Her shoulder length black hair was a mass of natural curls round her face. She pushed a few stray strands away with her forearm, and her cheeks turned this gorgeous shade of red.
“I’ve embarrassed you.” He lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile, and saw how her cheeks turned even redder.
She looked toward the backdoor where he knew Henrietta and Francesco were.
“I was just teasing. I wouldn’t tell them.” He grinned wider, and watched as the slender column of her throat moved up and down as she swallowed.
“Please, Henrietta and Francesco might be old, but they have dirty mouths on them.” She smiled softly, and it was quite a sight. Marra set the portafilter in the sink and grabbed a rag to clean off her hands.
Joey noticed a light sprinkling of flour on her cheek, and without thinking because he always reacted first, he reached out and brushed his thumb along her skin. She tensed immediately and moved back a step.
“Why are you so afraid of me?” He stared at her, took in the olive tone of her skin, of the light, nearly invisible sprinkling of freckles along the bridge of her nose, and curled his hands into fists. What would she think if she knew he had looked her up, scoured into her personal business and knew everything about her?
“Because you’re Joey Bacelli,” she said softly and turned to go over to the oven and take out a tray of baked goods.
“And you’re Marra Santos.”
She looked over at him, and then moved to the cooling rack to place the pastries on it. When she turned back around she started twisting her fingers together. He was making her nervous again. On any other occasion, and to any other person, he would have reveled in that fact. But with Marra he didn’t want that reaction from her, and he didn’t quite know why. She had definitely gotten under his skin. When she moved closer to him again the scent of lemon and pastry dough filled his nose. Joey didn’t bother hiding the fact he lowered his gaze to her chest, and he knew she was aware of his blatant look because her nipples hardened under the prim and proper cardigan she wore.
“I know about you.”
He lifted his gaze back to her face. “You know about me?” He cocked an eyebrow. Of course she would know about him. He ran this fucking town, and anyone that was smart knew what kind of man he was. But he was curious and amused as to how she would answer.
She licked her lips and nodded. She didn’t wear makeup, and Joey was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed that fact. Angie packed on the foundation and eye shadow like it was going out of style, but Marra was all-natural … in every way.
“Yeah, I know who and what you are.”
He was silent for a second, staring at her and waiting to see if she would elaborate. When she didn’t he smirked again. “And what type of man is that?”
She glanced toward the entrance, and then looked at him. “We both know you are not really the type of man that sees a woman for more than a few hours, if you know what I mean.” She was silent for a moment. “And I’m not the type of woman that goes out with a guy that is dangerous, and after he has wined and dined her would only use her for a piece of ass.”
He kept his composure, didn’t show emotion, but the longer he stared at her, and the more he allowed her statement to seep into him, Joey just couldn’t hold it in any longer. He started chuckling, and pushed away from the counter. Marra looked surprised by his reaction, and he was also feeling that emotion, too. He didn’t laugh much, but hearing her put him in his place, knowing that he was dangerous, yet still telling him how it was, had him grinning like a fool.
“You know, only schoolgirls listen to rumors.” He didn’t know what she had heard and he assumed most things were legit, but surely some of them were spoken by scared individuals.
She chuckled, but it was far from amused. “I doubt what I’ve heard is false, but it doesn’t matter anyway, because you and I both know that this,” she gestured between them with her hand, “isn’t going to happen.”
Before she dropped her hand he grabbed it, and placed her open palm on his chest. He heard her breath hitch and felt her try to pull her hand away, but he refused to let her go. “Just one meal, Marra. Let me take you out, feed you genuine Italian food, have you drinking wine that is as full bodied and exquisite as you are, and then at the end of the night if you don’t want to see me again I’ll bow out respectfully.” He stared into her blue eyes, watched the emotions and thoughts move across her face, and thought he knew exactly what she would say.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t need drama in my life, and I have a feeling your life is filled with it.” Se tugged her hand back and curled it into a fist. Her nipples were hard beneath her top, and she was still breathing heavily. She wanted him, but was fighting damn hard about it.
“You’re smart, Marra, but deny what you feel because of my profession.” He straightened, felt his annoyance grow at her refusal once again, and put his suit jacket on. He could have easily played it off like he didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about, but then he’d be acting just as naive as she was.
“I wouldn’t be able to give you what you want.”
He gritted his teeth, and reined in his irritation. “And what the fuck would that be?”
She narrowed her eyes. “A warm body to use for the night.” She held his gaze, refusing to back down, and although he respected her for that, it also pissed him off. “And that is exactly the thing you look for in a woman.”
He leaned in, his body shaking with his anger from what she’d said. She held her ground, though. “You think you know me, Marra Santos, but I don’t think you have the first clue about who I really am.”
She swallowed, and although he saw her nerves showing, she stood still. He heard the sound of the back door opening and of Henrietta and Francesco speaking in Italian, but Joey kept his focus right on Marra, and she kept hers on him.
“You’ll realize soon enough, though, that I don’t give up on what I want, Marra.” He leaned in another inch so now their lips were only inches apart. Her warm, sweet smelling breath moved across his lips, and he held back his groan of arousal. “And I want you pretty fucking badly.” And then he turned and left, because if he stayed a moment later he’d kiss her until she either submitted to him, or slapped his fucking face.
4
Marra couldn’t stop thinking about Joey, not after he had gone all alpha caveman on her at the café this morning. She was still annoyed with him for thinking he could talk to her that way, be so damn persistent, and pretty much tell her that she would be his one way or another.
“Ugh.” She shoved her hands in her pockets, feeling the bite of fall right around the corner. It was going on eight at night, and after getting some drinks and diner with a friend, she had opted to save the money she would have spent on a cab, and walk home. Her apartment was only a few blocks away, and after the three watered down Long Islands she was feeling pretty damn brave to be walking alone.
There were several people still on the sidewalks, mainly young teenagers that should have been inside and getting ready for bed. The sound of their laughter, of a few bottles breaking, and then of their voices drifting in the distance as they ran off filled the chilly night air.