Part 1: I Kissed the Mafia Boss to Escape My Ex—Then He Whispered, “I Wanted To”

I Kissed the Mafia Boss to Escape My Ex—Then He Whispered, “I Wanted To” — PART 1

The autumn rain pattered against my worn raincoat as I hurried down the slick sidewalk, my fingers cramping from clutching my umbrella against the wind.

The scent of wet asphalt mixed with exhaust from passing cars, creating the distinct city smell that always made me feel small. My shoes, sensible black flats I had bought on clearance the year before, were already soaked through, sending chills up my ankles with every step.

I whispered into the phone that Mommy was going to be late, trying to sound cheerful despite the knot in my stomach. I asked whether Grandma was making dinner.

“Mac and cheese,” Lily said. My 5-year-old daughter’s voice was the only warmth in that dreary evening. “With the dinosaur shapes.”

I told her it was perfect and asked her to save some for me. Then I told her I loved her.

She said she loved me too and hung up.

I tucked the phone into my purse and quickened my pace. The restaurant where I waited tables was 2 blocks away, and my

shift started in 15 minutes. Being late was not an option. Not when Marcus, the manager, had already given me that look the week before when I asked for a schedule change to attend Lily’s parent-teacher conference. Single mothers did not get the luxury of second chances in jobs like those.

The streetlights flickered on as dusk settled over the city, casting long shadows across storefronts. I had just rounded the corner when I saw him.

Ryan Mercer leaned against a parking meter half a block ahead, scrolling through his phone. My heart seized, and I instinctively stepped back behind the edge of the building.

Ryan was my ex and Lily’s father. He had abandoned me when I was 7 months pregnant, then reappeared 3 months earlier demanding a role in his daughter’s life. Now he had a stable job and a new wife who apparently thought a ready-made family

was cute.

I peered around the corner. He had not seen me yet, but he was standing directly on my route to work.

My mind raced through options. Crossing the street would make me even later, and the back alley was too dark and unsafe at that hour. I could text Marcus, but what excuse would I give? Sorry, hiding from my ex who may or may not try to serve me custody papers again.

Then Ryan looked up from his phone and turned in my direction. I jerked back, pulse hammering in my throat. Had he seen me?

The cold brick wall pressed against my back as I tried to steady my breathing. I could not deal with him that night. Not before an 8-hour shift. Not when I was already exhausted from staying up late working on Lily’s Halloween costume.

The restaurant’s red neon sign glowed in the

distance, taunting me from beyond Ryan’s position. I had to get past him somehow.

A black Mercedes pulled up to the curb nearby, its engine purring softly beneath the city noise. The windows were tinted dark, but I made out the silhouette of someone stepping out. A tall figure in what appeared to be an expensive coat.

Something about the deliberate way he moved caught my attention. He was not hurried, the way the rest of us always were. He moved with purpose, as if the world simply adjusted to his pace rather than the other way around. The man closed the car door, and I glimpsed an elegant watch catching the streetlight, a brief golden flash against the darkness of his sleeve. A subtle scent drifted my way, woody and expensive, not belonging on that worn-down street corner.

Inspiration struck me like lightning.

Without giving myself time to reconsider, I stepped out from my hiding place and walked directly toward the stranger, my heart pounding against my ribs. His face came into focus: angular jawline, dark eyes widening slightly as I approached with clear intent.

Before he could speak, I leaned in close and whispered urgently that my ex was over there. I asked if he could pretend he knew me for 10 seconds.

I did not wait for his answer. Ryan had spotted me and was already pushing away from the parking meter, his mouth forming my name.

In pure desperation, I did the only thing that might shock Ryan enough to keep him at bay. I stood on my tiptoes, placed my hands on the stranger’s solid chest, and pressed my lips against his.

The kiss was meant to be quick, only for show, but several things happened at once. The stranger’s initial stiffness melted away as his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me closer with a strength that made my breath catch. Ryan called my name, his voice carrying clearly over the passing traffic. Something electric shot through me from my lips to my toes as the stranger tilted his head, deepening the fleeting contact.

When we broke apart, I felt dizzy. The stranger’s eyes had darkened, and there was something in them I could not read. Surprise, certainly, but something more calculating. His hand remained at the small of my back, warm and steady.

Ryan’s voice came from only a few feet away. Confusion and annoyance sharpened his tone.

I turned, still within the circle of the stranger’s arm, and feigned surprise. I told Ryan I had not seen him there.

Ryan’s gaze shifted between me and the man beside me, his expression souring. He said we needed to talk about the custody arrangement and accused me of dodging his calls.

I said I was late for work, hating the slight tremor in my voice. Whatever it was could wait.

The stranger’s arm tightened almost imperceptibly around me, and he cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was deeper than I expected, with the barest hint of an accent I could not place.

He asked if there was a problem.

The question was simple, but something in his tone made it sound like a warning.

Ryan blinked, suddenly registering the stranger’s expensive coat and the Mercedes idling at the curb. He also noticed the imposing, broad-shouldered man a few paces behind us, wearing an earpiece and an expressionless face.

Ryan took an involuntary step back. He muttered that there was no problem and said he would call me the next day. Then he retreated quickly, shooting glances over his shoulder as he went.