Published by Self-published Genres: Crime, Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense
PRIVILEGE
by Bethany-Kris
Renzo + Lucia , #1
Publication Date: January 7, 2019
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense, Organized Crime. Erotic Romance
Cover Reveal Credits: London Miller
SYNOPSIS
They didn’t come from the same world …
Born rich to a family of mafia royalty, Lucia Marcello was already destined to succeed. She wanted for absolutely nothing, until she met him.
Born poor to parents who never cared, Renzo Zulla was already destined to fail. He has struggled for absolutely everything, but she’ll prove to be his biggest fight yet.
She’s high society from the upscale suburbs.
He’s a drug dealer from New York’s slums.
They just weren’t meant to be … until they were.
What would it take to change a life—an entire perspective? All the things you thought you knew and wanted?
For them, it took thirty-six days.
And the privilege of meeting each other.
They shouldn’t be.
They don’t fit.
Love doesn’t care.
Note: Privilege is book one in a three-book trilogy following the same couple.
EXCLUSIVE REVEAL EXCERPT:
The young woman screamed money. From the Cartier watch on her wrist to the diamond studs in her ears. Even the way her wavy light brown hair had been streaked with red and blonde highlights looked like something that had been done in a proper salon. And that was before Renzo thought to figure out what brand of jeans she had decided to paint on that morning, or if that was actual silk she was wearing for her blouse.
Yet, even through the money she might as well have been draped in, Renzo wasn’t so distracted that he couldn’t see Lucia was pretty.
That was a bit rude, really.
Beautiful was a better description.
She was tiny featured. Small lips with a perfect cupid’s bow. A button nose. High cheekbones. Soft lines on her face, and an even softer smile. She was petite in height, maybe only reaching his chin, but that didn’t detract from the shape of her hips or the tight cinch in her waist.
Shit.
He needed to get laid if he was noticing how nice looking some spoiled little rich girl from the other side of the city was. And he really didn’t need to be thinking about getting laid while he was holding Diego.
“Hi, Lucia,” Diego said. “Miss Teresa said you’re gonna work here now.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Lucia nodded, and smiled back at Diego. “That’s right.”
Her gaze drifted to Renzo again.
“What?” he asked.
“I was thinking about offering you two a ride home. It’s late, and your little brother looks like he’s had a rough day. I don’t know how far you live from here, but do you really want to carry him the whole way?”
Renzo’s jaw stiffened. “Like I don’t do it every other day?”
Lucia didn’t miss the bite in his tone if the way her smile faded was any indication. Maybe he took a little bit of satisfaction in that, but he wasn’t about to admit it. Renzo wasn’t the type to be an asshole just to be an asshole. But here he was.
Something about this chick made his nerves stand up on fucking end. Like little hairs that felt something annoying or bad, and were reacting to it being too close.
He knew exactly where Lucia Marcello came from, and she was nothing like him. A privileged little girl who probably never knew what it was like to struggle, or walk the streets day after day because she wouldn’t eat otherwise.
He doubted she knew any of that kind of shit at all.
And for some reason, it just irked him like nothing else that she was so willing to stand there like she was and act as though there was no difference between the two of them. As if the two of them were somehow on level ground when it came to the rest of the world. Like she wasn’t wearing designer and silk while he was running around in frayed jeans and a leather jacket that he’d won from a bare fist boxing match three years ago.
Like her heels didn’t have red soles.
And his combat boots weren’t scuffed all to hell.
He was the poor kid from the Bronx.
She was the trust fund baby with mafia connections.
Oil and water.
Lucia seemed to pick up on his hesitance to take a ride from her, and she shrugged. “It’s just a ride, you know. You seemed angry inside, and I thought maybe I could make it a little better.”
Renzo arched a brow high. “Better?”
“That’s what I said.”
“A ride isn’t going to make my life better, Lucia.”
He didn’t miss the way her throat jumped when he said her name, or how her pretty mouth drifted open a little more. He was noticing too much about this chick, and at the moment, his brother was getting heavier by the second on his arm.
He figured, why not let Diego decide? His kid brother always had a better feeling about people than Renzo did. It was a talent, really.
“What do you think, Diego,” Renzo started to say, “should we ride with her?”
Lucia huffed a bit.
Diego just smiled. “Yeah, Ren.”
That was that.
“Guess we’ll take a ride,” Renzo muttered.
Lucia’s hazel gaze glittered when she smiled brilliantly all over again. She even did a little bounce on her feet that only added to her sprite-like joy.
Yeah.
He was noticing way too much.
ABOUT BETHANY-KRIS
Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to four young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.
To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bf9lzD
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