Buttons and Blame

by Penelope Sky

  So I bailed.

  I was taking time off to show Adelina around, so I needed to work longer days when I was at the base. But I didn’t end up working longer hours to catch up. So my work was starting to pile up on me, slowly drowning me. If Crow figured it out, he’d be pissed.

  Who was I kidding? If? When. When Crow figured it out.

  I pulled up to the house and walked through the front door, expecting to see Adelina watching TV or cooking in the kitchen. She wasn’t in either place. I investigated the house but didn’t find her in any of the bedrooms.

  For a brief moment, I panicked. “Bellissima?” I walked back into the living room and glanced out into the backyard.

  There she was. She was lying in one of the lounge chairs in her bikini. Her top was gone, and her perfect tits were exposed to the sunlight. She wore a large sun hat, and a book was sitting in her lap. A glass of wine was on the table beside her.

  She looked like she was having a good day.

  If I’d known she was sprawled out like this on the lounge chair while I was at work all day, I wouldn’t have gotten a single thing done. I stepped onto the back patio, and she stirred when she realized I was home. She sat up and tilted her head back so she could look at me from under her sun hat.

  I placed my hands in my pockets as I stared down at her, my eyes focusing on her tits more than her gaze.

  “Hey.” She placed a bookmark between the pages and shut the book.

  “Hey.” Her skin was golden brown, kissed by the powerful rays of the sun. She was getting excellent color, her already olive skin turning darker. Her skin was probably covered with sun block or tanning lotion, and I wouldn’t mind tasting it as I dragged my tongue across her body.

  We stared at each other for a while, the moment tense but not awkward.

  She seemed to have remembered her top was down because she grabbed the straps and prepared to tie them around her neck.

  “Leave them.”

  She flinched before she dropped the black straps of her bikini top. They fell down her tummy, leaving her tits exposed to the sunlight—and my eyesight.

  I spotted the large bottle of sun block on the table, and a dirty idea popped into my mind. I grabbed the folded towel on the table and dropped it on the concrete. “Get on your knees.”

  She eyed the towel, unsure what I wanted her to do.

  I undid my belt and loosened my jeans. “On your knees. Don’t make me ask you again.” I dropped my jeans until they fell around my ankles. I kicked them away along with my shoes. I was in too much of a hurry to remove my socks, so I left them on.

  She moved to the towel beside the chair, placing her knees on the pad so she would be cushioned from the concrete.

  I took a seat on the lounge chair she’d just vacated and opened my knees so she was right between them. My hard dick was against my stomach, slightly tilted to the side and anxious for her. I grabbed the bottle of sunscreen and squirted a huge puddle into my palm.

  She watched me through her thick sunglasses and her sun hat, looking like a beach babe who smelled like summer. She eyed my palms as I rubbed them together, spreading the lotion before I grabbed her tits with both hands. I smeared her tits with the thick cream, spreading it everywhere and lubricating the area between her tits. Her olive skin faded away as her chest turned white, and the overwhelming scent of sunscreen filled my nose. I thought of sand between my toes, the sound of the crashing waves, and making love to this woman right on the beach. I massaged her tits before I placed my dick right in her cleavage line, enclosed in the warmth of her skin. I slowly slid through the lotion as I squeezed her tits around my length. It felt so good, so soft.

  My mouth moved to hers, and I immediately kissed her with my tongue. I breathed hard into her mouth, our lips moving together with aggression. I’d been thinking about her all day, and now that I was touching her, I could tell she’d been thinking about me too. She moved up and down with her knees, sliding my length through her beautiful titties.

  Fuck, it felt nice.

  Her hand moved to my balls as they dangled over the chair, and she massaged them with her fingertips so she didn’t interrupt her pace.

  So fucking good.

  I tilted my face so I could access more of her mouth. I kissed her harder the more she pleased me, my mind locked on sex. My cock pushed through her firm tits. They didn’t feel as good as her pussy, but they were still pretty damn incredible. She had a woman’s chest, voluptuous and curvy. I could fuck her tits all day.

  Her lips quivered against my mouth as she took a deep breath, enjoying this as much as I was. I imagined her pussy was dripping for me, wanting me to be buried deep inside her to stretch her the way she loved.

  We would get to that.

  She massaged my balls a little harder, her fingertips hitting my nerves in the perfect way. Her chest moved up and down, and we worked together to slather my cock with her wet tits.

  I wanted to come all over her. I wanted to see those white globs all over her chest and neck. When I was at work, doing this didn’t cross my mind. But now that we were moving together, I wondered why we hadn’t already done this.

  “Bellissima…” I squeezed her tits harder and slowed her pace, knowing I was about to erupt. My cock was thickening, and my balls were tightening. I couldn’t kiss her anymore because my mind was focused on one thing.

  I came with a groan, splashing all over her tits and underneath her chin. I got her everywhere, hitting her like a target. The squirts continued, the trajectory losing momentum every single time. When I was finished, I kept sliding through her cleavage, the scent of sunscreen and come mixed together.

  Man, that felt good.

  “Your tits are beautiful…” I kissed the corner of her mouth, out of breath with my satisfaction. She pleased me like no other woman ever had. She had the sexiest expression during sex, like she was trying not to come the entire time. Her kiss was always full of passion, as if she couldn’t get enough of me even though I was already giving her everything I had.

  “Your cock is beautiful.” She wore a playful smile, another thing I loved about her.

  I smiled back. “Thank you. No one has ever said that to me before.”

  “But I’m sure they thought it.”

  My cock was covered in sunscreen so I knew I couldn’t fuck her, but I definitely wouldn’t leave her hanging. This woman only had a few days left until her life ended. She had to make every day count. And I intended to give her an orgasm every single day—several, actually.

  I rose from the chair as my cock continued to soften. “Sit.”

  She moved to the lounge chair where I’d been just a moment ago.

  I dropped my knees to the towel, getting in the exact position as she was just seconds before. I scooted her hips to the edge and wrapped her legs over my shoulders. Then I leaned down and pressed my mouth to her opening, my tongue doing everything that she liked.

  It didn’t take her long to come, and of course, she yelled my name as she did.

  Music to my ears.

  6

  Cane

  I pulled up to the winery and headed into Crow’s office. I had a pile of paperwork for him to sign, and faxing or sending delicate information over the internet was a stupid idea. I ignored his assistant and walked inside.

  Crow didn’t seem like he was doing anything anyway. The back of his chair was to the door as he looked out the large window directly behind his desk. His phone was in his hand, but he wasn’t using it. He propped his chin on his fingertips and stared outside blankly.

  “When are you not moody?” I dropped into the chair facing his desk and slid the folder across the mahogany wood. “Every time I see you, you’re staring out the window like a lost puppy waiting for his master to come home.”

  Crow didn’t turn around. “My wife is outside picking grapes. I enjoy watching her.”

  “She is?” I walked around his desk and followed his gaze. Adelina was out there with her. They both h
ad baskets as they moved through the rows and picked the thick purple grapes from the leaves. Sweat coated their foreheads, but they smiled as they carried on a conversation.

  Now I understood Crow’s fascination. It really was entertaining. I liked the way Adelina’s top hugged her body. It was tight against her tits, the ones I’d just fucked the other day. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore black jeans that were covered with dust from the earth. Adelina had a great form, and I enjoyed watching her move. “I see what you mean.”

  “Adelina enjoys spending her days here. I can tell.” Crow’s fingertips rested over his mouth. “And I can tell Pearl enjoys having her around. She wants someone to talk to besides me.”

  “No surprise there.”

  He shot me a quick look of menace. “What do you want, Cane?”

  “Work bullshit.” I walked back to the chair facing his desk. “Just need you to sign a few things.”

  He opened the folder and looked through the papers, always checking everything before he signed anything, and then pushed the folder back toward me. “We’re finished here.”

  “Was that your asshole way of excusing me?”

  “No. If I were excusing you, I would just tell you to get out. That brings me to my next point…get out.”

  I purposely stayed in the chair just to be a smartass.

  Crow didn’t seem surprised, as if he was expecting the reaction. “What’s going on at the base?”

  “Same old shit. You know the drill.”

  “Any new clients since we released our new line?”

  “Not yet. But it’s not like our prices are reasonable.”

  “If they want the best, they have to pay for it. Heard anything about Rome?”

  “No, still seems fairly quiet. But it’s only a matter of time before our next competitor takes Bones’s place.”

  “I wonder who it’s going to be.”

  “It could be us,” I suggested.

  “We’ve had competition before, and it’s never affected us.”

  I’d always be ambitious, wanting to move to the next level. Crow had his own business, so that probably explained why he didn’t necessarily crave more. His vineyards produced some of the best wines in all of Italy. A single bottle was worth several hundred dollars. But I didn’t know shit about anything besides weapons, so my business opportunities were limited. “But now that Bones is gone, why don’t we take his place? Why don’t we become the number one business in the world?”

  When Crow realized I was being serious, he looked at me with his typically dark gaze. “Do you understand how much work that would be?”

  “Yeah. So what?” I’d need a distraction once Adelina was gone.

  “And how much work it would take to maintain the position? Other men are going to want what we have. We’d constantly have to fight their opposition to maintain order. Right now, we’re an independent business with a respectable reputation. Bones didn’t even try to overrun us because there was enough work for everyone. But if we do this…we’re asking for trouble.”

  “And you aren’t cut out for trouble?” My brother had never been scared of anything. I’d seen him play Russian roulette and pull the trigger every time. He hardly blinked, barely took a breath during the entire round. When one of the men blew his brains out, Crow poured himself a drink like it never happened at all.

  “Not anymore. You know that.”

  “Because of her?” I nodded out the window.

  “Yes,” he said coldly. “Her. She’s going to want to have children soon.”

  “She said that?”

  “Not exactly. But I know it’s on her mind.”

  “And you want to have kids?” I couldn’t picture Crow as a father.

  He shrugged. “I haven’t given it much thought, honestly. Having a family was never something I wanted. But then again, I never wanted to be married…and look where I ended up.” A slight smile tugged at his lips. “Whether we have kids or not, I’m not interested in getting deeper into the criminal lifestyle. I’m not always going to be around, Cane.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” He was as strong as an ox. Nothing could take him down.

  “One day, I’m going to retire from the business. It might be sooner than you think.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Crow gave a nod.

  “Why the hell would you do that?”

  “I already told you why.” He nodded out the window again.

  “Then what are you going to do all day?” I asked incredulously.

  “Run my winery. Become an honest man.”

  “Our blood money paid for this place,” I reminded him.

  “And this place cleaned all that money,” he countered. “If you ever settle down someday, you’ll understand.”

  Adelina popped into my mind, and not an image of her tits and her ass. I pictured her lying on my lap as we watched TV on the couch. The blanket was pulled to her shoulders, and her hair stretched across the cushion. Her eyes were growing heavy from fatigue, and I’d have to carry her to bed. I shook the thought away and continued to stare at my brother. “If you’re going to leave anyway, then perhaps I should move forward.”

  “It’s way too dangerous, Cane. Don’t you have enough money?”

  “I could always use more.”

  “Money isn’t everything, and you know that.”

  “But it means a lot—and you know that.”

  He eyed me across the desk, his gaze calculating. “For the amount of risk you’ll be taking, it’s not worth the reward. Keep what you have. Save lives and time.”

  As much as I wanted to move forward, doing it without Crow would make it very difficult. He was the brains and the muscle behind our business, as I was. People feared us since there were two of us—not just one. We were the Barsetti brothers, and people didn’t fuck with us.

  “Think about—seriously.” He opened his laptop and touched the trackpad with his fingertips. “If we’re done with the girl talk, I have stuff to do.”

  “Fine.” I rose from the chair and excused myself. “I’m gonna kiss my lady and be on my way.”

  Crow narrowed his eyes on my face, his expression full of accusation.

  I realized what I’d said when it was too late. I shrugged it off like it was intentional and didn’t mean anything. “See you around.” I shut the door behind me and instantly dropped my easygoing expression.

  It was a stupid thing to say—and I knew it.

  I was in my office examining a new weapon when Bran walked inside. I felt the sleek material of the metal, checked the empty barrel, and then tested the center of gravity as I held it in my fingertips. Having a weapon that was powerful was just as important as handling. A gun needed to be light and easy to adjust during difficult times.

  It could save your life.

  “What’s up?” I asked Bran without looking at him.

  “I’ve heard rumors from Rome.”

  Now the gun no longer had my attention. I laid the pistol on my desk as I gave him my full attention. “What have you heard?”

  “My friend in the city said there’s been stuff going on at Bones’s old compound. One of his henchmen tried to take over, but…they were cleaned out.”

  “Cleaned out?”

  “Yeah…slaughtered. They didn’t even use guns, only knives.”

  That specific detail painted a vivid picture in my head. Only one group of mercenaries preferred blades over guns. They liked to kill silently, in the dark where they couldn’t be seen. No one would even realize the carnage until everyone was dead. “What else did you hear?”

  “Nothing else. That’s it.”

  Just that afternoon, I’d spoken to my brother about escalating the business, but if these enemies were who I thought they were, the idea wouldn’t pan out. They were a formidable enemy. The only reason I knew that was because I used to be one of them.

  The Skull Kings.

  I wasn’t thrilled about seeing my brother
twice in a single day—but I was having shitty luck. I arrived at his house and let myself inside. Lars flashed me a look of annoyance, not appreciating the way I barged inside like I lived there.

  “Is the doorbell out of service, Mr. Barsetti?” Lars approached me in his tux, standing upright so rigidly his back was straighter than a board. A black bow tie was perfectly tied around his neck, contrasting against the pearl color of his collared shirt. I’d never seen Lars in regular clothes before. Did he sleep like that?

  “No.”

  “Then why didn’t you ring it?”

  “Because I need to talk to my brother. It’s important.”

  “Either way, we’d have to have this conversation, so it didn’t save you any time.” He approached the stairs. “I’ll let His Grace know you’re here. Would you like to wait in the dining room?”

  Crow and I usually spoke in private in his office, so there was no point in getting comfortable. “I’ll wait here.”

  “Very well.” Lars walked up to the third floor and was gone for nearly ten minutes before he returned.

  I should have just called Crow. He probably wouldn’t have answered anyway. When he was home after five, I usually couldn’t get a hold of him. Now that I had a woman at home with me, I understood.

  Lars returned. “He’ll meet you in his study. Can I prepare anything for you?”

  “I’ll just have some scotch.” I headed up the stairs.

  “Of course, Mr. Barsetti.”

  I moved to the third floor and got comfortable in his office. Vanessa’s paintings were on the wall because Crow never moved them. He was proud of her artwork even when she was still alive. I stared at the buttons on the canvas for a long time, and I wondered if her artwork had anything to do with his wife’s affectionate nickname.

  Crow joined me ten minutes later, when I was on my second drink. “What?”’

  “Hi.”

  He sat on the couch across from me, clearly pissed that I was bothering him in the evening when he was obviously in bed with his wife. His hair was messy, and not because he just got out of the shower. Pearl had been running her fingers through it no doubt. “What?” he repeated.