Katerina De Luca

Silently, I trailed behind the maid, whose name I learnt is Merla, as my eyes wandered around the surroundings on the fourth floor of Arosio's villa. Apparently, Merla was escorting me to the fifth floor which is where the master bedroom is but I need to make the drink first or else the plan will be ruined.

Nervously chewing my bottom lip, I slowed my steps as we passed by the luxurious main kitchen located right beside the staircase and elevator. I can't believe this man has an elevator in his villa but I didn't have enough time to ponder on that as my footsteps came to a complete halt beside the kitchen's island. Merla was a few steps ahead of me, right beside the elevator and turned to look back at me curiously.

"Ah...I am a bit hungry! I'll stay here for a bit to make a late night snack, you can leave, thank you" I let out an awkward laugh in between my nervous rambling and noticed the older woman's hesitation.

"Mr. De Luca has been waiting for you in the master bedroom. He has personally prepared a bath for you with lavender flowers. You may go on ahead, I will call the chefs to prepare a snack and have it brought up to you," Merla stated before taking out her cellphone but froze when I screamed aloud in protest.

"NO! Uh...I mean... that's not necessary, it is so late in the evening, there is no need to disturb the chefs while they sleep. I will make the snack myself," my widened eyes bore into hers while silently praying for her to agree but she seemed quite reluctant to leave me alone.

Maybe Arosio warned all of his staff members about me? As far as I knew, Arosio valued privacy and did not like keeping his staff in his home overnight nor did he like having too many workers. But this villa is filled with guards and maids everywhere, it's as though he wanted to have extra eyes watching my every move.

That sly bastard!

"Merla, can you please inform Arosio that I will be here in the kitchen and tell him that I want him to join me for a late night snack?" I interjected softly when the older maid remained completely silent after my last remark.

"Of course, Mrs. De Luca," she smiled at me thoughtfully once I mentioned Arosio and stepped into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, I let out a breath of relief and my tired body slumped against the kitchen island.

Not sure how many minutes passed by, but I just stood there silently trying to focus on regulating my rapid heartbeats and breaths that came out too fast. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't utterly petrified about this plan of drugging the one and only Italian Mafia boss.

Thoughts of Arosio's angered expression and possible sinister punishments kept replaying in my mind and I began to feel a bit lightheaded. Tightening my grip on the edge of the countertop, I tried to stabilize my footing.

Enough, Katerina! You need to focus, Arosio will be down here any moment now, you need to make the drink or else all of yours and your best friends efforts will go to waste!

Nodding to myself, I shuffled around the kitchen and found two crystal clear glasses before I quickly opened the refrigerator and scanned it for a suitable drink. It is now passed midnight so drinking any type of juice might seem odd to Arosio, alcohol is out of the question since I am a lightweight and Arosio wouldn't let me drink anyway. I desperately scanned the refrigerator up and down before my eyes finally landed on a suitable item.

Pouring it into the two glasses, I pretended to drop the bottle cap on the floor before bending down hunched over and slipping the pill bottle out of my bra. I wasn't sure if anyone was watching the security cameras that are all over the villa so I needed to be extra careful!

Shaking four sleeping pills out of the bottle, I held them tightly in my hand and used as much force as I could to crush the pills. Thankfully, they weren't that big and quickly became a powdery substance. I wasted no time in hovering my hand over one glass and releasing the contents into the drink before stirring it with a spoon.

By now, a few minutes had passed since Merla disappeared and I could hear the elevator coming down. Sprinting to the sink, I quickly washed my hands and threw the pill bottle into the garbage under the sink cabinet. Turning around, I took the two glasses and placed them onto the tray with a plate beside them.

*Ding*

"I heard you were hungry, tesoro, would you like me to cook for you?" my back was facing the elevator and instantly tensed up as I heard the familiar footsteps and alluring voice of Arosio entering the kitchen and making his way over to me.

Taking a deep breath, an innocent smile appeared on my face as I lifted the tray and turned towards Arosio. The tray almost slipped through my fingers when I took in his appearance though. He was dressed in nothing but black sweatpants and a few droplets of water dripped down from his dark hair. My cheeks tinted pink as I averted my gaze from his perfectly sculptured abs and looked into his dark eyes instead.

Arosio's gaze trailed down to the tray I was holding before looking towards me curiously with a brow raised. A nervous laugh escaped me as I tilted my head towards the sofa area behind the kitchen that held a beautiful night view outside the glass windows.

"Would you like to join me for some milk and cookies?" I kept my voice soft and smiled at Arosio when he froze for a moment. He looked genuinely surprised and it made me wonder when the last time this dangerous man consumed milk and cookies was. Although his parents are lovely people, I don't think Arosio was able to experience a normal childhood like other children.

"Of course, my cucciola," Arosio stated before leaning towards me and taking the tray from me. His fingers ever so slowly brushed across mine as I gulped down hard and tried to suppress the butterflies erupting in my stomach.

I followed him to the sofa area with my eyes glued onto the tray, his drink was on the right and mine on the left. I need to make sure that I am the one to hand him the correct drink, or else this whole plan will fail.

Arosio placed the tray on the black coffee table before taking a seat in the middle of the sofa. Instead of sitting beside him, I subconsciously knelt onto the floor in front of him and sat cross-legged with the coffee table in between us. I was too focused on following the movement of the tray and didn't realize that I lowered myself onto the floor when Arosio lowered the tray onto the table.

Get it together, Kat!

"The floor is cold, come sit beside me, tesoro," Arosio frowned slightly as my frightened gaze snapped up to him before returning to the two full glasses of milk. I was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole plan, maybe I shouldn't drug him?

"Ah, right. Sorry," I mumbled nervously before standing up and sitting beside him on the grey sofa but kept quite a bit of distance between us.

Arosio didn't seem to appreciate the space between us since his arm almost instantly wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to his side which made me almost jump in surprise. I looked up at Arosio, only to see him smirking down at me with his annoyingly handsome face.

"Much better," Arosio mumbled before kissing the side of my exposed neck, making my face instantly heat up as shivers shot up my back.

Okay, that's it! This man is going down!

Clearing my throat, I leaned away from Arosio's heated embrace and took a hold of the glass on the right side before raising it up to Arosio's lips. As soon as I brought the glass to his lips, Arosio's gaze darkened considerably and it felt like he was staring straight through my soul. My heart began to race frantically as I willed my mind to calm down and stop thinking of the worst case scenarios.

"I don't drink milk, mi dispiace tesoro," Arosio mused aloud with a mischievous smirk as he lightly pushed my hand holding the glass away. By now, I was on almost full panic mode as thoughts of him realizing what was in the milk appeared in my mind. (I'm sorry)

Think, Katerina! Come up with an excuse, any excuse!

"Oh...I just...my grandpapa and I would always share a glass of milk and cookies before bed. I miss him a lot and I thought you could maybe..."my voice came out small as I acted sad and disappointed while lying straight through my teeth. Technically, it was true, grandpapa and I always shared a glass of warm milk and cookies before bed but I would never want Arosio to continue that tradition with me. He's not even half the great man my grandpapa is.

Arosio's gaze instantly softened as a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. My hand that was slowly placing the glass onto the tray was suddenly grasped by his warm hand. Without breaking eye contact, he drew my hand holding the glass up to his lips before drinking it. I think he meant to stop halfway but a bright smile spread across my face so he continued to drink the glass until there was nothing left.

"Happy, my cucciola?" Arosio whispered once I placed the empty glass back onto the tray. Turning towards him, I laughed and nodded my head repeatedly before leaning across and gently swiping my thumb over the top of his lip where milk stuck to his light stubble. Arosio leaned into my touch before tightly holding my hand in his own.

"Very. Thank you, Arosio" I tried to ignore the soothing circles Arosio was drawing on the back of my hand and instead focused on his face to catch any signs of the drug working.

"You called me Arosio," I barely caught his words as my gaze snapped up to meet his deep brown, almost black, orbs. He was smiling at me with a smile that I had never seen on his typically cold, stoic face. Before I could ask him what he meant, he held my face in between his hands, leaned down and brushed his warm lips against mine.

"I am sorry for what I did to you last night, tesoro. When you ran away after we made love to each other, thoughts of my enemies coming after you and of you being alone and afraid constantly tormented me. I've lost too many people in my life, I don't think I can handle losing you too," Arosio started as I recalled his sister and brother-in-law being killed by a rival Mafia and Arosio blaming himself for their deaths since he was the Mafia boss at that time as well. My gaze softened as I fought the urge to hug him tightly.

"Then I finally found you but you were in the presence of those two men and I couldn't stop myself from feeling jealous over a woman for the first time in my life," Arosio spoke earnestly while staring deeply into my widened eyes as I tried to digest the fact that the coldblooded Mafia leader was speaking so softly and sincerely to me.

"I-- you --we" my mouth failed to form a sentence as I tried to think of something to say to him. He smirked at me before kissing my forehead, right cheek, left cheek, tip of nose and finally, my lips again.

"I promise, I will never spank you against your will ever again. Last night, I had planned on using pleasure to tame you but I had not anticipated your stubbornness which only fueled my own inner demons that insisted on taming you. I am a Mafia leader, nobody has ever defied me as much as you have. But of course, that only made me fall even more in love with you," Arosio caressed my bottom lip with his thumb as my heart rate picked up even more.

Though, my brows furrowed at his initial words as I tried to think of how spanking someone could cause the spanked person any pleasure. Doesn't it only cause pain and humiliation?

"Huh? How could spanking me cause me any pleasure?" I mumbled in confusion while tilting my head to the side but was met with Arosio bursting out into laughter. His muscled chest shook as he chuckled deeply, and I found it impossible to look away from him.

His whole face brightened up when he laughed, it was a rare yet beautiful sight and I wanted to keep seeing him like that.

"Oh, tesoro, you have no idea. The things I want to do to you, the things I will do to you once you are ready," Arosio trailed off as he lifted my hand up to his lips and placed another kiss on it.

My breathing hitched in my throat while my face turned completely red. Please start working pills, I don't think I can handle this man in front of me anymore!

"Ah, a cookie! Have a cookie!" I suddenly yelled before taking a chocolate chip cookie and shoving it into Arosio's mouth.

I half-expected him to spit it out but instead, he slowly chewed half of it off before placing the other half into my slightly parted lips. I would have moved my mouth away from it but I was too focused on his hand that lifted up to caress the side of his own head before he shook his head lightly, as if trying to fight a dull ache.

That's it! The drug must be working!

I was about to rejoice when Arosio began to speak again, his sincere words made me almost stop breathing on the spot.

"From now on, what's mine is equally yours. I promise to cherish you for eternity, you are the only woman I will give my name to, the only woman I will ever love and the only woman who I will protect forever. I promise to listen to you and never neglect you. I know that I don't deserve you but I promise to work hard every single day and become a better man who is worthy of being your husband. I love you Mrs. Katerina De Luca. Please give me a chance," Arosio spoke softly as I almost choked on the cookie in my mouth. I could see him fighting against his drooping eyelids but he still hasn't realized what was happening. My breathing came out ragged as I tried to calm myself down.

"Arosio..." I started, my eyes avoiding his dark gaze as guilt began to overwhelm me. Why does his words make me want to throw myself into his arms? Why is he looking at me as though I am some precious treasure?

"Please, just one chance. I promise I will make sure you are the happiest woman in the world, tesoro," Arosio held my hands up to his forehead and I could tell that it was the first time the almighty Mafia boss was pleading with someone.

"I...um...I think..." as I struggled to reply, Arosio suddenly fell forward, his head landing straight onto my lap.

My whole body froze for a few moments as I registered what just happened. For the first time, Arosio spoke to me sincerely and confessed his true feelings. Then he passed out because of the drug I prepared for him.

What the hell!!!

Moving his head onto the sofa, I shuffled away from him before lifting his legs up onto the sofa as well so that he was in a laying down position. I couldn't help but leaned down and inspect his handsome face one last time as I had never seen him look so vulnerable before.

"I am truly sorry, Arosio De Luca," the words left my trembling mouth as tears spilt from my eyes before I placed a soft kiss on his lips.

With quickened footsteps, I walked towards the entrance of the kitchen and threw the french doors open, taking the two guards stationed outside the room by complete surprise.

"HELP! Arosio passed out."

***

Hello lovely readers,

since you all left such wonderful comments on my last update, here is another update!

Also, I'd like your opinion. I have this sudden inspiration for a new book (somewhat connected to this, but not really). I already made the cover and synopsis of the book. It centers around the life of Arsenio (Arosio's dad)De Luca's older brother (so basically Arosio's uncle) who runs the Italian Mafia but in actual Italy. Should I publish it? It would be slow updates though since I want to finish this and Powerful Love soon!

PLEASE READ, VOTE & COMMENT!