A Dangerous Pull
Mia told herself she was making a mistake.
She sat in the driver's seat of her car, gripping the wheel, staring at the entrance of Il Diavolo, the upscale restaurant Lorenzo owned. She had been here once before, but things had been different then. She had been different then.
Now, her pulse thrummed with anticipation, a quiet war raging inside her. She had tried to stay away, to push him out of her mind, but it was impossible. It wasn't just that he had saved her. It wasn't just that he had kissed her.
It was him. Lorenzo.
Something about him pulled her in, and no matter how hard she tried to fight it, the force between them was undeniable.
With a deep breath, she pushed the car door open and stepped out. The city air was cool against her skin as she walked toward the entrance. The moment she stepped inside, she felt the weight of eyes on her, assessing, calculating. Lorenzo's world was filled with men who didn't trust easily, and she knew she was being watched.
She didn't care.
The hostess barely had time to greet her before a familiar voice cut through the air.
"She's with me."Mia turned, and there he was.
Lorenzo stood near the bar, dressed in an all-black suit, looking like he belonged to the shadows. His presence alone was magnetic, commanding attention without a single effort.
He nodded toward a private booth, signaling for her to follow. And like she had so many times in the past few weeks, she ignored every warning in her mind and walked straight toward him.
The booth was tucked away from prying eyes, offering a sense of privacy Mia wasn't sure she wanted. But when Lorenzo slid in across from her, his dark gaze locked onto hers, she knew there was no escaping whatever this was between them.
"You came," he said simply, swirling the whiskey in his glass.
Mia folded her arms, meeting his gaze with equal intensity. "You knew I would."
A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "Maybe."
A waiter appeared, but before Mia could even glance at the menu, Lorenzo ordered for both of them. It should have irritated herâthe way he always took controlâbut instead, a dangerous thrill ran through her veins.
Silence settled between them, thick with unspoken words.Then, finally, Lorenzo spoke."You've been avoiding me."
Mia exhaled, leaning back against the leather seat. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
He studied her for a long moment. "Is it?"
She hesitated. She knew what she should say. That it was a bad thing. That she needed distance from him, from whatever this was. But she didn't say that.
Because it wasn't the truth.
Lorenzo's fingers drummed against his glass. "You want to know what this is between us."
Mia's breath caught."Yes."A slow exhale left his lips, and for the first time, something vulnerable flickered in his expressionâso brief, she almost missed it.
"This thing between us," he murmured, "it's dangerous, Mia."Her pulse jumped. "Because of what you do?"
His jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. "Because once I have something, I don't let it go."
Her stomach twisted at the weight of his words. She should be afraid. Maybe she was. But that fear was tangled with something else entirely.
Lorenzo reached across the table, brushing his fingers against hers. The simple touch sent a spark up her spine.
"You still have a choice," he murmured. "You can walk away right now, and I won't stop you."
Mia stared at him, at the man who had turned her world upside down in ways she never saw coming. She knew this was the moment. The crossroad.
And yet...She didn't move.Didn't pull away.
Lorenzo's lips curled slightly, as if he already knew the choice she had just made.
And deep down, maybe Mia knew it too.There was no walking away now.
Not from him.Not from this.