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CHAPTER 15: A Dance With Temptation
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2025-03-31 17:06:00Marco leaned in, his nose brushing against mine, his breath warm and intoxicating. My own breath hitched, my lips parting instinctively.
And then—He pulled away.A slow, deliberate retreat, his lips curving into something smug, something wicked.Heat flared in my cheeks as frustration tangled with the ache in my chest.“Are you—” I swallowed, gripping the fabric of my dress. “Are you teasing me?”Marco smirked. “Maybe.”I narrowed my eyes, but before I could retort, he leaned in again, his fingers brushing against my wrist, his voice a low murmur against my ear.“But when I finally take what I want, Mia,” he whispered, “you won’t be questioning anything.”My stomach flipped, my skin burning where he touched me.And just like that, he straightened, composed as ever, like he hadn’t just turned my entire world upside down.I exhaled shakily, my heart still racing as he walked ahead, effo
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Mia Cruz The rest of the day passed in a blur. I tried to focus, tried to drown myself in work, but my thoughts kept circling back to Marco. To the attack. To the way he stood on that stage, commanding the world’s attention while I sat at my desk, feeling like nothing more than a forgotten spectator in his carefully controlled world. He hadn’t reached out. Not last night. Not this morning. I told myself I didn’t care. That I didn’t need him to check on me. But the truth? It hurt. “Earth to Mia.” I blinked and looked up to see Mr. Gravitas standing beside my desk, arms crossed. His sharp gaze studied me with quiet scrutiny. “You’ve been staring at that same email for the past five minutes.” Shit. “I—uh, just lost track of time,” I said, forcing a tight-lipped smile. He didn’t look convinced.
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The city lights flickered past as the car glided smoothly through the streets. The tension between us had lessened, but something still lingered beneath the surface—unspoken words, unanswered questions. Marco sat beside me, his elbow resting against the door, fingers lightly tapping against his knee. His gaze was fixed ahead, but I could feel his attention on me, like a gravitational pull I couldn’t escape. “You barely ate today, did you?” His voice was quiet, but there was an edge of certainty to it. I hesitated before admitting, “I wasn’t really hungry.” His jaw twitched. “You need to take care of yourself, Mia.” I let out a soft laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Says the man who probably hasn’t had a full meal in days.” Marco smirked, finally turning to face me. “Touché.” The car slowed as we neared a sleek, high-end restaurant. The kind of place where the we
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The Mafia Man wants my Heart CHAPTER 22: The Tension We Can’t Escape
Mia woke to the soft patter of rain against the window, the storm from last night reduced to a gentle drizzle. For a moment, she stayed still, letting the warmth of the bed and the steady rhythm of Marco’s breathing beside her keep her grounded.Then it hit her—Marco was still here.Her eyes flickered open, and the first thing she saw was him. He lay on his side, one arm resting beneath his head, the other draped loosely over the duvet. His face, usually hardened with intensity, was relaxed in sleep. The sharp angles of his jaw, the faint crease between his brows, the slow rise and fall of his chest—it was a side of him she’d never seen before.A flutter stirred in her stomach.Carefully, she shifted, trying not to wake him. But as soon as she moved, his eyes cracked open, dark and unreadable.For a second, they just stared at each other.Then his lips twitched. “You’re watching me, little mouse.”Heat rushed to her chee
