Sneaking into his heart

Chapter 5

Adriano

I paced the length of my study, intermittently checking my watch. It was already past two in the morning, but I had yet to receive any news from Lucia. I went to my whiskey bottle, pouring myself what had to be the hundredth glass. Ever since returning to my place, I had gone straight to my study, intending to get some work done while waiting for reports of her progress. However, it had already been hours and I had yet to receive any news. With my restlessness, I couldn't get anything done and ended up just pacing the room. A nagging feeling had been growing from the pit of my stomach. What if something happened and she met with some accident? The mission was indeed rather dangerous and  she had only taken two guards with her. I didn't like the feeling of anxiety gnawing from deep within me. Normally I never kept track of any of my employees' progress in their mission, only waiting to receive their final report. Even if someone lost his life in the process, it just meant they weren't competent enough and I didn't think much about it. Yet right now, I couldn't quite calm down and I even started regretting sending her on such a dangerous mission. Not to mention I hadn't properly rested in the past few days while dealing with the issue of those stolen drugs. My nerves were frayed and the added unnecessary worry spiked my irritation to no end.

"Ryan!" I shouted.

A few minutes later, he walked in. "Yes, boss?"

"You didn't receive any news about those drugs?"

His face clouded over with worry. "No boss, I didn't receive any phone calls." After a few moments of hesitation, he added. "I called the guards at the mansion and they said that Lucia hadn't returned to retrieve her car."

I grit my teeth, my heart thundering with a feeling akin to dread. That f*****g Jason! If he actually dared lay a finger on my subordinate, I'll make him regret ever being born. My anxiety further spurred on my fury which had now returned tenfold. I debated whether I should ask Ryan to call her, but hesitated when I thought of the possibility that I might be jeopardizing her if she was currently in a precarious position. I then reasoned that she surely would have taken the precaution to silence her phone.

"Call her!" I ordered Ryan.

He nodded slightly then took out his phone, immediately dialing her number. I narrowed my eyes at the fact that he seemed to have memorized her number.

"Give me the phone." I said right as it started ringing. Not giving him the time to respond, I snapped the phone from his hand, waiting with bated breath as it rang. My agitation grew with each second where she didn't pick up. I was already imagining the worst scenarios, trying to think up ways to find out what happened to her and rescue her if she was in any sort of danger.

"Who's this?" A sleepy voice answered just then.

I was momentarily dumbfounded, but then felt my rage growing. My grip on the phone tightened to the point that I felt it might snap at any moment. Here I was, worrying my ass over her, yet she was f*****g sleeping?

"Ryan?" She said a few seconds later, then started lashing out. "f*****g hell, why the heck are you disturbing me at this time of the night! Don't you know a woman needs her beauty sleep? You just woke me up! How are you gonna take responsibility for that?"

I was outright shaking with anger now, the burning fury oozing out in such gigantic waves, I was surprised she couldn't feel it from the other end of the line. Ryan seemed to have also heard her words and started fretting in front me. He opened his mouth to speak, but I shot him a warning glare.

"Disturbed your sleep, huh?" I said once she was done with her ramblings, my voice coming out more as a growl.

"You're... Adriano?" She asked in confusion.

I grit my teeth. She actually dared call my name so casually. However, together with the anger came a pleasant shiver at hearing my name from her mouth.

"I mean... boss? What's up?"

"What's up? You're f*****g asking me what's up?" My tone kept rising with every word until I was bellowing. "Girl, I f*****g gave you an important mission to accomplish."

"Oh... about that." She lazily responded. "Everything's been settled, don't worry. I'll give you a full report tomorrow. Well then..."

"Don't you f*****g end this call!" I shouted.

"Is there anything else?"

I swear this girl had a way of always getting on my nerves. "You f*****g finished the mission, yet didn't think to report to me first-hand?"

"I knew you had to be tired after planning that gathering and all... I didn't want to disturb you at this time... I'll relate everything in full detail tomorrow, so..."

"Get over here... now!" I shouted

"Huh? Can't it wait till tomorrow? I'm so sleepy right now." She yawned.

"Get your ass over here right now, else I'll make sure you get to sleep for good several meters beneath the ground."

"Fine, fine! I'll come... no need to get so worked up." She grumbled.

"You have thirty minutes, not a single second less!"

"Yes boss." She answered with a hint of sarcasm, then immediately disconnected the call in my face.

I stared at the dead line in disbelief for a few seconds, then hurled the phone with all my might against a nearby wall. It shattered with a resounding crack, then fell into several broken pieces on the ground. This damn b***h! Just wait till she gets here!

I then noticed Ryan still standing next to me, his disbelieving gaze on his broken phone. "You may leave now." I told him.

He looked at me, seeming reluctant.  "Boss, this..."

"I said get the hell out now!" I hollered.

He flinched slightly but then nodded and exited the room. I called the guards at the entrance to instruct them to let Ryan leave the property as well as to tell them to let Lucia in as soon as she arrives.

I poured myself some more whiskey, watching the clock intently, impatient for the thirty minutes to be over. However, that b***h naturally had to make others wait for her, taking a full forty five minutes to turn up.

I stared at my study door intently, the seconds it took for the guards to guide her feeling like an eternity. All the tension in the room had been sucked up, as I remained standing there, like a ticking bomb, impatient to explode.

A soft knock sounded from the door. "Come in!" I immediately shouted.

As soon as she took a couple of steps forward, I aimed the gun in my hand at her head, then shot. The sound was deafening in the silence of the night, the air surrounding us trembling from the resounding tremors. However, she didn't even flinch, glancing at the hole made in the wall right next to her face.

"I take it you're very angry?" She asked leisurely, stepping further into the room.

"Why the hell are you so late!" I hollered, but then I took in her appearance, frowning at the bathrobe she wore. "Why are you dressed like this?" And how come I found this simple cloth on her body sexy as hell? I already had fantasies of her sitting on my bed dressed like this right after I have f****d her brains out... or before... though I'd much prefer having her naked. I shook my head to clear away these thoughts.

She sighed wearily. "To answer your first question, you never said where 'here' was."

I stepped forward, crowding her space so she'd be forced to crane her neck to look at me. Yet as she stared into my furious eyes, which normally caused even powerful leaders to recoil in fear, not a hint of hesitation or disquiet could be seen on her flawless face. This strength about her attracted me like no other. Besides her face, looking still as beautiful without make-up, or maybe more so, now had an innocent look which made my cravings take on a much darker edge. She was also closely perusing my face, a myriad of emotions passing through her gaze, but there was no denying the lust in her eyes.

I pulled forth my earlier anger to keep from tasting those still red luscious lips. "If you hadn't so rudely hung up on me earlier, this wouldn't have happened." Just remembering it made me boil over yet again.

"That was indeed a miscalculation on my part." She said then faintly muttered under her breath. "Coz you were getting on my nerves."

I narrowed my eyes at her dangerously, but she went on undeterred. "And I tried calling again after that, but couldn't get connected." She glanced to the side, then went on smugly. "I understand why now."

I followed her line of sight finding the phone still lying in pieces on the floor. "How did you manage to find this place, then?"

She sighed wearily, then stepped back slightly, putting some distance between us. I once again moved closer to her until we were standing toe-to-toe, her sweet scent and heat encompassing me, making me crave more. Her eyes on me hardened, that determination once again firing from her as she stood her ground.

I pulled my face closer to hers. "Answer my question." I murmured in her ear, a grin pulling at my lips when I caught her slight shiver which she vehemently tried to conceal by shuffling on her feet.

"I called Ryan's house and left a message in his voice-box." She explained. "He called me back as soon as he reached home."

I gritted my teeth. "You even have his house number?" The words came out harsh hiding nothing of my irritation.

"He gave it to me."

"And have you been there?"

She scoffed. "I didn't even visit my own house, why would I go to his? Though I do not understand how that is of any significance..."

I didn't pay any mind to her comment and went on with my questioning. "What is your relationship with Ryan?"

She looked at me with disbelief. "Again, I do not understand how that is..."

"Answer the f*****g question!" I said impatiently.

"I said it before, we are friends." She retorted back sharply.

I gazed at her skeptically. "Why do I get the feeling you are more than that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is there some no dating rule in the syndicate that I didn't know of?"

Her constant rebellion was getting on my nerves. "Let's get one thing clear..." I gritted. To accentuate my threat, I gripped the hem of her bathrobe, but this caused the fabric to open, revealing her ample chest. The words died down on my throat as my eyes latched on to her dark pink n*****s which quickly grew taut under my hungry gaze.

A hint of a blush tinged her face as she tried to fight my hold. "Let go!" She shouted with indignation.

I maintained my firm grip, pulling on the fabric to bring her body closer to mine. The pressure caused the neckline to further open, exposing more of that tantalizing body. "Why are you resisting?" I murmured. "Wasn't this exactly what you wanted coming here dressed like this?"

"It's not like that! Let go of me!" Her hands were clutching mine, trying to pull her clothes from my grip.

I was drunk on lust, my gaze unable to leave her exposed breast while my mind conjured up all sorts of erotic torture I'd like to inflict to those tight buds.

"You wanted to use your body to seduce me, didn't you? Just like you did with all those clients you convinced to sign contracts worth millions." I pulled her body flush to mine, so I could nip at her neck. "Show me just how determined you are to get that promotion." I whispered wickedly in her ear.

I was totally lost in the sensations as her resistance initiated a carnal friction between our bodies. While my body's reaction to her was mind-boggling, the loss of control frustrated me, making me want to degrade her.

She suddenly doubled her resistance, her nails clawing at my arms and anywhere else she could reach.

I gripped both of her hands, restraining them behind her back. Her chest was now crushed against mine, her short pants causing those hard n*****s to tauntingly rub against me, rendering me mindless . Though she kept fighting my hold, her face was a mask of pure lust, her cheeks flushed with her lips parted. With one hand still restraining her, I fisted the other through her hair, pulling her head backwards so I'd have a better view of this appealing expression on her face. Then, unable to help it, I descended my face to hers, capturing her mouth. Just the contact of our lips caused a ripple of excitement to course through my whole body. Her taste was like the most potent aphrodisiac... The more I took of her, the more aroused I felt. She remained tense at first, but I relentlessly coaxed her, licking at her lips until she opened up for me. My tongue plundered her mouth with ravenous eagerness as I tried to consume all of her with that kiss. Time seemed to fly by as we remained like this, each in a frenzied battle.

Eventually she started pushing at me again with renewed determination. This brought me back to my senses, pulling forth my infuriation at my loss of control. I shoved her away with such strength, she went crashing against the ground. Still, I couldn't help myself from ogling her exposed breast. Sending me a scathing glare, she pulled her bathrobe back closed, then groggily got back to her feet, retreating several steps away from me.

She then squared her shoulders, staring at me straight in the eyes. "Don Adriano. I hope we can keep our relationship professional."

"As if I'd want to get involved with someone like you." I sneered. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I wanted to believe the same, but your actions just now seemed to say otherwise."

"That kiss just now didn't mean anything... don't think too much about it."

"You..." She grit her teeth, her body visibly shaking as she pulled her hands into tight fists.

"Stop acting so outraged." My lips stretched in a smirk. "Weren't you also eagerly responding to my kiss? Your hands were latching onto me as if I was your last lifeline."

Her eyes shot daggers at me but then she closed them, inhaling deeply as if pulling on her patience. "Let's just pretend this thing just now never happened. We are both tired and weren't in our right mind." Those alluring green eyes bore into mine. "There won't be such a slip-up again."

"Fine with me." I said, but deep inside I knew that there was no way I could forget that moment. Even now I was still reeling from the aftershocks and my mind kept replaying the whole scene. Her face drunk with lust, those earth-shattering sensations she triggered within me... I had to close my eyes to keep from going back to her and re-initiating our intimate contact. No matter how much of a sexy temptress she was, getting involved with one of my subordinates was a bad idea. Besides I still wasn't sure if she had some ulterior motive.

"But speaking of tired... I hope you're prepared to face the consequences for not reporting back to me as soon as you completed your mission." Just thinking about those hours I spent uselessly worrying about her made me want to throw a fit. Not to mention she was peacefully slumbering away the whole time.

"It's unfair to punish me when I was only being considerate. Like I said, I thought you would be tired after all these sudden issues and assumed that you would be resting... I didn't want to bother you."

I was indeed dead tired, having not slept a wink for several days, but that was what infuriated me the most. I had already resolved the brunt of the issue, but I couldn't bring myself to take the much-needed rest. I might have fooled myself, saying that l was nervous about the drugs, but deep inside, I knew that wasn't the case. As much as I hated to admit it, my mind was plagued with worry for her.

"Whenever you complete any mission, you are supposed to report to me right away, regardless of the time." I gritted.

"I didn't know there was such a rule... I'll try to abide by it in the future." She mumbled, her tone slightly brooding.

I just made up that rule and it only applied to her, but she didn't need to know these details. "As long as you understand... but you still have to compensate for your transgression."

"How?" She murmured unsurely.

"You'll be doing extra tasks for me for however long I deem it necessary."

She narrowed her eyes at the slightly misleading request. "As long as it's not too excessive and within my capacity."

"You seem enduring enough, so you should be able to pull it off."

Her eyes suddenly brightened. "Wait, does this mean I've been promoted?" She asked excitedly.

"I did say if you successfully complete the task, I'll give you a higher position, and I always keep my word."

"Great then!" She enthused, a wide grin stretching her face. That innocent excited smile on her face added some cuteness to her alluring features, pulling forth a foreign feeling akin to tenderness in my heart.

While waiting for her report earlier, I had been going through all the information about her. Even though I was normally very difficult to impress, I couldn't help feeling amazed when I learned about all her achievements in the past few years. There was no denying that she was extremely skilled and would have been promoted long before, had Ryan taken the trouble to relate her accomplishments to me. She'd been unfairly held back because of his selfishness, whatever the reason behind that was. I gritted my teeth as I remembered that fucker's repeated attempts to get closer to Lucia. I seriously needed to teach him a lesson later.