Daniel’s jaw worked, pure venom in his voice when he spoke. “You’re worth more than that.”
WE WENT BACK to the game and eventually saved the princess—well, he did, so I guess technically he won. But he didn’t gloat, declaring we were a pretty good team. After we high-fived, he slung his arm on the back of the couch, an invitation to come to him. I snuggled into his side, and he caressed my shoulder.
Sparks traveled through me, desire chasing after them. I looked up at him. His lids were heavy, eyes as dark as I’d ever seen them.
“I can’t stop thinking about that kiss,” he said, his voice deeper. “You mean peck?” I sassed back, even as I scooted closer.
He traced back and forth along my lower lip. “It was more than that, and you know it.”
I shivered, sliding my hand up under his shirt and across his stomach. His muscles flexed, and my mouth turned up in triumph. I wasn’t the only one affected, no matter how minimal the contact.
“I do know,” I admitted, inching my face towards his. “Let me see.”
I frowned. “See what?” “How wet you are for me.”
My lips parted, a rush of air escaping. I wriggled, uncomfortable on a couple of levels. I wanted him, there was no denying that, but if we took even a baby step forward, there would be no coming back. His thumb pressed on my lip, his fist tilting my chin up so I couldn’t look away. “Do you think I would ever hurt you?”
My shoulders relaxed. “Not intentionally.”
A shadow crossed his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Daniel kissed the pad of his thumb and pressed it to my lips. My skin burned in that spot, but it was a poor substitute for what I wanted. His mouth.
“When I have you, it will be when I can take my time. But I need to make you come, Vivian.”
I pouted. “How am I supposed to resist that?” He grinned. “You aren’t.”
I let out a harmless growl, and his smile only broadened. “I foresee this being a problem.”
He moved so he was slouched in one corner of the couch. “Come here.” He positioned me so I was seated between his legs, my back to his chest. “What’s the problem?” He nuzzled my cheek.
I leaned my temple against his. “Me not being able to say no to you.”
His lips found my hair. “That’s not a problem at all.” “Not for you.”
A large palm cupped my breast, kneading. I thrust my chest out, already aching for more.
“What if I can’t say no to you?” he asked, his other hand joining in.
I gasped as he rolled my nipples in his fingers. The fabric of the shirt I was wearing only added to the stimulation.
“You’d better not.” The words came out throaty, seductive even.
* * *
“Your cunt wants my fingers inside of it. I won’t say no to that,” he breathed in my ear.
My hips arched of their own accord. Any doubt I’d had only a moment ago vanished. Need for him overruled everything else.
“Ask me for it,” he demanded.
My face flushed, a fine sheen of perspiration breaking out across my forehead. He’d worked lower, teasing my mound on the outside of my clothes. I gripped his rock-hard thighs, unable to stay still.
“For what?” I rasped, impressed I had the wits to tease him back. A riot was happening inside of me, all my cells at war over which way to go.
He pinched my nipple, and I squeaked. “Don’t play with me.”
Goosebumps broke out across my skin. “Isn’t that what you’re doing to me?”
“No.”
His movement between my legs slowed to the point where it was almost nonexistent. I whimpered in protest.
“Ask me, Princess, or this stops.”
The command had me desperate to obey. “Put your fingers inside my cunt.”
“I didn’t hear a please.”
“Please,” I grated out, setting aside my pride.
“You could work on your tone, but it will do.” He threw my words back at me, but I couldn’t be mad.
His hand disappeared inside my pajama pants and skated over the cotton of my underwear. His middle finger ran up my slit, pressing the fabric between my swollen lips. He hissed as my hips bucked.
“You flatter me,” he said, teasing around my clit in a lazy circle. He was barely touching me. It was maddening.
“How so?”
“You’re soaked for me.”
The smug expression on his face both infuriated and excited me. His confidence was intoxicating. The man knew exactly what he was doing, my body one gigantic sensation, only for him.
* * *
“What happens if I do this?” he asked seductively in my ear, pinching the throbbing bundle of nerves.
My back arched, but he held me anchored against him with his other hand across my stomach. Electricity bolted from my core out to my limbs, the need for something more building.
“Hmm. I do believe I can make you come without ever touching that sweet flesh,” he murmured.
He pushed inside, panties and all. My grip on his thighs tightened. “Daniel.” It was a plea for mercy, for more. I needed him like I’d never needed in my life. It had been building from the second we met, one long-ass game of foreplay. No wonder I was almost there.
“I like how my name sounds coming out of your mouth.”
I lifted my hips, urging his finger to move. Easing my panties aside, he complied, and I rocked against him, each time burying his digit to the root. His other hand slid under the waistband of my pajamas, pressing against my clit.
My walls pulsed around his finger as he crooked it against my g- spot. He edged me closer to the brink.
“Turn your face so I can see you.”
I obeyed without thought, our eyes locking. With a pinch and a thrust, he sent me over. My legs stiffened, there was a pause before release overtook me. I trembled with the power of the orgasm.
When the fizz and sizzle subsided, I leaned up and pressed my lips against his cheek before collapsing against him. Daniel massaged my most intimate place for a few minutes before wrapping his arms around me.
“Vivian,” he started, and I tilted my face up to look at him. His expression was serious as he touched my cheek. “Don’t listen to anybody that tries to tear you down. You can do everything you want and more. The people that say otherwise don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.”
I swallowed the knot in my throat. All my life there had only been one person on Team Vivian, and that was me. It felt like someone else had joined now, someone who would be strong when I needed a break. And I had to admit, I was firmly on Team Daniel, there to support him when he needed it whether he accepted it or not. I had a feeling that from that point on, there would be no more Team Vivian and Team Daniel. Team Vivian and Daniel was born somewhere in the skies high above the Earth.
Chapter 19
DANIEL
* * *
Present
* * *
“ANGELONE APPROACHED ME.”
Donato and I moved at a sluggish pace through Battery Park. We weren’t the only ones in suits, though most of the runners and walkers that passed were decked out in yoga pants or sweats. I couldn’t handle being cooped up in the apartment another second, so I’d asked Donato to meet me here. The wind off the river was chilly, but I barely felt it. Nothing could compare to the chill of Vivian removed from my life.
“He knows better.” The threat in his tone was an undercurrent working it’s way to the surface.
“He wants in on the jaune.” I’d turned this over in my mind a thou‐ sand times since Angelone had come to me. Why would he show up now after all these years, and how the hell did he know about the diamond? I could not make those pieces fit any explanation that made sense.
* * *
Donato hesitated, though he resumed his pace immediately. “Is that what he called it?”
“Exactly.” I looked out over the water to a barge loaded down with cargo. “What I can’t
figure out is if it’s someone on our side or the owner’s who betrayed us.”
“Could be the buyer,” Donato reasoned.
That was a definite possibility. The man wanted the diamond, but if it was him who spoke to Angelone, it wasn’t a smart move.
“Do you think we should move forward with this deal? It’s getting too complicated.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Angelone claims I owe him for the time he spent in prison, and this is how he wants repayment.”
“If I were him I’d want revenge too. One thing for sure, the man is patient and never forgets.” Donato’s mind had shifted into high gear. His eyes always squinted a fraction when he was deep in thought.
“I keep asking myself why now. We haven’t had direct contact with Angelone in years. Now, he just appears from nowhere to collect his due?”
Donato shrugged. “We’re all watching each other all the time. He’s found the opportunity he’s been waiting for. It’s not that surprising.”
My irritation ratcheted up a notch. His knowledge of this deal wasn’t surprising. It was shocking. Only the most trusted in the family were in on this. We were talking black, black market stuff here. I didn’t know exactly how the current owner had come into possession of this diamond, but I didn’t think she’d picked it up at Tiffany’s.
“I don’t believe in coincidence. It’s too convenient that he shows up when the other shit is going down,” I argued. “He wants half. And if we don’t let him in on it, he’s threatened to make you suffer. And my family too. He knew about Vivian, by name.” I balled my fists, getting angry all over again. If anything ever happened to Vivian or Muriella because of me…the thought alone had me desperate to lay eyes on both of them, now.
“I’ll make sure nothing happens to your girls.”
“Can either of us really do that?” I looked toward the sky. “We’re not invincible. If Angelone wants any of us dead, he can do it any time he pleases. Just as we can to him.”
“There are ways.” Donato stopped walking and faced me. “I won’t let him near either of them.”
“What about you?” I challenged. “Angelone also said he can make your ‘situation' go away. Do you think he’s got anything to do with your other problem?”
“Possibly, possibly not. He can do his best. I can handle it.”
We strolled along the cracked concrete pathway in silence for a few minutes. I shoved my hands in the pockets of my overcoat to stave off the cold. A woman bounced past, giving me a once over. I turned my head away from her.
Donato chuckled. “Another disappointed lady.” “There’s no comparison.”
“Why don’t you marry her?” Because I’ve left her.
I ignored the pain in my gut and sidestepped the question.
“Maybe have your guy on the inside check it out. Angelone has the motive, after all.”
He let out a long breath as if worn out by the whole situation. “True. I’ll see what I can find.”
“I’ll let you know if he contacts me again.”
“He will. Make no mistake about that.” Donato started in the direc‐ tion we’d just come from. “I must go. We’ll talk soon.”
He cut across the grass, his steps determined. I leaned against the railing and watched until he became no more than a black speck in the distance. Everything was building to the point where I didn’t know if I could stop the explosion. Vinny was behaving worse than usual. Angelone had appeared after years of radio silence. The threats to Donato kept mounting. Worst of all, I’d had to give up Vivian. What more could I lose?
“You’re overdressed for a stroll in the park.”
My body immediately came to life at the sound of her voice. I was surprised I hadn’t sensed her. Do not engage. Do not engage. “Do I look like I’m walking?” I couldn’t stop myself; falling back into our way was so easy with Vivian.
* * *
She stepped in front of me, head tilted back to meet my eyes. They slayed me the second I looked into them. I was lost. Desperate. And a fool to believe I could ever resist her for any length of time.
For the first time since I’d last seen her I could breathe again. Yet I could hardly catch my breath at her beauty. Her raven hair shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. I itched to run my fingers through the silky strands. Instead I clutched the lip gloss she’d left in my pocket until my knuckles ached.
“More like stalking.” The corner of her lips lifted, and for a frac‐ tion of a second, it was just us again, with none of the shit that I’d heaped on top of us. Then a thought I was certain I wouldn’t like caused her mouth to flatten and hurt to shadow those eyes. “How did you do it so fast?” she whispered.
My chest constricted, and if my hands hadn’t been planted in my pockets, I would have reached to comfort her. “I don’t know what you mean,” I said impassively.
“Move on so quickly to someone else.” Vivian wrapped her arms around her middle. To protect herself. From me.
The urge to roar up at the sky to the gods who undoubtedly didn’t give a shit about me or what I wanted became overwhelming. When I started this, I knew I would hurt her and that it would kill me. I had no idea it would feel like metal blades constantly grinding my gut.
You have to do this. For her.
“She’s lovely, isn’t she?”
Vivian shrunk in on herself, and I wanted to jump over the railing into the river.
“You love me. I know you do.” I couldn’t ever remember hearing her sound so uncertain despite her words. My love was the one thing she should never doubt. Except I couldn’t correct her.
“We had a good thing. But this is better for you.”
“Better for me?” She straightened, her voice rising. Relief filled me at seeing some of her fight back.
I sighed and cut my eyes to the side. “We’ve already been through this.”
* * *
She stuck an unmanicured finger into my chest. “Don’t act like you’re bored.”
“Vivian.” Muriella’s soothing voice came from behind her, a hand on Vivian’s shoulder in support. “Everything okay?” Regret instantly filled Muriella’s eyes at the question.
“No. Everything is not okay.” Vivian fired a pointed look in my direction. I know it’s my fault, Princess. I know.
Muriella’s lethal glare focused on me. “Aren’t you supposed to be out of town?”
“Yes.” I didn’t elaborate. Everything else that was going on was bad enough, but my attorney requiring I meet him in Connecticut and then rescheduling on short notice because it ‘wasn’t a good time’ for his wife was just more shit luck. “My meeting was cancelled,” I finally admitted, unable to stand upsetting either one of them.
We stood there in an awkward silence, Vivian folded in on herself, and Muriella looking a half a second away from killing me. “Haven’t you done enough?”
“Dinner at seven?” I glazed over her furious question. Both of their mouths parted slightly.
Muriella stepped toward me, crowding me against the railing. It didn’t matter that she had to tilt her head back to see me. The woman was looking down on me, making me feel about two inches tall.
“Your dinner is at seven. Do not bring that girl into my home. And if she’s at yours expecting me to feed her, forget it.”
I fought to keep my eyes from growing too wide. It was easy to forget Muriella had a bite to her, even though I’d been on the receiving end far too often lately.
I plastered a serene smile on my face. “Then I guess we’ll be going out.” I pushed off the railing, forcing Muriella to step back. “And that girl has a name. Giselle. You will treat her with respect.”
“I will have nothing to do with her. Nothing. Am I clear?” “She’s not going anywhere.”
Vivian staggered back, and Muriella caught her by the waist. “Stop this nonsense, Daniel. Make this right. Don’t take away the only family any of us has.”
* * *
I had to get away. I couldn’t take both of them
coming at me. “You need to accept my choices,” I said levelly.
“And you need to listen when the people who love you warn that you’re making a mistake. The biggest one of your life,” Muriella said with authority.
I strode away from them without another word. No one needed to tell me the gravity of my mistakes. I knew better than anyone. A valuable lesson had been learned today. I needed to avoid close contact with Vivian at all costs. Or I was going to do more damage than I could repair.
Chapter 20
VIVIAN
* * *
Present
* * *
“FUCK.”
I walked past the address I’d found for Donato Salvatore and discovered it was a well-secured apartment building on Central Park South. There was no way I would be able to go inside and ring the bell to his front door.
“Double fuck.”
What other choice did I have? I’d looked for a phone number, but that had led to a dead end. Seeing Daniel earlier today had only strengthened my resolve. Every day that passed without him was another he slipped further away. As I was strategizing how to charm my way past the doorman, a man exited the building and walked to the curb as if to hail a taxi. He drew my attention immediately. He wore a very elegant designer suit, and had a strong build and hand‐ some features. But there was something about him that was a notch or two short of distinguished.
As he looked down the street, his gaze pulled to mine. His eyes were hard, and they filled with recognition upon seeing me. He strode over to me. “I have been waiting for this day a long time.”
I took a step back, instinct telling me to get this man out of my personal space. “I’m sorry I can’t say the same,” I returned, and he grinned, though it was wolf-like.
“You have no idea who I am, Vivian?”
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