Dangerous Stranger: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Piper Stone

  “That was...” She sighed as if unable to finish her sentence.

  “Indeed.”

  We remained quiet as she crowded next to me, enjoying the sunrise. The electricity still crackled between us, the joy of simply sharing even more powerful than the intimacy.

  “When I was a little girl, my first memory was being on a beach. I will never forget how much fun I had. I could spend hours by myself looking for seashells.” Savannah sighed as she wrapped her arms around her knees, leaning her head against them as she studied me. “My mother used to say that I was a mermaid. I always thought I’d become an oceanographer.”

  “Then why didn’t you?”

  She wrinkled her nose, shrugging. Another story she wasn’t ready to tell.

  “The waves always represented a new beginning for me and I don’t know why. I think my family took the fact we grew up around fabulous beaches for granted. Truly magnificent.” Even with both of us housing dirty little secrets, it seemed easy to talk with her.

  “I did too, although going to the shore was always a treat and one that rarely happened. My mother worked all the time. You know, there is such amazing life under the ocean water, millions of creatures vying to be top dog.” She laughed softly, rubbing her cheek against her robe. “I’m no philosopher as you can tell.”

  “You’re right in your thinking,” I mumbled before tugging a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Anyway, I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean.”

  Such a simple pleasure. “Top dog. There’s always someone who wants to be atop the food chain and they will stop at nothing in order to make that happen.”

  “Is that what you’re doing, Rafael? Trying to be the top dog in a world full of savages?”

  Her question was difficult to answer, at least by telling her the truth. “That’s all I’ve known how to do in my life.”

  “As a musician or as something else?”

  “As a man, Savannah. And you?”

  She took a deep breath, turning her full attention toward the water. “I’ve always considered myself a protector, trying to keep all the little people safe. Somehow, that never worked very well. Finally, I stopped trying.”

  “Is that why you’re here?”

  “The truth is, partially. Maybe I’m trying to find a new life.”

  “Or running away from your old one?”

  She had no expression on her face, but I was able to see the mist in her eyes, her fists clenching. She stood, folding her arms as she walked a few inches closer to the water, darting away as the tide came rolling in again. The hard tug at my emotions was more difficult than I’d imagined, my need for her changing in the few hours we’d spent together. I had to shut it down. I had to let her go.

  Then why was it something I knew would be more difficult than almost anything I’d done before?

  Standing, I walked toward her, moving just behind. I took a deep breath as I placed my hands on her shoulders, half expecting her to run away. The moment she leaned against me, I felt her tension release just as she’d done for me moments before. “Who and what I am are two different things, Savannah. While I can’t share aspects of my life with you, the man you’ve spent time with no one is usually allowed to see.”

  “A man hiding behind a mask.”

  “Aren’t we all? Sometimes it’s necessary to pretend in order to stay alive. Masks allow us to salvage what little humanity we might have left.”

  “Humanity. You make that sound like you enjoy showcasing a dark side of yourself. If you ask me, some masks are more like prisons.”

  I nodded twice, glancing back toward the ocean, almost mesmerized by the rolling waves. “Make no mistake, Savannah. You don’t want to know the other side of me for any reason. He is... merciless on many levels, preferring to live life without giving a shit about anyone or anything else.”

  Savannah turned in my arms, tilting her head. “That is very sad, Rafael. Perhaps you’re right in that I don’t want to know that man. I woke up to see a gun on the nightstand after a night where the man I’d shared a bed with had barely slept. As if you were waiting for someone to break into your house. You weren’t certain who I was just minutes ago even though there are no houses for miles. You’re ready to start a war, just like you had no qualms about killing a man chasing after me. You are merciless, yet I saw a moment of true tenderness.”

  “As I said, no one else is allowed to see that man. No one.” I was more rattled by her ability to peel away the layers than I wanted to admit.

  “You make some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard yet you seem to be a shell. If it breaks, you will be lost. Trust me, I know that experience very well. One day it will too late unless you make the decision to rip away the hard casing.”

  There was nothing I could say, and I could tell by her eyes that she thought my hesitation was shutting her down, sending her away.

  She rose onto her tiptoes, placing a kiss on my cheek before moving away. “I’m going to take a shower. I hope that’s all right.”

  Swallowing, I closed my eyes, a headache settling in. “Of course.” As usual, the darkness had burst through the surface and slithered into the light, breaking the beautiful moment.

  I was frozen on the spot, tingling all over as I pressed two fingers on the location where her lips had just been. She’d seen through me, digging her way into the true nature of the beast hiding under the cloak of steel. She’d sensed my loneliness, the pretense that had kept me alive.

  Let her go. Forget about her. Do. Your. Job.

  The words flashed in my mind. Ones my father would say. My brother. Right now, I didn’t give a shit. I took a last deep breath of the air, drinking in the salty spray and the musky scent of the sand. Even for a blip in time, I was happier than I’d been in years. I took long strides back to the house, trotting into the bedroom. I glanced at the nightstand, snarling at the sight of the weapon. I could tell she’d actually had it in her hand, garnering disgust.

  Was it from the shock of seeing the cold hard steel of a weapon or the concern for her safety? A growl slipped up from my throat as I yanked off my clothes, tossing them onto the floor as I walked toward the bathroom. I could hear the water running, the sound forcing a tightness in my balls. I was drunk from need, overwhelmed by my burning desire.

  She was just a woman after all. I could have anyone I wanted.

  I had to have her.

  To take her.

  To taste her.

  To... protect her.

  The bizarre dichotomy was not something I’d face today. As I opened the shower door, I expected a cry of surprise. When she turned around, still standing under one of the showerheads, my entire body began to ache. I crowded her space, planting my hands on either side of her. I could still gather a scent of the ocean spray covering us, the fragrance adding to the sin of our act.

  One we both had loved.

  “You know, you didn’t obey me out there,” I said in a husky voice.

  “What do you mean?” She delicately crawled the tips of her fingers down my chest.

  “You didn’t keep your position.” I nuzzled against her neck, dragging my tongue up to her ear. “You were a bad girl once again.”

  “Mmm... What does that mean you’re going to do about it?”

  She had no way of knowing how her tease further fueled the fire.

  “Well,” I huffed then bit down on her earlobe. “I’m going to spank you.”

  “Here?”

  “No better place. Do you have any idea how water heightens the pain?”

  She dug her fingers into me, swallowing in an exaggerated fashion. “No.”

  I rolled my knuckle down her cheek, whispering to her softly, “You’re going to find out what happens to bad girls who don’t obey their masters.” She didn’t resist as I pulled her forward and against the tile, even spreading her feet without being instructed.

  For all the times I’d engaged in acts of BDSM, the clubs I’d enjoyed at least
by observing several salacious acts, my actions were entirely out of character. Softer. Gentler.

  What the hell was this girl turning me into?

  I chuckled to myself as I noticed the bath brush. “You are that mischievous girl.”

  Savannah tilted her head, her lips pursing as she pouted. “I’m a very good girl. At least I thought that’s what you told me last night.”

  She was all fire and brimstone, her rebellious nature both scintillating and maddening. I yanked the brush from its holder before rubbing her bottom with my palm, moving from side to side. Her beautiful globes fit perfectly in my hand. I could still see the slightest hint of redness from the night before. I wanted her disciplined. I wanted her obedient. I wanted her as...

  Mine.

  All mine.

  My grip on the handle was firm as I brought it closer, rolling the brush down the edge of her spine to the cleft between her ass cheeks.

  She shuddered, placing the flats of her hands above her head, straining to watch what I was doing.

  I continued my near examination, sliding the bristles all the way down one leg then up along the inside of the other, moving beseechingly slowly. The water trickled over both our heated bodies, creating rising steam. I’d never been so hot in my life, the explosion of fire having nothing to do with the temperature of the water.

  She was an unexpected nexus even though she was also my kryptonite, the relationship far too explosive.

  The moment I eased the brush between her legs, she sucked in her breath, rolling onto her tiptoes. I tapped first one then the other inner thigh, requiring her to open her legs even further. I was shocked at the level of excitement coursing through me, the beast already breaking through the surface. I rubbed the brush in a rocking motion against her pussy lips.

  “Does that feel good?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  A quick snap of my wrist brought the wooden back against her bottom, the sharp slapping sound making her jump. “Uh-huh?” I asked as I fisted her hair with the other hand, tugging until her face was away from the tile.

  “I mean yes, sir.” Her breathing was scattered, her eyes shimmering.

  “Better.” I rubbed the brush between her legs several additional times before raking the bristles from one side of her bottom to the other. When she flinched, I tugged on her hair again. “What did I tell you about pleasure and pain? When you are very good, pleasure will envelop you in raw ecstasy. When you are disobedient, the discomfort will be magnified.”

  I took a step back, wasting no time before smacking first one side of her backside then the other, marveling in the immediate blush blossoming like a flower opening up to the sun. I smacked her several times then adjusted the showerhead until the water cascaded down her back, splashing over her rounded bottom.

  “Oh...” She clawed the tile, her eyes shut tightly.

  I adored the look on her face, the way her mouth twisted then opened as her entire body quivered. Releasing my hold on her hair, I rubbed my fingers down her spine, caressing her bruised cheeks. The heat had already built, sliding into my fingers as the electricity soared once again. I inched closer, rubbing my throbbing cock back and forth in a promise of what was to come.

  She sagged against the wall, pressing her face as she blinked several times. “That hurts.”

  “As all good punishments are supposed to do.” The snap of my wrist was audible, the hard cracking sound as the wood came down against her skin invigorating. I became lost in the moment, the sadist in me thriving from the redness created and the way she wiggled every time the brush was slapped against her.

  I took my time, spanking her long and hard as the steam continued to rise. We were both drenched from the shower as well as beads of perspiration. I was more alive than ever before, my heart skipping beats as the adrenaline pumped like rich red wine through my veins. I was blinded by my hunger, my insatiable needs screaming for relief. Even the way her buttocks jiggled from every brutal slap only heightened my desire, the current running through me threatening to capture my breath.

  “You could be such an obedient woman.”

  “Never. I’m not that kind of woman,” she whispered hoarsely.

  “Yes. You. Are.” The challenge was rich and delicious, my mind reeling from the possibilities. I tamped back every thought as I concentrated on finishing the round of discipline, bringing the brush down several additional times until I could take it no longer. I merely dropped the implement, gripping her hips and yanking her away from the wall until her back was arched.

  “Oh...” she whimpered, throwing back her head in anticipation of what I was going to do next.

  “You are a temptress, Savannah. And you think you have control over me.”

  “Don’t I? Sir?”

  I chuckled darkly as I rubbed my cock back and forth across her bruised ass. “That will never happen.” Although she’d already taken control of the monster thriving inside, forcing him to question everything in his life. I would never allow her to know the powerful hold she had over me, never give into the frustration I felt in not being able to claim her outright.

  “We will see,” she whispered in her own dark and sinful manner, dragging her tongue across her lips.

  I was too jazzed, my body on overload. I wrapped my hand around the base of my cock, stroking up and down roughly. The friction was almost painful, a reminder of my savage needs. My patience gone, I thrust the tip just inside, a growl forced up from my throat the moment her muscles clamped around the invasion. She was so wet and when she arched her back even more, I lost it, plunging my entire shaft all the way inside.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh...” Her moans were overshadowed by my intense roar, my entire body shaking.

  I pulled her tightly against me, undulating my hips as her muscles stretched to accept my thickness. There was nothing like the feel of being inside of her. I slid one hand up to cup her breast, squeezing her rounded flesh aggressively.

  She shot one arm back, rubbing her fingers up and down my legs as I buried my head against her neck, drinking in her sweet essence. “You feel so good,” she mumbled, grinding against me.

  “So wet. So fucking hot.” I bit down on her neck, using my thumb and forefinger to pinch and twist her hardened bud. I wanted both nipples and her clit pierced, a beautiful chain of gold ready to be tugged any time I wanted her close. I wanted her branded with my mark, tattooed for all the world to see that she belonged to me.

  I wanted her locked away for only my use, protected against the evils of the world, ready to service my every need. And I would give almost everything I owned to make that happen. I let off a raspy growl, the sound reverberating in the small space as I thrust in and out like a crazed animal, my hunger exploding off the charts.

  She took every hard plunge, forcing her hips back in a rocking motion, her moans almost as primal as mine.

  I slid my hand under her thigh, lifting her leg. The shift in the angle was incredible, allowing my cock to slide in even further. As I powered into her, sweat slipping down and across her shoulders and back, nothing but the beautiful savagery of my actions remained in my mind. Gone was the worry about the business, the danger my entire family faced. There was nothing but the here and now.

  My balls were ready to explode, the brutal hammering of my heart echoing into my ears. I wanted every inch of her, was crazed to fill every hole.

  She slapped one hand against the tile, using the other to lift her leg even higher as she gasped for air.

  “I want you. All of you. Every inch. Mine. All mine.” A harsh bellow left my mouth the moment I slipped my shaft to her dark hole.

  Tensing, her mouth opened into a perfect ‘O’ and she held her breath until I pushed my cock past her tight ring of muscle.

  Once fully seated, I crowded closer, using the power of my thighs as I thrust in and out. The heat was even more explosive, the electricity now white hot and skipping from one body to the other. All I could hear were our combined throes of passion, the primal n
eed we both shared.

  I rocked her, trying my best to hold on as my balls swelled with cum. I wanted this to last, to be defining. As she squeezed her muscles, I knew there was nothing left. No control. No patience. I exploded into her, my throat constricted as the rush catapulted me into sheer ecstasy.

  As I filled her with my cum, another wave of sadness slammed into me as well as a return of my anger.

  Fury for the life I’d been born into.

  Anger for the realization I could never have anything of such beauty and innocence.

  Rage for the understanding that with me, her life would be in constant danger.

  And so, a decision was made, a release of my hold.

  The beautiful flower would flourish on her own in a separate world, while another round of darkness took over mine.

  At least... she would remain alive.

  Chapter Nine

  Savannah

  Time.

  I had far too much time to think on my own, attempting to process the details of what had happened only two days before. The time spent with Rafael had been amazing, wondrous, crazy and I’d lost myself in something that never should have happened.

  And everything I craved from the very depths of my being.

  A man so powerful.

  One so dangerous.

  A man who would likely end up dead and I honestly had no idea why. I laughed softly, every move I made a direct reminder of the hard spankings I’d received. A few marks remained, a beautiful reminder of the fact I’d lost my entire mind. Going off with a stranger who carried a gun? What the fuck was wrong with me?

  Now I was wary of trusting my instincts, what few decisions I’d made for the galleria. I was even confused why I even bothered to think about the asshole for any reason.

  But I had.

  True to my instincts and thoughts, Rafael had vanished, poof. Gone. There were no calls or texts, no flowers sent in recognition of our time shared. It was as if he’d never existed at all. Hey, I was a grown woman and a big girl. I didn’t need a man.