Tension : A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (2 page)

Chapter 3

  Olivia gasps as the bellowing ding o the front doorbell shakes her out of her slumber.

“What?” She says to herself throwing of the covers and yanking herself out of bed. “It can’t be any past 7 in the morning. Who in their right mind would ring someone’s doorbell at this fucking hour?”

  She rushes down the hallway before hopping down the stairs.

“Just hold on! Just hold one for one second!” She shouts toward the door, hoping whoever is outside will hear her and stay put.

  She glides over the hardwood floor of her foyer, reaching for the brass knob before twisting it and pulling the door open.

“Can I help you…” She starts, her voice trailing off as she recognises her sleep interrupter. “Mr. Condello? I, uh… can I help you?”

“I figured you’re probably going to need a ride to pick up your car, huh?” He says, his fresh face smirking at her. “I’m the one who brought you home, so I’m the one who should take you back, don’t you think?”

“This early, though?” She asks, finally getting a chance to rub the sleep from her eyes. “Would my car even be ready by now? Has it even been twelve hours? I thought they had to order parts for it?”

“Hm.” He smirks, chuckling. “You could say I know how to make things move quickly.”

“You’re not expecting me to move quickly, are you?” She asks, flushing as she feels the breeze from outside brush across her thinly clothed chest.

  She covers her stiff nipple with her forearm as she nervously steps out of his way.

“Well, I guess you can come in.” She says, holding her arm out to welcome him. “I really need to put something else on.”

  He curls his upper lip into a smile, averting his gaze as he walks through her front door.

“You can make yourself at home…Actually…” She starts before quickly turning to walk into the kitchen.

  He follows her, watching in the doorway as Olivia frantically turns on the taps while looking for her kettle. She fills it while she digs through the cupboard, pulling out a ceramic mug before placing it on the counter and the kettle on the stove.

“Here.” She says, pulling a box of earl gray out of the cupboard. “I’ll get dressed quickly, but if the tea is ready then please, have a cup.”

“Alright, thank you.” He says to her as he watches her rush past him.

  She bounces back up the stairs, blushing as she runs back into her room.

“First time a man has ever been in my house and I’m in these ugly, skimpy pajamas.” She whispers to herself as she pulls the thin tank top over her head, tossing it onto the floor over in a corner.

  She walks over to her closet, pulling the large slotted doors open and grabbing the first shirt she can get her hands on, pulling it off the hanger as she jogs over to her dresser.

  Olivia slides open the top drawer, pulling out a bra before quickly putting it on. She slides into the t-shirt, as she plucks a fresh pair of panties from the same top drawer before rushing back over to the closet to grab a pair of jeans off the rack.

“I get that he’s paying for my repairs, but a little warning would have been nice!” She says to herself, huffing as she changes her bottoms quickly. “And maybe it wouldn’t have been a bad thing to just give me a call and have me go and pick it up myself instead of showing up unannounced. Who does that?!”

  She sighs as she walks over to her vanity, rubbing her face as she gazes into the mirror.

  Olivia picks up a hair elastic from the table before grabbing her waving golden locks and tying them on top of her head in a messy bun.

“I guess it’s a glasses kind of day.” She says, picking them up off the vanity and placing them on her face.

  She hurries herself out of her bedroom and makes her way back down the stairs, when she hears a soft metallic bang come from her kitchen.

  Olivia pauses, trying to listen over her beating heart as she hears more commotion coming from across her house.

  She takes another step down the stairs, her eyes widening as she sniffs the air, a confused smirk turning up her lips as she smells the rich warm smell of butter and cinnamon.

“Mr. Condello?” She says, her voice almost at a whisper as she enters the kitchen, seeing the stranger at her stove.

“You were faster than I thought you would be.” He says, turning around to face her as he holds a spatula in his hand. “Do you like French toast?”

“Yes…”She starts as she slowly walks towards her kitchen table and sits down. “I do…”

“Good.” He says, placing the spatula down on the counter and picking up his mug of tea to take a sip.

“Did you make some?” She asks, her eyebrows raising in confusion.
 

“I figured if you just got out of bed, you must be hungry.” He says as he picks the spatula back up and flips the French toast. “Was I wrong?”

“I uh… guess I could eat.” She says watching as he slides the French toast onto a plate. “It’s just that, people don’t usually go into a strangers kitchen and then decide to start cooking for them.”

“Stranger?” He chuckles as he walks towards the kitchen table.

  He places down the French toast before walking back over to her counters and opening a cupboard. He pulls out two small plates before opening a drawer and pulling out two forks.

“I’m still a stranger to you?” He asks, walking back over to her to sit down across from her. “I would have thought we were becoming fast friends…”

  She smiles softly, her cheeks flushing as she picks up her fork.

“Well then, thank you for breakfast, Mr. Condello.” She says, poking a piece of French toast and dropping it onto her plate.

“We should probably not waist time.” He says, picking up his own piece and cutting it with his fork before placing it in his mouth.

“Right, right.” She says, doing the same. “But thank you.”

Chapter 4

  Olivia brushes her hand over her car’s rough paint job in the parking lot of the mechanic shop.

“Well, at least they didn’t scratch you up more than you already are.” She says standing up tall as she turns towards the dinging bell of the mechanic shop door as it opens.

  She watches Mr. Condello walk towards her and she gives him a little wave.

“Keep this.” He says as he hands her a folded piece of paper. “It’s a recipe and if it fucks up again just show it to them and they’ll fix it for you for free.”

“For free?” She says. “Seriously? Oh, my God, I don’t even know what to say.”

“Don’t mention it.” He says. “I have a lot of friends who… enjoy helping me.”

  She lets out a soft laugh as she folds the receipt even further before stuffing it in her purse.

“I can see why.” She says, her eyes softly looking up at him. “You’re obviously a very good man.”

“Well…” He says, his eyebrows narrowing as he smirks at her. “I would like to think so anyway.”

“But not modest…” She laughs as she walks around to the driver’s side of her car and opens the door, placing her purse inside. “But really… thank you. I really could have never afforded this big of a repair on my salary.”

“Maybe you need a new salary.” He says, sinking his hands into the pocket of his coat.

“Yeah, I kind of do.” She smiles, laughing as she nods her head.

“So come work for me.” He says.

“Work for you?” She asks. “Are you offering me a job?”

“Not a very good one…” He starts. “Basic office help is really all I have for you to do… dishes, watering plants, some clean up, coffee…But I will double the salary your making now, so what’s to lose?”

“Double my salary to water some plants?” She asks, suspiciously. “But you don’t even know what I make now.”

“Doesn’t matter what you make now, I’ll double it.” He offers. “Anything to help you get back on your feet.”

  She stands there, stunned as she thinks it over.

  There is just something so suspicious about this guy, but really, double the salary is double the salary…

“Okay, yeah.” She says, smiling nervously. “Seems kind of too good to be true, but I’ll do it.”

“Glad to hear it.” He says, nodding his head. “Condello Investments… we’re downtown, you can’t miss us, we’re the building with the big glass windows. I’ll see you at 9 a.m., Olivia.”

“Yes, sir.” She says, unable to contain her smile any longer. “I’ll be there.”

“Business casual.” He says, slowly walking backwards toward her car. “But a little cute never hurt anybody.”

“Got it.” She says, waving softly at him as she watches him turn around to walk back to his car.

  Olivia slides into the driver’s seat as she watches his black BMW drive away.

“I guess that’s my new boss.” She says to herself as she fastens her seat belt. “What an interesting guy…”

Chapter 5

  Olivia struggles to close her front door as she pushes her grocery bags around with her feet.

  She sighs as she finally gets it closed and locked, taking a second to rest before beginning to thread her hand through the white plastic of all the bags.  She grunts as she lifts them and begins to waddle her way into the kitchen.

“Should have taken two trips!” She says to herself, squealing with effort as she lifts the bags up onto the table.

  She huffs, sitting down at the table and resting her face in her hands as she looks over her groceries before leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms over her head.

“Well, I better get this shit put away.” She says, standing up from her chair and walking around the table as she opens one of the plastic bags.

  Olivia unpacks the cans, stacking them on top of each other, locking them together, before carefully lifting up the tower and resting it under her chin.

  She walks slowly over to the counter, carefully dropping the cans onto the counter top before opening the cupboard and stacking them in one at a time, creating a wall of veggies and beans, spinning the cans so their labels face outwards.

“I might not even have enough room.” She says, turning around to go and see how many she has left to put away.

  She pauses as her eyes catch the shining porcelain of plates in the sink and she walks over to the pile of dishes, still smelling the cinnamon as she gets closer.

“I can’t believe he made me breakfast.” She says, rubbing the tip of her finger over the lip edge of the plate.

  She chuckles as turns to look at the pan still sitting on the stove.

“And I can’t believe I just let a stranger in my house like that.” She says. “I would never usually do that!”

“And I can’t believe he paid for my car repairs…” She says to herself as she walks back over to the table and opens another bag. “And a job?!”

  She pulls out a bunch of bruised yellow bananas from the plastic bag before walking over to the stove and placing them on the counter beside it. Olivia picks up the frying pan, smiling as she places it into the sink.

“And I actually
took
the job?” She asks herself, surprised. “I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore!”

  She leans against the counter top, resting comfortably on her elbows as she sighs, letting out a giggle as she tosses her head back.

“I’m still not sure if I even believe there really is a job or if he’s just an attractive con artist.”

  She pokes her fingers under her glasses to wipe the tiredness out of her eyes.

“Well, good luck conning me out of anything, sexy man, I’m broke.”

  She sighs, taking a few deep breaths in and out as she drags her fingers down her cheek and over her collar bone.

“He is pretty sexy, though.” She whispers to herself, standing up straight before stretching and walking back over to the table to put away the rest of her groceries.

  She reaches toward another bag, before pulling her hand back as a devilish smirk crosses her lips.

  Olivia giggles, her face flushing as she abandons the food on the table to walk across the front room toward the little bathroom by the stairs.

  She opens the door, flicking on the light as she pulls her hair out of its messy bun, letting it fall to her shoulders.

Olivia grips the hem of her t-shirt before lifting it up over her stomach and chest and pulling it over her shoulders. She tosses it to the ground before reaching around her back and unhooking the clasp of her bra.

  She pulls the garment away from her before quickly unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, pushing down the denim along with her panties, letting them too fall to the ground before stepping out of them and walking over to the bathtub.

  She sit on the porcelain, the ice col surface sending a shiver up her spine as she leans in to turn on the hot water, then the cold, before running her fingers through the flowing waterfall.

  She closes her eyes, waiting for the perfect temperature as she rubs her fingers over her chest, moaning out as she sinks her hand lower and lower.

  Olivia blushes, opening her eyes to turn on the showerhead before standing up and stepping under the steaming water, the warmth enveloping her.

  She can’t wait to see him again tomorrow.