48 Hours

Chapter Three: Open Up a Bit

I watch her facial expressions, and they tell me just could be deep in thought.

"Tell me how you ended up in this position." I tell her then she puts a fork of pasta in my mouth.

I could watch this woman do that to me all day for the rest of my life.

"Surprisingly, my parents didn't die in a car accident." She lets out a sad chuckle.

I let her continue while I chew on the pasta.

Who made this? It's perfect.

"It was a set up. On a boat. It sunk while they were on it for vacation." Martina said while making another forkful of pasta.

"No one else with them?" I ask, then open my mouth.

I purposely let my lips slide more than necessary on the fork, I enjoyed watching her look at my lips.

"Only child. I was at my friend's house for the week. They wanted a getaway for a bit. Well, they ended up six feet under." She clears her throat.

Martina grabs a glass of water and brings it to my lips and for some reason, her touch under my chin and eyes boring into mine was one of the most calming things in the world.

She then grabs a napkin and dabs it on my mouth. 

"Alright, starting tomorrow, your 48-hour mark starts." She stands behind me and starts to untie my wrists.

"Why not tonight?" I ask, trying to look behind me to look at her. But she doesn't respond me.

She then comes in front of me, kneeling down on her knees to untie the knots on my ankle.

"Now that's a sight." I say with a smirk on my face. Martina looks up and notices her position, and my body decides to betray me. I watch her carefully as I see where her eyes land. She equally has a smirk on her face. She runs her fingers against my thigh and grazes my groin and leaves me with the tiniest bit of a satisfying feeling.

"The best way to kill a man, is through his ego first."She whispers in my ear and suddenly she gropes me then takes the rope away with her.

"You are evil." I lick my lips and stand up, stretching.

"It is why no one messes with me, amore." She smiles and opens the door, waiting for me to step out.

"You're letting me into your house?" I raise an eyebrow at Martina. Not taking my eyes off her smile.

"Si." I walk towards her and stand by the door.

"You're being very hospitable."

"It's my motherly side taking over." She chuckles, using my words against me.

I smile at her and walk into the brightness of the house.

Martina comes next to me after closing the door behind her.  I look around where I was standing.  Everything screamed 'I am boss here'.

"Like what you see?" She asks looking up at from my side.

"Guess woman are capable too." Martina scuffs at my remark.

"Anything a man can do a woman can."

"Oh really?" I look down at her petite figure and smirk.

All she does is roll her eyes at me, and it takes every bit of willpower inside of me to not pin her to the wall and show her who really is boss here.

"This way." She goes up the stairs making be follow behind her and I just watch her sway right and left with every step she takes.

That makes me rub a hand across my face and hold back from wanting to smack her. It is either she knows what she is doing, or she has no clue.

"For someone who taunted me about not walking with guards around, you sure are doing the same thing, Martina." I say to break my thoughts about bending her over somewhere.

"Matteo, stays upstairs most of the time. I need him to be near my office." She says after reaching the top of the stairs.

"And the other guys?" I ask, wanting to know more.

"You're not really in position to ask about everything around here, Alessio." Martina responds, while nodding her at who I assume is Matteo.

I don't respond to her and just continue walking after her with my hands in my pockets.

"Mahone, can you ask Emelda to prepare the guest room?" She says to the man who is approaching her.

"You want him to be around you? Are you crazy, Martina?" The man, Mahone, speaks to her and it shocks me.

But not two seconds go by and I hear a hard slap, along with seeing it across Mahone's face. He is taller than her but I can tell she just shook him.

"You do not speak to me that way." If venom was a voice, it was her's. I take a look at Mahone's face from where I was standing and I see how red it turned. She was not gentle at all.

"Second, you don't address me with my name just like that without permission. Does it look like I am doing nothing at all to you at this very moment, Mahone?" She continues and I can see the daggers she is sending with her eyes to him.

I have never expected Martina Lorenzo to be this...terrifying? It is no wonder why my men were afraid of her once.

"Speak to me that way again, I will make sure that dick of yours is nonexsitant and most probably six feet under along with you. Have I made myself clear?" 

"Crystal clear ma'am." He responds.

Martina bumps her shoulder very roughly past his arm and walks towards a closed door.

I do not speak a word of what I saw, not sure if I could end up in the same place as that guy back there.

"Sorry you had to see that." She says to me, clearing her throat and turning on the lights to a very neat and fancy room.

"Well, I was threatend by you as well..." 

She makes no other comment other than seeing her walk to a closest in her room.

"The guest room will need some time to get ready. You may use my bathroom until it's ready. Take a shower and I will ask my guard to get you some clothes." She hands me a towel.

"So I am a prisoner in luxury?" I take the towel from her and push my hair back.

"Some what you are." She gives me a small smile and turns her head to look at something.

I take that chance to put my palm against her cheek.

Turning her face quickly to look at me with flushed cheeks, I caress Martina's warm cheek with my thumb. Locking eyes with her, was something I have wanted. 

She clears her throat and takes a step back.

"I will be back." She brushes her hair off her face and walks out the room.

Maybe my plan will work after all.