Arrogant Prick: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance by Tessa Thorne Read Free Book Online Page A

of us. “I’ll be back shortly. Don’t worry about the wine. I’ll bring you something nice on the house,” he says before stepping away.
    I turn to Gio. “Did something happen?”
    “It’s nothing you need to worry about.” His voice is stern, leaving no room for argument.
    I try to ignore my burning curiosity and quietly peruse the menu until the cook comes back with a bottle of red. “This is a 2005 from Campania. You’ll love it.”
    Marcello uncorks the bottle and pours a bit into Gio’s glass. Gio takes the glass, smells it, and drains the cup empty with a satisfied look on his face.
    “Amazing as always, Marcello.”
    The cook nods his head. “You’re too kind, Gio.” He fills both of our glasses halfway.
    We place our orders and he heads back into the kitchen after excusing himself politely.
    Gio takes his glass, and I take mine. “ Salute. ”
    “ Salute. ” We clink our glasses together in a toast. I take a big swallow of wine to calm my nerves. It really does taste amazing. I look at Gio, trying to figure him out. He’s got a body that would have inspired Michelangelo, and a confidence about him that almost borders on arrogance. But I really don’t know anything else about him.
    He catches me staring at him and grins.
    It drives me crazy. It’s the same grin he had on his face when he first chatted me up at Hush, and the same one he gave me right before he threatened to fuck me better than any other man out there. I shift in my seat, vividly remembering the effect those words had on my body.
    “Is Marcello a friend of your family’s?” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I want to drop my face into my hands. That was a really lame start.
    “Is that really what you want to ask me?” He smiles through another sip of his wine.
    “I’m not really sure,” I admit. I feel his thigh press up against mine under the table. Either his skin burns hotter than the sun, or he’s driving up my temperature just by being so close to me. “I don’t know much about you at all.”
    He rests his elbows on the table and leans toward me. I watch his tattoos shift over his rippling muscles. “What do you want to know?” he asks.
    “What do you do?” I ask.
    He barks out a laugh, drawing startled looks from the other couple in the restaurant. I lean back against the padded booth. I didn’t take the risks I did coming out to meet him to be insulted. “What’s so bad about that question?” I ask, trying not to show how irritated I am.
    “It’s what you ask someone at a party.” He takes my hand and rubs it gently with his thumb. I wonder if he can feel my pulse picking up through my hand. “It’s an icebreaker for when you really don’t have anything meaningful to say. I’ll ask you again. What do you really want to know about me?”
    I leave my dominant hand in his and awkwardly take a drink with my right hand. I wish I could make it less obvious how attracted I am to him. “Okay, fine.”
    I can play his game, too. I lean back in toward him and smile. His eyes drop to my low neckline and the corners of his lips lift into an appreciative smile. “Why were you at Hush?” I ask.
    He grins and bites his bottom lip, sending my stomach aflutter again. “I was looking for someone.”
    “Was it me?” I don’t know why I asked that. What if he says yes? That’d make him a stalker, wouldn’t it?
    “No.”
    I try not to show my disappointment. Maybe he was looking for another girl and settled for me instead. Am I just looking for an excuse to end this date and return to the dull safety of my normal life? “Did you find the person you were looking for?”
    He leans in close till our faces are mere inches apart. “Yes.”
    “Was it a woman?” There’s a surprising amount of heat in my voice. Why would I care if he was looking for a woman? Would it really be surprising if a guy who was willing to have sex with me in the lot behind my club sleeps around with a lot of women?
    “No.” My