Shadow Keeper

by Feehan, Christine

  She cried out, her body bucking, hot liquid spilling out of her.

  “What the fuck, woman? Don’t you have any control? I thought I just said this is my orgasm, not yours.”

  “That’s not my fault. You’re deliberately making it impossible to stop.” There was excitement in her breathless voice.

  “I guess I could spank you until you have an orgasm, but it isn’t what I have in mind.”

  “Do something. Anything. Eat me. Spank me. Fuck me. Anything at all. Just do something.” There was desperation in her voice.

  “It’s in your hands, baby. You know what you have to do.”

  “Just remember this when I’ve got your cock in my mouth,” she warned, her voice muffled by the sheets. “Giovanni, you bastard, will you please fuck me hard until I come? I need it very, very badly. Please?”

  “Aren’t you going to ask my permission to come?” He used his finger, pushing into her, retreating, pushed in two. He flicked her clit hard and felt her body tighten around his fingers. He couldn’t help smiling when he swore she ground her teeth. Playing. Teasing. He’d never had those experiences and he loved that she was willing to play with him. “I’m not asking you to call me master, that might come later.”

  She growled, but turned her head toward him. “Giovanni. Dear. Honeypot.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “Please allow me to come? If not, I might have to hurt you.”

  He caught her hips, jerked them back to him and slammed into her. She shrieked and instantly her body clamped down on his like a vise. The walls of her sheath contracted, strangling his cock. He plunged into her over and over, right through her orgasm, letting the friction and heat drive them both straight into another realm. He held on to his control through two more wildly long quakes that rippled through her entire body, and then when he built the last one higher than the previous ones, he let her take him with her.

  Her sheath was so tight he could barely breathe. It was either hell or paradise. He only knew he never wanted to leave. His release, as he emptied himself into her, flung him back to that place where her mouth had taken him, somewhere he’d never been. He floated while his body went up in flames, and he felt reborn.

  She lay limp on the bed, facedown, her narrow channel still gripping his with aftershocks while he kissed the nape of her neck and rubbed her body gently. Soothingly. She turned her head to one side to look at him. “We might not make it out of this relationship alive.”

  He grinned at her, flopped on the bed and pulled her up and over him like a blanket. “I’ll go out happy.” His stomach tightened. “What about you? If we killed each other with sex, would you go out happy, too?”

  She lifted her head to rest her chin on his chest. “How could I not? I didn’t know sex could be like this. It’s so good sometimes I never want you to stop.”

  He could breathe again. He pushed at the wet hair tumbling around her face. They’d lost the towel somewhere. It didn’t matter. His heart hurt just from looking at her. Ached. She did that to him. “Dio, baby, I’m falling in love with you. Really falling.”

  Her lashes fluttered. They were long, a dark gold, and very thick. He held his breath, knowing his declaration was probably too soon for her. She was embattled on too many fronts and having him just come out and tell her he loved her …

  “Strange, Giovanni, and I can’t believe I’m saying this because we haven’t spent that much time together, but I’m feeling exactly the same way.”

  He heard the honesty in her voice. That ring of truth. Part of him rejoiced. The other part knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet. She didn’t know his life, and he had to tell her soon. The more ties they had between them, the more their shadows tangled together. Theirs had knitted together very quickly. Once the shadows were woven together, there was only one way to get them apart. She wouldn’t remember him, and he would no longer be able to ride the shadows. That was the very worst thing that could happen to a rider. It was who they were more than what they were.

  “I never expected to really find you.” He hadn’t. Somewhere in the back of his mind, even when he was actively looking, he hadn’t believed he would find her. “Going around the world and looking for you, and here you walk right into my club. Shocked the holy hell out of me.” He lifted his head to brush a kiss in the fall of wet curls. “And you had to see me at my worst.”

  She laughed and rolled over, sitting up on the edge of the bed. “I doubt that’s you at your worst. Your worst is going to be when you try taking over my life.”

  He sat up as well. “Why would you think I would take over your life?”

  She looked around the room for her clothes. “I said ‘try,’ and where are my clothes? I folded them neatly and left them on top of the dresser.”

  “They’re in the laundry.”

  “I’m not going naked to breakfast. You can give me your clothes.”

  “In the drawers. I put a change of clothes there for you last night when I came in. The others are already at the house.”

  Sasha gave him a look that told him they’d be having a discussion about her going to his house. That look made him want to smile. He loved that she thought he wasn’t going to get his way in everything.

  She went to the bureau and took out underwear. He couldn’t help watching her dress. He knew that was always going to be one of his favorite things. He’d never get tired of it. Instead of dressing as well, he remained quiet, never taking his eyes from her.

  Sasha started laughing again. “Quit staring.”

  “You might disappear on me if I let you out of my sight or just blink.” He knew she would laugh again and that sound did something to his heart. Made it lighter somehow. All the bitterness over the wasted months of pulling playboy duty after getting shot disappeared, suddenly worth every moment because he had her.

  “I’m going to find Francesca and breakfast,” she announced.

  “Not without kissing me first.”

  “Kissing you is dangerous. It leads to other things and we’re never going to get out of this room if we keep it up.”

  “Kiss me, baby.” She was right, his cock stirred at the thought of her touching him. That mouth. Her body.

  She shook her head, blew him a kiss and ran out of the room laughing.

  Giovanni listened until the sound faded away. He pressed a hand over his heart where his chest ached. Very slowly he dressed and wandered down the hall and through his brother’s penthouse. Francesca had made the very cold apartment a warm, welcoming home. Sasha would do that to his home. He could tell already, just being in her little residence.

  Stefano sat at the table alone. A cup of coffee was near one hand, a tabloid, of all things, was in the other, and he was frowning. He glanced up at Giovanni and then back toward the kitchen where their two women were talking together.

  Immediately Giovanni knew something was wrong and it involved either Sasha—or him. He held out his hand. “What is it?”

  Stefano sighed. “You aren’t going to like it.” He glanced toward the kitchen again where his wife was laughing with Sasha over something she’d said and then he put the paper in his brother’s outstretched hand. “Someone got a picture of Sasha that night at the club. They took a couple of them and obviously sold them to a tabloid. I called, of course, but they’re already running them in the magazines as well. It’s all over the news. A woman employed at the Hendrick Clinic gave an interview to the newspapers and let it slip that you’re engaged to Sasha. With that news out, of course whoever took the pictures was going to sell them to the tabloids. He must have made a mint.”

  Giovanni looked down and his heart dropped. Sasha was on Darby’s lap, both breasts exposed. Not only exposed, but the camisole, lace gaping open, pushed her breasts up and out, emphasizing them. In the photograph, it was impossible to see that the laces were torn. From the angle the photo had been taken, it appeared as if Giovanni was reaching for her breasts.

  He swore. “Whoever took this was on the same tier we were, S
tefano,” he said. “They were too close and had too good of a view. Someone at Aaron’s table took this.”

  “We don’t know that.”

  “Look at it. Damn it, I haven’t locked her down yet. You know why? Our lifestyle. Too much money, too much jet-setting. This is going to shake her up. This is exactly the kind of thing that she can’t stand. We’re in the tabloids nearly every week. Sometimes more. Every story we’ve inserted, every picture we’ve orchestrated, is coming back to bite me in the ass.”

  He threw himself into a seat across from his brother and pressed the tatty little gossip rag that just might very well lose him Sasha to his forehead. “I hate this.”

  “I know you do. We’re going to have to do damage control, and you’re going to have to show this to her. You don’t want her getting broadsided.”

  The elevator buzzed just before the doors opened, and the brothers exchanged a long look. Both looked up as Eloisa burst into the room, her expression furious, her gaze snaking around the room, seeking a target.

  Francesca and Sasha turned toward her, and Eloisa gasped and, ignoring her sons, stomped toward the women, purpose and fury in every step.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Giovanni nearly knocked over the table in his haste to stand up. “Eloisa.” Dio, Dio, he didn’t need this now. Nothing good ever came of Eloisa’s confrontations, and it was clear she was determined to have it out with someone.

  Eloisa held up her hand to stop him, not that it was going to do any good. He was already in position, standing between his mother and Sasha. Stefano had risen much more elegantly, but also glided between Eloisa and the women.

  “I had no idea you planned to visit this morning, Eloisa,” Stefano greeted. “Come sit down.” He indicated the table. “Would you care for coffee?”

  “No, I wouldn’t care for coffee. What I care for is an explanation of how my son ended up engaged to a complete bimbo.” Both hands went to her hips and she glared at Giovanni.

  Stefano glanced at Francesca. One look, that was all, and she immediately caught Sasha’s hand and whispered to her, hoping to get her out of the room. They’d taken two steps when Eloisa cut them off.

  “Don’t you dare leave this room. Do you think I haven’t seen all the pictures? Exposing your breasts in public? Declaring to the world that you’re engaged? You are not trapping my son into marriage.”

  “That’s enough,” Giovanni snapped. He knew his face darkened with temper—he had one, and it was rising fast. “You don’t know the first thing about what you’re talking about.”

  “Wait.” Sasha’s soft voice had him spinning around. She looked puzzled. “Is she accusing me? What does she mean, pictures? Exposing my breasts in public? I thought you got all those pictures. You told me you did.” She put her hands behind her, feeling for the counter.

  Giovanni nearly groaned aloud. The action only served to emphasize her generous breasts, and he knew that would drive his mother into further tantrum. Sasha hadn’t denied her breasts had been exposed; in fact, from her statement, the circumstances would only sound worse to Eloisa. She would be certain Sasha had been partying.

  “You little whore.” Eloisa actually curled her fingers into two tight fists and stepped toward Sasha aggressively.

  Giovanni stepped with her, keeping his body between Eloisa and Sasha. “Eloisa, as usual, you have no idea what’s going on. Just stop.”

  “Eloisa.” Stefano’s tone held a wealth of warning.

  Giovanni knew all along Sasha wasn’t the kind of woman to hide behind her man; still, he wasn’t prepared for her to step around him to face his mother. Eloisa tore other women to shreds, especially if she thought she was protecting the family name. The minute Sasha was nearly toe to toe with Eloisa, his mother attacked.

  “I know all about you and that brother of yours, kept locked up because he’s totally gone, out of his mind. If you think I want someone like you—”

  “Don’t you dare talk about my brother,” Sasha hissed, her step toward Eloisa every bit as aggressive as his mother’s had been. “You don’t know the first thing about him. If you had one shred of decency, one tiny bit of patience, you’d know he was in an accident and suffered a brain injury. If you did know that, it just goes to show you don’t have one ounce of compassion in you and you aren’t worth very much. If you all will excuse me, I have to get to work. This horrible bitch has ruined my appetite.”

  For once, Eloisa looked stunned. She stood there, her mouth open and her eyes wide with shock that another woman had stood up to her. Sasha went on around her and stalked toward the elevator doors. Giovanni wanted to shove his mother out a window. Instead, he followed his woman. Her shoulders were set and her head high. Color flagged her cheeks. Dio, even that made him hard—and so fucking proud he wanted to kiss her—the way she stood up to Eloisa.

  “Do you deny trying to trap my son into marriage?” Eloisa demanded.

  “Absolutely I deny it.” Sasha kept walking.

  “If anyone is trying to trap anyone, Eloisa, I’m doing my best to make certain she marries me,” Giovanni snapped as he put his arm around Sasha.

  “That was so unkind,” Francesca reprimanded, sending her mother-in-law a frown of condemnation.

  “You can leave now,” Stefano said, indicating the elevator.

  “Wait.” Eloisa sounded conciliatory, not commanding.

  Sasha stopped and slowly turned around. Giovanni turned with her, but he dropped his arm and stepped back. She wanted to deal with his mother on her own, and she deserved to do so. As long as she was holding her own, he wasn’t about to interfere.

  “I’m sorry about your brother. You’re right. I should have learned more before I came here. The investigators showed me the pictures and told me you had a brother in a hospital and I didn’t look any further.”

  She glanced at Francesca. “You’d do to learn a little from this one. She stands up for herself and her family. Still, I can’t have a woman who exposes her body to the world as one of our family. Giovanni, you know the rules. Your duty is to follow them.”

  “Well, fuck duty,” Giovanni snarled.

  “You can get angry all you want, but I’m not having this exhibitionist in our family. It’s bad enough that your brother chose …”

  Stefano let his breath out in a long, slow hiss. “Did you come here just to piss me off? Because you don’t want to do that, not now. I’m already there. State why you’re here without shrieking at everyone and hope I don’t throw you out.”

  “I’m your mother whether you like it or not, Stefano, and you can show a little respect.”

  Stefano’s eyebrow shot up. “The problem you’re running into, Eloisa, is that in order for me to respect you, I have to have a reason, and coming into my home, harassing my wife and screaming at Giovanni’s woman before you even know the facts is not the way to get it.”

  Eloisa slapped her hand over the tabloid. “I think I know the facts, Stefano, they’re here in black and white for the world to see. Giovanni’s engagement to this woman is a complete farce.”

  “What engagement?” Sasha asked. “What pictures? Show me.”

  Giovanni glared at his mother as she held out the tabloid.

  “Don’t try to pretend that isn’t you because it clearly is,” Eloisa snapped. “You’re on rather prominent display.” There was sarcasm in her voice.

  Stefano handed his paper to Francesca, who stood with him. There was a long silence as the two women stared at the damning photographs, tension stretching out until Giovanni wanted to break it. He didn’t, he just kept his gaze fixed on Sasha’s face. No one else’s reaction mattered. No one else mattered.

  “Well.” Eloisa broke the silence. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  Sasha glanced up. “I don’t owe you an explanation. Not one word.” Her gaze switched to Giovanni. “I’m sorry, honey, I know this is going to be terrible for you.” Her finger moved over the lurid headline declaring playboy jet-setter Giovanni Ferr
aro was engaged to a party girl waitress. “You wouldn’t be in this position if you hadn’t tried to help me.” She tossed the tabloid away from her as if it were a snake. “I really do have to get to work. If you all will excuse me …”

  “Baby, you know you can’t go to work. You have a very dangerous stalker after you. He put a bomb in our car last night, or don’t you remember?”

  “What is going on?” Eloisa demanded. “A bomb? Dio, Giovanni, you’ve gotten yourself into more trouble than your brothers ever thought of and they were bad enough.”

  Everyone ignored her.

  “Someone at Aaron’s table snapped that picture,” Giovanni stated.

  “A series of pictures. Of course, the article left off the part where you were attacked and your clothing ripped,” Stefano said. “I reviewed the security tapes.”

  “Do you think Aaron did it? Or his friend James? Tom Mariland was there as well,” Sasha said. “Aaron sent me flowers, and James had a box of chocolates delivered. Tom came to the deli and apologized in person. But …” She trailed off, frowning.

  “We’ll find out,” Stefano said. “We’ve got ears and eyes on the tabloids. They sold the pictures anonymously, but there’s always a money trail.”

  Sasha shook her head. “I never thought about what you all go through on a daily basis. My life is much simpler.” She made a small move as if she might separate herself from Giovanni.

  He didn’t like that she had referred to her life as being simpler. She was in his life now, which meant their life was hers. He slipped one hand around her upper arm very lightly. He didn’t want her to notice, but he wasn’t letting her leave the building. She couldn’t possibly conceive of the firestorm waiting for her outside the hotel. Their engagement had been announced, and the paparazzi would be out in droves. No one and no amount of money was going to stop them from trying to get her picture. She might think it was fake, but he was going to do his best to make their engagement real.