Mistress For The Mafia Princes

I felt the thump of the music before I even stepped through the threshold of the club. It was packed with people, yet I somehow felt exposed. I stepped inside, letting the crowd move around me while I took it all in. That was when I saw them. Above the bar, a staircase twisted toward a second level with private booths, shadowy corners, a perfect view of the dancers. A VIP lounge. That's where they were, two guys leaning against the rail. One faced away from the dance floor, deep in whatever his friend was saying. The other… He was looking right at me. I froze, my breath trapped in my throat. Even across the room, his blue eyes pinned me in place and stoked a heat inside me that had no business existing. Then I understood why I had felt exposed. His face was all sharp edges and angles that should’ve been too severe to be handsome, but somehow made it worse. Too beautiful in the kind of way that hurts to look at. What did he look like up close? I felt something warm and familiar start to pool just under my stomach. Instinctively, I pulled down my dress, feeling self-conscious. I should’ve known better than to wear it. Red was never subtle. I probably stood out like a flame. The man said something, and as his friend turned to face me, I looked away and searched the crowd for Chloe. Just then, she came up to me, shots in hand, smiling as if to say everything would be fine. But who was I kidding? Nothing was fine. I had just found out my boyfriend – my ex – had been cheating on me for months. I should have been curled up with a comfort movie and some ice cream. But Chloe thought it was a good idea to go to a club because “The only way to get over a man is to get under another one." I had no plans to do that, but I knew she wouldn't let me leave until I at least looked like I was enjoying myself. With that thought, I took the glasses from her and downed the shots in quick succession. “Yeah girl," she encouraged and pulled me further into the club towards the dance floor. I risked a glance at the VIP lounge, but the spot where the men had stood was empty. I shook my head to clear the irrational disappointment. Chloe didn't waste any time and disappeared into the crowd. "Hey pretty lady," a deep voice bellowed beside me, and I turned around to face the bear of a man looming over me. "I love your look," he continued, raising his voice over the music. "Thank you," I yelled back nervously. "I have to go," I said, starting to back up. "Me too," he responded, and immediately his hands were on my body and his breath in my face. I pushed against his chest, trying to free myself. “You are so hot," the smell of alcohol fanned over my nostrils. “I would love –” Suddenly, I was free, and the bear went stumbling backwards. It happened so fast, I barely had time to react. One moment I was upright, the next my ankle twisted with the sudden movement and I stumbled hard, right into a hard chest. Strong hands grabbed my elbows, steadying me before I could hit the ground. I looked up. And kept looking until I was met with those same blue eyes that had already messed with my mind today. It was him. The gorgeous guy from the VIP lounge. I glanced over his shoulder just in time to catch the bear being pulled through the crowd and towards the exit, by who I assumed to be his friend from earlier. Before I could process that, one hand let go of my elbow, and warm fingers gently tilted my chin, bringing my focus back to the guy who’d just saved me. He gave me a small, tight smile and mouthed, You okay? I nodded, slowly and a little stunned. “Good," it was just one word, but it was enough. He barely raised his voice, but it was so deep, it rolled through the air like it owned the space. I let my eyes trail over him, catching the strength in his shoulders, the way his muscles moved beneath his shirt as he straightened up. I was enthralled. It was like I couldn't take in enough of him. The tattoos snaking across his skin were dark and unreadable, his jawline sharp enough to hurt, and that stare... God, it felt like he could see everything. Like he could strip me without even trying. He took a glance over my shoulder, then he leaned down, slowly, as if giving me enough time to react. He spoke in my ear. “Dance with us?" Because of his proximity, it took me a while to process what he had said. Us? I felt a hand slowly caress my shoulder and I turned sharply. I was met with a face that was identical to the beautiful stranger behind me. I leaned back just enough to see both of them; this blue-eyed stranger with an intense look that could melt steel, and his grinning, brown-eyed counterpart. Brothers. Their energy was magnetic, and I didn’t know what to do with it. So I nodded, like it was the most normal thing in the world to be invited to a dance by two devastatingly attractive men at once. Then, the way they moved? They shared me like they’d been doing it forever, passing me between them with a kind of instinct that didn’t need words. No fumbling. No awkward grabs. Just the barest touch at my waist, fingers like warm whispers. Nothing more. Nothing less. And somehow, that restraint made it even hotter. By the time the second song started, I’d already picked up on their rhythms. Then the dance floor surged and, just like that, there was no space left. I was between them now. Pinned. Brown eyes had me at my hips, a firm wall against my back, shielding me from the crowd. Blue eyes stood in front of me, his chest broad and warm beneath my palms. Then he reached up, brushed my hair off my shoulder, and his lips skimmed the shell of my ear. “Have a drink with us,” he murmured. Us. That word clung to the air like smoke—thick, heady, dangerous. Like they came as a set. Like I could say yes to both… or not at all. “Unless you'd like something more," his brother whispered behind me. I stopped breathing. My fingers flexed against Blue eyes’ chest, and I felt him shift. His hands dropped lower, resting on my hips, just above where Brown eyes had already held me. He leaned in and softly brushed his lips against mine, as if to ask what his brother had not dared to say out loud. It was enough to make my whole body light up like fire. They wanted me. Both of them. The question was, could I handle them both?