by Ella Jade
He smirked as he kissed me again. I’d never tire of his full lips and chiseled jaw. Let’s not talk about what he could do with that slick tongue of his. The throbbing between my legs indicated how skilled he was with his mouth. Now I needed to know what he could do with another body part. When he let go of my face, he went to the night stand, giving me a tempting view of his backside. I wondered how many squats he had to do to get an ass like that?
Heat coursed through me when he removed a large box of condoms from the drawer. He gazed over his shoulder and smiled. “Gianni.”
“I like him.”
Once he sheathed himself in the latex, he joined me, turning me away from him. As he kissed the back of my neck, he nudged me to the post at the corner of the bed. Taking my hands, he placed them around the cherry wood. The mattress dipped when he got on his knees, securing my waist in his firm grasp.
He wanted to do it from behind. Not at all what I expected for our first encounter, but no less appealing. His hot flesh grazed against my back as I leaned forward, tensing my hands around the post, bracing myself for what would come. He trailed his fingers down the nape of my neck, deliberately tracing my spine, stopping when he got to the dip in my lower back.
“Can I take you like this?” His words were crisp, his voice low as he brushed his hand over my backside and between my thighs. “Right here?”
I squirmed when he inserted his fingers inside me. “Yes.”
“You’re driving me crazy.” He drifted his fingers in and out, kissing my neck and shoulders. “I can’t wait.”
“Don’t.” My hold tightened on the post as he put his arm around my waist, thrusting deep inside me. “Ah...”
He wasn’t the tender lover I had imagined him to be. His actions were rough and forceful but that didn’t bother me. I’d never had anyone take me with such power. I’d craved it, fantasized about it, but never experienced an honest, raw connection. This was what I’d needed to forget the stress that was my life. He was exactly who I needed.
“You’re amazing.” He brought my hair toward him, turning my head so I could look into his eyes.
My lips trembled as he covered them with his mouth, kissing me deep as he slowed inside me. Guiding me forward, I rested my hands on the bed as a fire burned inside me. The friction he created between my legs coupled with the heat of his breath in my ear sent me tumbling over the edge. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined sex could be this good. I wasn’t very experienced but this was... fantastic.
His body tensed behind mine as he grasped my hips. “Nadia,” he roared as he thrust his pelvis, letting go and indulging in the bond that was completely us.
“Wow!” I collapsed onto my stomach. “That was...”
“Barbaric?” He dropped on top of me, breathing heavy as he reached between us to remove the condom.
“Very.” I wiggled beneath him, turning onto my back so I could see him. “It was unexpected.”
“In a good way?” He moved onto his side, propping himself on his elbow.
“A really good way.” I kissed his jaw. “You’ve been so gentle with me. Caring and concerned, so I didn’t expect it to be like that.”
“I am concerned for you.”
“I appreciate that but I needed the way you were right now. More than you could ever know.”
“I’m all about pleasing you, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “There’ll be time for gentle.”
I hoped he was right. Even if his father got me out of this jam, could there be a future for the two of us? We didn’t start out in the most conventional way and I wasn’t being completely honest with him. Given the circumstances of the last few days, how could I have been a hundred percent transparent? I didn’t know who to trust or what to think. My assumptions about Antonio could be wrong. Why bring that extra layer of drama into an already intense situation?
“Are you okay?” He rubbed my arm. “You’re quiet.”
“I’m content.” I inched closer to him. “I like being close to you. Your presence is reassuring.”
“You’re easy to be around.”
“Even though your brother doesn’t like me?” I didn’t know why Dominick’s reaction bothered me. Maybe because I was afraid he saw right through me.
“It’s not that he doesn’t like you,” he said. “He doesn’t think you’re being honest and that worries him.”
“And you?” We’d shared such an intimate moment and I didn’t want to ruin it but I wanted to know what he thought.
“I think you’re afraid. I hope after what we just shared you’ll trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“Dominick looks out for the family. We have a long history with the Collandras. Some of it not very good.”
“Only some of it?” Maybe he could help me figure out who I was and where I came from even if I couldn’t tell him what I suspected.
“Antonio and my father were best friends a long time ago.”
“What happened?”
“My uncle was murdered. My father’s brother.” He reached for the side of the comforter, hanging off the bed, and draped it over us. “His name was Santino, but we called him Tino. My brother was named for him.”
“How did he die?”
“He was found in his car with a bullet to his temple.”
“Oh.” How much violence had these families endured? Inflicted? “Antonio did that?”
“He never admitted to it which is odd because he’s the type who would take credit for such an act. Maybe he had someone do it and he regretted it? We’re not sure but my father never forgave him.”
“If they were such good friends, why would Antonio do that?”
“A woman.” He traced his finger along my collarbone. “They have a way of making a man crazy.” He kissed my jaw. “I should know.”
“You make me crazy too.” I pushed him away. “Don’t get distracted. I want to hear more.”
“The boring history of my family?”
“Tell me.”
“Okay.” He sighed. “I’d much rather have sex again.”
“We’ll have time for that later.”
“Antonio was married. His wife was pregnant with Franco. His mistress was also pregnant. He thought he could manage both. He was wrong.”
“His mistress?” I rolled onto my side to face him, wanting to learn more about her. “How did that work?”
“It didn’t.” He shook his head. “The woman, I don’t know her name, grew tired of being second. She tried to leave Antonio, but he was far too possessive. Somehow, she took comfort in the arms of Tino. There were rumblings that he loved her and vowed to care for her and her child.”
“Antonio didn’t like that.”
“Not at all.” He gently kissed me. “The story is that he caught them together and went ballistic. Antonio threatened Tino’s life. My father intervened and there seemed to be some peace for a while. We believe Tino was secretly seeing the mistress and that set Antonio off.”
“Did your uncle love her?”
“I was too young for that.” He shrugged. “I’m only going off family stories.”
“When did this all happen?”
“Santino is twenty-six and my mother was nine months pregnant with him when Tino was murdered. Franco is probably around twenty-five now.”
“The mistress? Her child would be that age too?” There was a sinking sensation in my stomach. This was too accurate to be a coincidence. Was I that child? My mother the mistress?
“Yeah, I think Franco was born a few months before.”
The bile in my throat rose when I realized Vincenzo’s story only provided me with further confirmation. I was more convinced now that I was Antonio’s daughter than ever.
“What happened to the other woman and her child?” My heart rate increased. “Do you know who they are?”
“Why are you so obsessed with the mistress?”
Chapter Ten
VINCENZO
What Are You G
oing To Do Now?
Drudging up my family’s sordid past minutes after I’d had the best sex of my life was not the way I imagined things ending up. Nadia was easy to talk to. Most women I’d gotten close to usually broke up with me after they found out who my family was, or wanted to stay with me because of my family. It was all very twisted. Some thought it was glamorous to be associated with a crime lord. Others were terrified and never took my call again. Nadia was different because she was caught up in it. Not through her own choice but she didn’t judge me for where I came from. I hoped she felt the same way once she was free from Franco’s wrath. I wanted to be more than her way out.
“Why are you so obsessed with the mistress?”
“I... I just wondered what happened to her and the baby.”
“The point of this story is the bad blood between my father and Antonio.” I wanted to wrap this saga up and get back to the sex. I didn’t have any details on what happened to the woman and her child. For all I knew, Antonio kept them someplace away from his other family. “They have been avoiding one another for twenty-five years. My dad lost two brothers that night. Tino was brutally murdered. Antonio never really denied his involvement but he didn’t take credit for it either. Franco was born shortly after and my mother had just given birth to her fifth son. She was terrified that one of us would eventually end up like Tino if my dad continued down a path of revenge. When would it end?”
“He walked away without retaliation?”
“That’s the way the story was told. Antonio and my dad have avoided one another for decades. They have representatives in place when a meeting is necessary. My father has been distancing himself for years. Franco is more brutal than his father and my dad doesn’t want Dominick and Gianni involved in their tactics.”
“Your dad hasn’t spoken to Antonio in twenty-five years?”
“He hasn’t seen him in twenty-five years. Think about that for a moment. They travel in the same circles, have the same associates, and frequent New York City all the time. Do you know how strategic the two of them have to be to avoid one another?”
“But you knew Franco when he approached us.”
“As I said, our families have common interests. We grew up around them but we always kept our distance. My father insisted on it. He would never allow us to fraternize with the enemy.”
“Oh.” She closed her eyes, appearing pale. “The enemy?” She sat up, tugging the comforter to her chest. “Vincenzo...I think...”
“What’s wrong?” I sat up, rubbing my hand along her back. “Why are you so upset?”
“Your family.”
“We don’t have to talk about them now.” I ran my fingers through her hair, removing the band and letting it fall over her shoulders. “I forget that not everyone lives in that world. You suffered a major shock the other night. You’re still coping with what you saw. You don’t need me telling old stories that mean nothing to you.”
“They do mean something to me.”
“How could they?”
“They’re part of you and where you came from. That makes them important to me.”
“I’d rather you get to know the man I’ve become not where I came from. I can’t be defined by my family.”
“I can see the man you are. I see how much you respect your brothers and dad. You come from a loving home. Not at all like Antonio and Franco.”
“I’m sure there was love in their home.” I wasn’t really certain of that but my family wasn’t exactly the poster child for what a stable home should look like. We managed, the same way everyone else did. “I don’t know enough about them to make that assumption.”
“What kind of man abandons his pregnant girlfriend? Leaving her to fend for herself?” There was a rage in her eyes. “How could he do that? Why was he even sleeping with another woman when he had a pregnant wife at home? What kind of man does that?”
“We’re not sure if he abandoned her. He could have kept in contact with them. Supported her. That doesn’t matter.”
“You’re right.” Her demeanor changed as it had this morning at breakfast.
Of course... “I know why you're so upset.”
“You do?” Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I just...”
“It’s okay.” I guided her back down, taking her in my arms. “You’re thinking about your mom and your biological father. He abandoned you and this story hits too close to home.”
“I guess.” She spoke so low, I barely heard her.
“That’s enough talk about my complicated family for one night.”
“I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“If your father hasn’t spoken to Antonio in years and they avoid one another at all costs, why is he meeting with him tomorrow?”
“He’s doing it for me.” He would never send Dominick into that situation. If Franco knew we had Nadia, things could get ugly. “He’s a very good negotiator and Antonio will know this is important if my father calls the meeting.”
“Why would your family do this for me?”
“We may have met by chance, but you came to me for help. I couldn’t turn my back on you.” I rested my hand on her hip. “Neither can my family. You’re going to be safe again. Things will go back to the way they were.”
“I don’t want them to go back to the way they were.” She moved on top of me, igniting that fiery passion that was reserved for only her. “I don’t want to be in a world where I don’t know you.”
“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” I ran my hands up her sides. “That night you bumped into me sealed both our fates. We were meant to find one another. I’m certain of that.”
She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine, taking my hands in hers, she held them over my head. Kissing me slowly, she circled her hips over my length, making sure her smooth center connected with mine.
“See what you’re doing to me?” I bit her bottom lip as she rubbed against me. “You’re not making it easy for me to be gentle.”
“I’ll be right back.” She licked her top lip as she slipped off the bed, leaving me breathless as I followed her naked form with my gaze. She ripped a foil packet off the strip, opening it carefully and removing the latex. When she made her way back to me, I propped myself onto my forearms, taking in her delicate curves.
“Oh...” I moaned when she took me in her hand, pumping my shaft a few times before bringing her lips to my tip. “Nadia...”
She glanced up at me before smiling, and then she twirled her tongue around the head of my cock. Kissing and sucking, she teased me until she was satisfied she had me right where she wanted me. At her total mercy. Hadn’t I been there since the second we met? Taking the condom, she rolled it down as her hair danced across my thighs.
“What are you going to do now?” I grabbed her arms and brought her to me. “Because I know what I want.”
“I want to look into your eyes this time.” She moved into my lap, lifting her hips as I took the base of my erection in my hand. “Like this.” She plunged down, sliding her warm sex onto me “Mmm...”
“Hell!” I moaned as she rocked into me. “How am I ever going to get enough of you?”
“We have to keep doing this, I guess.” She moved faster, concentrating on each downward thrust.
“I plan to do many things with you and not just this.” I kissed her neck, as I took her hips in my hands. “I want to get to know you. I want to learn who you are. All of you.”
Her muscles tensed as she shook her head. “Vincenzo, I’m...”
As I moved her up and down, she spiraled out of control, taking me with her. Quick, effective. I’d go anywhere with her.
“Hmm...” She sighed when I hugged her to me. “You’re really good at this.”
“Are you flirting?” I laughed.
“I’m being honest.”
“Since I have your honesty, I need to know something.”
“What?” She bit her lip, clearly worried about what I was
about to ask her.
“Once we leave here, I don’t want what’s developing between us to end.” I’d never had this connection to anyone before. I’d been in relationships but nothing ever seemed real until now. “Promise me that whatever happens, you’re not going to disappear from my life.”
“I won’t.” She took my face between her hands. “I promise.”
Chapter Eleven
NADIA
It’s Not Supposed to End Tonight
Why was I making promises and getting into a situation I couldn’t get out of? I rolled onto my side and watched as Vincenzo slept soundly. His chest moved up and down at a steady clip. My fingers twitched to touch his hard body, kiss his tender lips. I resisted because I didn’t want to disturb him. He’d been doing such a good job of taking care of me. I could let him sleep.
The grumbling in my stomach reminded me I hadn’t eaten dinner. I slipped out of bed, heading back to my room to grab the laptop Vince had lent me. Maybe I could do a little research on Antonio. Try to confirm who his mistress was. My mother lived in the city before moving to Connecticut. She would have been twenty when she was with Antonio. She had me shortly after. If the story was even her story she would have been five years younger than me when she got pregnant by such a ruthless man. Did she love Tino too? Had she planned a life with him before he was brutally gunned down? The only way to confirm anything was to ask her. I’d have to do that once this whole nightmare was over. I couldn’t picture her tangled in such a dark relationship. An affair with a married man? A love triangle? A baby? There was so much to process. She could have had this whole, sordid history and she kept it inside all these years.
Making my way to the kitchen, I took my time on the dimly lit back staircase. The house was quiet. I wondered if the guards slept in shifts. They did a good job of being scarce. I hardly saw them.
“You’re up late.” A deep tone startled me. “I thought you and my brother would be missing until morning.”
“Dominick.” My voice was soft, unsure if I should join him.
