Owned By The Mafia Boss

Chapter 2

Raven had spent nearly forty-five minutes hiding in the bathroom, and if she could have stayed there all morning, she probably would have.

She had even spent the last few minutes silently praying that when she finally stepped outside, the man from last night would be gone.

Unfortunately, God clearly wasn't listening.

After taking one last breath and staring at herself in the mirror, Raven reluctantly reached for the doorknob, only for her stomach to drop the moment she opened the door and found him still there.

The unfamiliar surroundings came back to her, the polished furniture, the enormous windows overlooking the city, and the unmistakable feeling that everything in the room was far more expensive than anything she could afford.

There was no doubt they were staying in one of the city's luxury hotels.

What she didn't know was how she'd ended up there.

She still couldn't figure out how a few drinks with Claire at the bar had somehow ended with her waking up in a stranger's hotel room.

Last night hadn't been part of her plans, and a one-night stand certainly hadn't been on the list.

So, unfortunately, she had no choice but to put on the same tiny, body-hugging halter dress she'd worn to the bar.

It had looked perfectly reasonable under the dim nightclub lighting, but in broad daylight, not so much.

Raven quietly stepped out of the bathroom.

The man was standing near the window with his back to her. He had already dressed, trading whatever he'd worn the night before for a fitted gray long-sleeved shirt and black trousers.

Even from behind, he looked intimidating, tall, broad-shouldered, and impossibly composed, leaving Raven to wonder how she had ended up in bed with a man like him.

She was almost certain she knew his name.

Almost.

Unfortunately, her memory had apparently decided that particular detail wasn't important enough to preserve.

She couldn't even remember where the hotel was, let alone how she'd managed to leave Claire at the bar.

Closing her eyes briefly, Raven crept toward the bedside table where she'd spotted her purse, but she was only a few steps away when his phone rang and he answered without turning around.

“Don't move the shipment until I give the order. I'll be there in thirty minutes. Nobody touches it before I arrive.”

Raven stopped, her brows knitting together at the word shipment.

Okay…

That was interesting, the way he spoke didn't exactly scream ordinary businessman, leaving Raven wondering if he was some kind of CEO, a high-powered executive, or simply a man who enjoyed ordering people around.

Or maybe he's just an asshole.

The thought almost made her smile as she grabbed her purse and took one step after another, nearly reaching the door when the man suddenly turned around, his eyes locking onto hers as he silently looked her over from her face to her bare shoulders and down the length of her dress before slowly returning to her face, making Raven painfully aware of every inch of exposed skin.

“Don't leave so quickly,” he said.

His voice was deep and maddeningly calm.

“You don't have a car. I'll drive you home.”

Raven blinked.

“I-I'll be fine.”

She forced herself to sound casual.

“I'm sure we're still in the city. I'll just take a cab.”

His eyebrow lifted. Then his gaze dropped to her dress again.

“You're going out wearing that?”

Raven glanced down at herself.

“What?”

“That.”

She looked back at him.

“What's wrong with it?”

“Nothing.”

The answer came too quickly. His jaw tightened.

“You just shouldn't be walking around the city alone dressed like that.”

Raven stared at him, unsure whether she should be offended or amused.

“I managed just fine last night.”

“That was at night.”

“So?”

“It's daylight now.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again because, annoyingly, he had a point, and she hated that.

Last night, she'd been surrounded by people, music, flashing lights, and darkness. She hadn't thought twice about the short dress because Claire had said they were going to a bar, not a church, before practically dragging her out of her apartment to whatever bar they'd ended up at.

But standing in an expensive hotel lobby in the middle of the morning, the dress suddenly felt much shorter, and the man seemed to notice her hesitation as a faint smirk touched his lips.

Raven narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms as she tried to hide how irritated his calm demeanor was making her.

“That’s what I thought.”

“I can handle myself.”

He raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed by her attitude. “I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

“You’re acting like it.”

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “I am offering you a ride.”

Raven shook her head and tightened her grip on her purse. “And I’m saying no.”

He studied her for a moment. Then he sighed.

“I'll take you.”

“No.”

“I wasn't asking.”

Raven's eyes widened.

Unbelievable.

“And you said you'd be somewhere in thirty minutes,” she reminded him. “I don't want to keep you. Besides, I can handle myself. You don't need to worry about me.”

“I am not worried about you.”

The words came so flatly that Raven almost laughed.

“Oh. Good.”

“I was simply offering some help.”

He paused.

“Consider it a small act of kindness. A simple thank you for your gift.”

Raven’s irritation flared.

“A thank you?”

“Yes.”

“That's what you're calling it?”

His expression remained unreadable as his gaze shifted toward the bed, and when Raven followed it, her stomach dropped at the faint stain of blood on the white sheets, her cheeks immediately burning as she remembered.

Oh.

Right.

Last night.

She looked away, reminding herself that she'd willingly given herself to this man, yet somehow, she'd forgotten almost everything about him except how ridiculously attractive he was, tall, muscular, expensively dressed, and apparently loaded, which was a shame because he was also completely insufferable.

If she'd known he'd be this arrogant in the morning, she never would have given him a second glance.

Then again...

Maybe she'd simply been far more drunk than she remembered.

“You're an ass,” Raven muttered.

His eyebrow rose. Then, unexpectedly, the corner of his mouth curved.

“I was thanking you.”

“That was your idea of gratitude?”

“I thought it was generous.”

“Well, keep your gratitude.”

Raven turned toward the door.

“I'm leaving.”

She had barely reached for the handle when his voice stopped her.

“Fine.”

She glanced over her shoulder.

“If you don't want me to drive you...”

He crossed the room, and Raven watched as he picked up the black tuxedo jacket he'd worn the night before before holding it out to her.

“Put this on.”

She stared at the jacket.

“What?”

“Cover yourself.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“I don't need-”

“You clearly do.”

Before she could argue, he placed the jacket in her hands, and the scent of his cologne immediately surrounded her, dark, clean, expensive, and annoyingly addictive, making Raven swallow as she hated that she noticed before he reached into his pocket and handed her a black-and-gold card.

“Give this to the front desk.”

She looked down at it.

Raven turned the black-and-gold card over in her fingers, her brows drawing together in confusion.

“What’s this?”

“Tell them you need a car.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “A car?”

“They’ll arrange one.”

Raven looked up at him, clearly unconvinced. “They’ll just give me a car?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

His expression remained calm, as though the answer were obvious. “Because I told them to.”

Of course. Naturally. Whoever this man was, he clearly wasn’t accustomed to hearing the word no.

As Raven glanced down at the card again, she found herself wanting to ask his name, who he was, and why the hotel staff seemed to jump whenever he spoke, but something told her she would never see him again, and maybe that was for the best.

Hopefully.

She forced a small smile.

“Thank you.”

Then she slipped the tuxedo jacket over her shoulders and hurried out before she could change her mind.

It wasn't until she reached the reception desk that she finally looked closely at the card.

Her eyes widened.

“Solara Crest Hotel...”

That explained everything. She’d heard of this place. Solara Crest wasn’t simply expensive. It was one of the most exclusive luxury hotels in the city, the kind of place where celebrities stayed and a single night probably cost more than her monthly rent. Raven glanced back toward the elevators.

Who the hell was that man?

If he could afford to stay at Solara Crest without blinking, he definitely wasn't an ordinary businessman.

Her curiosity only grew as she handed the card to the receptionist, and just as the man had promised, the staff member didn’t ask a single question, within minutes, Raven was being escorted outside and into a sleek limousine, leaving her staring at the extravagant vehicle through the window.

“This is insane.”

The driver merely smiled.

When they reached her apartment building, he didn't ask any questions either. He simply waited until she stepped out, gave her a polite nod, and drove away.

Raven barely had time to process what had just happened before someone threw an arm around her shoulders.

“Girl!”

Raven nearly jumped out of her skin.

She turned and saw Roxane grinning from ear to ear.

“Who the hell were you with last night?”

Raven groaned.

“Oh, no.”

Behind Roxane, Nicole and Bryan were already waiting.

Bryan's eyes were practically sparkling with gossip.

“A limousine?” he exclaimed. “Girl, you got dropped off in a freaking limousine!”

“What are you all doing here?”

Raven stared at them.

“Your sister called us,” Bryan said dramatically. “Apparently, there's a story about some mystery man, and she said we needed to hear it.”

Roxane nodded enthusiastically.

“And apparently, he's hot.”

“Very hot,” Bryan added.

“And rich,” Roxane continued.

“Obviously rich,” Bryan said. “Did you see the car?”

Raven rubbed her forehead.

“This is not a newsworthy event.”

Nicole shrugged. “Come on. Let her breathe.”

Raven smiled gratefully. Finally, someone sensible. But her smile faltered when Nicole spoke again.

“But was he hot?”

“Nicole!”

“What?” she asked innocently. “We're curious.”

“What's his name?” Bryan asked.

“And was he good?” Nicole added with a wicked grin.

Raven stared at them, unable to believe this. Claire had apparently decided that her one reckless night deserved an entire audience, and now her friends were joining in. She should have known.

And she couldn’t blame them. Raven had spent most of her life trying to be perfect.

Ever since Claire's family had taken her in, she'd carried the weight of gratitude on her shoulders. She'd always been careful. Responsible. Well-behaved.

Never too wild.

Never too reckless.

Never the kind of woman who woke up in a stranger's hotel room wearing nothing but yesterday's dress and his tuxedo jacket.

Claire had always teased her about it.

“Keep this up, Raven, and you'll be a saint by thirty.”

Raven had always laughed it off, knowing she owed Claire’s family too much to ever risk disappointing them.

But last night, she’d broken every rule she’d ever made for herself, and she still didn’t know whether she regretted it.

“Come on,” Roxane said, practically bouncing beside her. “Let's get inside. You owe us the whole story.”

Raven rolled her eyes.

“What makes you think I'm going to tell you anything?”

“Because we're your friends.”

“Unfortunately.”

They laughed as they walked toward the apartment, and Raven pulled her keys from her purse, but before she could unlock the door, she spotted someone sitting on the floor outside her apartment.

Claire.

With her arms folded across her chest, Claire stood the moment she saw Raven, and the look on her face made Raven’s stomach sink as she walked straight toward her, leaned close, and whispered.

“You owe us the whole story.”