Finding Beauty in the Darkness

by Ash, Nikki

  “Let that be a fucking warning to you. Don’t speak about Aria. Don’t speak to Aria. Hell, don’t even look at her. I have the means and motive to destroy you, and I won’t hesitate to do so.”

  “Giovanni, please. He is nothing more than a child.” Anthony tries to calm Gio, but he couldn’t care less. He keeps a hold of Antonio’s shirt for a few more seconds before he finally lets it go.

  “If he’s in this business, he’s not a fucking child, and the moment he plotted against Aria and took her, handing her over to Weston, you brought him into this business, so teach your son how this business works before he gets himself killed. Now get him the fuck out of here while we discuss these shares.”

  Anthony sends Antonio out, but the guards remain in the back. We sit at the table to discuss the selling of my shares, but if I’m honest, I’m not sure what is said. Numbers are flown out every which way, Gio threatens to call his attorney, Anthony tells him that won’t be necessary, and about an hour later they’re shaking hands and Gio’s telling Anthony he expects a contract to be sent over in the next forty-eight hours.

  When we got done with the meeting, Gio tells me we have a few hours before we have to be back at the airport and pulls my camera out from his bag. “How about some sightseeing?”

  I jump up and down and pull him into a hug, ecstatic that I’ll get to see some of New York. “Thank you! Thank you!” I clap my hands before grabbing my camera from him. “What should we see first?”

  We spend the afternoon sightseeing. Gio takes me through Central Park where I snap pictures of the Shakespearean Theatre from the Belvedere Castle. From there we go to the Empire State building. I insist we take a selfie at the top and Gio reluctantly agrees. We have a late dinner in Times Square, and before heading back to the airport, we stop by the nine-eleven memorial pools. I take the most heartbreaking photo of the names that are engraved around the edges, of the people who lost their life on that horrific day. One name hits me hard because directly underneath, it reads, “And unborn baby.”

  * * *

  We’re back on the plane and heading to Las Vegas. I’m exhausted on so many levels but at the same time I’ve had such a wonderful afternoon, it felt like it counteracted all the bad shit. “Thank you for today.”

  “No problem. Once the contract arrives, we’ll go over it before you sign anything.”

  “No, I mean, yes, thank you for that, but also thank you for the sightseeing. One day I’ll travel all over the world capturing places like New York.”

  “You most definitely will, Aria.” He leans over and gives me a chaste kiss on my temple before settling down to work.

  Chapter Seventeen

  GIOVANNI

  It’s been almost a week since Aria’s and my trip to New York. I received the contract in the mail within forty-eight hours, but I wanted to speak with the attorney before making any final decisions. Aria offered to get her own attorney since she’s on her I’m Miss independent kick, but I explained the less who know about this the better and my attorney knows how to deal with situations such as this. She then offered to pay, but I refused to let her. At first, Angelo’s attorney was reluctant to speak with me, but once I explained who I was and Aria’s situation, he agreed to meet with us. He was in Texas for a business meeting, so he said he’d fly over to meet with us in person.

  “Boss, there’s a Mr. Cohen here to see you,” Edgardo announces.

  “Thank you, you can see him back and can you let Aria know to come back as well?”

  “You got it.”

  Mark Cohen steps into my office first. We shake hands and have a seat. A few minutes later, Aria comes back. She’s dressed beautifully. In a pale pink wrap around dress and nude heels. Her makeup and hair are both done. She must be going somewhere, maybe on a date with a member. The thought is like a punch to my chest.

  “Aria, please have a seat,” I choke out. “This is Mr. Cohen. He was your father’s attorney.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Cohen.” She smiles softly and shakes his hand before having a seat next to him.

  “Please call me Mark. I knew your father for many years. I’m so sorry for what has happened. When he passed away, I contacted your mom and she assured me she would go through the specifics of his will with you. When she passed away, your stepfather contacted me. He told me he was taking care of you and asked for the trust to be released to you early. I explained to him that I couldn’t do that.

  “Had I known Mr. Hightower had ill-intentions, I would have contacted you myself. When your dad contacted your mom years ago, she felt twenty-two would be a good age for you to receive your inheritance God forbid something happen to him before then, and I explained that to Mr. Hightower. He wasn’t pleased but had no choice but to agree.”

  “My mom spoke with my dad?” Her words come out broken and who can blame her? She’s an only child with two deceased parents. Both were only children, leaving Aria with no family.

  “They spoke on occasion to make sure you were taken care of.” Mark pulls out a stack of papers and sets them on the desk. “Aside from the shares he left you—which Giovanni tells me you went over with Anthony—your father left you a substantial trust fund that will go to you once you turn twenty-two.”

  “Twenty-two,” Aria whispers and looks at me. “This is why he was holding me in the basement.”

  “He was in need of money and must have found out about your trust.” All the pieces to the puzzle are finally coming together, but the picture isn’t pretty.

  Mark hands Aria the papers and she reads the first page, her button nose scrunching up like she always does when she’s confused. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand any of this.” She sighs. “I told Gio I should hire an attorney.”

  “That’s okay. Unless you’re in the business, it can be confusing, and I’m an attorney so I can help you. What it says in a nutshell is that when you turn twenty-two you are to be given your trust of five hundred million dollars. If your mom passes away, I am to hold on to it until then. Your mom was made guardian of the shares of Angelo’s company, but it seems she signed them over to Weston, who signed them over to Antonio.”

  “I’m handling that,” I assure Mark.

  “I-I’m sorry. Did you just say five hundred million dollars?” Aria’s eyes go wide in shock.

  “Yes, ma’am. Five hundred million on your twenty-second birthday.”

  “Hol-y shit.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  ARIA

  “Are you ready for your big date?” Sienna, Natalie, and Holly—another woman who works here that I’ve grown close to—all lay across our beds as I fix my hair one last time. I’m trying so hard to focus on my date tonight. I’m not sure how, but the day I changed my profile to allow sex, Benjamin scheduled a private room. My guess is Cecilia told him—I wouldn’t put it past her.

  Benjamin was out of town but returns today and has booked me for dinner and then the private room afterward. When I changed my profile, I thought I knew why I was doing it. I want to have sex by choice. I want to have sex with a nice guy who’ll treat me good and it won’t involve me being held down or raped. I spoke with my therapist about all of this and while she doesn’t agree with the escort business, she didn’t judge. She said only I can decide the right way to handle it. Then she asked me to close my eyes and picture myself lying in bed and about to have sex…

  “Who’s the first guy that popped into your head, Aria?” she asked.

  I didn’t want to tell her it was Gio. Fantasizing about him is pointless. So instead I said, “Benjamin.” She smiled and said, “Well then, there you go. Maybe he is the one.”

  Which means, since Benjamin wasn’t the man who popped into my head, he isn’t the one.

  “Earth to Aria!”

  I shake myself out of my thoughts. “Sorry, yes, I’m ready.”

  I check myself out one last time and after saying goodbye to the girls, head downstairs for my date.

  * * *

 
GIOVANNI

  “Do you think she’ll go through with it?”

  “I’m not sure. She’s been through so much. I get why she’s doing it, though.”

  “I agree, but I think she should have waited to have sex with a guy she cares about.”

  I walk into the kitchen to find Sienna, Holly, and Natalie sitting around the island snacking on Maggie’s freshly baked cookies. Grabbing one, I pop a piece into my mouth and the girls stop talking.

  “Don’t stop gossiping on my account. Do we not work anymore?”

  The three women glare at me. “Our dates don’t arrive until later.”

  “Who were you guys talking about? Is one of the girls in over her head? You know Cecilia can help.” The women all roll their eyes and turn back to their cookies. “What’s going on?” My tone gets more serious.

  “Cecilia is the reason for this. She won’t be of any help,” Natalie says.

  “Seriously! Ugh! You know damn well she called Benjamin herself to let him know,” Holly adds.

  “You guys are going to have to explain a little better.” I try to hold down my temper, but I’m starting to get irritated.

  Natalie huffs. “Fine, Aria changed her profile. Her hard limits no longer include sex, and Benjamin, the guy she’s escorted a couple times, found out and scheduled the private room.”

  The cookie in my hand crumbles as my fist clenches, and I drop the crumbs on the counter. This is my fault. She wanted to have sex of her own free will and instead of being there for her, I pushed her away. But I’m still in the same spot I was in months ago. If I have sex with her, I still can’t offer her anything more. My life hasn’t changed. I’m still in the organization. My family and business are still dangerous. But she said she was okay with that. She said to let her make her own choices. Fuck! “Which room?”

  The three girls look at me, stunned. “Which room?” I repeat.

  “Umm…I think room two,” Sienna says. Without waiting for her to be sure, I bolt out of the kitchen and head to the rooms. When I get to the second room, I turn the nob and it opens. It’s not locked. Nobody is in the room.

  “Edgardo, what room is Aria in?”

  He pulls his iPad out. “Room two.”

  “So, where is she?”

  “They might be done with the room, Boss. It was scheduled for a couple hours ago.”

  I thank Edgardo and head upstairs to my room. When I get to the second floor, without giving it a second thought, I stop at Aria’s room. I knock once and wait.

  “Come in.”

  I open the door and see Aria lying across her bed. “You’re in here.”

  Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Where else would I be?”

  “The girls mentioned you had a private room scheduled for tonight.”

  Aria stands from the bed, her hand going to her hip. “You’re checking up on my schedule? Do you do that for all the girls?”

  I step toward her. She's in those adorable fucking sweatpants she always wears. The ones where I don’t even have to look to know they have some cheesy writing across her ass. Her face is makeup free and her hair is up in her signature messy bun. Out of all the different looks Aria has, the way she looks right now is hands-down the most beautiful version of this woman.

  Grabbing the hair tie in her hair, I pull on it a few times until her hair comes free, falling down her shoulders. “No, I don't keep track of all the women. Just the one that means something to me. Did you have sex with him, Aria?” I hold my breath as I wait for her answer, but I know deep down, her answer won’t change how I feel. I want her, every part of her.

  “Let's not play this game, Giovanni.” Her eyes dart around the room to avoid making eye contact with me.

  Grabbing her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I force her to look at me. “This isn't a game.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “I don't fucking know. I just know I want you and no matter how much I try to stop the way I feel, I can't tame down these feelings.”

  “I didn’t have sex with him.”

  Everything in me relaxes but tenses at the same time for completely different reasons. My hands go to her ass and I lift her up, her legs wrapping around my waist. I carry her out of her room and up the stairs to mine, slamming the door behind us and locking it. The entire time she’s quiet, staring at me, her fingers running through my hair.

  Laying her on the bed, I climb up her body, trapping her in the circle of my arms, and take a second to memorize her in this position. Her hair is splayed out across my pillow, her deep green eyes shining, and her lips, fuck, those lips, so naturally plump and ready for me. Her breathing is accelerated and I know she’s just as overcome with lust as I am.

  Not so gently, I bring my lips to hers, claiming her, my tongue slipping inside her mouth as I taste her. Aria moans into my mouth, her hips bucking up and rubbing against my already hard cock, spurring me on.

  My lips move to her neck as I trail kisses downward to her collarbone. She shivers in response. Her breathy moans, the only noise in an otherwise quiet room. I pull her shirt up and she finishes pulling it the rest of the way off her for me, leaving her naked from the waist up. Her tits are even more gorgeous than before. Her eating has filled her out in all the right places. Luscious and full and perky as fuck, her nipples are hard.

  Taking a nipple into my mouth, I suck on the hardened tip. Aria’s back arches as she lets out a loud gasp then a sigh. I take the other one between my lips and suck on it the same way. Then grabbing both tits in my hands, I bring them together, both nipples going into my mouth as I lick and suck and nibble on the rosy buds.

  Aria’s body starts to wiggle and her hand goes to my shirt, wanting me to remove it. Reluctantly letting go of her tits, I sit up and pull my shirt off my body. My mouth goes right back to where it was, placing kisses all over her.

  “Gio…”

  I look up when she whispers my name and notice her eyes darting all over the place, like she’s nervous. “What’s wrong, cuore mio? You want me to stop?” The thought that I just called her my heart doesn’t go unnoticed, but I push it aside for now.

  “No, but…” She swallows thickly.

  “Talk to me. What do you need?”

  “I want to be in control.”

  Her words have my dick pressing against my zipper.

  “You got it. What do you want?” I sit up and wait for her to tell me what she wants from me.

  “I want you to give me an orgasm, but I was thinking maybe we can do it at the same time.” She sure as fuck doesn’t have to tell me twice.

  “Whatever you want, baby. Come here.”

  She crawls over and begins unbuttoning my pants. I help her out and push them, along with my boxers, off, throwing them onto the floor. Her hand goes straight for my cock, and she strokes it a few times before leaning down and putting it into her mouth. Her tongue swirls over the tip of my head before she takes me all the way in—her hot wet mouth deep throating damn near my entire length. I pull back a bit, and her mouth makes a popping sound as my dick leaves her beautiful lips.

  “Aria, lie down,” I tell her gently, guiding her onto her side. Once she’s in position, my cock goes right back into her mouth, while I strip her of her pants and underwear.

  With the way we’re situated, her sweet cunt is directly in my face, glistening and ready for me. Grabbing her legs with both my hands, I tug her to me, my mouth and tongue delving right in between her pussy folds. I lick up the middle, landing on her clit and giving it extra attention. She tastes like the perfect fucking addiction, and I already know I’ll never get enough of her.

  Her muffled moans vibrate around my cock, telling me she likes what I’m doing. Her mouth goes lower, taking each of my balls into her mouth, sucking and licking, giving them her undivided attention. Then she runs her tongue back up my shaft before taking me all the way back down her throat once again, making me almost come like a damn teenager.

  I need to step up my game bef
ore I come in her mouth. Pulling her up and on top of me so she’s sitting directly above my face, I push two fingers deep into her and begin fingering her tight pussy. My tongue massages her clit until she’s squirming in pleasure, her mouth fucking my cock with such force, I know she’s ready to explode. And a few seconds later, she does just that. She lets out a throaty moan, her mouth bobbing on my dick even harder and faster as she comes all over my tongue and fingers.

  When I know she’s come down from her orgasm, I pull her off me and push her flat on her back. She looks confused as fuck, but I don’t explain. Kneeling above her chest, I stroke my dick above her. She catches on quickly as to what I want and takes over.

  “Come on me, Gio. Come all over my breasts.” She licks her swollen lips in anticipation and it tips me over the edge. My cock throbs and two pumps later, cum is jetting out all over her luscious tits, coating them with my seed. Before I can pull away, Aria raises her head and delicately takes my cock into her mouth, cleaning the head off with her tongue. Then, with her finger, she swipes a string of cum from her tits and brings it up to her mouth, slowly sucking on it, her tongue swirling around the tip of her finger as she tastes my cum.

  And I might have come all over again had I not just released everything in me.

  Chapter Nineteen

  ARIA

  Gio and I are laying in his bed. After we both got cleaned up, he pulled me into the bed with him, refusing to let me get dressed, and we’ve been lying here together, neither of us saying a word. My head is on his chest as he runs his fingers up and down my back, shivers tickling their way down my spine. Every time my body reacts, Gio laughs softly.

  “You called me your heart.” It’s not a question. I know he did.

  “You know Italian.”