But slowly, the grin began to fade.
My moments with her was running out. I could feel the sands of time sliding through my fingers, and I was unable to hold on to it for more than a moment before it slipped through my grasp. Gio’s betrayal had done nothing but stir up a shitstorm that would end my relationship with Anya sooner than I anticipated.
If the bastard weren’t already dead, I would have slit his throat in that moment of realization.
Clenching my jaw, I glared out the side window as the car was driven through the city.
I still had a little time left. Less than I wanted, but I would just have to savor what I was given.
Every day I’d gotten to have Anya in my bed these past six months was one more than I’d ever expected. What only should have been a little fun had turned into so much more, but I knew it was just temporary. Anya was my present, but she could never be my future.
No matter how much I wished I could change that reality.
Anya
Three months later…
The roar of the crowd felt like a drill biting into my skull. The obnoxious laughter and the clinking of ice in glasses combined made my jaws clench. I walked through the club, the one place I’d always felt was my sanctuary, wishing every single patron a hundred miles from here. I wanted them gone, wanted the peace that would come with the echoing silence within these four walls.
In my hand, my phone vibrated, its ringtone unheard over the music and wall of noise coming from the three hundred plus people in the club. Seeing the caller ID on my phone’s screen, I cursed his name even as I put the phone to my ear.
“Can I see you?”
I lowered my lashes, blocking out anyone’s ability to see what his voice was doing to my soul as some of the chaos in my head began to dissolve. “I’m working,” I reminded him.
“I’ll be at your place,” Cristiano said, his tone holding little room for argument. Not that I wouldn’t have argued with him if I hadn’t wanted to see him. Fuck, I craved the feeling of his hands on me. To hear his heart beating under my ear in a lullaby meant for only me that held the power to ease me to sleep effortlessly. “Cut your night short.”
I didn’t answer immediately, and I could practically hear him gritting his teeth. “Fine,” I finally gave in. “I’ll be there within the hour. Make yourself comfortable.”
Not giving him the chance to answer, I hung up, knowing he could get into my apartment on his own. He had the code that unlocked my floor, something not even my brother had. Allegra was the only other person who had the code, and I wasn’t expecting my new friend to drop by unannounced anytime soon. She was too caught up in settling in to married life with Dante and her ready-made family with her baby sister, Jenny.
Pocketing my phone, I climbed the stairs to the VIP level. Everyone up here knew who I was, but instead of trying to pull me into conversation, they all gave me wary glances as I passed them. Those glances both amused and annoyed me. Did they think I was going to pull out a gun and shoot them in the head for the entire world to see? Or get up close and personal and slit their pretty little throats?
Maybe for the right price, sure. I wouldn’t even blink. But no one had put up the right kind of money for that privilege, so they were all relatively safe from me. The smallest trace of a smirk lifted my lips as I pushed open the door that led down the hall to my office. I grabbed the few things I needed off my desk before heading out to my car.
This late on a Friday night, traffic was a bitch, so it was just under an hour before I was stepping off the elevator into my apartment. The scent of Cristiano’s cologne filled my nose as I walked through the living room and down the hall to my bedroom.
The sound of the shower running had my stomach tightening in anticipation, and I dropped my bag on the floor along with my coat. I started pulling off my clothes, leaving them in a trail as I entered the steamy bathroom.
His body was outlined in the fogged glass of my shower door. One arm was on the shower wall above his head as he leaned against it, letting the powerful jets rain down on his back. Dropping my bra on the floor, I opened the stall door quietly and stepped into the shower with him.
I snaked my arms around his waist, and I kissed his back. He jerked at the touch of my lips, but his hands covered my own, his fingers caressing the backs of my hands for several seconds as if savoring this moment.
Cristiano’s shoulders lifted as he inhaled deeply, and he turned to face me. He opened his mouth, his eyes hooded. I could feel his tension and knew it wasn’t just because his cock was hard as steel for me. He wanted to say something, but instinctively I knew it would shatter us.
Standing on tiptoe, I pressed my lips to his, kissing him instead of letting him speak. My hands clutched at his shoulders, and I climbed him until my legs were wrapped tightly around his waist and he had no choice but to press me against the smooth stone of the shower wall.
“Annie,” he groaned, his cock pressing right into my core without entering me yet. “I want you so fucking much, tesoro.”
My breath hitched at the anguish I heard in his voice, but I didn’t ask him what was wrong. I was too selfish to let him break us. “Not yet,” I whispered, my fingers combing through his wet hair. “Whatever it is, just…not yet.”
He stared down at me for the longest time, the water cascading over both of us. With a feral-sounding growl, he gave in. Callused hands gripped my ass, his fingers biting into my tender flesh as he ground his hardness into me. He lowered his head, his teeth sinking into my shoulder as he spread my folds and sank deep inside me.
I swallowed my moans of ecstasy as he drove deep and slowly pulled out until only the tip was left, teasing me with the promise of fulfillment and the agony of pleasure that came with the delicious stretching of my body by his bulging cock. He took his time, torturing me with slow thrusts that felt like he reached all the way to my heart only to pull back completely before sinking deep, deep, deeper again until I couldn’t hold my pleasure silent a second longer.
“Yes,” I whimpered pitifully as his thumb circled my clit. “Yes, Cristiano! Please.”
Tightening his hold on me, he stepped back until his calves met the stone bench, and he dropped with me in his lap. He leaned back, releasing his bruising hold on my ass and giving me complete control. I swallowed my sob of triumph and pushed my hands into either side of the wall to steady myself as I rode his cock hard.
He filled his hands with my breasts, his fingers pinching and pulling on my achingly hard nipples, sending jolts of pleasure straight to my core. I tossed my head back, flinging my drenched hair over my shoulders as I bounced faster on his massive cock. I was tiny, and his cock stretched me to the point of pain no matter how many times I took him, but there was no better feeling than having him like this. He filled a void deep inside me that had been aching until I met him.
My release hit me hard, making my entire body quake. I fell against his chest, his powerful arms wrapping around me protectively. Holding me against him, he thrust roughly up into me. I could tell he was about to come, and I kissed his neck. “That’s it, Cristiano. Give me everything. You know how much I love it when you come inside me. I want to feel your release dripping out of me.” He increased his tempo, and my exhausted body began to respond all over again.
“Please, I need you with all my heart,” I whispered in Russian, knowing he didn’t understand a single word. It was the only reason I allowed myself to speak the words aloud. If he knew how much my heart was invested, I would never be able to face him again. But I knew he got off when I spoke to him in my native tongue, and I was rewarded with the shudder that told me he was going to erupt inside me any second.
The feel of his hot release melted my inner walls, triggering my second orgasm, and my body shook with the force of it.
The water was starting to grow cold, but we let it wash away all the traces of our wildness before he helped me out of the shower and wrapped me in a thick white towel. On legs that were lik
e jelly, I dried myself before walking naked into my bedroom and dropping languidly down onto the mattress.
Cristiano followed moments later, unabashedly nude as he joined me on the bed. As he lay beside me, he sought my hand with his and entwined our fingers.
We lay like that for a very long while, our skin cooling but neither of us bothering to pull back the covers. I knew that if I so much as moved, then the little bubble around us that had kept us protected would burst. Minutes slipped into hours, and it wasn’t until his phone vibrated that he moved.
Without bothering to answer his phone, he turned onto his side. Combing my still damp hair back from my face, he looked down at me as if memorizing every last inch of my face.
In that moment, I knew.
I knew this was the end.
I knew when he walked out my door—and it was going to be very soon—he wasn’t coming back.
My heart began to pound, and I wanted to beg him not to go. Not to do this. I loved him. He was the first man I’d ever allowed myself to care about. The only man who’d ever touched a part of my soul.
Instead, I let him cup the side of my face. Let him kiss my lips so softly it brought tears to both our eyes. And when he stood, pulling his clothes on in a rush, I closed my eyes and let him go.
It was only as the sound of the elevator lowering drifted into silence that I let the tears spill from my eyes and I curled into a ball, allowing the pain to consume me body and soul.
Cristiano
I straightened my suit jacket as I stepped outside, my heart pounding in my ears. Nothing had ever been harder than leaving Anya lying in her bed, knowing it was the last time I would get to hold her, kiss her, fall asleep beside her.
My car was waiting up the block. When I walked into view, my men got out of the front and opened the back for me. As I drew closer, my phone rang, causing me to clench my teeth. Pulling the phone from my jacket pocket, I flexed my fingers around it when I saw the name on the screen.
I sent the caller to voice mail and repocketed the phone.
“Where to?” my driver asked as I reached the car.
Without answering, I turned to face the car, glaring down at my reflection in the tinted window. My hair was still damp from my shower with Anya, my face tense with pain and anger. I’d put this off for weeks now, needing to stay as close to the woman who owned me for as long as possible.
But now, I was out of time.
Sheena and her father were already in Chicago waiting for me. My time with Anya was over, and now I had to move forward with the future that had always been mapped out for me. My knuckles connected with the side of the car. Pain shot through my entire hand and up my arm, but I welcomed the sensation. I punched the car again and again, only stopping when blood began to drip from my fingers.
Pulling back, I shook out my hand and accepted the handkerchief from Vince. Wrapping it around my busted knuckles, I straightened my jacket once again and stepped into the back of the car. “Airport,” I clipped out. “We’re already late.”
Vince pulled up beside the jet on the tarmac at Teterboro. The pilot and flight attendant were standing at the top of the stairs, waiting for me.
With everything finally calming down in New York, and Dante settling down with Allegra here, that left Chicago wide open. Which was perfect for me. I needed to be away from New York—away from Anya—if I was going to be able to go through with this. I couldn’t have temptation within my grasp.
I wouldn’t insult either Anya or Sheena by making Anya my mistress, but if I stayed, that was exactly what she would become.
This marriage was going to be a life sentence. Neither of our families would accept divorce once we were married—even if we didn’t get along, as we hadn’t the few times we’d met as children. Sheena’s mother was my mother’s best friend growing up, and it was their wish for us to marry. The O’Brion family was just as powerful as my mother’s was in Ireland, both prominent leaders within the IRA.
Pop had his misgivings about the marriage, but he wasn’t against it. Cormac O’Brion, Sheena’s father, would hand over the reins of his power to me. Just as my mother’s father had to Pop. So Pop was overlooking the fact that I was marrying without love unlike what my sisters had done.
The flight to Chicago was uneventful, and by the time we landed, I was in no mood to play games. Vince drove me to the compound, which had been vacant except for a handful of men and staff the last three months. Tonight, there were no lack of men in suits, however. But they weren’t my men.
Not yet.
Come tomorrow night, they would all be under my command.
As late as it was, there was no one awake when I walked up to my room. I stripped and showered, grimacing as I washed away the last of Anya’s lingering scent on my skin. I groaned, finished quickly, and got out. Drying myself as I entered the bedroom, I grabbed a pair of boxers and dropped down onto the edge of my bed.
Grabbing my phone, I pulled up Anya’s information. My thumb traced over her name for several minutes as I just stared down at the numbers I had listed for her. One by one, I deleted them all until only one remained. I couldn’t bring myself to delete the last real number. Muttering a curse, I changed the name for the contact to DO NOT ANSWER—DO NOT CALL, as if that would stop me if I was desperate enough to hear her voice.
Disgusted with myself, I dropped my phone onto the charging pad and fell back against the pillows. Tomorrow started the next chapter of my life. Once I closed my eyes and fell asleep, I would shut off all my feelings for Anya and focus all my attention on the future.
Chapter 1
Anya
Five years later
The smiling faces waiting for me at the luggage carousels were a welcome sight. Laughing at the way my nephew and niece were bouncing up and down when they spotted me, I worked my way through the maze of other bodies toward my family.
Victoria somehow beat her children to me, however, and threw her arms around me before either Theo or Sofia could reach me. “I’ve missed you so, so much!” she exclaimed as she stepped back. “You’re not allowed to leave us again. Do you hear me?”
I didn’t answer her. Instead, I hugged Theo, who was almost as tall as I was now, before bending to embrace my beautiful adopted niece. “Hello, myshka,” I greeted her with a warm smile, and her whole face lit up. This little beauty, with her porcelain skin, doll-like features, and dark hair looked like she could have been my daughter. Every time I saw her, my heart ached a little, but her smile warmed something deep inside of me few could touch. “You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you.”
“Tetka!” She threw her arms around me, not a bit shy, just like her mother. “I missed you. Will you sleep in my room tonight like you did last time?”
“We will have to see, Sofia,” Victoria warned before I could answer. “Tetka has a lot of work to catch up on.”
“I’ll try,” I promised the little girl as I stood.
Two of my brother’s men were already standing at the carousel, pulling my one small checked bag from the masses. Another stood several feet away, close enough to jump into action if his boss’s wife suddenly needed assistance, but far enough away to offer her a small bit of privacy.
Noticing I was glancing around, Victoria linked her arm through my own, guiding me toward the exit. “Adrian was called to Papa’s as we were leaving to come pick you up. Apparently, they needed to discuss something important. Adrian wasn’t happy he would miss meeting you here.”
Sofia took my free hand, walking close to my side as we stepped out into the chilly New York fall afternoon. “I’m sure it was important,” I excused as we made our way toward the waiting limo that was parked in an obvious no parking area.
Two more of my brother’s men stood outside the limo, their eyes darting all around, watching for any possible danger. Seeing us approaching, one moved to open the back door, and Theo ran ahead to climb inside.
“Theo, wait for me!” Sofia demanded as she releas
ed my hand and chased after her brother. At the door, Theo paused, smiling fondly at his little sister, and waited for her to get in first.
Before we could reach the car, Victoria’s phone rang. Without pausing, she pulled her phone from her handbag and lifted it to her ear. “Hey Scarlett,” she greeted animatedly. “Are you on your way to my house? We’re just now leaving the airport. Are the kids—”
She broke off, interrupted by her older twin. As Scarlett spoke into her ear, Victoria stopped, her hand tightening on my arm, forcing me to wait beside her. As she listened, my sister-in-law twisted her lips, her red hair falling over her shoulders as she shook her head at whatever her sister was saying.
“Okay, okay. I understand. We can all get together another time. Thanks for letting me know. No. No, Scarlett. I don’t want to see him right now. You know why!” She closed her eyes in annoyance. “I’ll talk to you later. Anya and I are headed home.”
She hung up agitatedly and tossed her phone back into her purse. For several long moments, she just stood there, glaring off into the distance. I waited patiently beside her, watching to make sure she wasn’t having an issue with her blood sugar levels just to be on the safe side.
Theo’s head popped out of the back of the limo. “Mama, are you coming? I’m hungry.”
The sound of her son’s voice pulled her from her daze, and she shook her head as if to clear it. “Coming,” she called to him with a tight smile. “I’ll be right there, mio piccolo cuore.”
Victoria waited until he was once again back inside the limo before shifting so she was standing in front of me. I could see she was struggling to tell me something, and that only made me smile. Even though she knew what my past consisted of, she still worried about something hurting me. It was one of the many things I loved about her.
“Scarlett and Allegra were going to come to my house for a playdate with the kids and to welcome you back. But something happened, and their plans had to change.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “Remember when I told you Papa was sick?”
Her Mafioso King (The Vitucci Mafiosos Book 4) Page 2
