The Italian Heartthrob: Forbidden Standalone Read online

  THE ITALIAN HEARTTHROB

  N.J. ADEL

  This is a work of fiction. All incidents and dialogue, and all characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  THE ITALIAN HEARTTHROB

  Copyright © 2020 N.J. Adel

  All rights reserved.

  ALL CHARACTERS DEPICTED ARE OVER THE AGE OF 18.

  WARNING

  THIS BOOK FEATURES EXPLICIT DEPICTIONS OF SEX AND OTHER MATERIAL THAT MAY OFFEND SOME AUDIENCES. THEREFORE, IS INTENDED FOR ADULTS ONLY.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at the e-mail address below.

  [email protected]

  Table of Scenes

  Also by N.J. Adel

  Dedication

  Based on True Events

  PART ONE

  PASSION

  Scene 1

  Maggie

  Scene 2

  Maggie

  Scene 3

  Mike

  Scene 4

  Mike

  Scene 5

  Mike

  Scene 6

  Maggie

  Scene 7

  Mike

  Scene 8

  Maggie

  Scene 9

  Maggie

  Scene 10

  Maggie

  Scene 11

  Mike

  Scene 12

  Mike

  Scene 13

  Maggie

  Scene 14

  Maggie

  PART TWO

  FEVER

  Scene 15

  Maggie

  Scene 16

  Mike

  Scene 17

  Maggie

  Scene 18

  Maggie

  Scene 19

  Mike

  Scene 20

  Mike

  Scene 21

  Maggie

  Scene 22

  Mike

  Scene 23

  Maggie

  Scene 24

  Maggie

  Scene 25

  Mike

  Scene 26

  Mike

  Scene 27

  Maggie

  Scene 28

  Maggie

  Scene 29

  Mike

  Scene 30

  Maggie

  Scene 31

  Mike

  Scene 32

  Maggie

  Scene 33

  Mike

  Scene 34

  Maggie

  Scene 35

  Maggie

  Scene 36

  Mike

  Scene 37

  Mike

  Scene 38

  Maggie

  Scene 39

  Maggie

  Scene 40

  Mike

  Scene 41

  Maggie

  Scene 42

  Maggie

  Scene 43

  Mike

  Scene 44

  Mike

  Scene 45

  Mike

  Scene 46

  Maggie

  Scene 47

  Maggie

  Scene 48

  Maggie

  Scene 49

  Maggie

  Scene 50

  Maggie

  Scene 51

  Mike

  Scene 52

  Maggie

  Scene 53

  Mike

  PART THREE

  HEROES AND VILLAINS

  Scene 54

  Maggie

  Scene 55

  Maggie

  Scene 56

  Mike

  Scene 57

  Maggie

  Scene 58

  Maggie

  Scene 59

  Maggie

  Scene 60

  Maggie

  Scene 61

  Mike

  Scene 62

  Mike

  PART FOUR

  EIGHT MONTHS OF PEACE

  Scene 63

  Maggie

  Scene 64

  Maggie

  Scene 65

  Maggie

  Scene 66

  Maggie

  Scene 67

  Maggie

  Scene 68

  Maggie

  Scene 69

  Maggie

  Scene 70

  Mike

  Scene 71

  Mike

  Scene 72

  Mike

  Scene 73

  Maggie

  Scene 74

  Mike

  Scene 75

  Maggie

  Scene 76

  Mike

  Scene 77

  Maggie

  Scene 78

  Mike

  Scene 79

  Mike

  Scene 80

  Mike

  Scene 81

  Maggie

  Scene 82

  Mike

  Scene 83

  Mike

  Scene 84

  Maggie

  Scene 85

  Maggie

  Scene 86

  Maggie

  Scene 87

  Mike

  PART FIVE

  HOME

  Scene 88

  Maggie

  Scene 89

  Maggie

  Scene 90

  Maggie

  Scene 91

  Maggie

  Scene 92

  Maggie

  Scene 93

  Maggie

  Scene 94

  Mike

  Scene 95

  Mike

  Soundtrack

  Also by N.J. Adel

  Author Bio

  Also by N.J. Adel

  Steamy Forbidden Contemporary Romance

  The Italian Heartthrob

  Dirty Beats (Prequel Novella)

  The Italian Heartthrob

  Dark MC and Mafia Romance

  I Hate You then I Love You Collection

  Darkness Between Us

  NINE MINUTE LATER

  Nine Minutes Xtra

  Nine Minutes Forever

  Paranormal Reverse Harem Standalones

  All the Teacher’s Pets

  All the Teacher’s Pet Beasts

  All the Teacher’s Bad Boys

  All the Teacher’s Valentines (Sweeter than Chocolate Anthology Novella)

  All the Teacher’s Prisoners

  All the Teacher’s Little Belles

  Reverse Harem Erotic Romance

  Her Royal Harem Series

  Her Royal Harem: Complete Box set

  Fantasy Reverse Harem

  Seratis the Goddess of Egypt

  Seratis Daughter of the Sun

  Seratis War of the Gods

  SIGN UP FOR FREE BOOKS & NEW RELEASE NOTIFICATIONS

  Dedication

  To those who carry the scar on their faces or their bodies or their souls.

  I’m one of you.

  Allow yourself to be happy because you deserve it.

  Based on True Events

  PART ONE

  PASSION

  Scene 1

  Maggie

  My feet weighed a thousand pounds when I turned on Ocean Avenue and stopped at a white and blue, ten-story tower.

  I’d never been a morning person. Everybody knew that. Dad knew that when he insisted I me
et him at eight a.m. at the penthouse.

  An ambush awaited me inside. I had no doubt about it.

  At least this time, I planned to get something in return from that dreadful meeting. But was anything in the world worth walking into this house again?

  The doorman greeted me, bringing my thoughts to a temporary halt.

  “Morning.” I took off my sunglasses, straining to pop my eyes wider. My boots echoed on the marble tiles as I ambled to the elevator. I slid my hand into the inside pocket of my jacket, pulled out a key card, waved it over the keypad, and ascended to the penthouse.

  My breath shuddered in my chest when the elevator opened. I breathed out slowly and dragged myself out. Eyes on the prize, Maggie. Eyes on the prize.

  Loretta, the housekeeper, opened the door with a grin on her fifty-year-old face. There was something kind about this short, plump woman that always made me smile. “Good morning, Maggie.”

  I pecked her cheek. “Is she up?” I whispered, taking off my jacket.

  Loretta made a funny face as she stowed the jacket away in the coat closet. “I’m afraid so.”

  My shoulders slumped. “And Dad?”

  “He’s waiting for you to join him for breakfast on the terrace.”

  I stalked across the living room, heading toward the stellar view of the ocean, Dad smiling at me behind the floor-to-ceiling window.

  “Maggie.” A firm voice rang behind me followed by the sound of heels clicking on the floor.

  The ambush.

  I froze for a second. Then, clenching my fists, I took a deep breath and spun around. “Andrea.”

  It never got old calling my mother by her first name. If she wanted to be called Mom, she had to earn it. And Andrea had given up that right long ago.

  Her long brown hair perfectly coiffed. Full makeup. Manicured hands. Bold red lipstick. A black pencil skirt and a red, silk blouse, accentuating her assets as always. My mother looked like a celebrity ready for a photo shoot before she even had breakfast.

  “You cut your hair?” She eyed me from head to toe, her mouth turned down in disapproval. “And what are you wearing?”

  Here we go. “What, you don’t like my outfit?” I adjusted the metallic belt against my little, black dress and smirked.

  Andrea furrowed her thin eyebrows. “Someone with thighs like yours should not parade them like that. What size are you now? Fourteen?”

  Ignore her. She’s not worth it. You promised yourself. “No. I’m still an eight. Same as the past five years.”

  Dad stepped into the living room, holding a cup of coffee, a cautious smile on his lips. “Good morning, girls.”

  I flung my shoulders around him, needing the safety of his embrace, careful not to spill the coffee, though. “Daddy.”

  He kissed me on the cheek and handed me the cup, but I shook my head. “Thanks. I’m planning to go back to sleep.”

  Andrea folded her arms across her chest. “Agreeing to show up here at eight in the morning means you want something really bad. What is it this time?”

  I heaved a sigh, staring at her taunting, hazel eyes. “I don’t want anything from you, thank you very much. Dad asked to see me, so here I am.”

  Andrea chuckled and smoothed her skirt as she sat on the couch. “So you ran out of money, and now you need Daddy’s help. What do you need the money for? Another one of your aesthetic projects?”

  “When have I ever…” I bit the inside of my cheek, switching my gaze toward Dad. “You know what? I’ll wait for you downstairs. We can talk on the way to your office.”

  “No, Maggie, wait.” He placed the cup on the glass coffee table, glaring at Andrea. “I’m sure your mother doesn’t mean anything. She hasn’t seen you in a year and is just…interested in knowing what you’re up to these days.”

  My glance fell on the hardwood floor. “Yeah, right.”

  He lifted my chin with his finger and smiled. “Don’t pout. I’ll grab my things, and we’ll head to the office. Won’t be long.”

  Andrea grabbed a gossip magazine from the stack on the coffee table and hid her face behind the glossy paper, while Dad climbed the stairs.

  On the cover, there was a bare-chested picture of Mike Gennaro, and my mind went blank. The taupe brown curls of his hair flowed down to his naked shoulders. His dark brown eyes held a mischievous gaze. A scruffy jaw complemented his strong cheekbones and sculpted lips.

  Heat spread under my skin as I traced down the lines of hairless, chiseled chest and killer abs. The thirty-three-year-old actor was a wet dream waiting to happen.

  Happened.

  So many times.

  My eyes landed on the title under the picture.

  The Italian Heartthrob back in L.A.

  My heart raced despite me and all the promises I’d been making to myself. I mused back at my half-naked best friend, my thumb brushing against my smiling lips.

  “He’s too old for you,” Andrea said. “Nine years too old to be exact.”

  Eight years and nine months. I cleared my throat. “Who?”

  Andrea’s head popped from behind the magazine. “Really?”

  My head jerked in the other direction. “I already have a boyfriend. Mike is my friend.”

  “No, he isn’t. He’s my friend, and my client. That makes him an acquaintance to you. Don’t mistake him for anything else.”

  Scene 2

  Maggie

  “How did you get here today?” Dad asked as I slid into the backseat of his Jaguar.

  “The bus.”

  “Nick Dawson’s only daughter is taking the bus?”

  I smiled. “Well, I couldn’t afford the gas money for the Lexus you wanted to buy me for my last birthday. And when you make four grand a year, bus is your only option.”

  “Why are you doing this to yourself? You used to make more than thirty thousand a month when you worked with me.”

  “Dad, you of all people know it’s never about money with me. It’s about—”

  “Passion,” he interrupted. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that speech so many times before. I never want to hear it again.”

  The direction of the conversation was taking a wrong turn, but I swallowed my resentment in light of more pressing issues. “Speaking of passion, I’m gonna make a movie.”

  Dad’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “What?”

  “I co-wrote a script for a short film with a friend of mine, and I’m gonna direct it.”

  “Um… I’m not sure I understand. I thought you quit working with me because you wanted to write…books.”

  “Yeah. I…thought so, too.” A sigh escaped my mouth. “But I wanna try directing now.”

  He nodded, his brows pulling together. “Have you directed anything before, Mags?”

  I stared at him for a moment and shook my head. “I did an internship and helped a few friends who go to film school with their projects. They loved my work.”

  “I don’t think that’s enough.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m making this movie. I wanna show the world what I can do. It’s like when actors have showcases.” I clenched my teeth. “Only a little more expensive.”

  “How expensive?”

  I bit my fingernail. “Ten grand?”

  His lashes fluttered. “What?”

  I held up a hand. “I know it’s a bit much.”

  “A bit?”

  “Okay, it’s a lot,” I admitted. “But not to you. Like you said, it’s only one third of what you used to pay me a month.”

  “If you want to make movies, why don’t you ask your mother to help you? She can network you—”

  “Please don’t ever say that again.” A surge of anger ran through me. Years and years of awful pain came rushing in. Andrea and I had issues beyond repair. They didn’t only start right before the year I finally left. They weren’t just about her constant criticism or never liking anything I did either. It was… “You know I’d die before I’d ask her for help.”

  He set his j
aw, his eyes sad.

  “Dad, I know it’s a lot to ask for since I don’t make you money anymore, but consider it a loan. An investment. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

  “With what? The revenues of your blockbuster?”

  “Please don’t make fun of me. I just told you it’s a showcase. There’s no money there.”

  He combed his fingers through his gray hair. “How about you come work with me again, just for a few weeks?”

  I squinted at him as if he’d asked me to sell my soul to the devil. “You want me to design rich people’s houses again?”

  “Well, you have the degree for it.” He smiled. “And the talent.”

  “And I hated every minute of it. Dad…I thought you supported my decision to quit.”

  “I did. I just hate to see you waste another year doing something you’ll eventually get bored with…again.”

  Ouch. I expected that attitude from Andrea, but coming from him hurt like a slap on the face. “Not everyone is so lucky to figure out what they want the first time. Some of us have to try again and again and again, and just hope they’ll finally find it.”

  “I don’t know why you keep saying that when it’s just right in front of you. C’mon, Mags. Just come help with a project or two. Maybe your passion for architecture will be renewed. Consider it a mutual investment.”

  More like a trap.

  I was wrong. I thought the meeting at the house was another attempt to make me see Andrea and work things out with her. But no. This was the ambush.

  “This whole thing isn’t about Andrea or the money or my choice of career. You just want to lure me back into your company,” I said.

  “Is it so wrong that I want my daughter to carry my legacy? Especially when she’s so good at it? You’re made for this, baby.”

  I nodded. “You don’t think I’m gonna make it in the movie business…or any other business apart from yours.”

  “We both know it doesn’t matter what I think, baby. Only what you think matters.”

  I gazed at him, pursing my lips. I’d been working day and night to support myself after I quit being an architect, while trying to pursue a career as an author. Not once had I asked for money even when things got rough, and God knew how many times I’d been broke since.

  Even when he offered, I’d never caved.

  Now, the only reason I asked him for help and not anyone else was that I thought he believed in me. I thought he understood quitting a stable, lucrative job to pursue my dreams was courage, not recklessness or insanity. It turned out he was only indulging his spoiled baby girl’s whims until she came back to her senses.