by Zoey Parker
She wanted him. She couldn't believe it—she'd never felt this way about a man so soon after meeting him. In fact, she couldn't remember ever feeling this way about a man at all. She'd had a few crushes in high school, and she'd lost her virginity during a casual fling when she was seventeen, before Benny and Gracie had started to act more like jailers than parents.
But this was so different. It was like someone had switched on a lamp deep inside of her, and she felt its light shining through every part of herself.
“And by the way, what's with all the 'gosh' and 'golly' stuff?” Leo continued. “I don't think I've heard you swear once this whole evening, even when the bullets were flying.”
“My parents wouldn't let me swear either,” she said. “They said no one would want to marry a trash-mouth.”
“Well, again, I don't see your mom and dad in here with us, and I certainly don't mind, so feel free to curse a blue streak. As a matter of fact, I want to hear you do it.”
Stef opened her eyes and craned her neck, looking up at Leo. She could feel herself blushing. “What do you want me to say?”
“I guess we should start with the basics, right? So say 'fuck.'”
Stef parted her lips slowly, forming the word for the first time in her life. “Fuck.”
Leo smiled, leaning in more closely. “Again.”
She took a breath and let it out along with the word, drawing it out. “Fffffffffffuck.”
He was even closer now, his breath tickling her skin tantalizingly. There was a naughty gleam in his eye, and his lips were inches from her ear. “Say it like you mean it.”
Stef found herself lifting her face toward his, until their lips were almost touching. She could see that he wanted her, and she knew he could see it in her eyes too. Just a simple push forward, that's all it would take for her mouth to be on his...
“Fuck,” she breathed, and in that moment it was a wish, a prayer, an invitation.
His fingers gently traced a line down the side of her face, and a moment later they were kissing, their tongues exploring each other. She lifted her arms, wrapping them around his body and pulling him down to her. He lowered himself to his knees next to her chair, one hand on the back of her neck as the other slid down to her left breast. She felt her nipple harden as he reached down, pushing her dress and bra aside to expose it.
Leo pulled his lips away from hers and began to kiss the side of her neck, working his way down to her chest. He took her nipple between his teeth tenderly, flicking his tongue against it until her breath came in sharp gasps. She put a hand on the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair.
“Do you like that?” he murmured. His breath was warm against her breast, and she felt herself getting wet.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I love it.”
“Let's see how much,” he teased, putting his other hand between her thighs. Her legs pulled together reflexively for a second—she still couldn't believe she was doing this with someone she'd only met a couple of hours ago—but she willed herself to relax, opening them for him. His fingertips tickled her delicate skin, tracing dizzying patterns all the way up to her panties. He pushed past the edge of her panties, stroking the lips of her pussy until she felt like she might faint from ecstasy.
“You're really soaking down there,” he said, taunting her. His finger pressed deeper, sliding inside of her. She bit her lip, whimpering softly and sliding down in her chair.
“Do you want me to fuck you, Stefania?” Leo asked, looking up at her. His eyes were like the night sky, dark and deep and starry.
She nodded, breathing hard.
“Then say it.”
Stef took a deep breath. She'd never said it in her life, but she'd never wanted anything so badly in her life, either. “I want you to fuck me.”
“Again.”
Her entire body felt like it was covered in goosebumps. “I want you to fuck me, Leo. Please, I need it, please...”
His powerful arms were wrapped around her body before she knew it, lifting her out of the chair and lowering her to the floor on her back. His hands pushed her dress up, sliding her panties down her legs. She sat up and reached for his belt, undoing it and lowering the zipper below it. Her fingers disappeared into his pants, finding his warm, hard cock and releasing it. She loved the way it felt in her hands—throbbing with desire for her.
He pushed her down again and she surrendered, feeling the hard floor under her back. She spread her legs, her pussy exposed and waiting for him.
Leo positioned himself over her, using one hand to brace himself and the other to cradle the back of her neck. He kissed her again, and then he was inside her, so fiercely and suddenly that she cried out. Her lack of experience had kept her tight, and she could feel every inch of him as he plunged into her, until it felt like it would tear her apart.
It hurt sharply, but Stef held onto him even tighter. She couldn't bear the idea of him pulling out of her. She wanted him to open her up, to mold and re-shape her until she fit him perfectly.
“Is this what you want, baby?” Leo challenged, his eyes blazing into hers.
“Fuck me,” she hissed, digging her fingernails into his back. The words spilled from her mouth uncontrollably, until they sounded like they were coming from someone else. “Fuck me, fuck me, oh God, harder, please, harder, don't stop...”
Leo thrust into her violently, the shaft of his cock rubbing against her clit as the tip prodded her cervix insistently. The pleasure and pain mingled into something thunderous and indescribable, and she felt the friction from the rug burning her back.
Over and over, he entered her and she met him stroke for stroke. Their moans overlapped, building to a furious crescendo, a divine symphony of lust.
“You feel so good,” Leo purred into her ear. “I'm going to come.”
“Do it,” she begged. “I want to feel it.”
Leo gushed inside her, filling her up. Seconds later, she climaxed with a loud cry, her pussy twitching and tightening around his cock as she wrapped her legs around him.
There were tears in her eyes, and the muscles in her body ached and spasmed—but she'd never felt happier.
Chapter 11
Bax
A few moments after Bax withdrew from Stef and collapsed on the floor next to her, his cell phone blipped. He groaned, pulling himself up again. “Well, that was some perfect timing, huh?”
He checked the screen, and saw the text from Mule: “They're here.”
“Looks like we'd better pull ourselves together and head down there,” he said. Stef nodded briskly, reaching for her panties and pulling them back on.
As Bax buckled his belt and zipped up his pants, he found himself trapped in the moment of crystalline clarity and reason that most men experienced in the ten or fifteen seconds immediately following an orgasm. He'd assured Tommy that he wouldn't fall back into his old habits and endanger the con by fucking this girl, so why had he?
He tried to tell himself that it was no big deal—it was a familiar weakness of his, he'd indulged it many times before even when he shouldn't have, and most of the time, he'd managed to get away unscathed.
Well, maybe not “most of the time.” But at least half, right? Maybe even a little more?
Still, it irked him. He'd gone into this scam genuinely determined not to let his libido put him at risk. These weren't just clueless tourists or blustering businessmen they were targeting here—they were dangerous gangsters, and the punishment for blowing this score would be severe. So what made Stef so disarming that he'd succumbed to his lust almost instantly?
For starters, he had to admit that she was astonishingly beautiful. Her dark hair, her brown doe eyes, her swan-like neck and delicate frame. He'd expected her to be charmed and impressed by him during the date and the “rescue” from the Devils—that was part of the con, after all—but he hadn't expected to be so damn captivated by the sincerity and desire in her eyes when she looked at him.
Stef smiled
at him as she fixed her dress. “You're staring.”
“Sorry about that,” Bax said, returning her smile. “It's hard not to.”
“I, um, hope I wasn't too forward tonight. I mean, I never do this kind of thing, you know? Seriously, never. I don't know what came over me.”
“Adrenaline's a funny thing sometimes,” he reassured her. “No need to overthink it.”
“And earlier tonight, you said you were already distracted...”
“I guess you distracted me from my distraction,” he replied smoothly, giving her a quick kiss. The feeling of her soft lips against his was tantalizing, and he wanted to linger, but he forced himself to pull back instead. It was better to leave her wanting more. “Come on, let's go down there before they start to worry about us. Everyone's probably already on edge.”
As they left the room and headed for the elevator, she asked, “So what is going on with your father?”
“It's complicated,” Bax said, hitting the button for the lobby. “And I'm not really supposed to go around talking about it.”
“I'm not really 'supposed' to go jumping into bed with men I just met, either,” Stef prodded with a grin.
“I don't remember a bed being involved, but you've got a point. Tell you what—I'll give you the whole story next time we see each other. Sound good?”
“And when's that going to be?” she asked as the elevator doors opened.
Before Bax could answer, a cadre of six stone-faced gangsters came forward to greet them, led by Silvio.
“He's still got you running around tonight?” Bax asked Silvio. “Jesus, I figured after everything you've been through, you'd be sitting somewhere quiet and nursing a drink or three by now.”
“Nothing is more important than ensuring that Stefania is delivered to her father safely,” Silvio rasped. “Don Altamura wants me to thank you again for your quick thinking earlier, and for protecting his most prized possession.”
Bax felt Stef stiffen next to him at being called a “possession.” He couldn't blame her. It reminded him of something from his own life, but he couldn't quite place it.
“Come along, Stefania,” Silvio said, taking her by the arm gently. “It's time to go home.”
As Silvio led her away, Stef called to Bax over her shoulder. “Even with everything that happened, I still feel like I should thank you for a lovely evening, ha!”
Bax smiled. For a pampered rich girl, she sure had some balls on her.
“Likewise, I'm sure,” he called back.
Once Stef and the gangsters were gone, Bax turned to Mule, who stood near the check-in desk. “So! All in all, I'd say things are going well so far. I guess we should go to The Lucky Hand and meet up with the guys, huh?”
Mule raised his eyebrows and followed Bax out the door.
Chapter 12
Skull
Skull's forehead ached furiously where the paintball had hit it, and the streaks of red dye were already stiffening and cracking on his face. But he was so filled with glee that he didn't care. He hopped up onto the bar at The Lucky Hand, pantomiming a shotgun and bellowing theatrically.
“It's time for some motherfucking payback, you worthless dago bitches! We're here for the girl, and you can't stop us! Eat buckshot! Blam! Blam!”
The room erupted with laughter except for Chillie Millie, who stoically poured out shots of whiskey for herself and the others.
“How about Bax, huh?” Panda chortled, holding his sides. “The others are all cowering behind the car, and he's just standing tall like a badass, killing guys with each shot like he's fuckin' Dirty Harry or some shit.”
“My favorite part was Ash's Oscar-winning performance,” Bumper snorted. He clutched his chest dramatically, shrieking in a panicked falsetto. “'Oh, no! You wasted Skull! You scoundrels! You dirty rats!'”
“'They're just too much for us, guys!'” Ash chimed in merrily. “'We've gotta get out of here!'” He mimed hiking up a skirt and mincing away quickly, and several others followed suit.
Skull laughed so hard he fell off the bar, tears streaming down his cheeks as they turned purple. “Stop it,” he wheezed, slapping his knee. “I can't breathe!”
“Hey, how about that Mule, huh?” Bumper said. “Can you believe he switched out Silvio's gun without being noticed? Man, how does a guy that big have such fast hands?”
“Speaking of which,” David pointed out, “shouldn't he and Bax have made it back here by now?”
“Relax, they'll be here,” Tommy assured him. “Bax is probably buying himself a drink at every bar in the French Quarter, patting himself on the back.”
“He goddamn deserves it,” Skull said. He turned to Harry, touching his forehead and wincing. “Dude, those paint rounds sting like a sonuvabitch! You couldn't have made them any softer?”
“They were still fired out of a damn Desert Eagle,” Harry replied, rolling his eyes. “What, did you expect them to feel like dandelion puffs? I thought you bikers were supposed to be tough. You're just lucky Bax is such a crack shot, or you could've lost an eye.”
The door opened and Bax walked in with Mule. Everyone in the bar applauded, and Skull put two fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly.
“You're finally here,” Tommy exclaimed, getting up from his seat and bringing shots of whiskey to the two men. “What took you guys so long?”
Before Bax could open his mouth, Mule answered. “He fucked her.”
The room fell silent immediately.
“Hey, what the hell is that?” Bax sputtered, sounding annoyed. “Come on, don't say shit like that. How did you...I mean...why the hell would you think that, anyway? That's...”
Mule looked at Bax darkly.
“Bax, that ain't true, is it?” Skull asked. His heart felt like it was dropping down an elevator shaft. They'd gone over the plan carefully, and this wasn't part of it. No, it sounded a lot like the kind of reckless stuff that Bax had gotten up to when they were still a couple of silly kids.
The stuff that generally got them into deep trouble.
“Of course it's not true,” Bax said. “Hey, just because I was alone with her for an hour, you think I can't control myself? You honestly believe I'd jeopardize this whole operation like that, just for a quick screw?”
David shut his eyes tightly, rubbing his temples. “Jesus Christ, Bax.”
Tommy leaned in close to Bax and sniffed twice. His eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth quivered with rage. “Holy shit. You did. You actually fucked her, you testa di cazzo, you stupid, selfish motherfucking stronzo—”
“Hey, hey, careful!” Bax protested. “I actually know what those words mean now, you know.”
Tommy kicked a chair, sending it flying across the room. “Goddamn it, Bax, can't you take anything seriously? What did I say to you, huh? What were my exact fucking words? Do not fuck this girl. Not this one. We've got millions of dollars on the line, and you're pissing it away just so you can get your balls drained!”
“You've really got to work on your mixed metaphors, there, Tommy,” Bax said. “Am I pissing, or am I draining my balls? I can't be doing both.”
“I should have known better,” Harry growled, slamming a fist on the bar. “I should have walked away from this the moment I saw it was you, because you always fucking do this. No matter what the score is or how many other people are involved, you always find some way to make it about you. But no, I got greedy and fell for your horseshit all over again...”
“Men,” Millie sighed bitterly. She poured herself a double shot of whiskey, draining it in one gulp.
“And you!” Tommy barked, jamming an accusing finger in Mule's face. “You were supposed to be keeping an eye on things. Why the hell would you leave him alone with her for an hour?”
“Couldn't exactly say anything, could I?” Mule asked.
“Guys, there's no need for any of this drama,” Bax insisted. “Okay, fine, I got caught up in the moment and went a little off-book. So what? Nothing has changed. The pla
n is still solid. If anything, it's even more solid now because she actually likes me.”
“This don't feel solid to me, Bax,” Skull said sadly. He knew big, tough bikers weren't supposed to have hurt feelings, but damn it, he had them just the same. “This feels bad. Like we can't rely on you to stick to the blueprint, so we'll all be sitting on one ass cheek waiting to hear about the next decision you made without telling us.”
Bax looked hurt. “How can you stand there and say you can't rely on me, Skull? Haven't we known each other since we were in second grade? Didn't I come running the minute you said you needed my help? Didn't I come up with a plan to get ten times your money back for you?”
