“Oh, ok.” She said placing her glass on the coffee table.
“Look, I know you want to notify your family, maybe call the cops, certainly get away from me. But you have to know at this moment it’s probably better for us both to talk this out and come up with a plan so that maybe the both of us stay alive. I don’t want to keep you prisoner, but I can’t have you alerting anyone either. Can I trust you?” It was strange asking her that. She really had no reason to trust me, and I certainly had no reason to believe her. Still, judging from her comments about her family, she did not seem too inclined to openly run to them even with the trouble she was in. I was hoping my gut was right.
“You can trust me with this. I won’t alert anyone. I’m smart enough to know not to try anything stupid.” Our eyes locked and I nodded letting her know I understood. I crossed the room and held the door open for her which led to the basement. We walked out through the side door into the garage. Stepping over to the car I held the door of my jeep open for her. “Thank you,” she whispered to me as she slid into the passenger seat.
Chapter 6
We drove into town in silence. I wanted to play tour guide and tell her all about the town, but I also did not want her to know too much. The more she knew, the more they could use against her. So instead of talking, I raised the volume on the radio and told her to pick her pleasure. She laughed softly but began scrolling through the satellite stations until she found one she liked. I could not process any of the songs that played. My phone was vibrating inside my jacket and I knew I needed to answer. This was the prearranged date and they would be expecting an update.
I pulled into the supercenter parking lot and jumped out of the car with my cell in hand. “All is well” I typed, then hit send quickly. Clearly, I was not thinking straight, but what else could I do.
I opened her door and was careful to walk close but not hover next to her. We walked through the store each grabbing what we needed. The air between us should have been tense, but instead it was strangely comfortable, I was beginning to relax. The cart filled up with everything from deodorant to pajamas to the fixings for some pretty delicious meals. I could not help but notice that we had similar taste in food. We shopped in silence until we had walked every isle, “Anything else you think you will need?”
“Not tonight.” She said with a slight smile adding, “I’d offer to pay for my things but it seems my purse has been misplaced.” I looked over at her and realized she was being playful.
“It’s my pleasure to pay tonight.” I smiled back at her as we headed toward the checkout line.
We got back to the house and I was only slightly surprised at how easy the whole outing had been. We both set about unpacking the food supplies before grabbing our respective packages and heading down the hallway towards our rooms. As we neared hers I explained that mine was just across the hall on the right. I pointed out the linen closet and told her to help herself. She nodded and disappeared into her room. A short while later with wet hair twirling around her head, she re-entered the kitchen. She had changed into the cheap sweatpants and shirt we had just purchased. Even in the cheap clothes she fairly knocked the wind out of me when she smiled, “Hi.”
“Hi yourself. Feel a little better?” I asked concern evident in my voice.
“Yes, I suppose I do. As well as I can under the circumstances.” I nodded at her as I stated, “Relax, have a look around make yourself comfortable. I’m going to whip us up something to eat.”
I turned back to the pile of ingredients in front of me. It was a simple meal, and I wished I was presenting her with something mouthwateringly delicious. Though I guess there was no point in that. When you took my good intentions away, I had literally just kidnapped this woman off the street. Even though she was not completely innocent to the going-ons of her family, she herself had clearly formed a line between that life and her own. She did not deserve this. For what felt like the millionth time I asked myself, “Now what?” Still I had nothing. No clear idea of what to do. No way out. At least, for the time being, my boss thought it was handled. That kept anyone from searching. My absence would start to be noticed within a week or so which gave me only about 5 or 6 days to figure something out. My gut told me that being stuck in the middle of the woods with Guliana was not at all a bad way to spend some time. I turned to look at her, her attention on my bookcase. Her brown hair was drying down her back. She appeared perfectly calm standing there, funny as it was as my own heart had begun to race. My eyes followed down passed her hair, the gentle curve in her back, the supple jut of her bottom. I felt my body slam to life and thanked God for the cover of the kitchen island I was standing behind as it was that moment that her eyes turned to find me watching her. I recovered quickly telling her to feel free to choose one to read if she liked. She thanked me, grabbed a book and headed to the sofa.
Chapter 7
A few minutes later I presented her with our meal. Spinach salad with blueberries and crumpled goat cheese topped with a strawberry vinaigrette, and sliced roast beef with brie and sliced apples melted on Ciabatta bread. I sat down next to her and placed the plates before us on the coffee table. Thinking that the dining table would be too formal.
“Mind if I put the TV on while we eat. It’s not my usual routine, but I could use the distraction right now.”
“Sure.” She said as her fork crunched in to the salad. I flipped around for a few minutes trying to find something that I could get lost in for a little while. I asked her opinion on different things as I scrolled. We landed on a cheesy romantic comedy that she had asked me to stop on.
During a commercial she sat up and turned toward me, “Do you know how many times I’ve watched my father do…” she paused, her eyes looking pleadingly into mine. Like she wanted me to just know the ins she had seen. I waited. “Forget it.” She said turning forward again.
“No, please.” I knew I had absolutely no right to ask her to open up to me. Still though, I wanted to know more about her, about what she had lived through, about who she was, “You can talk to me.”
“I really shouldn’t.” Even as she said it, I knew she was carrying too much right now. Her calm demeanor was finally giving way to all of the emotions she must be feeling at finding herself here with me.
I did the only thing I could think of to do, “My parents were killed when I was 21,” I started, turning my face slightly away to stare out the French doors into the blackness of night. “Someone gunned them down on the street. They were the two most honest, upstanding people. My dad inherited the family business from my grandfather. They both had a skill for carpentry that somehow skipped me. My mom worked in the store, too, doing all the books and ordering. My uncle, my father’s brother, had a very different life. He fell into all the street stuff. The closest I’ve come to knowing who killed my parents is that they were somehow connected to my uncle. It changes you to lose both of your parents like that, especially for me. I was close with mine. I vowed I would get whoever had killed them. I’ve failed them so far. But I’ve watched a lot on my journey. Trying to run in that life you learn observe everything, but see nothing. Hear everything, but say nothing.” I paused, not really knowing where I was going in any of this. Truth be told, I could not believe I was telling her anything so personal about myself.
“Yes, you are completely right. My father was not always as smart as he is now. I can remember times when the basement was off limits because of a ‘guest’, or I would over hear things that I could never repeat. I know too much. That’s probably why you were sent after me. As much as I pretend I don’t, some people know that I know. I had hoped it would never catch up with me, but seems it has.”
“Guliana, I’m so,” but before I could mutter, “sorry.” She cut me off, “No! Don’t say it. Don’t say you are sorry. Please.” It was both the pleading and resolve that I heard in her voice that stopped me. ” Let’s just watch stupid T.V. and forget how we got here, ok?”
“Sure.” What else cou
ld I say when her eyes were looking at me so hopefully.
Just shy of two hours later, I looked over at her peacefully sleeping face. She was turned facing me, her feet cuddle up under her. There was no doubt that in a few more minutes that head would hit my arm and rest there if I didn’t move too much. I reached to my right and grabbed the blanket that was always thrown over the sofa arm. Placing it on her, I put my feet up, lowered the volume and waited. A few minutes later my body tingled warmly as her head made contact with my arm. I sighed contentedly, then leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
Chapter 8
The soft dawn light was filtering in through the windows when I felt her stir. She bolted up right, looked around, then snuggled back into the couch and thankfully placed her head back on my shoulder. She burrowed further into the covers and stilled. I dared not even breath heavy as I relished her closeness against me. Damn if she wasn’t perfect. The perfect size, perfect smell, perfect feel. I could not remember ever having felt so comfortable with someone, and given that these were ridiculous circumstances, I thought that said a lot. I wonder how long she will stay like this? I hoped forever.
Sadly, a few minutes later she lifted her head again. I watched her as she looked around slowly, then turned her eyes to me. Finding me watching her she smiled shyly and whispered, “good morning” in the most adorable sleepy sound I had ever heard. I smiled brightly back at her, “Did you sleep ok?”
“Yes, oddly.”
“Glad to hear it.” We stayed frozen for a moment just looking at each other. If she only knew that inside my head I was tearing her clothes off and pulling her naked body onto mine. Instead, “If you give me a few minutes I can whip us up breakfast.”
“Oh, sure. Take your time. That would be wonderful. I’ll just go wash up.” Her petite body rose and walked away from me down the hall. After a few moments on the couch to calm my body, I followed suit down the hallway. Once inside my room I threw my clothes off quickly and hopped into the shower. A cold shower! Within a few minutes I was in the kitchen whipping up homemade Belgian waffles.
“I’ve got to say, this is some fancy kidnapping service.” She said as she entered the room, laughter evident in her voice.
I gave her a half smile, “I’m so sorry this is happening.”
She shrugged it off, “I appreciate it, but honestly given who my father is; it was only a matter of time before something hit close to home. And I really do appreciate you for not being able to go through with it. I feel grateful.”
“I do not deserve your gratitude. I took the job in the first place.” My own self-loathing was eating at me over this whole situation.
“Yes but if you hadn’t, I probably would not be alive right now.” Her words hit me hard. My hand stilled mid stir on the batter and I felt my face go white. She was right. She could be absolutely dead at this very minute had I turned the job down.
“Oh God.” Was all I could manage to say. Suddenly the faces of all those lives I had taken swam before me before stopping with her angelic face starring up at me from the photo I had been given just weeks before. I became aware that she was watching me, her beautiful brown eyes filled with such deep concern. Another emotion I did not deserve. Lacking the words, I just turned my eyes down towards the batter and began mixing again.
I did not realize she had moved and jumped when I felt her fingertips reach my arm, “James?” a slight question in her voice. I turned my eyes towards her as my hand stilled once more. “Thank you, whether you want my gratitude or not, you have it. And my forgiveness too.” I knew my face registered shock, knew she could see it, but I was so thrown by her words in that moment I failed to hide my feelings. Recovering quickly though I turned away again and mutely started stirring once more. Clearly we were going to eat awkwardly over whipped waffles for breakfast. She stepped back a moment later and began making a fuss over making coffee.
She moved about the house easily opening windows, pulling back curtains. I had never brought a woman here before. I thought she looked quite at home here. We sat at the island for breakfast and made small talk. We were halfway through our meal when she whispered, “I need to talk to you about something fairly pressing.”
“Ok.” I said calmly placing my fork down and giving her my full attention.
“Well you see my job is sort of something I cannot vacate from without massive notice to my clients. I really need to be able to get online and do some work, tie up some things, let my assistant know what tasks need to be followed up on.”
“I see. That’s not a problem. I have quite an office here. I also have to follow up with work.” Her eyebrow raised in question, “my day job,” I clarified.
“Oh. That didn’t occur to me. What is it you do?”
“I own a furniture store.”
“Really? I never would have guessed. So then why do you…” her voice tailed off and her eyes darted immediately away.
“Well, I kind of got pulled into both careers. One side of the family pulled one way, and the other side pulled me in the other. I love my store though.”
We spent the next hour talking about our careers in further detail. She explained how she had started as a freelance writer who did small amounts of marketing and had grown mostly because of her social circle. I told her about the store and more about my grandfather. Thankfully she did not ask anything further about my parents. Revealing what I had yesterday had been much deeper than I had ever gotten with a woman. I was not sure if I was ready to go any further into that part of my psyche.
Chapter 9
After we cleaned up breakfast I showed her where the office was. It was a huge room at the other end of the house. It contained two large desks complete with individual computers as well as a nice seating area and bookshelf.
“We can both work,” I said as I swept my hand in front of us as if to present her with a lavish gift. She laughed. The sound was warm and made gave me the strangest tingling. She immediately walked over to the desk I never used and sat, “Can I use this one?” I nodded not trusting my voice. Her laugh had set my body into a large blaze that I was having trouble controlling. I had planned to work with her but instead turned around and walked back toward the kitchen leaving her to her own devices.
I opened some more windows and in general killed some time while my body endeavored to forget about the deliciousness that was sitting in the other room. The entire day progressed like that, an endless, blissful torture. The more we shared the more my body begged for me to touch her. On and on it went all day long until I found myself back on the couch with her mere inches from my itchy hands. We were sipping wine, well more than sipping. We were almost done with our second bottle and debating what movie we should watch. We were siting closer than we had last night. I did not think I was alone in my attraction. It was subtle, but unmistakable body language which made me confident that at the very least, she was enjoying my company.
The night went on, wine flowed. I had no idea what had led to this moment, but somehow the heat between us pulled us towards each other, her soft, feather light lips reaching mine. Immediately my arms wrapped around her, my eager lips parting hers. I wanted to taste her everywhere, take in her scent, memorize her every inch. I somehow found the strength to slow my kisses. My tongue swirling feather light around hers and sending chills throughout my body. My thicker lips pulled softly on her smaller ones as I opened my eyes to meet her gaze. Her eyes were lowered, bespeaking the same fervor that was coursing through me. I brought my thumb up to trace her jawline and sucked in my breath as she turned her mouth towards it. Her eyes widened, pulling my focus as she took her soft, pink tongue and drew my thumb into her mouth. Every muscle in my body froze. She continued to play with my thumb sliding it in and out of her warm, silky mouth as she suckled it. I ached even more for her with every passing second yet I did not want to break the shear heat that seemed to be flowing around us. The sweet torture she evoked seemed to last for hours as she moved past my thumb to place ligh
t kisses on my palm working her way up to my wrist then father up my arm. Somehow my shirt was off and her hands were roaming over me causing goose bumps to form as her finger tips caressed my skin.
She was seducing me completely, lulling my body deep under her enthralling spell. Her kisses had reached my neck and I quickly turned my head to capture her lips, as I could no longer fight my own urge to feel her skin. I pulled her onto my lap and peeled her shirt off. Her red bra caught my eye as it contrasted against the creamy color of her skin. I could not wait to feel every inch of this gorgeous woman. I kept her lips hostage as I ran my fingers over her skin, satisfied when I saw the same goose bumps she had caused on me mimicked on her flesh. I just knew her supple nipples would be hard and aching beneath her bra, a thought which caused my already tight jeans to feel unbelievably constricting.
I needed a few moments to calm down, so I scooped her up into my arms and carried her down the hall to my bedroom. As I pushed open my door it occurred to me that we had both had a lot to drink. Maybe this wasn’t what she really wanted. I placed her down slowly just inside my room, the door still standing open. I stepped back before I said, “We’ve had a lot to drink. I don’t want you to feel pressure to do this, nor do I want to take advantage of you in an inebriated state.” I wanted to say we should stop. The only problem with that being, I did not want to stop. I wanted her. Had wanted her from the second I looked at that photo weeks ago.
“Oh no,” I heard her melodic voice say, “I definitely want this to happen. Feels like our meeting, however crazy it may have been, was actually serendipitous. Make no mistake, I want this.”
“But are you sure…”my voice dropped off, not able to finish my sentence.
“I am very, very sure.” She stated as she reached for my waist and yanked my jeans open. All logical thought left as I pulled her in to claim her mouth. It moved fast from there. My jeans were off, her bra landed somewhere, and before I knew it we were skin to skin on the bed. It was all I could do not to throw her legs open and dive into her center. Instead I kissed down her neck and ran my tongue over her taught nipple teasing it as it budded hard in my mouth. I continued my quest downward placing light kisses down her flat stomach towards the welcoming patch of womanhood that awaited. I heard her soft intake of breath as my tongue flicked across her center stroking her toward increasing passion. A few minutes later, her body writhing beneath my mouth I gave in and ended my assault. I poised myself above her and paused waiting for her eyes to meet mine. When they did I was amazed at the depths in which I saw there. I could tell that this meant as much to her as it did to me, this joining of our bodies. Looking down into her eyes I entered her gradually, feeling her body stretch around me as I crawled inside of her. My head was swimming in the pleasure she was pulling from me even in these first few moments. She began to move hungrily beneath me and I met her stroke for stroke. Slow, deep strokes that brought us together with a gasp; as our bodies clenched and pulsed together with each thrust. I wanted to kiss her, but the intensity in which this moment formed seemed to be utter perfection. I could not imagine feeling more connected with anyone. The intensity of it all almost broke me but I held on. Her movements began to quicken, her body tightening unimaginably around me, and finally her delicious orgasm shattered around me spurring on my own.
MAFIA ROMANCE: The Hitmans Obsession: Bad Boy Alpha Male Mafia Pregnancy Romance (Contemporary Crime Thriller & Suspense Romance) Page 2
