I smirked.
I couldn’t help it.
“You, too,” I granted before looking back at Mia. “Can we talk?”
“Now?”
“I think now would be best,” I told her.
“But we were on our way to the library,” Gretchen butted in. “You can come with us, if you want.”
I was dressed like a student, so I understood her misconception, but my assignment hadn’t changed any. I was still responsible for Mia and dressing down was the only way I could blend in on campus. Of course, once we started dating, I could shuck these ridiculous clothes and go back to suits.
“Thank you for the offer, but Mia and I have some things to discuss,” I replied smoothly.
“Oh, my God,” she rushed out, no ounce of manners in her. “Did you guys break up or something?”
“No, they didn’t,” Justin answered her. “Mia…Mia doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“Just-”
I cut Mia off. “She does now, Justin,” I informed him.
“Uh, oh,” he stammered. “I hadn’t realized…”
“Nico, do you mind?” Mia hissed.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” I tossed back. “Make him understand, Mia, or else I will.”
Her eyes rounded to the size of saucers. “Can you just not?”
A brow shot up, letting her know I was reaching the end of my patience. “We need to talk,” I repeated.
She let out a dramatic sigh, and the impertinent little baggage rolled her eyes at me. I watched as she turned to face Justin and Gretchen. “Look, just go on without me,” she said. “I’ll catch up with you guys another time.”
I knew Justin was…intimidated, but I had to give the guy credit; he hadn’t backed down immediately. “Are you sure, Mia? We can wait if-”
“I’m sure, Justin,” she reassured him. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
He glanced up at me really quickly. “If you’re sure,” he hedged.
“I’m sure,” she promised, and Justin just nodded before he and Gretchen went about their way.
The second they were no longer without hearing range, she whirled around on me. “Are you kidding me?” she hissed. “You can’t just come here and…and make demands, Nico.”
“You think not?”
Her sparkling brown eyes narrowed. “Don’t make me call my brother,” she threatened.
I let out a hollow laugh. “Go ahead and call him,” I taunted. “Do you think he doesn’t know I’m here? Do you think he doesn’t know why I’m here?”
She tightened her arms around her books. “Why are you here?”
“Like I said, we need to talk.”
“About?”
I stepped to her and cradled her face in my right hand. “I think you know, Mia,” I replied softly, and I watched in yearning fascination as her pupils dilated, her skin shivered, and her chest started heaving.
Mia was reacting to my touch.
“Nico-”
“I spoke with your brother last night, Mia,” I told her. “I know he told you everything.” I didn’t want to have this conversation here. “Let’s go get something to eat,” I suggested. “I’ll answer any questions you have.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to have this conversation with you in public.”
I laughed. “Fair enough.” I grabbed for her, and she didn’t fight me when I tugged at the hem of her shirt and pulled her to me, so that she was pressed up against my body. “What do you suggest?”
“Well, we can’t go back to the dorms,” she said. “There’s no privacy there.”
I smirked. “I guess we’ll have to go to my place then.”
“Nico, I don’t-”
“We’ll grab something to eat. Something to go,” I clarified. “We’ll take it to my place, where we can eat and talk.”
She regarded me for the longest seconds of my life before finally agreeing. “Fine,” she muttered. “But you answer every question, Nico.”
Fuck.
My name on her lips sounded like everything I ever wanted in life.
“Every question,” I promised as I linked my hand in hers and pulled her with me. My car hadn’t been parked far, so there wasn’t any need to fill the void with idle chitchat. When we reached my car, I opened the door for her and waited for her to be safely buckled in before making my way around the back of the car to the driver’s side.
“What kind of car is this?” she asked. “It’s nice. I like the dark grey.”
“It’s a Maserati Gran Turismo MC,” I told her, not sure if that would even mean anything to her. One of the reasons Michael was okay with me dating Mia was that he knew I’d be able to take care of her. Every member of the Benetti Family did well for themselves.
The Benetti Empire wasn’t what it was because Luca trusted people. No. It was the powerhouse it was because Luca didn’t suffer fools gladly. Hell, he didn’t suffer them period. No member of his organization was allowed to have any vices. You could have several drinks at the bar, but you couldn’t be an alcoholic. You could party with the best of them, but you couldn’t become a drug addict. You could live it up in Las Vegas for a weekend, but you couldn’t become a gambler. You could throw hundreds at the strippers on the pole, but you couldn’t be in debt. Everyone’s credit and financial records were monitored by Leo Benetti. As far as I knew, the only acceptable vice was pussy. You could dip your dick in whatever woman turned your fancy, but God help you if you got her pregnant. If you did, you were expected to do the right thing by the child. As for the child’s mother, well, it was widely known that Luca Benetti didn’t allow others to get in between a man and his wife, but the children of the neighborhoods and of the Benetti Family were always looked after. However, there was one exception when it came to marriage. If The Holy Trinity ever got wind that you beat your wife, you were handed over to Ciro for…sensitivity training. You could have a mistress, or a bundle of little bastards all over the place, but no one was allowed to beat on the
