Tempting Bad: A Dark Mafia Romance

PROLOGUEJASMINEThree months ago from now, I never would have seen this coming.I was shaking, with warm tears rolling down my cheeks, holding a gun up at the man who’d turned my life upside down from the minute he stepped in it.Adrian Romano.The definition of everything I should have been avoiding.Time and time again, he’d put me in danger.He’d compromised me.I could have died because of him…So why, why in its own fucked-up way, did I still have feelings for him?Why did I still love him?“You don’t want to do this,” Adrian whispered, his eyes burning into mine. “Come on, Jasmine. Put the gun down. This isn’t you.”“You lied to me. For all this time. You promised me that you would protect me. When you were the one that I needed protecting from all along,” I sobbed, convulsing, hardly able to keep myself upright because my vision was getting hazy, my eyes fogging and clouding with tears as my surroundings continued to spin around me.“Don’t do this,” Adrian pleaded. “I love you

“Cool, I’ll cover for her, Boss,” I grinned.“Thank you, Jasmine. I really appreciate it,” Boss replied sincerely, and then he turned on his heel, and walked away from me.This was going to be one interesting night for sure.4JASMINEI swallowed down a lump in my throat, suddenly a bundle of nerves, as I began trudging up the stairs, ready to make my way to the private lounge that the Golden Ace had restricted to VIPs only.I dusted my hair off, and smoothed my hands over my ass, hoping that I looked the part.Hoping that I looked my best.And then I walked into the booth, and saw four men sitting down at a table together.There were two older men, who looked about sixty-five years old.And there were two younger men…One who looked around thirty-seven, and one who looked around forty.My heart pounded against my chest, as I drunk in the view of the thirty-seven year-old.He was gorgeous.Possibly the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on in my entire life.He had dark, rugged bla

“I’ll have some Hennessy,” he stated matter-of-factly, folding his arms. “And I’d like to apologize on behalf of Piero over here. He was out of order, and I’m sorry if you felt uncomfortable.”“I never said that I was sorry,” Piero snarled, but Adrian flashed him a warning look that caused him to shut up.“I’ll have some Ciroc,” said Adrian’s friend, the forty-year old man sat next to him.Piero let out a low chuckle. “Since everybody’s drinking… Bring a bottle of Ciroc for the whole table.”He trailed off his sentence, narrowing his eyes at me.“In fact… Bring the bottles coming all night.”“Okay,” I nodded, and turned on my heel nervously.Ready to make my way back to Peter, to get the drinks everybody wanted.The way that Adrian just defended me…Nobody had ever defended me like that before, when I’d been harassed in the bar by weird men who didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no’.Most people would just look by, and claim that it was ‘none of their business’ to intervene.But no

12ADRIANI wasn't quite sure what came over me, but I could barely stand to watch this chick put on her show any longer.It was pissing me the fuck off…And not in a good way.I couldn’t stand to see her flirting with my friends.Why wasn’t it me that she was approaching?Why wasn’t it me that she made advances towards?Why did it have to be the motherfuckers that I was sitting down with…While she made me watch?I knew her game.She was probably trying to get me on her own…And let’s just say that she fucking succeeded.I approached the outside of the bathrooms, where we would be able to have some privacy.The entire time I’d been walking, she’d been thrashing about my grasp, thumping my back…But her defiance only turned me on even more.She was so fucking hot when she was angry.Jesus fucking Christ.“Put me down, Adrian!” she screamed, as she continued to punch my back.Dammit.Why did she have to say my name like that?It sounded so fucking sexy when it rolled off of her tongue.

I did my best to regather my confidence, getting my head back in the game, not wanting him to believe he’d won.“Who says I’m not married?” I retorted. “The boss makes us take off our rings before we come into work… Says it’s better for business.”I was lying through the skin of my teeth.“Says the tips are much more if they believe the sexy women to be single. And have nothing to be turned off by.”Adrian cocked his head to the side. “Is that so?”“Yep,” I said matter-of-factly, with my hands on my hips.He let out another chuckle, before he reached for something in my neck.“Is that why your work badge says Miss Jasmine Cassidy?” he said sarcastically, and a gasp leaped out of my throat, as I realized how much of an idiot I looked.I’d been made.17JASMINE“Hmm…” Adrian murmured, putting my security badge back in its place, as I flushed hot with embarrassment, my cheeks burning bright red.“What?” I demanded furiously.“Jasmine, huh?” he smirked. “Beautiful name… To match such a be