Mafia's Woman

37- Naked

"Wow," I breathed out in awe as I stared at the gigantic building in front of me. It was a beautiful building, gothic yet modern. Arsenio and I were in the city of Venice before we leave in a few days. I wanted to experience all angles of Italy, not just the countryside.

Of course, he would have preferred to stay in the countryside away from the masses of people, but he came here for me anyway.

Arsenio grumbled, upset about being surrounded by people. "Oh stop your moaning, it's beautiful here," I scolded.

I grabbed his arm and placed a light kiss on his chest, "Let's go inside and put our stuff down," I suggested.

He grabbed our suitcases from beside him and walked into the lobby of the building.

"I assume you own this penthouse, too?" I asked.

"I own the whole building, Sweetheart," he said, a smirk plastered to his proud face. I just shook my head, not understanding how one man could be so powerful.

He led me to the elevator and pressed the button that would take us to the very top floor. I was not afraid of heights, but like any rational person, I worried that the building would collapse and we would be stuck at the very top.

"If you hate cities so much, then why do you own a building in one?" I pondered as he dug in his pants pocket to find the key.

"For business," he said. "And to house my men when they come here."

I nodded my head and walked into the penthouse after he unlocked the door. The oversized apartment was in prime condition with not a single thing appearing to be out of place. With both marble and wooden flooring depending on which room I was in, as well as marble countertops and glass tables, this place was obviously for the upper class.

Every one of Arsenio's houses was breathtaking. However, as I stepped foot into this place, I couldn't help but think how unworthy I was to be here. I was a young girl with a bad past and a terrible upbringing. I had nothing to my name. The town I came from was laughable. I didn't deserve to be in this building, in a place where the successful and wealthy lived.

"What is wrong?" Arsenio placed his fingers under my chin as he always did when he wanted my eye contact. He must've noticed my dismal expression.

"Nothing," I replied with a small smile, not wanting to dampen his mood.

He applied slight pressure to my chin with his strong fingers. "Don't lie to me, Eloise," he said calmly, but I could hear the hint of a threat in his voice.

I pulled his fingers from my chin and moved his hand to cup my cheek. "It's just that... I went from living in such a filthy house to being here, in this amazing place with you. I-I just sometimes feel like I'm not good enough for you," I revealed.

With a straight face, he grabbed me up in his arms and placed me on the counter. My legs dangled off the front and he stood between them. At this position, I was only a few inches shorter than him.

He grabbed the back of my head and gently pulled. "Not good enough for me," he said quietly, almost as if tasting the words in his mouth. "That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard." He said harshly.

"If I didn't think you were not good enough for me, you wouldn't be here right now, Eloise." He stated. His thumb brushed up and down my cheek as the hand that was behind my head was now tangled in my hair.

"Don't ever think that you're not good enough for me, or anyone else," he said. He brought his forehead down to mine, so I wrapped my arms around his torso.