Kissing a Mafia king

Chapter 1 – Collision of Fire

The office door slammed behind her before she even had a chance to realise how fast it had closed. Serena Vale froze for a second, feeling the presence before she saw him.

Leonardo Moretti.

He leaned against his desk, tall, sharp, dangerous—the kind of man who didn’t just command attention, he consumed it. Every inch of him radiated control, dominance, and heat. His eyes locked on hers with that unmistakable intensity, the kind that made you feel like he could see your thoughts before you had them.

“You’re late,” he said, his voice calm but dangerous, low enough to make her chest tighten.

“I prefer to make an entrance,” Serena replied, steady, even though her pulse had already jumped.

Leo’s gaze swept over her like a judge passing sentence—slow, deliberate, analysing, measuring. He took in the curve of her waist, the tilt of her chin, the way her shoulders squared as if daring him to challenge her. Most women crumbled under this scrutiny. She did not.

“Bold,” he said finally, stepping closer, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him. “Not many women walk into my office without trembling.”

“Not many women are me,” she shot back, letting a small smirk play on her lips.

He studied her for a long moment, as if deciding whether she was worth the risk, and then, almost imperceptibly, a corner of his mouth lifted. That one small curve was enough to make her stomach twist.

“You have no idea what you just walked into,” he murmured, taking another step. The air between them became thick with tension, a current she could feel along her skin.

“I think I do,” Serena whispered. “And I’m ready for it.”

He stopped. His eyes narrowed, a mixture of challenge and intrigue flickering across his face. “Ready, huh? Most women say that. Few survive it.”

“Then I guess you’ll find out,” she said.

Leo’s lips curved, dark and knowing. He moved around his desk with a predator’s grace, closing the distance until he was just an inch away. The world outside his office didn’t exist. There was only him. And her.

“I like a woman who can keep up,” he said. “But can you survive the chaos you’ve just stepped into?”

“I don’t survive,” Serena said, letting her voice drop. “I dominate.”

That earned her a brief, almost imperceptible chuckle, and then Leo’s expression hardened, a flash of something dangerous in his eyes.

“You don’t even know the rules,” he said, leaning closer. His breath brushed against her ear, electric, teasing, threatening. “The world you just stepped into doesn’t forgive mistakes.”

“I don’t make mistakes,” she whispered back, letting her lips brush his jaw in a defiant tease.

He froze—not out of fear, but surprise. No one had dared that. Not like this. Not in years. His control had been absolute… until now.

For the first time, something shifted in Leo. He felt it in his chest, sharp and insistent. Interest. Obsession. Desire.

Before either of them could process the surge between them, his phone buzzed on the desk, pulling him back into the real world. Leo’s eyes lingered on her, dark, calculating, and unreadable.

“You’re dangerous,” he said finally. “And I like that.”

Serena smirked, tilting her head. “I get that a lot.”

Leo moved back, circling the desk as if marking his territory. “Don’t get too comfortable. You’re in my world now. Everything you thought you controlled is gone.”

“I can handle it,” she said evenly. But inside, her heart raced like a wild animal. She could feel it—the electricity, the tension, the sheer power radiating off him. And she had no choice but to admit… she wanted it.

Leo’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second—a glimpse of a man who rarely let anyone in. Then it hardened again. “We’ll see,” he said.

He gestured toward the door. “Stay. Work. Prove you’re more than just words.”

Serena nodded, masking her pulse and thrill with calm. “I always do.”

As she settled into the office, the air seemed to crackle with unspoken heat. This was more than a meeting. More than an interview.

This was the beginning of something dangerous. Something wild. Something that would burn through every rule, every line, every ounce of control either of them had.

And neither of them would walk away untouched.

The world outside the office still moved. The city still pulsed. But inside, fire had ignited, and there was no turning back.

Serena adjusted the chair beneath her, her fingers lightly tapping against the polished mahogany of Leo’s desk. Every detail of the office screamed power and wealth: the floor-to-ceiling windows showing the glittering city below, the leather-bound books on management and law, the faint scent of old leather mixed with cologne. But none of that mattered. All she could focus on was him—the man who dominated the room, the city, and likely every person in it.

Leo sat back in his chair, observing her with calculated scrutiny. “Most people don’t last ten minutes in my office before they start sweating,” he remarked, voice low, dangerous, and amused all at once.

Serena’s smirk widened slightly. “Lucky for you, I’m not most people.”

A faint chuckle escaped him, almost predatory. “Bold… smart… reckless,” he murmured, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I like a woman who knows what she wants. But this isn’t a playground, Miss Vale. This is a battlefield.”

“I’ve been on battlefields,” she said evenly, “and I always come out on top.” Her words carried the weight of confidence, of experience, and a quiet fire he could feel radiating from her.

He leaned back, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Impressive. Dangerous. Exactly what I need… and exactly what I shouldn’t allow.” His hand hovered over the edge of the desk, a subtle show of control, an unspoken test.

Serena leaned forward slightly, letting her fingers graze the surface of his desk, close enough to feel the faint vibration of his heartbeat through the wood. “You like dangerous,” she said softly. “You thrive on it. And yet, here I am, standing in your office, challenging you.”

For the first time, Leo felt something crack, just a fraction, inside him. He was used to being untouchable, to having people fear him, obey him, and desire him—but rarely all three in one glance, in one voice, in one confident stance. And now, here she was, bold and unyielding, yet faintly teasing, almost daring him to act.

“You know the rules of my world,” he said, voice low, teasingly warning. “Everything you do, every move, every breath… it can be used against you.”

Serena tilted her head, eyes glinting. “Then I guess I’ll make my own rules.”

His lips twitched in what could have been amusement—or hunger. He rose slowly, walking around the desk with deliberate grace, measuring her response with each step. “You think you can play in my world and not get burned?”

“I don’t fear fire,” she said, her voice dropping just enough to tease, “I know how to control it.”

Leo stopped a few feet away, his gaze dark and heavy, piercing straight through her. “Control… huh? Interesting. Most people in my world are either consumed or broken by it. Few last long enough to test it.”

Serena leaned back slightly, her back straight, chin high, and met his gaze with unwavering defiance. “Then maybe I’ll be one of the few.”

He stepped closer, the air between them thick with anticipation, heat, and unspoken challenge. The subtle scent of his cologne reached her, intoxicating and dangerous. “Interesting,” he murmured. “Bold, clever… and stubborn. That combination can be lethal. For me. For you. For everyone who crosses our path.”

Serena’s heart raced, not from fear, but from excitement. She could feel the pull of him, the energy of danger and power, and it made her pulse quicken in ways she hadn’t expected. “Lethal… hmm. Maybe that’s exactly what we need.”

Leo’s jaw tightened slightly. No one had ever matched him word for word in such a controlled, confident manner. Most people faltered under his gaze. She didn’t. She stood there like a flame in the storm—untouchable, defiant, and utterly captivating.

“You walk into my life without knowing what’s waiting for you,” he said quietly, his eyes locked on hers. “Most people would run. Most people would beg for mercy. Most people… would die.”

“I don’t run,” she whispered. “I don’t beg. And I certainly don’t die without making an impact.”

The corner of his mouth lifted into a slow, dangerous smirk. “Impact… yes. That word suits you. But you have no idea what you’re signing up for. Once you step fully into my world, everything changes. Friends, enemies, life, death… all of it is at my discretion.”

“I’m not here for friends,” Serena said softly, a small, wicked smile playing on her lips. “I’m here for opportunity. And survival. And… maybe a little chaos.”

Leo paused, studying her carefully. He had walked through boardrooms, crime scenes, penthouses, and streets ruled by power, but she—Serena—was unlike anyone he had ever encountered. She carried danger in her eyes, a fire in her blood, and yet she was entirely in control. She wasn’t reckless, not really. She was calculated… deliberate.

“You’re unlike anyone I’ve met,” he admitted quietly, almost to himself. Then louder, with a dark edge: “You think you can handle what comes next?”

Serena leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk, her face inches from his. Her voice was low, sultry, confident. “I already am handling it.”

He froze, just for a heartbeat. That subtle, defiant tilt of her head, the steady strength in her gaze, the fearless tone—it was almost… intoxicating. Almost… maddening. He wanted to see just how far she could go. How much she could take. And maybe, just maybe, he wanted her to break a little under his control.

“You’re fire,” he said softly, leaning closer, letting the heat of his presence press against her senses. “And fire has a way of consuming everything in its path.”

“I control fire,” she whispered back, her lips brushing his jaw lightly, teasing, defiant, challenging.

A flash of dark approval crossed his eyes, but his expression quickly hardened again. He was a man used to control, to command, to dominate—and here was a woman daring to meet him on equal ground. “We’ll see,” he murmured. “The world you’re stepping into… it doesn’t forgive mistakes.”

“I’ve never made mistakes,” Serena said evenly, though her heartbeat raced. “And I’ve survived more than most.”

Leo’s eyes flicked to the city outside, the glittering lights below, the chaos of life moving too fast for most to handle. He turned back to her, dark and dangerous, a predator assessing prey… or maybe something more. “You’ll learn soon enough,” he said quietly. “This isn’t just a game. This is my life, my empire. One wrong move… and it could cost you everything. Including your life.”

Serena’s lips curved into a small, confident smile. “Then I’ll make sure it costs you nothing,” she said, her voice low, steady, and defiant. “And maybe I’ll even teach you something along the way.”

Leo’s chest tightened imperceptibly. Most people didn’t dare speak to him like that. Most people would have cowered or tried to charm. She… she did neither. She met him with confidence, fire, and a spark that made him feel alive in a way he hadn’t in years.

He circled the desk once more, slow, deliberate, as if marking his territory while testing hers. “You’re bold, reckless… and dangerously appealing. I should send you away.”

“And miss this opportunity?” she said, leaning forward, her eyes glinting with challenge. “I don’t think so.”

For the first time in a long time, Leo felt an involuntary pull toward someone. Her energy, her fire, her defiance—it was intoxicating. Dangerous. Wild. And yet, he couldn’t walk away.

“You’re dangerous,” he said quietly, almost admiringly. “And I like that.”

Serena smirked, tilting her head. “I get that a lot.”

He gestured toward the chair, letting a flicker of authority remain. “Stay. Work. Prove you’re more than words. Most people can’t keep up.”

“I always do,” she replied evenly, masking the rapid beat of her pulse with calm. But inside, her heart raced like a wild animal. The energy between them crackled, the air thick with tension, heat, and unspoken promise.

Leo leaned back slightly, letting his gaze linger on her. “Good. You’re in my world now. Don’t forget it.”

Serena’s eyes glinted, sharp and alert. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The office settled into a charged silence, thick with electricity and unspoken possibilities. Outside, the city continued its pulse, oblivious to the storm that had ignited in this room. Inside, fire had been lit—a fire that neither of them would be able to ignore.

And deep down, both knew it. Once fire started, it never died quietly.