Deeper

by M. Malone

  When she leaned directly over his straining cock, her long hair brushed against his skin, and her breath floated over the rigid length of him. It only took too puffs of breath from her, and his control snapped.

  His hands banded around her biceps, and he hauled her up against him so he could kiss her. Flipping her onto her back, his hands flew to the waistband of her jeans, and he all but ripped off the button in an effort to get to her skin.

  Yanking down the denim, he slid back up her body and wedged a knee between her thighs.

  Against him, he could feel the moisture of her slick core through her panties. He tried not to think about how soft she was. He needed to go slow with her. His cock, on the other hand, had a mind of its own and pulsed against her thigh.

  He gave her a peck on the lips before tracing featherlight kisses along her jaw. When he nuzzled her neck, Diana giggled. When he went from nuzzling to nibbling, she moaned. His hands enjoyed free rein of her breasts, testing the weight of the full globes, teasing the tight buds to pucker. Her hips rose to meet his every time he tugged on one of the rose-colored tips.

  His lips continued a path down her ribs to her belly button. When the tip of his tongue dipped into the tiny crevice, she parted her thighs on an exhale.

  Lifting his head, he watched her expression as he stroked her slick folds with his thumb. She widened her legs and transferred her hands to dig at the sheets. Gently circling the nub of her clitoris with his thumb, he eased one finger into her slick, dewy channel.

  Immediately her muscles clenched around his finger, and a tingle started at the base of his spine. Shit. All he was doing was touching her, and he was already about to blow.

  Slowly his finger retreated, then entered her again. When she exhaled, she whispered his name. The soft “Rafe” filled the silence in the room.

  All he wanted was to hear her say it again. He slid his finger inside her again, followed by an achingly slow retreat, and she whispered, “Oh God.”

  Diana rotated her hips under his hands, coating his fingers with her juices. “Rafe, please—”

  With her hips doing half the work, Rafe began moving his fingers again. Gently making love to her while his thumb stroked her clit. Her hips began to move in time with increasing tempo. She rode his fingers, and Rafe was mesmerized by her soft flesh. Gently he removed his fingers, ignoring the protest from her, and instead replaced them with his tongue.

  Diana gasped and sat up in the bed, but he didn’t stop, just held her legs wide, splaying her softness to him. While his thumbs parted her folds, he lapped at the sensitive flesh as she quivered around his tongue. The more he lapped at her, the wetter she became.

  Rafe could tell the moment she gave in to the sensations. She lay back against the sheets and held his head in place while trying to widen her thighs. Tracing circles around her clit with his tongue, he drove her higher and higher until her whole body tensed.

  Her inner walls quivered against his questing tongue, and her breathing came out in labored puffs. Placing a gentle kiss on the sensitive button, he drew himself back up her body, using his elbows as support. She blinked up at him with wide eyes. “You’re very good at that, Mr. DeMarco.”

  “You sure do know how to stroke a guy’s ego, don’t you?” he drawled.

  Diana reached between them, and her delicate fingers closed around the rigid length of him. His vision blurred, and that tingle started at the base of his spine again. He’d known it from the moment he first saw her—Diana was trouble.

  “I’m pretty sure this isn’t your ego.”

  He dropped his forehead to hers. “Jesus, Diana.”

  She pumped him again but this time brought his cock to her dewy center. Rafe hissed a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. Why did she feel so fucking good?

  Diana’s nails scored his back, and he groaned. “Fuck. Diana.” He pushed in to the hilt, and she hissed beneath him. He tried not to move, to let her get accustomed to him and breathe for a minute. But that voice in his head wouldn’t stop. Rush. Take. Brand. He withdrew by increments, and she hissed again.

  Her breathing still ragged, she slowly smiled up at him. “Yes. Rafe, please don’t stop.”

  That was all the invitation he needed. Withdrawing to the tip of his cock, he surged forward, keeping up that slow and steady tempo until she started to claw at his back. Her hips pumped against his, her velvet sheath swallowing the length of him.

  The walls of her slick lining started to convulse against him once more. He knew what was coming now. “That’s it, sweetheart, come for me.” He kissed her deep, one hand tugging at the tip of her breast. The other reached between them, his thumb finding the dew-slick button and circling it.

  Diana threw her head back, arching her back and giving him unfettered access to her breast. “Rafe!” She called his name on a breath as her body shook beneath him.

  As she rode the wave, he continued to drive into her, longing to keep her ride going as long as he could. Wishing he could stay in that bubble of bliss forever.

  “Goddamn, Diana, you are so beautiful.”

  “You make me feel beautiful.”

  Rafe canted his hips again. He needed to come. But her velvet walls still clung to him, gently milking him, still driving him insane.

  Flipping her over onto her stomach, he glided a hand down her smooth back to her perfect round ass. God, her ass was a thing of beauty. Even though she was slender, it was high and carved to fit his palms.

  He drew her limp body up onto her knees. Leaning into her, he whispered, “Hold on to the headboard.”

  She flicked him a cocked eyebrow over her shoulder, but she complied.

  “That’s a good girl. Now spread your knees for me.” When she parted her legs, he bit back a groan. That angle gave him the world’s most perfect view of her ass. Shifting behind her, he covered her body with his again. “Are you sore, baby?” As he asked, he inserted one finger in her still slick center, and she moaned.

  “A… a little.”

  But that didn’t stop her from moving her hips in time with his questing finger. When he added another finger, she sucked in a quick breath of air but then moaned as his fingers retreated.

  “Rafe, please, I just need—”

  He lined his cock up with her sweet opening and whispered as he slid home. “I know. I need you too.”

  From this angle, he knew he wouldn’t last long. As he held her hips tight and rode her, she called his name. Leaning over her as their hips locked in rhythm, he played with her breasts, relishing their sweet response to his touch. Just by hovering over the sensitive skin of the full globes, her nipples puckered, inviting him to touch, to tease, to pinch.

  He also couldn’t resist playing with her ass as he stroked her. He filled both palms with her cheeks, molding them as he filled her.

  She let her head hang between her braced shoulders as she pushed her hips back to meet his every stroke. “God, that feels, so—”

  Rafe knew the instant she started to come again. Her pussy began to milk his cock, and she threw her head back. Digging his hand into her hair, he gave her ass a quick tap. On contact, she broke apart. Her whole body shook, and he could only hold on for the ride.

  As she shattered around him, his vision started to gray at the edges. The tingle that had started in his spine felt more like someone had hooked him up to thousand-volt electrodes as he pumped inside her. So close to heaven.

  And then Diana reached back for him, digging her hands in his hair. “Yes, Rafe. I love you.”

  As blinding light exploded his vision, his whole body erupted in electric bliss.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Even after their explosive lovemaking, Diana had a hard time falling asleep. The idea of ending the standoff with her brothers kept rattling around her brain. She didn’t dare bring it up to Rafe because she knew he’d just freak out again. Not that she didn’t understand why. He loved her. And she loved him back, which was why she was more determined than ever to end this
thing.

  The next day, Diana waited until she could get Noah alone. It wasn’t easy to find an opportune moment when there were so many people coming and going in the penthouse all day.

  Good thing she was patient. She’d learned those lessons after watching Rafe for so long. The penthouse was busy as they had a business to run. But she bided her time. Despite all that was happening in her sphere, Blake Security still had other clients to keep safe. So she waited until Rafe was busy in the living room with Oskar and she saw Noah walk into his office.

  This was probably going to be her only chance, so she followed him and closed the door behind her quietly. The entire room was surrounded by glass. Damn it, why did everything have to be so open? If Rafe walked by and saw her in here, he’d want to know why. She dropped down into the chair in front of Noah’s desk and then slid down so the top of her head wasn’t visible. Noah looked up then, finally noticing her.

  “Um, hi? You know you have feet like a cat? What are you doing?”

  Diana chuckled. Despite his stern demeanor, he was actually not a bad guy. And Lord, he was funny with some of the things that would come out of his mouth. He’d been good to her, considering.

  Anyone else would have thrown out the chick who’d brought nothing but destruction and mayhem to his home, but Noah had been very welcoming.

  “Trying to make sure that Rafe doesn’t see me.”

  Noah glanced around warily. “And why don’t you want Rafe to see you?”

  “Because he’s not going to like that I’m here. Or that I’m about to ask you to do something that he’s against.”

  Noah rubbed his chin. “If he’s against it, then I’m probably not going to like this either.”

  Ever since she’d found out about Oskar’s plan, Diana knew that they had to make it happen. It was the only way to end things.

  “I want to help draw my brothers out of hiding. They’re too smart to fall for just anything, and even though we can wait for them to get sloppy, I don’t want to wait that long. There’s way too much chaos they could cause in the meantime. The only thing they want as much as the Jewel of the Sea is me. They don’t like that I’m here because I have too much information that can be used against them. If they think they can recapture me, they’ll try it.”

  “You’re right. Rafe isn’t going to like this. And neither do I.” Noah’s face was like stone as he watched her.

  Diana looked away from his penetrating gaze. He saw too much, just like his wife. But she had to convince him this was the best way to end this nightmare because she wasn’t sure how much longer she could live like this. She put a hand gently over her abdomen. Knowing that she had a little life growing in there only strengthened her resolve.

  Her child deserved to be safe and have both parents around. If anything ever happened to Rafe because he was trying to protect her, she didn’t know what she’d do. She could see it as clear as Noah sitting in front of her. If they didn’t end this soon, Rafe would get hurt.

  “I know you don’t like it, but I think you’ll help me anyway.”

  “Why is that? You’re perfect for him, by the way. Only Rafe would find a woman who was just as relentless as he is.”

  Diana smiled at the comparison. “Relentless is how things get done. This is the only way that we can control things. I’d rather take a risk when we’ve planned for it, than to have my brothers come for me. If we’re surprised, things won’t end so well for us. What if Rafe gets hurt?” She closed her eyes and then used her trump card. “What if Lucia gets hurt? Or, God forbid, the baby. I can’t live with myself if this goes badly and someone else pays the price. Can you?”

  Noah’s fingers tightened around the pen in his hand. “What exactly do you propose we do? Because as much as I want to end this, throwing an innocent woman to the wolves isn’t something I’m willing to do.”

  She gave him a fierce smile. “First you should know I’m not that innocent. And they might be wolves, but I am meaner and will fight dirty. I have a family to protect now. If I pose as bait, they’ll come for me. I’m sure of it. I can lead my brothers back to the loft. If we’re ready for it, we can make sure no one gets caught in the crossfire.”

  Noah’s eyes were intense as he listened, but she was happy to see that he did seem to be listening. He nodded along as she made her points and then thrust his hands through his hair.

  “I don’t like this at all, but I can’t disagree with you. This is probably our best chance of keeping things contained. It’s still a risk though. Your brothers are unpredictable at this point. What if they don’t want to come back here and instead try to take you somewhere else? What if they want to fly you out of the country?”

  Those were the same concerns that Diana had, but she couldn’t show any weakness or Noah would call off the whole thing.

  “I acknowledge the risks, but we can plan for all those scenarios. Which is infinitely better than sitting here and waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  He watched her for a long time and then nodded once. Diana felt like she’d just gotten a royal seal of approval. They still had a lot of work to do, but this was a start.

  “When should we do it?” she asked.

  “The sooner the better. I’ll get the guys to come up with a plan, and then we’ll hopefully be ready to go within a day or two.”

  “Good. The sooner we get this over with the better.” Not just because she wanted it to be over but because it was going to be really difficult to keep Rafe from finding out.

  As if he’d read her mind, Noah sent her a frustrated look. “I only hope he doesn’t take me out once and for all after this is done.”

  Rafe grinned at his niece as she crammed one of his fingers into her mouth. The grin quickly faded when the little scamp bit him. “No, Izzy. No biting Uncle Rafe.”

  Isabella scrunched up her face but seemed to calm down when she realized he wasn’t taking his finger away,

  “I can’t believe how strong she is,” he muttered when she clung possessively to his finger.

  “Apparently, that’s what’s supposed to happen. Hope she didn’t get you too bad.”

  “Nah, I’m tough. She’s my niece, so I’m going to give her whatever she wants. Besides it was only my finger.”

  “Yeah well, in my world it’s a nipple. Now that hurts.”

  Rafe would rather not think about his sister’s nipples. He suppressed a shudder and turned his gaze back to the chubby baby in his lap with the big gray eyes and dark curls. Jesus, she was cute. He still couldn’t believe Lucia was a mother.

  From the moment Lucia had come into the world, he’d been her protector and her biggest fan. Being ten years older than her had been strange. He’d never felt the usual competitiveness or annoyance that his friends felt with their siblings. She’d always seemed like she was so vulnerable, and he’d taken his role as big brother seriously. His father had drilled it into his head that it was his responsibility to watch over his sister, and he’d only renewed that vow after the death of their parents.

  “I am so proud of you, Lulu. You’re an amazing mom.”

  Lucia looked stunned at his words. Her lips trembled slightly. “You’re going to make me cry. Not that it takes much these days. Everything causes the waterworks since I had Isabella.”

  “I figured that when I caught you crying over that cupcake the other day.”

  She laughed softly. “Well, it was a really good cupcake.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I’m serious though. For so long I didn’t think this kind of happiness was in the cards for either of us. I didn’t care so much about me, but it seemed so unfair for you to be punished for my sins.”

  Lucia put her hand over his. “Those days are over. Things are different now. I had no idea this kind of happiness was even real, but Noah has shown me that a forever love is possible. I want that for you too, and I’m so glad you’ve found Diana.”

  Rafe’s instincts were to deny it. History had made him wary of claiming
good things for fear that they’d be taken away. But Lucia was right; things were different now. And he wanted to tell everyone that Diana was his.

  “I’m glad I found Diana too. When I think about how easily I could have missed meeting her, it scares the hell out of me.”

  “Fate had other plans for you, big brother. Just don’t screw it up.”

  “Got it. Any other advice for me?”

  “Nope. That’s it. But don’t worry, I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”

  Rafe chuckled. He had no doubt she would. Hopefully she’d have a long life of telling him and Noah what to do.

  “That reminds me that I should go check on her. I don’t want her to feel like I’ve abandoned her to those crazies out there.”

  Lucia smacked his arm playfully. “They’re our crazies, and we love them. They’re part of the family now.”

  Rafe thought of the assorted group of men that had become like family over the past year and a half. He’d never admit it out loud, but she was right. He’d do anything for those guys out there because they’d already proven their loyalty. He stood up and kissed the top of Isabella’s head before handing her over reluctantly.

  “You need anything?”

  “No. Oh wait, ice cream. Yes. I need ice cream. And a glass of orange juice. I know it’s weird, but it’s something I started doing when I was pregnant.”

  Rafe wrinkled his nose. “You want to drink orange juice while eating ice cream… You know what? Never mind.”

  He walked toward the kitchen, shaking his head. After getting her items, he’d leave her to eat without an audience. It would turn his stomach to see milk products and orange juice being consumed at the same time. But then again, he’d better get used to the weird combinations now that Diana was pregnant.

  The living room was empty, so before going to the kitchen, he stuck his head in his room. Empty.

  Oskar was in the kitchen, drinking from a bottle of water. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Nothing. Just getting some stuff for Lucia. Have you seen Diana? I haven’t seen her all afternoon.”