Breaking Midnight (Il Paradosso Series Book One)

Chapter eighteen

Of all the things on my 'not to do' list that I had mentally created while locked up in the Montanari mansion, not getting anywhere near il diavolo himself was at the top of my priorities.

The man not only looked dangerous but he smelled dangerous. Not the cheap kind that you find at your local drugstores but the kind that is customized for the wealthiest. And the suits that he wore may as well have been tailored to fit his perfect form.

Whoever said money can’t buy everything obviously hadn’t been on this side of the sphere.

And as much as I despised this man, there was not a single flaw that I could use to justify the hatred. 

The universe was playing tricks on me and it just wasn't fair.

Avoiding him at all costs had been my mission for the past month, and so far, it was accomplished to some extent.

I had managed to dodge any interaction with him and his "I am the mafia boss and you don't want to fuck with me" mood swings and I had intended to keep it that way, until Giada made it a point to constantly remind me of our conversation at the lakeside.

If there was one thing I was terribly bad at—among all the other proficiencies that I lacked—it was flirting. Some people would think I was snobbish for avoiding small talk and refusing to engage in social events but the truth was simple: I sucked at it.

At least I thought I did.

And at that being said, I had no clue as to how I would be able to approach the situation at hand. At least without screwing it up so badly that I would probably want to dig my own grave, and bury myself six feet deep to avoid the embarrassment.

"Giada, stop trying to make me look sexy! It's not going to work!" I hissed at her as she continued to throw skimpy outfits at me, shoving me into the fitting room.

I was about ready to pee my pants from all the fluid built up inside of my bladder. The weather was extremely hot, and today of all days, she had decided to take me on a shopping spree.

"I'm paying for all this so I decide what looks sexy and what not."
I scrunched my face up from behind the door, examining the two-piece bikini I was wearing in the mirror.

The amount of exposed flesh was giving me a wave of anxiety. I stared at myself with a look of both horror and amusement. If I were to make any sudden movements in it, either my boobs or butt cheeks would pop out.

I can't wear this in public.

I must have said that out loud because Giada's voice came through the door, making me jump.

"You don't look half as bad as some of the women I've seen wearing much less, and believe me, it's not pretty. So stop being a baby and embrace what you have."

Half-as-bad? Was I supposed to take that as a compliment?

"Besides, you're only going to wear it for special occasions. You know, when you want to draw a little bit of attention."

Her head poked through the door for a swift second, giving me a wink and disappeared again.

That certainly made me feel better, reminding me of who it was specifically for. My stomach was in all sorts of knots now, and I was near the verge of vomiting.

Relax, Adriana, it's not like you’ve never been with a man before, they don't bite.

Well, maybe this one did.

My thoughts withdrew to all the nights that I had spent wide awake, forced to listen to the sexapades through the wall, and I shook my head, feeling my face grow tremendously warm.