Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 67

About fourteen minutes later, I study myself in the mirror, my stomach a mess of butterflies.

I'm better than I was about twelve minutes ago, though, when I'd been sitting on the floor drinking directly from the bottle of wine, hissing desperately into the phone to my sister while she tried talk me down. Luckily, the combination of alcohol and sister logic eventually pulled me together. "Get your a*s up," Janeen had ordered me, "put on that little outfit, and take charge. You're the boss, Fay, not him."

"Right," I had gritted through my teeth. "Except he's a literal mob boss. And I'm just -"

"Nope," she had interrupted. "Not today. Today you're Fay, mob mistress, who gets precisely what she wants. Right?"

"Right," I had growled, briskly hanging up the phone and grabbing the scrab of lace before heading for the bathroom.

Honestly? It looks really good on me, I think, turning to admire the way the cheeky little bottom of the lace teddy curves around my a*s. I look - well, way sexier than I thought I would.

Suddenly, a light knock comes at the door and my eyes go wide.

Shit. My fifteen minutes are up.

"Just a second!" I call, diving for the bed and grabbing the requested Prada shoes from their place on the duvet. Then, pulling them on, I kick the empty lingerie box under my bed and turn towards the door.

I take a moment to close my eyes and take a deep breath.

You're the boss, Fay, I tell myself, my heart pounding in my ribcage. You're in charge. Not him.

The knock comes again.

I open my eyes.

"Come in," I call. My voice shocks me by coming out calmer, deeper than I expected.

Slowly, the door opens and I see his figure standing there, silhouetted against the bright light of the hall. That's when I realize that I'm standing in complete darkness - apparently the sun had gone down completely while I've been in here. My eyes had just adjusted to the dark.

Kent pauses, looking into the dark room, and then flicks a light switch by the door, turning on two dim sconces that hang on either side of my bed. The room is suddenly suffused with a pale orange light. My eyes go wide in it, seeing him standing there, one hand tucked neatly in his pocket.

We just stare at each other for a moment, neither saying anything, and then Kent steps into the room and quietly closes the door.

My stomach turns over and I do my best to control my breathing, to not let Kent see the anxiety roiling beneath my skin. He slowly crosses the room to stand before me, a jungle cat prowling towards some curiosity it finds in the forest.

"Good evening, Fay," he murmurs, looking down into my face, reaching out a hand to brush a curl back from my shoulder. "You look lovely tonight."

Something about the possession in his gaze riles me, and I'm glad of it. I'd rather be pissed off than terrified. I raise my chin and look boldly up at him.

"Do you like the outfit you've chosen for me? Does it meet your standards?"

He takes a minute to consider me before he replies. "No more or less than everything else I choose for you to wear."

"Really," I hear myself ask, raising an eyebrow. "This outfit...pleases you? The same amount as everything else I wear?"

He cocks his head to the side, looking down at my body, his eyes lingering on my breasts that are delicately cradled by the underwire of my bustier.

"You look beautiful in everything you wear, Fay," he replies, taking a step back from me. He snaps his eyes up to meet mine, though, almost making me jump. "And the answer is yes, if what you're really asking is if I want to f**k you no matter what you're wearing." My breath catching in shock at this blunt admission of his desire. But he ignores me, returning to his study of my body, my clothes. Despite his words, he looks at me like a connoisseur, not a lover.

"Would you turn around for me?" he asks calmly. "I'd like to see the full effect."

I oblige him, slowly turning around for him to see me from all sides. When I turn to face him again, his eye are locked on mine.

"Beautiful," he says. "Stunning, Fay. Thank you."

I don't know what to say, so I don't say anything. I just standing before him, trying not to let my knees shake.

The threat of that only increases when he takes two steps towards me, placing one hand on my waist, his other tilting my chin up towards him.

"Are you sure about this, Fay?" Kent whispers, his voice a caress. "Because if this is just an attempt to call my bluff - I promise you. There is no bluff."

I'm sure he can feel me trembling now that his hands are on me, but I will myself to stare clearly into his eyes. "No bluff, Kent," I say, keeping my voice steady. "I signed the papers. I'll stand by them. But we're going to do this on my terms -"

He laughs at me suddenly, taking his hand from my waist and using it to give me a sharp slap on the a*s.

I gasp, stumbling back from him, shocked.

He gives me a wolfish smile, returning his hands to his pockets. "No, Fay," he says, shaking his head. "My terms. Only my terms. Is that understood?"

I open my mouth to protest, but he ignores me, looking away towards the window as if my objections don't matter.

"I want you to contact Ivan tonight," he demands, his voice all business. "Tell him you want to go to dinner with him tomorrow."

I had opened my mouth to protest his terms and I don't bother to shut it when I hear his order. It just would have fallen open again anyway at this turn. What was - I thought that he -

"What, Fay," Kent pushes, smirking at me and reading my mind. "Did you think I was going to come in here and ravish you tonight?" He slowly shakes his head. "No. With you, I want to take my time."

He turns then and slowly heads towards the door, looking at me when he reaches it. "You'll go to dinner with Ivan tomorrow night, don't take no for an answer. And then, when you're on the date, don't say anything about our plans to have him come to our side yet. Just... be friendly." He smirks at me, letting me interpret that any way I want.

I take a minute to process his command and then nod, letting him know I understand, gathering together my pride. This was my role now, after all. Agent and mistress of the mafia king. I had expected the latter title to come into play tonight but...well, I could roll with these changes. Honestly, I was a little relieved.

"And then," he continues, snapping my attention back to him. "When you come home," he puts an emphasis on the last word, ensuring that I understand that he expects me home tomorrow night, and not at Ivan's house, "there will be another box like this one in your room. I'd like you to wear it. And then wait for me to come to you."

I don't say anything. I just stare at him. Was it going to be tomorrow night, then? When he...

"Do you understand, Fay?" Kent asks, raising an eyebrow at me, clearly pleased with how this went.

I raise my chin towards him. "Yes," I tell him, my voice steady.

"Good," he purrs, his eyes devouring me one last time before he pulls the door open. "I'll look forward to it, Fay. Every minute of it."

Kent pulls the door closed behind him and I fall to my knees, finally giving my legs permission to collapse and tremble all they want. My hands are shaking too as I grab my new phone from the bottom drawer of my desk and call my sister.

"Wait, seriously?" she exclaims, starting in without a greeting. "Is he seriously done? Jeeze, I thought Kent Lippert of all people had more staying power than that -"

"Janeen," I groan, closing my eyes and flopping onto my back on my rug. "Stop getting ahead of yourself. We didn't have sex."

"Really?" she asks, intrigued. "Then what did you do?"

"Nothing," I insist. "Well...he gave me a task to do tomorrow. But I need you. Help me figure out what to do next."

My sister laughs and I can imagine her now, stretching out languorously on her bed. "Sure sis," she says, her voice a little devious. "What do you need?"

So, I tell her everything.

And together, we come up with a plan.