by Ella Jade
“You’re too loyal for that.”
“I love my family.”
“I can see why.”
“Santino really cares about you. I know he can be...”
“Impossible?” I finished his sentence.
“Something like that,” he agreed. “He means well and he would never let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you for helping me understand him a little better.” Santino was a complicated man who came from a complex family. I may not have understood who they were but, in my heart, I knew who Santino was.
“Try not to kill one another while you’re here.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
“What if I could keep you busy? I could use my assistant.” When he grinned, I could see a glimpse of Santino in his expression. All of the Marchelli brothers had a sincerity to them even if some of them were dangerous. “Do you think you can work remotely?”
“I’d love to but I don’t have a phone or computer.”
“I’ll take care of that. You have to promise me you won’t make me regret it. Dominick would kill me if I compromised our safety.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Luca, I promise things will get better.”
“Thank you for being the best boss.”
“I hope I’m a good friend too.”
“The best.” Suddenly, I didn’t feel as desperate as I had when Vincenzo first arrived. I could get through this and in the process, maybe I could figure out where I fit into all of this.
Chapter Fifteen
Do You Love Me...
Luca
I hadn’t given this arrangement a fair shake. I had been so angry that Santino held me against my will I lost sight of why he was doing it. Although, I didn’t like being told what to do, maybe I could compromise a little. It wasn’t horrible here and now that Vincenzo was going to give me the chance to work, I could settle down and get my mind off the reason we were here.
I changed into one of the bathing suits Santino had left in the bedroom for me. It was purple. I wondered if he’d done that on purpose? It was also a skimpy bikini that left little to the imagination. Had he done that on purpose too?
Perhaps a few minutes in the sauna would help relax me. I could clear my mind before talking to Santino. When I opened the door to the wooden room, the heat rushed over me.
“Sorry.” Santino’s presence startled me. “I didn’t know you were in here. I’ll come back later.”
He leaned his back against the bench he sat on. The towel that was wrapped around his waist, hung low on his hips, revealing all of his stomach muscles. The beads of sweat trickled down his body and glossed over his muscles. Why did he have to look so good?
“Stay.”
I shut the door and took a seat across from him. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. The awkward silence gnawed at my nerves. How had we gotten here?
“I apologize for earlier,” he finally spoke. “My temper got the better of me.”
“We were both out of line. I shouldn’t have put my hands on you.” A wave of embarrassment came over me because I wasn’t a violent person. I wanted him to hear me. “I didn’t mean any of that stuff about your family. I was upset and I lashed out.”
“What made you so upset?”
“I don’t even know. At first my nerves were frazzled after the shooting and then I was mad because you were keeping me here. It hasn’t been my best week.”
“You’re not mad about being here?”
“I am but I think I understand it a little better.” My conversation with Vince helped clear my head. “When Art told me you left yesterday, I felt...” I used my towel to wipe my neck. Because the steam was getting to me. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me. Everything about you matters to me.”
“Even after these past few days?”
“Neither one of us should judge the other’s actions over the last few days.” He stretched out his legs. “When Art told you I left, how did you feel?”
“Abandoned.”
“I would never abandon you.” He moved to sit next to me. “I don’t like who we became after the shooting but I understand your position.” He trailed his fingers down my arm, igniting a fire inside my soul with him it was more than physical. It always had been. “I admire your independence and that you want to be your own person. I don’t ever want you to lose yourself, or give up any part of who you are to be with me. I would never ask that of you.”
“I know that’s not what you were trying to do. I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time.”
“I don’t expect anything less from you.” When he smiled, I wanted to fall into his arms. “Don’t ever change, Luca. Not for me, not for anyone.”
“I won’t.”
There was something different in his expression. Was he trying to let me go? I was the one who told him I didn’t want his life but I was angry and if I could take those words back, I would. I didn’t want to have this conversation now. We could fix what we screwed up. We had time.
I stood, feeling hotter than I should. I didn’t think it was solely from the sauna. “I should go.” When I turned and headed for the door, he came behind me.
“There’s something else I need to tell you.” He caressed my side as he trailed his lips along the back of my neck. I dropped my head back, resting it on his chest to seek his lips.
“I don’t want to talk now.” I kissed him. “I just want to feel.”
“Are you sure?” He slid his hand along my stomach and to my hip. “This is what you want?”
“I want you.” I raised my hands and circled my arms around his neck.
He untied the strings of my bikini bottoms, freeing me from them. Trailing his fingers across my hip and to my mound, he inserted them inside me. I heaved my breasts forward while pushing my backside against his erection. He tugged on his towel, letting it fall on the wooden planks. Moving my hand between his, I grasped his cock in my hand, pumping in time with the rhythm he created inside me.
With his free hand, he removed my bikini top, leaving us both sweaty and naked under the heat of the sauna. The sweat beaded off us and trickled down our flesh as we gasped ragged breaths of desire. There had been too many days of wasted energy and hostility between us. The stress of the last few days seemed to evaporate into the steamy air, leaving both of us with nothing but a raw need for one another.
Santino spun me around and lifted me up, pinning me against the wall as I hooked my legs around his waist. Supporting my backside with one hand, he slithered his other between us, grabbing his erection and sheathing it in my hot, wet arousal.
I let out the breath I held, or maybe it was all the tension leaving my body, either way, being with him felt completely right. I smiled before slipping my tongue between his lips and discovering his eager mouth waiting for me.
Gripping the back of his hair, I held his face close to mine as he slammed into me, releasing all of his pent-up frustration. Both of us clawing and squeezing the other until neither of us could take anymore. Within seconds, maybe it was minutes, our frantic breaths turned to needy moans.
With a quick and hard thrust forward, we both came undone, releasing simultaneously into one another, pouring all of the want and need we had for each other into our emotional and necessary encounter.
As he held me, tears slipped down my cheek not because I was sad. It was quite the opposite. He lowered my feet to the floor, taking a moment to look into my eyes.
“What’s this?” He wiped my face. “Why are you crying?”
“I missed you,” I whispered.
“I’m right here.” He tilted my chin and ran his lips along mine. “I’m always here.” He released me from his hold and opened the sauna door, allowing the cool air to filter in. A chill ran through my body as the crisp air ghosted my flesh.
“I’ll behave,” I breathed out. “I’ll stay here as long as you need me to and I won’t give you any trouble.”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you before we got distracted.”
“What?”
“Dominick is satisfied the threat is contained. We can leave here today.”
My heart sank over the thought of leaving and possibly ending our relationship.
“He knows who ordered the hit?”
“Ordered the hit?” He tried to hide his amusement. “You’ve been watching too many mob movies but for now, we think the shooter acted alone. We might have pissed him off and he retaliated.”
“Oh.”
“I can’t really get into details.”
“But you know more than you’re saying.”
“We’re all going to have to take precautions and deal with extra security until we’re certain but we do have to get back to our normal lives.”
“I see.”
“You sound disappointed. I thought you hated it here?” He stepped out of the sauna and grabbed us two fresh towels. After he wrapped one around himself, he spread the other open and nodded for me to step into it. Once I did, he encased me in it. “I thought you’d be relieved.”
“I am, I mean, I’m glad we’re not in danger but I thought we’d have more time.”
“For what?”
“I said things I didn’t mean and I can’t take them back but I wanted time to fix the mess we made.”
“We don’t have to stay here to do that but we can stay the night if you promise that we’ll sleep in the same bed.”
“Are we going to be sleeping much?”
“There’s my girl.” When he traced his fingers along my lips, everything seemed right. “And if you’re referring to what you said about not wanting a life with me, I already told you we can’t be held accountable for anything we said in the past few days. We were under extreme distress.”
“It was very stressful.” I inched closer to him. “So, you didn’t mean the part where you said you’d let me walk away?”
“Not at all.” He encircled my hips in his arms. “But there is one thing I’m certain of and I’ve never said it out loud and I should have. It’s something you need to know.”
“What is it?”
“What I’m about to tell you, I’ve never said to anyone before. I’ve said the words to my family and I meant them but when I say them to you, they will have a different meaning.”
My body trembled when he brushed his lips along mine. I knew what he was going to say because I felt those words with every fiber of my being.
“Do you love me?” I bit my lip. “Because I love you with all of my heart.”
“Yes, baby.” He gently kissed me. “I love you. I loved you yesterday, I love you today but most importantly, I’m going to love you for the rest of my life.”
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I hugged him. “I may freak out from time to time and you might have to help me navigate when things get crazy in your world but I promise, I’ll never walk away.”
“Good because I don’t think I could ever let you go.”
The End but the saga continues...
Mafia Heat
I know I didn’t reveal who sent the shooter but that’s a story for the next book. But I ALWAYS give the couple an HEA. Dominick’s book will reveal what all the Marchelli’s are up to.
Have you read the rest of the series? If not, check out the other books in The Mafia Heat Series to get the full dynamics of this intriguing family. You’ll see how each couple got their steamy start and how they fell in love. Stay tuned for the most anticipated Marchelli Brother’s story... Dominick (coming soon).
http://authorellajade.com/mafia-heat1/
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.
Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband, two sons and two feisty Chihuahua writing companions. She can be found creating sexy, domineering men and the strong women who know how to challenge them in and out of the bedroom on a regular basis. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.
http://authorellajade.com/
