Don't just set goals, hunt them.
Private Island, Philippines ~ Ava's POV
I sat behind my desk in the tastefully furnished study Leonardo had allocated me, trying to get through to either of the twins. Unfortunately, neither could be reached. They were probably busy.
I placed my elbows up on the desk, dropping my head in my opened palms as I reflected over what I did last night.
"Bloody hell!" I cursed out loud, as everything sank heavily into my consciousness.
I kissed him. I still wasn't sure why, but I fucking kissed him back. To top it all off, I had run away right after to lock myself up in my room like a child. I skipped dinner that night, which had annoyed Leila because in so doing I flouted one of the mansion's cherished rules.
I made a mental note to make it up to her when I was done actively avoiding my husband. I hadn't even had the heart to look Leroy in the eyes and it bothered me. Where was this weakness coming from?
During my short confinement, I opened up the hidden door again, curious to see where it led to. I walked through, and ended up in Leo's room to see a maid cleaning it up. I stood there for a while, observing her as she worked assiduously before retreating into my room and closing up the door. I didn't think I'd be using it again anytime soon.
A light knock on the door pulled me out of my reverie, and I lifted my head up. I closed my laptop halfway before mouthing a 'come in'. Leila entered holding an intricately designed pot of fresh white roses.
"Buenas tardes, Señora." She greeted, and I got up to take the pot from her. (Good afternoon, Ma'am)
"Oh no-no-no-no. I got this. Leonardo requests your presence at lunch. I suggest you hurry back to your room to change into something more befitting." She advised, placing the pot on the black glass coffee table positioned in the middle of the study, and surrounded by plush grey armchairs.
I got out of my room in a back, backless, fitting dress with spaghetti straps and heels. I entered the dining hall to see Leonardo standing beside a smaller table, dressed in a midnight blue Armani suit. His hair was well combed, a far cry from his usually messy hair. It made him look almost gentlemanly.
I avoided eye contact with him as I approached the table. I went into shock when he pulled the chair for me to sit. He had never done that before; it was Leroy who always did. I kept mute, deciding not to comment on it for fear that he'd switch back to himself.
Leila appeared as usual with a team of maids. I recognised the one holding the tray of wine as the one who was tidying up Leo's room last night. The already filled glasses on the tray raised red flags in my mind. From my experience, you should never drink from a glass that was filled in your absence.
I carefully extended my leg halfway. She didn't notice it on time and tripped over it, causing everything on her tray to come down in pieces. I took the blame for it, and made a show of giving her the rest of the day off which she tried but failed to refuse.
A different maid rushed in to clean everything up while the other arranged the plates and cutlery for Leila to serve as with the carne guisada. She later hurried off to get us fresh glasses and another bottle of white wine. Leonardo waved her off after, filling the glasses himself.
"I thought we weren't supposed to be served until everyone was at the table." My eyes traced the smooth flow of the wine into the glasses.
"Luis won't be joining us, I requested that it'd be just you and I for this afternoon." He replied.
I raised an eyebrow at him. Did he mean to say Leroy? Also, why just us?
"You mean Leroy, right?"
"Leroy, mm, yeah." He mumbled.
He wanted to say more, but he stopped himself as if choosing the right words to say, "I want us to get to know each other better."
"So, what I'm hearing is, this is a date." My lips quirked up into a teasing smirk.
He frowned, "No, it's just lunch where we talk and get to know each other over food and wine. It's not a date." He defended wryly.
"Mm, yeah." I commented.
I wouldn't be surprised at this point to learn that he'd never taken a girl out on a real date. For him it was just smash or pass, nothing more. I slowly turned my attention to the delicious Spanish dish in front of me.
Neglecting the knife, I picked up the fork, stabbed a chunk of soft steamed seasoned beef, and placed it in my mouth. I wasn't disappointed, it was the best I had ever tasted. Leila had worked her magic to perfection again.
"What's your favourite weapon for killing?" He asked.
I looked up from my plate to see him looking down at his. Was he nervous? I could almost burst into laughter. The Leonardo De Los Santos knew what it meant to be nervous. Where had his high horse run off to?
"Daggers or knives." I stated, my hand going under the table to feel my gold dagger through the dress, "What about you?"
"Guns. They do the job without much close contact with the target." He replied.
There was a faraway look in his eyes, as he probably reminisced something.
"Okay, so how would you spend a day off from the mafia?" I enquired, taking a sip of the wine.
He lifted his head to look me in the eyes. This was the first time I had taken notice of them. They were a beautiful shade of golden brown.
"A steaming hot session with a sexy chica, you?"
I was prepared for an answer like that, but I hadn't expected him to be so blunt about it, "A trip to Vegas with the rest of the Shade." I answered, imagining the kind of fun we'd have and the trouble we'd definitely get into.
"What kind of music are you into?"
I thought over that one for a while, "Any, I guess. I don't really have a kind I listen to, but I prefer to play instrumentals when working out."
I asked him what his favourite dish was, after he made it known to me that he rarely listened to music.
"That would be paella." He paused as if to choose the right words to say, "A friend of mine makes the best."
He gave himself away with the way he replied. The mentioned friend was definitely one of his whores, "For me, it is shepherd's pie." I said.
When his stare felt too intense for me, I went back to looking at my half eaten food.
"What's your favourite quote?"
I smirked at that one, "Kill first, die last."
"Why am I not surprised? For me it's, don't chase, replace."
It seemed as if he was speaking directly to me. I pondered over the words for a while. I did want to be chased, so if he wasn't down with that, he could go to hell.
"Who was your first kiss and how did it happen?" I queried, after swallowing the last bite of my food.
"I don't remember her, it happened when I was drunk in a tapas bar. You?" He answered and looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.
"Eli. It was a dare from my brother."
That was the night Henry had wanted to prove to me that Leroy did have feelings for me. I hot headedly went in for the kiss to prove him wrong, but Leroy had suddenly gotten up and left with the excuse that he was tired.
"Interesting. Favourite method of torture?" He asked.
I swear there was a mischievous glint in his eyes when I told him I enjoyed skinning and ripping off the cock of a man. He stated that he himself didn't have one, he loved to try anything as long as it was effective. Also, he was always open to new ideas.
"If you were ever given the chance to leave the mafia life, will you?" I questioned, refilling my glass with more wine.
It took him a while to answer, "I don't think I will. I have grown so accustomed to this life; I can't possibly imagine living without the mafia. A part of me would feel incomplete."
Like I said in the beginning, the mafia was me. I loved every second of it.
"What do you like and hate about me?"
That question coming from him surprised me. Why did he give a fuck what I thought of him? My opinion of him shouldn't matter to him in the least, nevertheless, I answered.
"I like your eyes and your ruthless nature, but I hate your arrogance and the fact that you're a manwhore." I replied, and then added a 'no offense'.
"I'm just curious, do you have any tattoos at all?"
He was always fully clothed around me and considering the Spanish had a thing for tattoos, he must have at least one.
"Yes." It was almost a whisper.
My eyes widened when he began to unbutton his shirt, revealing his chest and gorgeous abs. A symbol of a blood red rose with an inscription across it in black ink stretched across his chest and abs.
"La Rosa de Sangre." I whispered.
The Blood Rose. If I wasn't mistaken, that was the name of his gang. I wanted to run my fingers across his upper body, trace the expertly done tattoo with my tongue and maybe pinch those pink nipples till he squirmed.
I blinked realising my own thoughts. When did I get so horny? I shouldn't be thinking of him this way. I tried hard to maintain a blank expression, crossing my legs tightly so he wouldn't notice the effect he was having on me.
"What is your biggest fear?" He asked, his eyes fixated heatedly on me.
"Ending up like my father."
Even though he tried to hide it, I could still see through my father's facade. He was lonely. He yearned to beloved by that special someone, I could see it. He needed someone by his side, but he had lost the chance to select one. Now all he could do was bury himself in work. I feared for what would happen to him when he lost his mafia to me. He might get even more miserable.
"And how if I may ask, did your father end up?"
I explained it to him in bits and pieces, but he still got the picture perfectly. I also found out he was scared of falling in love. According to him, he didn't have a weakness and he wouldn't like for any innocent woman to become his. I sided with him. Love was a weakness. It could cause the fall of an empire.
"Your biggest dream?" By this time, we had both exhausted the wine.
"For now, I don't have one. What about you?" He answered.
"To rule the most powerful mafia empire ever in history."
That dream was really big. For me it involved conquering every other mafia one after the other, and merging all of them into one with me at the top as Queen. Right now, I had the Spanish mafia, there was more work to be done.
He smiled. A breath-taking smile. It was so much better than his usual smirks, and it made him look much hotter than he already was. I pictured him right now as a portrait in my room.
His perfectly combed hair which he had surprisingly not messed up yet, his unbuttoned shirt which exposed his tattoo and amazing body, and that panty dropping lopsided smile. Bloody hell, I wanted him there and then in every filthy way imaginable.
"Describe me in three words." He breathed, clenching his hand into a fist over the table.
"Hot. Ruthless. Powerful." My choices made him switch back to that sinful smirk.
"For you, I'd say sexy, sadistic and hot headed."
"What turns you on?" The words slipped out before I could banish them from my mind.
"Usually, a submissive chica, but now I think I'm beginning to have a thing for defiance."
I could feel it, a thickening sexual tension between us. I wanted to rip his clothes off him. I wanted his hands and mouth exploring every inch of my body. I wanted him fucking me so hard I'd reach the peak of ecstasy. I wanted to feel my walls clench around his cock.
I gulped, restraining myself from giving in to my body's demands. My next question was an innocent one, hoping it'd steer us clear from the seemingly inevitable. As was typical of him, Leonardo had other plans instead.
"What's your favourite memory?"
"Our kiss last night."
That was all it took for me to use a hand to clear everything on the table unto the floor. The sound of breaking glass did nothing to stop me from practically leaping over the table to connect our lips.
He pulled me into his lap, and positioned his hands under my arse. I placed a hand at the back of his neck while the other traced the outline of his tattoo.
A hand reached up to push the straps of my dress down my shoulder, so he could caress my breast through my red lacy bra. My lips trailed his defined jawline down to his collar. Impatiently, I pushed his shirt further off his shoulders, exposing more of his upper body.
He stood up and exited the dining hall with me held against him. He walked into his room and slammed the door shut behind us. He laid me down on his bed, took off his shirt completely then kissed me again.
When we broke apart for air, I took off my dress and unclasped my bra. His eyes dilated at the sight of them sprawled out in front of him. He wasted no time in pushing me back down on the bed, so he could have his way with me.