes away from the fireplace, taking in the sweep of wood floor, the stone walls, the glass that made the ocean feel like it was part of the house. She’d forgotten how much she loved this place, how at home she’d felt here.
    Nico reached for her bag, and a shock of desire winged through her body as his hand brushed against her cold fingers. He set the bag on the ground and crossed the room to pull a blanket off the back of the sofa. She watched as he made his way toward her, his eyes locked on hers while he leaned in to wrap the blanket around her shoulders. She hadn’t realized she was shivering until the warmth settled over her skin. He let his hands rest on her arms for a moment before turning away, and she exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
    She had forgotten how hard it was to breathe around him, as if he was a force so powerful, he consumed every ounce of oxygen in the air.
    “Drink?” he asked, already heading for the bar.
    “Please.”
    He poured something into a glass and returned to hand it to her.
    “Thank you.”
    He nodded, and gestured at the couch. “Sit.”
    She took a seat on the sofa and felt the sting of rejection when he sat at the other end. Complicated was an understatement for everything that was between them, but she couldn’t deny that all the old feelings were still there. Was it simpler for him? Had his feelings for her changed?
    “How are you?” he finally asked.
    She took a drink, then looked down at the whiskey in her glass. “I’m… okay. Still getting used to everything the way it is now.”
    “And David?”
    She looked up, surprised that he would mention her brother. “He’s okay, too,” she said softly. “Dealing with all the unfinished business between him and our father.”
    “I’m sure that’s very difficult,” Nico said, his voice full of regret.
    She nodded, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry about Carmine.”
    “Thank you.”
    She looked into his eyes. “What’s going on, Nico?”
    “I thought you might know,” he said.
    “Me?” She shook her head. “I’m not involved in the Boston operation, but I doubt Frank has the ambition to come after you.”
    “I thought the same thing,” he said.
    “Besides,” she said, “why would someone kill Carmine? Wasn’t he just a Consigliere?”
    She was still learning the terminology of her father’s illegal businesses, but she knew that Carmine had been a kind of advisor to Nico, the same way Frank had advised her father. Consigliere’s weren’t supposed to be part of the battlefield.
    “I’m not sure I would use the word “just” to describe Carmine—or anyone in that role.”
    “You know what I mean.” It came out sharper than she intended. She didn’t know much about the business, but she wasn’t stupid.
    She thought she saw a flash of appreciation in his eyes. Figures. Nico wasn’t the kind of man to be turned on by complacency, however much he might have railed against her stubbornness.
    “I do,” he said. “And you’re right.