Relentless: A Bad Boy Romance (Bertoli Crime Family #1)

by Lauren Landish

  "All right, off with your hood," I told him as I looked at the antiseptic spray bottle. It had a lot of hype text on it, but the important part was the 99.9% printed on the side. If something had gotten into Dane's cut that this thing couldn't kill, I would be surprised.

  I wasn't really paying attention as I took his shirt and tossed it into the laundry room, but when I turned around, I couldn't help but shudder at the flush of heat that ran through me at seeing his torso. The tan that highlighted his firm muscles wasn't a frat boy tan or the tan of a guy who laid out in the sun, but the tan of a man who spent plenty of time outdoors doing labor. His muscles were the real thing, not some gym rack set built with curls and pump sets, but steely cords that knew how to do real work.

  And of course, there were his tattoos. I've always had a secret attraction to good body ink, though I didn't have any myself. Daddy would have had a heart attack if I did, even a little rose or butterfly on an ankle. But Dane's body was beautiful, with complex, intertwining designs that covered most of his chest and around to his shoulders, going nearly halfway down his left forearm. Whoever had done the work was talented, because even though I could see that there were different pieces from different times in his life, they all wove together in a tapestry that flowed and looked harmoniously joined, like a visual representation of his life so far.

  It was the tattoos and the impressive definition of his upper body that distracted me when I triggered the spray bottle. In hindsight, I should’ve sprayed the gauze pad in the first aid kit and then wiped his cut, but I wasn't thinking all that clearly. I'd meant to push the plunger slowly, giving just a little squirt of liquid onto his cheek. Instead, I pushed too hard, sending a mist of the alcohol-based cleaner right into his eye. He jerked his head back, hissing in pain. "Ow, shit!" he said as he turned around. "Fuck!"

  "I . . . I’m sorry!" I replied, horrified. Here he was, being a total gentleman, and I'd nearly blinded him. I felt like crying. "God, I'm so sorry!"

  He squeezed his eyes shut for a minute, his face turning red as the first tears of pain trickled out of his eyes and started to make their way down his face. Still, he maintained his composure and there wasn't a hint of anger in his words. "No . . . it's okay. You didn't know, and I should’ve closed my eye."

  "Hold still. Keep your eyes closed."

  Grabbing a washcloth from the towel bar next to the sink, I quickly wet it until it was soaking. "Here," I said, pressing it against his face and taking the opportunity to apologize. "I'm so sorry, Dane. You go and save my life, and I try and repay you by blinding you."

  "You didn't mean to, and you don't need to repay me," he replied, a delicious tension in his voice. His hand came up to cover mine, and my body reacted again to his presence. His touch was just as strong as it had been the first time, and my heart sped up. I didn't even realize it as I stepped closer, until I was barely a hand's breadth away from him, close enough to smell him. He smelled like a man, clean sweat and a hint of some sort of aftershave, not the fruity type either, but a real scent. "Just let it flush out a bit and I'll be fine. You just surprised me, that's all."

  I tried to keep myself under control, but it was hard with him so close. I wanted to run my hand over his chest to feel the strength in his arms and his body. Even more, I wanted to feel his hands on me, and not just covering mine. I took a deep breath to try and control myself and forced my one-track mind to think of something to say. "Dane?"

  "Yes?"

  "What are the tattoos for?" I asked, giving in to the temptation and tracing some of his ink. I could see that not all of it was finely done. There were a few that looked a bit amateurish, but still the work of a talented amateur. I wondered where he got them. I saw a symbol I thought I knew, a set of wings coming out from a parachute on his right shoulder. "There are quite a few of them."

  " I got most of them in the Army. I think that one is my jump wings. The parachute, right?"

  "Yeah. What about the others?" I rasped, unable to resist it any longer. I wanted him. Right or wrong, one-night stand or forever and a day, at that moment, the thing I needed most was his touch, his caress. I wanted to taste his skin and run my tongue along the intertwining lines of his ink. When he opened his eyes and looked down into my eyes, I knew that he wanted it too.

  His hands pulled on the backs of my arms, and I wouldn’t have been able to resist even if I wanted to as he brought my lips to his. His mouth was as supple and amazing as I'd been imagining, his lips sending shivers down my spine even before his tongue came out to trace my neck. Groaning in desire, I threw my arms around his neck, heat flooding my body when he pulled me tighter.

  "Dane . . .” I whispered, relishing the sound on my lips. He responded by pulling me into him even more, wrapping his arms around my waist and crushing my body against him. Even through the silk of my dress, I could feel the warm heat of his skin with the light dusting of dark hairs on his stomach prickling against my body. I gave in to my desire, pulling myself up higher and lifting my leg to put my left knee on the countertop, letting me kiss him more easily.

  Dane's right hand let go of my back to cup my leg, his work-roughened hand sliding from my knee to the hem of my dress before stopping. He was strong, but still almost gentlemanly as his thumb pushed the hemline of my dress up until his hand found the silk of my bikini briefs. He stopped kissing to smile at me in joy. "You're so smooth."

  The gleeful, slightly dangerous glint in his eyes made my knees even weaker than they already were, and I nodded, enjoying the seduction game we were playing.

  Dane licked his lips, lifting me up by the hand that was cupping my ass and spinning us both around. In an instant, he had me propped up on the countertop, his hands at the hem of my dress, lifting it up. He stopped when the hem bunched up against the marble, stepping back. "Wait."

  "What?" I asked, my heart hammering and my chest heaving. My nipples ached inside my dress, and I was sure I was showing through. I could barely contain myself, and now he wanted to stop? Was he having some last second surge of timidity, or was some other reason stopping him? "What's wrong?"

  "I . . . It's been a while for me," Dane admitted without a hint of shame. He said it matter-of-factly, as if he were saying the sun is hot, water is wet, or that he was sexy as hell. "I forgot that it's probably better to lift your hem up a bit before you sit down on the dress."

  I laughed as I realized what he was talking about, even more enchanted and turned on by his honesty. "Well then," I said, sliding off the counter and taking the hem of my dress in hand, “there we go.”

  The look in Dane's eyes and the little twist of his lips set me on fire even more. The cut on his cheek had stopped bleeding, but it still added a rakish sexiness to his appearance, like he was carrying his battle scars and would keep them as a reminder of what he'd done to gain my attention. I was kind of glad I'd worn one of my sexier sets of lingerie that night, mostly because it fit well under my dress, but the nearly sheer bra cups and silk panties certainly had the right effect on Dane. Looking down, my throat went slightly dry looking at the bulge in his jeans. He wasn't wearing any sort of overly tight skinny jeans either. He had to be big. Blinking, I looked up at Dane and bit my lip. "Better?"

  "Much," he said, his voice as hoarse as mine felt. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me into a warm and powerful embrace again, this time lifting me in his arms and carrying me to the bed in the back of the loft room. The bed was a queen size, but that was more than big enough for the two of us as we tumbled to the mattress.

  His lips found mine once more, this time his tongue wrapping around mine as he pulled me on top of him, my legs automatically parting to each side of him. I gasped when my panties came into contact with the bulge in his jeans, which already felt hot and delicious. "Oh, God . . .”

  Dane pulled back to look in my face, worried for an instant. It touched me that such a powerful man could be both demanding and respectful at the same time. He studied me for a second before grinning, reading my expression. "I
t's been a while for you too?"

  I nodded, suddenly shy. "Sorry."

  He shook his head, his hand coursing up and down my backbone. "Abs, there’s no need to feel ashamed of that. I'm honored, actually."

  Nobody had called me Abs before, not even my friends, and to hear the word on his lips sent ripples through me. I enjoyed the name and mouthed it silently as he kissed my throat and along my pulse line. Abs. It would be my special name from Dane, and one nobody else would ever use.

  He stopped his hands on my bra strap, and without too much fumbling undid the clasp at the back. Bringing his hands around to my sides, he slid my bra off until the only thing keeping it on was that it was sandwiched between us. Grinning, he pushed me back and let it fall off, where I tossed it off the side of the bed. My breasts hung in front of him while I ground over the bulge in his jeans, and by the look in his eyes, I'd never felt more beautiful in my entire life.

  Hot sparks shot through me when he cupped my breast and ran his thumbs over my nipple. I couldn't resist, and I started riding his bulge in my panties, the friction mixing with the electricity in my breasts to render me senseless. The whole time, his eyes bored into mine, but this time the gray wasn't brooding or dark, but instead wise and comforting. They were eyes that captured my attention, along with the growing confident smile on his face. It may have been a long time for him, but like riding a bicycle, he quickly remembered exactly what he was doing.

  When Dane pulled me down to him, replacing his hands with his mouth on my nipple, I whimpered. It felt so good. His tongue found all the little spots that left me mewling and gasping. My hips sped up, and I nearly cried out in frustration when he rolled me off him and turned both of us onto our sides. "Why'd you stop?" I whined, unable to help myself. "I was nearly there."

  "And so was I," he said with a little laugh. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

  It was something in the way he said it that opened up more than my libido and cracked through the defenses around my heart that every girl builds up. It was like he was saying not just that he'd take care of me sexually that night, but that somehow, without even knowing if I'd see him the next morning, he'd take care of me the rest of my life. All I could do was nod as he laid me on the bed and propped himself up on his left elbow.

  "Now here’s something I enjoy," he said, bringing his right hand down to the damp heat between my legs. His fingers were strong and confident as he rubbed me, my eyes fluttering closed because it felt so good.

  I forced my eyes open to look into his, letting them drive a wedge into my mind as his fingers stroked magically. The silk of my panties aided his touch, adding just the right texture to his caress. When he brought a single finger up and across my clit, I cried out, unable to help it. My orgasm rolled through me, sorely missed. It’d been too long, even by my own hand, and never had anyone made me feel so good.

  "This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life," he whispered softly as I clenched, my mouth open and my eyes staring into his. "I don't ever want it to end."

  Neither did I. I'd never felt anything like it as the waves and warm pleasure rolled through me, my body fluttering under his fingers. I could have spent the rest of my life frozen in that moment. Still, the moment did eventually end, leaving me trembling and sweating as I collapsed back onto the bed. "That . . . that was amazing. Tell me you’re not done.”

  "I hope not,” he teased, his confident smile mixing with the tender look in his eyes. "On one condition."

  "What's that?" a new, delicious tremble ran through me at the promise in his look.

  Dane reached up to stroke my cheek, soft and comforting. “You take those off.”

  I shivered at the implication and nodded. “Deal. As long as you join me.”

  He blinked and looked down, realizing he was still in his jeans. I hooked my thumbs in the side bands of my panties, and I couldn’t believe what I was doing. A quick hook-up or one-night stand wasn’t my style. I wondered for a second if I was only doing this out of rebellion against my over-protective father, or if I was letting my guard down because he’d saved me. I pushed it away as soon as it entered my mind, returning to my anticipation of what was to come.

  I rolled my now-wet panties down my hips, pausing just before I exposed myself while he finished his boots and socks. His eyes had never left me, drinking me in and making me feel wanted, beautiful, even a touch exotic. Standing up, he unbuttoned his jeans, holding the flaps closed with his right hand. "Together?"

  "That's only fair," I said. "One . . . Two . . .”

  "Three," Dane said, pushing his jeans down at the same time I pushed my panties all the way off. I had to pull my knees up to do it, which took my eyes off him for a moment, but when I saw him standing there, I was driven breathless.

  If Dane had been handsome before with his shirt off, he was god-like nude. The light dusting of hair that I'd seen on his washboard stomach continued down. He had a fine amount of wiry black hair that extended down his hips and to his thighs, slightly curly and well-kept. It made him even more masculine, totally and incontrovertibly.

  I glanced down and I shivered, this time with a touch of fear when I saw him. Dane, for his part, saw my trepidation. He looked at his cock and back up at me, understanding. “I’ll be careful."

  His words reassured me, and my knees parted without any difficulty when he climbed on the bed, his cock huge and pointing at my entrance. I was glad he'd brought me to an orgasm already. My body needed all the lubrication it could make to handle such a humongous man. Even still, he was tender and real, thrilling me with his gentleness.

  "Please . . . just go slow?"

  Dane smiled tenderly and nodded. He'd obviously had this sort of reaction before and knew what he was doing. "I promise, Abs. No pain, and I'll do my best to bring you pleasure."

  I held my breath, certain he was going to spear me with his cock, but instead Dane leaned down and kissed me again, the softest and most tender kiss we'd yet shared. His hands stroked the hair out of my face as he held himself poised above me, just looking into my eyes and caressing me.

  He reached over in the night stand to grab a condom, and I watched him as he slid it on. It only took a few seconds, but I was so full of desire that it seemed to take him an eternity.

  Finally, he moved into me, and I felt the head of his cock start to spread me open. We looked in each other's eyes as he moved, slowly as he promised, rocking in and out so that the stretching feeling I felt melted into indescribable pleasure. He increased his depth in such tiny increments that it didn't even feel like he was going deeper with each thrust until I realized he was halfway inside me and still had more to go. Best of all, my body wanted more, and with all the desire built up in me, I knew I could accept everything he had. Smiling as I opened myself to him, we kissed again, this time more forcefully. I was pinned beneath him, his body holding me in position as he filled me. In one back stroke he paused, taking a deep breath. I nodded, knowing what was coming. “I can take it.”

  The next thrust seemed to stretch on forever, and nerves I'd never even known I had set into rapturous tremors. Dane didn't stop, though, with each thrust coming harder and faster. I didn't know how many times he stroked in and out. All I knew was that my body was alive in a way it had never been before. Pleasure and joy flooded every inch of me, from my toes all the way to the top of my head, and every time his hips slapped into mine, the level increased impossibly. Infinity squared, cubed upon itself as he filled me over and over, claiming me as his with not just his cock, but his eyes and his lips. I moaned his name in time with each of his thrusts, wanting not just sex but to give myself to this man, the greatest example of manhood I'd ever known in my twenty-two years on this planet.

  How long we stayed there, my hands clutching at his back while he thrust into me over and over again, I’ll never know. Time lost all meaning except in measurements of gasps, moans and heartbeats. I wasn’t even sure if I’d survive; the intensity building within me f
elt so powerful. But I couldn't stop, and I begged for more even as my head tossed from side to side. "D—Dane!"

  "Abs!” Dane growled deeply and protectively, his neck arching as he came. My body responded, clenching and exploding as well, both of us crying out as we came together. Blackness rushed up to greet me, and I embraced it, knowing that when I awoke, Dane would still be there, and I would still be safe and secure in his arms.

  Chapter 4

  Dane

  After we’d fucked, both Abby and I passed out from exhaustion. I don't think it was long—maybe just ten or twenty minutes—but enough for our bodies to recuperate from the tremendous outpouring of energy we'd just had.

  When I finally opened my eyes, I was sure I'd died and gone to heaven. Or maybe I was actually back in Leavenworth after getting hit on the head from behind and hallucinating. Then she sighed and turned in her sleep, and I knew it was real. Abby had turned into me, her head nestled on my bicep and against my chest, her left leg in between mine. I held her gently, afraid that if I did anything, she'd wake up and the fantasy of what I'd just been through would be broken. Instead, I thought about what we'd just done.

  I hadn't been lying to her when I said it had been a long time for me. It had been over five years since I'd been with a woman. During my deployment to Iraq, I had the chance with a female aviation captain, but she was married, and despite the fact that she would have been willing to do just about anything, I didn’t go there. I’ve done some terrible things, but relationships are sacrosanct for me. At the same time, while a couple of the guys I knew tried to get with some of the locals, I didn't want some poor Iraqi girl getting into trouble and possibly stoned to death because she and I had gotten frisky.