The Real Italian Alphas Read online

  THE REAL

  ITALIAN ALPHAS

  A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance

  BONNIE BURROWS

  Copyright ©2014 by Bonnie Burrows

  All rights reserved.

  About This Book

  “You Can Not Help Who You Fall in Love With...”

  When Betsy Torano met the tall, dark and handsome Gabriel Russo she found him impossible to resist.

  She was strangely drawn to a man who she instantly knew was so, so bad for her yet could make her feel so, so good.

  She knew that Gabriel had some dark secrets however she really had no idea just how dark, and furry, they might actually be...

  Everything changes when Betsy discovers just how much of a Real Italian ALPHA Gabriel really is...

  WAIT....

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  Table Of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  Taking a road trip from Crystal Bay, Nevada, down to Las Vegas was a lighthearted journey for Betsy Torano and her two friends, Maria and Marco Sanchez. They had decided one day to hop into the couple’s old Ford truck and go. The weather was warm and breezy, and everything seemed right with the world. At least, it did until they were most of the way there.

  “I’ve brought my entire fifty dollar check along.” Betsy admitted once they’d grown tired of singing show tunes and were getting ready to sit back and enjoy the scenery until they stopped to eat some lunch.

  “What?” Maria gasped. “You cannot spend all your money gambling Betsy, you don’t even have a job to go back to or nothing. What are you gonna do to pay your rent?”

  “I don’t know, Maria,” she said with a sigh. “Part of me wishes I didn’t have to go back at all. You hear about people changing their entire lives in Las Vegas all the time. Maybe I’ll get to change mine, too.”

  “Child, you are barely even an adult,” Marco scoffed as he briefly glanced away from the road. “What life do you think you’re going to find?”

  “I don’t know, maybe the one in which I don’t have to do temp jobs and live paycheck to paycheck, wondering where my next rent will come from?” she pointed out with a sweet smile. Marco shook his head as he continued to stare down the road.

  “You’re going to lose all your money.” Maria told her.

  “Well, if I do, at least I can say I tried.” Betsy commented.

  And that was the last any of them said about it. They checked into one of the smaller hotels and played games off and on over the next two days, winning a little and losing a little. But it wasn’t until the third day that something spectacular finally happened.

  Some things in life didn’t make a lot of sense. At least, that’s what Betsy thought as she stared at the coins sliding from the slot machine over the edges of her bucket when it became too full to contain them. She’d come to Las Vegas with little more than fifty dollars in her possession and now, she was turning away from the cashier’s desk holding a voucher for fifty thousand dollars. As cliché as it may sound, she believed that if anyone had told her a year ago she’d be in possession of that kind of cash, she would have told them they were crazy.

  She’d been so busy collecting her winnings, it wasn’t until she turned away and looked back at the room at large that she realized a hush had fallen over the people standing there. No one seemed to be moving. Many of them didn’t even seem to be breathing, and they were all facing the entrance, prompting her to look there as well.

  Four men stood there, three of them wearing dark-colored business suits and fancy shoes. But the fourth, he was something different. His long, sleek black hair was pulled tightly back into a ponytail, accentuating the bronzed tone of his skin and the fact that he hadn’t shaved in a few days. He wore a cowboy hat and he was staring at her with a casual smile on his handsome face.

  Betsy froze as she stared back at the man. She could have sworn, just for the briefest of moments, that his eyes had glittered. She shook her head and glanced at the window, where the sun was streaming in. That had to have been the cause, she decided, as she continued to stare. The man reached up and lifted his hat briefly, his eyes remaining trained on her face until someone spoke.

  “Capo Russo, we did not expect to see you here today.” said a man, nervously, as he came forward to bow before the man. “To what do we owe the honor, Signore?”

  “It’s been a while since I have checked on my investments personally.” he said in a rich, Italian accent as he glanced casually at the silent people around him. “Andare, andare, everyone, go back to what you were doing.”

  It was as if a spell had been broken. All of the people scrambled to get back to the machines and card tables. The three men in the suits smirked, but the cowboy-hatted man seemed not to notice them.

  “We have done all things just as you ordered, Signore.” the owner continued as he stepped back toward the desk where Betsy still stood.

  “Hello, pretty one.” said one of the suited men as he moved closer to her and sniffed at the air. “A lovely scent for a lovely woman. I see that you have won something? Perhaps you would be generous enough to share with us, eh?”

  “Vittorio, leave the girl alone.” said their leader as he stepped between the two. “I do not think she is familiar with our customs as yet.”

  “Of course, Don Gabriel,” he answered quickly, moving away with a deep bow and putting some distance between them.

  “On the contrary, I think it’s pretty clear what sort of custom is going on here at the moment, sir.” said Betsy as she watched the other man leave. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

  “What is your name, pretty one?” Signore Russo asked her as he chucked her under her chin, making her blush.

  “I’m Betsy Torano.” she said as she lifted her face and looked him in the eye.

  “Time spent with one such as you could hardly be an interruption.” he mentioned as he looked her over with a lazy smile. “Perhaps later on, you would like to get together over a good meal and discuss just what to do with that booty.”

  Betsy’s eyebrows flew up at this, making him chuckle. Glancing sideways, she saw her two friends motioning frantically to get her attention and giving her signals to decline, but she avoided turning her gaze in their direction. She did not want to draw the powerful man’s attention to their antics.

  Seeing her reaction, the man chuckled. “I am referring, of course, to your earnings, ma bella.” he assured her. “I will be back to collect you at nine.”

  “All right,” she said, realizing her heart was pounding. Out of fear or attraction, she hadn’t yet decided, but one thing was certain: she’d never experienced a day like this before. Las Vegas was most definitely changing her life.

  “I look forward to seeing you again,” he said, picking up her hand and kissing it. She thought she was literally going to swoon. She felt her lip
s trembling as she smiled up into his eyes and his gaze lingered on her, filling her stomach with butterflies. More like fire, she decided as she watched him walk away. How had she just agreed to meet an obviously made man for dinner? She never knew insanity ran in her family.

  Her friends joined her as the mobsters and the owner went off to conduct whatever business it was they were discussing, and she stared at them as if she’d just awakened from a dream.

  “Are you crazy?” Maria demanded as she latched onto her arm and began to drag her toward the elevator that would take them back upstairs. “We’ve got to get out of here while the gettings good. You can’t be here at nine o’ clock now, or those three thugs will be sure to find you for him.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Betsy said with a frown. “I have no intention of going anywhere. I came to Las Vegas to change my life. Why should I run out just when things are starting to get interesting?”

  “She’s definitely lost it.” Marco said with a shake of his head. “We should pack up and get out of here, pronto. This is too much of a change for you.”

  “No,” she disagreed. “I’d like to see how the other half lives for a change. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Your mother she will flip,” Maria said then, but then she and Marco stopped hounding Betsy and left her to her thoughts, whatever they might be.

  *

  It was almost eight o’clock. Betsy and Maria had decided to go to a nearby clothing store to find the perfect dress for her to wear to her defilement—as Maria was calling it. Betsy had given up arguing with her over the choice of words, but Maria was still going on about it anyway.

  “You have never been with a man before, and the first one you choose is a man who will expect a sophisticated woman who knows what she is doing.” she said now as they continued flipping through the racks. “This dress must not be too revealing, or it will only make him want you more. But if it’s too boring, he may decide he does not want you at all.”

  “I thought you didn’t want him to want me anyway.” Betsy protested when she heard this.

  “I may not want him to, but you do.” Maria pointed out. “And this insane activity is not about what I want.”

  Betsy giggled and gave her friend a hug. Just as she was moving away again, Maria squealed with delight and pulled a dress off the rack, holding it up for Betsy to see. The sheer silk gown had a V-neck and the entire breast area was covered in sequins of a deep, yet vibrant blue shade, almost a perfect match for the fabric. It was pretty enough to prompt Betsy to snag it and rush to a dressing room to put it on.

  The dress hugged her rounded curves and made her look much more sophisticated than she’d ever thought she could look. The neckline, though lower than she was used to, was not so low as to make her look like she was selling her goods. Her dark curls fell down her shoulders and added color to the contrast between her creamy skin and the dress’s unusual shade.

  Tired of waiting for her to step out, Maria opened the door to peek inside and promptly squealed again. “It’s perfect!” she said excitedly. “That mob guy won’t know what hit him.”

  Betsy blushed at this and said, “Now all I have to do is figure out just what to hit him with.”

  Maria laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Betsy. That man will have plenty of suggestions.”

  “Maria!” she gasped, blushing even more. “I wonder if I should buy some underwear to match.”

  “Now who’s being naughty?” Maria chuckled, and then added, “Yes, underwear is a good idea. But don’t get too attached, since he’s likely to keep them.”

  “Keep them?” Betsy repeated incredulously.

  “Yes, even if he rips them off of you.”

  The two of them started to giggle as Betsy put her jeans and blouse back on and they stepped out to head to the underwear section. Betsy found a perfectly matched set of black lace bra and panties. She grabbed some stockings while she was at it. If she was going to be decadent, she might as well go all out, she thought.

  Purchases in hand, the two of them got into the truck and headed back to the hotel. Next door to it was a car lot, and on a whim, Betsy decided that she wanted to go over there and have a look. Before she knew what happened, she was suddenly the proud new owner of a deep red hybrid and over half her winnings were gone.

  “Betsy, I don’t know what you’re thinking, to do such things.” Maria pointed out as they stepped into the elevator and waited for the seventh floor, where they were staying. “You got to stop letting this money go to your head.”

  “I still have five thousand dollars,” she protested hotly as she slid the key-card through the reader and opened the door to her room. “Why don’t you and Marco take $500 and go play a bit more. I’m just going to get dressed and head back down closer to nine.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing, my friend.” said Maria as she allowed Betsy to slip the money into her hand. “Your mother will kill you if she finds out.”

  Betsy had nothing to say about that at the moment, so she simply smiled and went into her room. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was what her mother was going to say. She knew that she was behaving totally out of character and the whole idea was completely crazy, but there was something compelling about Gabriel Russo, and she was practically aching to see him again. A good kind of ache.

  She slid on the lacy undies she’d just bought, enjoying the feel of decadence as they smoothed up her legs. Could she pinpoint exactly what it was about him that made her want to see him again? Sure, he was incredibly handsome and his eyes were intense, but maybe it was the sound of his voice, maybe it was the sultry glances he’d cast her way. Whatever it was, the more she thought of him, the hotter the room became.

  She pulled on the rest of her clothes and donned the black pumps she’d bought along with them, then twirled experimentally in front of the long mirror. She looked hot and she knew it. Then she headed for the door before she lost her nerve, stepped into the elevator, and descended to the ground floor with a rapidly beating heart.

  Gabriel Russo was casually leaning on the banister near the elevator, watching the doors slide open. He was wearing a dinner jacket and tie, and he’d lost the cowboy hat. A smile lit up his face when she stepped out. Betsy glanced around the room, spotting the two guards he’d brought with him. He saw her do it.

  Stepping forward to take her hand, he lifted it to his lips to kiss it as he said, “Do not worry about them, ma bella, they are simply a part of the lifestyle. We will go somewhere indoors and they can remain at the entrance, if that is your wish.”

  “Where did you have in mind?” she asked with a slight smirk. She looked up into his eyes and saw it again. That unmistakable glitter that could not be coming from the sun this time. It was more like a glow of sorts, almost like a cat’s eyes when they were in complete darkness but got startled by some source of light. It sent a little shiver down Betsy’s spine. Surely she must be imagining it. No one’s eyes could glow like that.

  “Have you eaten?” he asked, and realized he was still holding her hand. He made no apologies as he glanced down at the joined appendages, squeezed slightly, and did not let her go.

  Betsy blushed slightly as she, too, looked at their hands, and then shyly squeezed back before her eyes returned to his. “No, I haven’t. I was too nervous to swallow anything.”

  Gabriel replied, “Perhaps we will have to work on that.”

  Betsy’s eyes went wide, and she kicked herself mentally for putting such an image in the man’s head. If her intention was to offer up her virginity to a complete stranger on a silver platter, she was doing a fine job of it, that was for sure.

  Almost as if he was reading her mind, Gabriel chuckled while he drew her forward and to his side as they began to walk. “Do not worry, Betsy, I’m not going to devour you in one bite along with the meal. I like to savor my moments. We will go to a nearby restaurant, and eat a normal, decent meal, and talk of trivial things. Just like a real firs
t date. What do you think of that, eh?”

  “I think this is a real first date.” she pointed out, one brow raised as she cast him a sidelong glance.

  Gabriel chuckled again. “You are right, of course. But it’s been so long since I’ve had one, I’d forgotten.”

  “Oh? What do you normally do, then? Have your women delivered to your door?”

  “Would you come to me if I did?” he inquired with a smile as they reached his waiting car, with one man holding the door so they could get into the back. Gabriel helped Betsy inside, and she slid over so he could follow. She realized with a start that she’d never been inside of a limousine before and looked around curiously before she remembered he was waiting for her to reply.

  “I—I don’t think I would have,” she admitted. “It’s not like I’ve ever been to a man’s room before.”

  “Have you not?” he answered indulgently as he slid a finger under one of her long, dark curls, and lifted it to his nose.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, as her whole body went up in flames though she tried to appear unaffected.

  “Enjoying the sweet scent that brought us to this place.” he said with a fanciful smile. He breathed deeply. “The perfume, she is nice, but your own scent is better, I think.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t going to devour me, Signore.” she teased lightly.

  “No, only that I intend to savor you,” he replied. “Driver, you know where to go.”

  “Yes, sir, Don Gabriel.” said the man at the wheel, and did as he was told.

  *

  Gabriel took her to an attractive restaurant that featured an upstairs dance floor. A live band could be heard in the background, playing a blend of different popular dance tunes, but Betsy hardly seemed to notice what any of them were. She was too caught up in her companion’s voice and his casual touches, as he coaxed everything about her that he could from her traitorously willing lips.