Chapter Six — Dangerous Feelings
794 Words
Silence settled slowly over the penthouse.
Heavy. Warm.
Poppy lay beside Anthony, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath, her skin still flushed, senses still alive with the echo of everything that had just happened. For a while, neither of them spoke. The city outside felt distant, almost unreal compared to the quiet intensity inside the room.
“f**k…” she murmured at last, a soft, breathless laugh slipping from her lips. “That was… intense.”
She turned her head toward him, a faint, unguarded smile forming—something rare, something real.
“Raw. Deep.”
A pause.
“I’m sorry for all the… feelings,” she added more quietly. “I’m not very good at hiding them. That might be the one thing I truly suck at.”
Anthony let out a low chuckle, softer than usual, almost warm. He shifted slightly, pulling her closer until her head rested against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear—strong, grounding.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Don’t apologize, little cotton ball,” he murmured. “I like that you’re honest. Especially with me.”
His fingers moved through her hair in slow, absent strokes, a gesture so natural it felt unfamiliar even to him.
“I’m not good at hiding my emotions either,” he admitted after a moment. “I just learned how to lock them away.”
He tilted her chin upward, guiding her gaze back to his. His eyes had changed—softer now, open in a way they rarely were.
“What I said before was true,” he continued quietly. “I’m completely taken by you, Poppy. And I want you… every part of you.”
Her breath caught slightly, her heart picking up again—but this time, it wasn’t from adrenaline.
“I want to know everything about you,” he added.
Poppy hesitated—but only for a second.
“Then I’ll start with this,” she said, her tone shifting, becoming steady again. “I’ve already killed four assassins hired to take you down.”
The air shifted instantly.
“In the past four days.”
Anthony’s body tensed beneath her.
“Four?” His voice dropped, darker now. “And you didn’t tell me?”
She pushed herself up onto one elbow, her expression serious.
“An Italian mafia boss—Andrea Belluti,” she explained. “He’s expanding his territory. He hired my organization.”
Recognition flickered in Anthony’s eyes. His jaw tightened as the pieces fell into place.
“I was supposed to go to Belluti’s house tonight,” she continued. Then she paused, studying him. “But I thought…”
Her gaze softened slightly.
“You might be interested in joining me.”
A beat.
“In killing the man who wants you dead.”
Silence stretched between them.
Anthony didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he reached up, cupping her face, his thumbs brushing lightly beneath her eyes.
“I can’t lose you,” he said quietly.
The words landed heavier than anything else he’d said.
“Not after I’ve just found you. Do you understand that?”
Poppy held his gaze, steady, unwavering.
“That’s why I’m here.”
He exhaled slowly, forcing the tension inside him into something sharper. Controlled.
“Tell me everything,” he said. “What’s your plan?”
She did.
And he listened—really listened. His focus didn’t waver for a second, his mind shifting from emotion to strategy with effortless precision.
When she said Belluti’s name again, something darker flickered across his expression.
“Belluti,” he repeated. “I’ve been waiting for a reason.”
Poppy smirked faintly.
“I already hacked his security system,” she said. “It’s a joke. Everything’s mapped. But it’ll be cleaner with more men.”
She leaned closer, her voice dropping just slightly, teasing again.
“So… dangerous boss. Are you in?”
Anthony’s lips curved into a slow, predatory smile.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
He rose from the bed, energy shifting instantly—focused, commanding. He reached for his phone, already moving into action.
“I’ll gather my men,” he said. “Midnight. You and I handle the snipers. My people take the ground.”
He turned back to her, his gaze catching hers again—this time carrying both purpose and something deeper.
“But first,” he murmured, stepping closer and pulling her back into him, “we still have time.”
Poppy wrapped her arms around his neck, her smile returning—dangerous, certain.
Dangerous feelings.
Deadly plans.
And something growing between them neither of them was ready to name—
A partnership forged in fire.
- Writer
