by Carnal, MJ
A bellhop ran towards us and grabbed the bags. Times like this, I was thankful for my last name.
"Abandonato," I said loudly to the bellhop. "Penthouse suite."
He dropped our bags, apologized, picked them up again with shaking hands, and gave me a nod. When we approached the front desk the receptionist already had my key ready.
"Anything else, Mr. Abandonato?"
"Is everything to my specifications?" I angled my head.
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. "Yes, sir."
"Perfect." I gripped the key card and led Amy towards the bank of elevators and into a waiting car.
"Smiling wouldn't hurt," Amy said once we were streaking upward to the penthouse.
"Oh, it hurts." I pressed the emergency stop button and pushed her against the wall. "Make it better?"
Amy's face broke out into a grin as she bit on her bottom lip, taunting me. I took the bait, and pressed her hands against the wall, then used my legs to spread hers wide so her dress would ride up enough for me to lift her into my warms and wrap her legs around my body.
Our mouths met in an almost angry frenzy. She moaned as my hands inched up her thighs, my fingers digging into her flesh as I tugged her roughly against me.
My lips slid from hers and trailed down her neck When her back arched, I set her down and started walking towards the buttons so I could release the Stop. The elevator moved with a jolt, causing us to stumble together against the wall.
Our mouths never once left each other.
I was drowning in her.
Such a damn good way to go.
Amy hooked her foot behind me, sliding her body against me. The friction was so great I groaned and tugged down the sleeve of her dress, while she frantically pulled at my shirt.
The sound of buttons hitting the floor was our elevator music. When the doors whooshed open, we stumbled out in a rush. I carried her to the door of our suite then pushed her against it as I slid the card over the sensor.
With a click, the door opened. All that registered in my head was that we were in the room. Finally in the room.
Still holding Amy in my arms, I walked us towards what I hoped was the bedroom. We were within inches when a knock sounded at the door.
"Our luggage," Amy said against my lips.
"They'll leave it in the hall."
"Ax…"
Groaning, I kissed her mouth harder, deeper. "No."
"Ax."
The knock sounded louder.
"That's it." I set her on her feet. "I'm grabbing my gun."
"Ax, be nice!" Amy called, laughter lacing her voice.
I opened the door with a gruff word on my lips. The bellhop held our luggage in both hands, a terrified smile pasted on his face.
"Leave it." I grumbled then slipped him two hundred dollars. "Please."
"Uh…" He dropped the luggage, nodded, and walked backwards towards the elevator. I wasn't going to shoot him; then again, he didn't know that.
I was in no state to have a conversation.
The door clicked softly behind me.
I leaned my hands against it, bracing myself for more Amy, because that's what I had to do. I had to brace myself, prepare my body for her attack, prepare my mind for what she did to me.
Finally after a few deep breaths, I turned, to find her sitting at the table.
The one set up with Chinese food.
"For me?" she whispered, her hands lingering over the chopsticks. "You did this for me?"
Slowly, I walked towards her. "I figured it was the best way to start our marriage… the same way we started our friendship."
"Over Chinese?"
I licked my lips to keep from tasting hers. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"You hate Chinese."
"But I love you."
Tears filled her eyes. "I can't believe it."
"Believe what?"
"This." She lifted her hands to the room then pointed at me. "You… our life now… I feel like I'm going to wake up and it's going to be a dream."
"Married to the mob? A dream?" I joked. "Nah, that's reality."
She burst out laughing. "Okay, fine, so that wasn't my dream as a little girl."
"And as a woman?"
She stood, and sauntered towards me. "As a woman, I'm really, really curious where my mobster hides his gun." Her hands moved to my sides then achingly down the front of my shirt. "Hmm, not here."
"Nope." I breathed.
Amy tilted her head and moved her hands around my back and then down my ass. "Not here either."
Every muscle tightened with excitement, awareness as her hands slid towards the front of my pants and slowly untucked my button-down shirt. When her knuckles grazed my skin my hips bucked like I'd been singed.
"Am I getting hotter?"
"So hot." I ground my teeth together as her fingers undid the button to my pants and then tugged the material down. I closed my eyes, praying for patience as cold air hit my skin.
And then her hands were on me again, reaching for my boxers. Yeah this wasn't going to end well, me with my pants down in front of Chinese food while she searched for my gun.
With a hoarse laugh I gripped her wrists and pulled her against me. "My turn."
"W-what?"
"It's only fair…" I shrugged. "You strip search me I strip search you."
"Is that so?" She leered.
"Yup." I nipped her lips with mine then kissed her softly. "So spread 'em. I'm going to be very… thorough."
"I bet you are."
"Stand still."
"Yes, sir."
"I like that, the sir, now I know why Nixon likes it, does kinda get a man excited."
"Let's not invite the boss into our wedding night conversations."
"Done." I winked and stepped out of my pants. I was wearing my open shirt, button-less mind you, and black boxer briefs. My state of undress left nothing to the imagination. I was a bit worried it would scare Amy away. Instead, she watched me with rapt attention.
"Like what you see?" I arched my eyebrows.
"I don't see much…" She licked her top lip. "Yet."
"Tease."
"Are you searching me, or can I continue?" she challenged.
"Stand still." I exhaled in an impatient tone then started walking in a slow circle around her. I lifted my hand to her neck, pushing her hair out of the way. She trembled in response. "Hmm, I think I'm going to enjoy this search… very much."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Amy
His breath was hot on my neck as he walked a slow circle around me then stopped. His nose tickled the back of my head as he pushed my hair to one side then ran his rough hands over my shoulders, tugging my dress down my arms. It was tight enough that it didn't fall.
"Hmm." Ax drew slow circles with his fingertips down the center of my back until he hit the sensitive area where I'd gotten my tattoo done. "I like my name on you."
I shivered.
"Maybe like isn't a strong enough word." His fingers tickled around the flesh and then moved back up my arms, tugging at my dress a little harder. "Love. I love my name on your body."
Ax's fingertips danced across my arms and moved to my collarbone as he moved back around to face me. "I'm going to need you to do something for me."
His eyes were dark, his mouth wet, like he'd been running his tongue along his lips imagining mine rather than his.
"What?" A breathless whimper escaped me as his sensual smile nearly knocked me over.
He tilted his head and leaned in, his wet lips touching the outside of my ear. "I'm going to need you to spread."
"Wh-what?"
"A proper search." He laughed softly. "I want to be thorough. You are my wife… after all. Don't want you hiding any… weapons."
With a jerk he kicked my feet apart. The fabric around my thighs gave way, ripping all the way up to my hips.
He knelt in front of me. All muscle and elegant grace. He slipped off
my heels and then ran his hands up my calves, then my thighs. His eyes glimmered with heat as his hands finally braced my hips and then finished the rip of my dress all the way up the sides of my body.
The dress fell to the floor next to my feet.
Ax's gaze traveled from my legs up… he shook his head. "Not good enough."
I had the sudden urge to cover my naked body.
"Searching." He gripped my hips tighter. "Not good enough." He bestowed a kiss on one hip and then the other then slowly grazed my body with his as he stood. "Bedroom. Now."
"Right now?" I squeaked feeling unsure about my body, about him, about what we were about to do.
"Stop thinking…" Ax's mouth met mine tenderly. "And let me love you."
I nodded. It was a small shy nod, but it may as well have been a blazing sign and a pep rally. He lifted me into his arms and carried me into the room.
I didn't have time to register how beautiful it was, how warm I felt in his arms, because in an instant, I was on the bed.
And he was hovering over me.
"Three tries."
"What?"
"Three tries." He climbed on top of me and pushed my body down. "I get three tries to make you scream with pleasure… and if my name doesn't cross those lips then I'm not doing good enough."
"Three is hardly necessary — Oh, my gosh, what are you doing?"
Ax slid down my body, his lips pausing at my belly button. "Why, I'm doing my damndest to make you scream." Before I could stop him, he was licking, torturing, kissing every single place he could find. His fingers following his mouth, then at times his mouth following his fingers. Time stopped existing — I stopped existing. With a cry I about fell off the bed as a wave of bliss hit me.
"Damn, no name." Ax said, though it sounded muffled, I was officially no longer present in the room. His mouth found my foot. I almost kicked him. He laughed; his tongue swirled up my calf.
"No more, I can't take it." I heard myself saying.
"You can. You will." And then I lost focus again as his hands cupped my breasts, his lips teased my neck. I lost the ability to control my own body; it rose and fell with his touch.
"Ax—" His mouth covered my scream. And then he was filling me. The pain was small, minute compared to what I thought it would be. I'd always thought my wedding night would be tame, awkward. Plain.
This experience — the feeling of my body surrounding him — was anything but plain.
I was on fire.
"Two down… I get one more try." He said against my lips, our tongues tangled as he moved, slowly, the pressure increased. I wasn't sure if I could breathe let alone scream.
He moved differently.
And I'd been wrong.
I could most definitely scream.
So I did.
Repeatedly.
"I'm not sure I heard my name," Ax panted.
"Axton." Mind and body spent, I cupped his face lightly. "I love you, Axton."
"I love you, too." He kissed me almost violently and then slowly pulled away and lay down next to me. "I think I'm going to have to search you again."
"I think I'm going to have to let you."
"Let me?" he taunted, "Beg me is more like it."
"Careful, your Abandonato ego is showing."
"Admit it… you wouldn't want me any other way."
I turned, glanced at his beautiful face, strong jaw. The man was gorgeous. "You're right… I wouldn't."
"I can do this all night, Ames."
I burst out laughing. "Me too. But I want Chinese first."
"I want you first."
"You had me."
"I want you second and third too."
"Ax…" I groaned. "Feed me."
"Fine." He jolted up from the bed and held out his hand. "But in order for me to concentrate on using chopsticks I'm wrapping you in a towel."
"Okay."
"But first we shower… so I can… you know… explore some more."
"Okay, Christopher Columbus, whatever you say."
"Bite your tongue, that man was a Spaniard." He winked. I took his hand and for the first time in five years…
Felt at peace in what should have been a war-filled future.
"You kept the picture of us." Ax whispered a few minutes later, interrupting my thoughts. "Why?"
Amy ducked her head into my shoulder.
"Nope, none of that…I want to know."
I lifted my head so I could see into his questioning eyes. "Things don't matter to me. People do. You do. Even as a kid I somehow knew that the most important possession I would ever have—would be your smile, the memory of you. Everything about you was so…perfect. You were my rock. I knew if I had you, had your picture, your smile, that everything would be okay."
Ax shuddered, "And I lied to you, abandoned you, I—"
"—Loved me." I pressed my fingertips against his mouth, "You loved me, and that's all I've ever wanted."
"I do." Ax sighed and kissed my forehead. "Love you more than words can ever truly describe."
"I know." My heart was full. My life was owned, altered, by a made man, by a man who in many stories is the monster, but my life wasn't a story. What I was living was real. And my monster, just so happened to be my hero. "I love you too, Ax."
Want more mafia? Check out the reading order to the Eagle Elite series. All books can be read as stand alone but are enjoyed better if you read them in order. I wrote this novella to introduce readers to the series mid series. I know some people don't like playing catch up so here you go. The next book Enforce is Elite from Nixon and Chase's POV. The book following that is Ember, Phoenix's book. Elite will be available in stores this October. Elect this December.
Elite (Forever Romance)
Elect (Forever Romance)
Entice (Now Available)
Elicit (Just released)
Bang Bang (Stand alone novella)
Enforce (December 15)
Ember (January 31)
Elite
Eagle Elite Book 1
from Forever Romance
PROLOGUE
Whoever told me life was easy—lied. It's hard. It sucks. The crazy thing is—nobody has the guts to admit the truth. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has a secret. Everyone has a story that needs to be told. Hurt is everywhere; as humans we practically drown in its essence, yet we all pretend like it doesn't exist. We make believe that everything is fine, when really, everything within us screams in outrage. Our soul pleads for us to be honest at least once in our lives. It begs of us to tell one person. It forces us to become vulnerable to that one person, and the very second that we do, everything seems better.
For a moment, life isn't as hard as it seems. Effortless. It's effortless, and then the gauntlet falls.
When I met Nixon I had no idea what life had in store for me. In my wildest dreams, I could have never imagined this.
"Everything…" He swallowed and looked away for a brief second before grabbing my hand and kissing it. "Everything is about to change."
CHAPTER ONE
"I can feel you breathing down my neck, Trace." Grandpa gripped the steering wheel and gave me a weak smile before he reached back and patted my hand.
Yup, patted my hand.
As if that's going to make me feel any less nervous.
I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to concentrate on the excitement of my situation, not the fear. I refused to be scared just because it was new.
I mean, sure, I'd never ridden in an airplane before last night, but it wasn't as if I was freaking out…yet.
I missed my dogs and everything about our ranch in Wyoming. When my ailing grandma suggested I enter the contest, I obeyed to make her happy—anything to distract me from her illness. Besides, it's everyone's dream to go to Eagle Elite, but your chances of getting in are slim to none. One company did a study and said your chances were only slightly higher than that of your body morphing into the body of a whale.
Gues
s that made me a big, giant, fat whale, because I got in. I'm pretty sure the company did it as a joke, but still.
Out of millions of applicants, they drew my number, my name. So fear… it really wasn't an option at this point. Going to Eagle for my freshman year of college meant that I was basically set for life. I would be placed in a career, provided for in every way possible. Given opportunities people dreamt of.
Sadly, in this world, it's all about who you know, and my grandpa, bless his heart—all he knows is the ranch and being a good grandpa. So I'm doing this. I'm doing it for me and I'm doing it for him.
"Is that it?" Grandpa pointed, snapping me out of my internal pep talk. I rolled down my window and peered out.
"It…uh, it says E.E. on the gate," I mumbled, knowing full well that I was staring at a steel gate that would have made any prison proud. A man stepped out of the small booth near the entrance and waved us down. As he leaned over the car I noticed a gun hidden under his jacket. Why did they need guns?
"Name," he demanded.
Grandpa smiled. He would smile. I shook my head as he proceeded to give the guard the speech, the same one he'd been giving all our neighbors for the past few months. "You see my granddaughter, Trace." He pointed at me. I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling. "She got into this fancy school, won the annual Elite lottery! Can you believe it? So I'm here to drop her off." How did Grandpa always stay so completely at ease all the time? Maybe it was because he was always packing a gun, too, but still. He and Grandma were the coolest grandparents a girl could ask for.
I swallowed the tears burning at the back of my throat. It should have been him and Grandma here with me, but she died of cancer about six months ago, a week after I found out about the school.
They were my world, Grandpa and Grandma. Being raised by your grandparents isn't all that bad, not when you have or had grandparents like mine. Grandpa taught me how to ride horses and milk cows, and Grandma could bake the best apple pie in the state. She won at every state fair using the exact same recipe.
My parents died in a car crash when I was really young. I don't remember much except that the night they died was also the night I met my grandparents for the first time. I was six. Grandpa was dressed in a suit. He knelt down and said something in Italian, and he and Grandma took me away in their black Mercedes. They moved their whole lives for me, saying it wasn't good for a little girl to live in the city. Chicago hadn't seemed that bad to me, at least from what I remember. Which wasn't much.
