by Anise Storm
Chapter 9
SO, SHE KNEW ABOUT his restaurant after all. As he drove the short distance back to her condo, Mario wondered whether that was the reason for her recent attitude toward him. It was then that he realized little Melania Barone had always treated him with disdain except that one, and almost second time. She was a venomous hellcat with a sharp tongue, but it was the fire she possessed that had him drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
All that passion would only add to any sex the two of them had, but unwilling to make the same mistake he did in Italy, Mario knew he couldn’t take her tonight. She was intoxicated and the next time he got her in a bed, he’d make sure she was sober so every reaction wrung from her would be an honest one. There was no way in hell that he’d allow her to use impaired judgment as a way to write off the spark between them.
After pulling into the parking lot, he looked over at his beautiful girl, sulking as she stared sullenly out the window. “Despite what you believe, I don’t plan to steal customers or anything else from you.”
She turned to him in that moment, chin stubbornly pointed up, and then spoke, “I don’t want to talk about that with you. In fact, Mario, I don’t want to talk to you at all.”
She was trying to get rid of him, and he knew it. Reaching over, he brushed his palm over her cheek and watched her shiver. Regardless of how loud or how much she protested, Mario knew Lania wanted him badly, and that desire was reciprocated two-fold on his end. She might have been trying to fool herself, but she didn’t fool him and never would. He’d been with dozens of women in the last ten years and considered himself a very good judge at reading them. This passionate female was an open book to him.
Dropping his hand, he got out of the car and walked around to her side to help her out. Mario initially went to pick her up again, when she swatted at his hands and then stood up. “I can take it from here. Goodbye, Mario.”
He chuckled. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m not leaving until you’ve reached your unit safely. What number is your condo?”
Melania was frustrated with his answer, but he would remain adamant in seeing that she made it home. The risk of her passing out in the elevator wasn’t one he was willing to take. Her father would have him strung up by his balls if Mario ever allowed anything like that to happen to his only child.
“Fine,” she spat out, only after trying to take a few steps on her own.
He chuckled under his breath and then swept her back up in his arms and carried her inside the building. “What number, baby?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes at the endearment but eventually answered him. “Twelve fourteen.”
Mario strolled over to the elevator bank and once inside the small car, hit the button for the twelfth floor. He kept her cradled in his arms, enjoying the way she fit so perfectly in them. She didn’t make it easy for him to savor the moment because she kept moving. Despite her restlessness, he wouldn’t let her down and didn’t plan to until he had her tucked safely in bed.
The door opened, and he followed the numbered units down to hers. By that time, she’d already fished her key out of her purse. He grabbed it and opened the door. He’d never been inside of her place and wasn’t sure which room was her bedroom, so he used the scented trail of her perfume to find his way. When he entered the master suite, one look at the view out of the window and he knew he was in the right place.
Mario gently laid her on top of the bed, but before he could rise up, small hands weaved around his neck, pulling him down toward her. This time, she kissed him and when her mouth first touched his, he groaned. Her lips moved tentatively at first and when his parted, he felt her tongue slide into his mouth. Melania had no idea what kind of fire she was playing with. He did, which was why he would need to put the brakes on this before his rapidly swelling erection won out over the small voice in his head.
She tasted sweet, as usual, and he didn’t need to wonder whether he would become addicted to her flavor because Mario already knew he was. It was only when he detected the faint taste of vodka that he allowed his common sense to return. Pulling away from her, he looked down at her confused face.
Something flashed in those green pupils before she turned away from him. She was great at escaping any type of moment between them and it was only because of her impaired state that he’d allow it tonight. One of these days, Melania Barone would have to face the fact that no matter how much she ran or how hard she tried to hide, there would be no getting rid of what was, and had always been, between them.
“Where are your pajamas?” he asked as she tried removing her dress on her own.
She didn’t immediately answer him until he arched a brow in her direction. “In the bottom drawer,” she told him, pointing in the direction of the largest dresser in the room.
Mario got off the bed and soon found a long T-shirt. When he walked back to her, Melania was struggling to unzip her dress. It was all twisted now, and he grinned. When she saw it, that tongue of hers darted out, and he wanted to feel it inside of his mouth again.
Against his better judgment, he set the shirt on the bed and pulled her back into his arms. This time, he was the one to kiss her and showed not a second of hesitation. Everything about her felt so natural and when he allowed her to fall back against the pillows, his body covered hers completely. The kiss deepened and his tongue explored every hidden crevice. He’d never get enough of her.
Her hands moved over his shoulders and when those perfectly manicured nails of hers dug into him, Mario wished his shirt were off so he could feel ever painful drag as she raked them down his back. She left scratches on him that night in Italy, and for days they were battle scars he wore proudly. Ripping his mouth from hers, he wanted to leave a mark of his own on her and kissed his way down her neck. His tongue laved over the racing pulse point in her neck and then he bit down, causing her body to arch upward.
Her breasts slipped out from the top of her dress and hard pebbled nipples beckoned him like a beacon. Using the last ounce of willpower he possessed, Mario finally rose up off her instead of taking one of them into his mouth. The reason he didn’t was because he knew he’d never be able to stop if he did.
“Let’s get you undressed, Melania,” he told her while turning her onto her side. He found the zipper and lowered it so he could pull her dress off. She’d gone without a bra, opting to only wear a simple black thong beneath it.
She rolled over onto her front, and he watched her body as it went still. She’d fallen asleep, and he looked skyward, mouthing, “Thank fuck.” There was no way he’d ever take an unconscious woman. Hoping that her resting state would cause his erection to go limp, it only grew harder the longer he looked at her ass. Unable to resist, his hands moved to them, and he gently spread them apart, immediately seeing the black lace of her panties between them.
Mario didn’t see how women could stand to wear those damn things, but he wouldn’t complain about it when they did. He knew how uncomfortable one would have to be and began to remove it from her. That proved to be a mistake because when he lifted her so he could slide it off, he was afforded a perfect glimpse at her pussy, glistening with the dampness of her arousal.
“Fuck,” he cursed. Fate was tempting him at the moment. He’d never proclaimed to be a saint, but at the same time he never considered himself to be the devil either. The thoughts currently running through his head said otherwise. Instead of covering her up and leaving her to rest peacefully, he found his hands on her once again, this time spreading her cheeks back apart. He wanted to run his hands, tongue, and then his cock through the wet slit. Maybe afterward he’d even take her in the ass.
His thumb brushed over her puckered entrance, and he briefly wondered how snug it would be. Memories from that night in the pool returned, especially the ones where he had to fight his way inside with each hard inch of his shaft. She’d felt incredible and thinking about taking her somewhere that would be even tighter had his dick swelling more. It was alread
y pressing painfully against his zipper and unless he intended to have permanent marks from it on his cock, Mario had to get the hell out of there.
Quickly removing the dress, he threw the sheet on top of her and walked toward the door. When his hand was on the handle, a low moan sounded from the bed. Mario knew he shouldn’t have turned around, but in the off chance that she was in any discomfort, he did and swore.
Melania had kicked off the sheet, turned onto her back, and had her legs spread apart. Her hand was between them, and he watched as she pleasured herself. Mario needed to get closer, so he walked back over to the bed, standing just off to the side. Red tipped fingers slid in and out of her while she continued to moan. They were getting wet, and the sloshing sounds as she fucked herself with them were his undoing.
“You’re going straight to hell for this, man,” he whispered to himself as he watched her. Finally, the temptation to wake her up so he could satisfy the ache that both of them felt became too much to risk. Exiting her condo, he hurried down to his car. The image of her writhing on her bed had him growling out loud.
Mario made it back to his own place in record time and once he entered his bedroom, he unbuttoned his pants and lowered the zipper. Pulling out his cock, he fisted it tightly while re-picturing his temptress in her bed, unknowingly teasing him.
The more he thought about her parted lips, the more painful the aching in his shaft became. When she was lying atop her bed, he’d been so tempted to slide his cock inside of her mouth. A groan slipped past his lips at the thought of her swallowing down on him with her throat. His hand moved, sliding from the tip to the base and back. The vision in his head was so clear, and he imagined Melania’s hand on her pussy, furiously rubbing her clit while she squirmed on the bed. She’d be so close to an orgasm. He’d see it in the way her body trembled.
The pressure on his shaft grew harder. He stroked himself more frantically as he pictured her doing the same to herself. The fire licked at the base of his spine, and he grunted. It wouldn’t be long until he felt the relief of an orgasm.
“Mario,” she’d gasp.
“Goddammit,” he swore. Tugging at his balls with one hand, he continued stroking himself, quickly realizing that he needed to come. He strode purposefully toward the bathroom. Moving to the toilet, his hand moved roughly over his own aching flesh until the first jet of his cum spurted from the tip.
When he was finished, the realization of what he did finally struck him. On second thought, Hell might be too good of a place for a pervert like him. He quickly flushed the toilet and cleaned himself up. It was a good damn thing that he left when he did. If not, he might’ve woken her up and fucked them both to another climax. He really hoped and prayed that she remembered nothing about this night.
Mario stared at his reflection in the mirror and thought about Basilico and what would soon be De Palmas. He’d only sought her out tonight to let her know about his business plans, but she’d already known. He never really got the chance to reassure her about his intentions because everything went completely off course from that point. He’d have to try to talk to her about it again. Until then, it was time for bed.
Chapter 10
SUNLIGHT STREAMED IN THROUGH the open blinds in her bedroom, and Lania covered her eyes with her hands. Her temple was pounding, and she tried to remember how much she’d had to drink the night before. The more she thought about it, the worse her head felt. She had one hell of a hangover. She forced herself to get out of bed and on instinct walked straight to the shower.
The scalding hot water helped wake her up and by the time she stepped out of the shower enclosure, she had a bit more clarity on the previous evening’s activities. Thankfully, Lania hadn’t consumed as much alcohol as it felt like she did, having only remembered drinking three screaming orgasms. Normally that would’ve barely fazed her, but seeing as she didn’t eat anything all day and it was really hot inside of Delirium, she could see why if affected her like it did.
Lania grabbed a towel and hurriedly dried herself off. When she went to throw it into her hamper, something caught her eye. Reaching inside, she pulled out a washcloth and wondered how it got in there. Dropping it, she brought her hands to her face. “Oh God, no,” she groaned as she remembered leaving there with Mario De Palma of all people.
Did they actually come back here and have sex? Lania started to feel the anger rise up in her. Did that treacherous man whore actually take advantage of a drunk woman? As upsetting as that prospect was, not having remembered a moment of it bothered her even more. If he did then he was the lowest of low and finally surpassed all the tales the girls in their high school told about him. He’d amassed quite the bedpost, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if there was no room for any notches on it by the time they graduated.
“Pig,” she muttered under her breath as she slipped into her robe and padded down the hallway to the kitchen. Since she wasn’t as queasy now that she’d moved around some, she took out an omelet pan, eggs, and a container of veggies she’d already chopped up a few days earlier. Lastly, she grabbed some pancetta from the refrigerator and began to cut it into small cubes. Lania turned on the stove eye, set the pan down, and tossed the meat into it. She was about to work on the veggies when she heard the doorbell.
Lania had no idea who it was and hoped it wasn’t Mario coming to pick up something he left behind the night before. Shaking her head, she tried to remember if he even walked her up to her condo. Taking a deep breath, she flung the door open and saw Olivia Anders standing there instead.
“Liv,” she said, noticing the downtrodden expression on her friend’s face. “Come in.”
Her blond friend entered and headed toward the kitchen, most likely following the scent of the meat rendering away on the stove. Her pancetta. Suddenly remembering it, she closed the door and hurried back into the kitchen to take the meat off the eye.
“I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here so early,” Olivia finally said.
Lania looked over at her and could tell something was wrong. It was the same feeling she had gotten from her since the day Olivia saw Luka in her office. “I am curious, but you know you’re welcome here day and night.”
“I know. I was going to wait and talk to you at work, but I remembered you’re off today,” she started. Lania was starting to get nervous now. Whatever Olivia had to say had to be very important if she came all the way over here. “Have you talked to any of the girls this morning?”
“No,” Lania answered as she threw some of the veggies into the pan, using the grease from the pancetta to add extra flavor. “There isn’t anything wrong with any of them, is there?” As soon as she said that, she froze, sending a silent prayer that everyone was okay.
“No, it’s nothing like that.” Olivia sniffed the air, and Lania grinned.
“Would you like for me to make you one too?” she asked. All of her friends loved her cooking and would invent reasons to show up at her condo or the restaurant for food.
“Yes,” Olivia said, finally grinning. “I only asked about the girls because I went back to Delirium last night after you left.”
Lania stopped what she was doing and looked up. Was Olivia upset with her last night because of Luka and made an excuse to get rid of her? She was seriously starting to rethink the offer of breakfast as she became more offended with each passing second. “Oh?”
“I was halfway home and then asked the cab driver to bring me back. I realized that I had lied to all of you, even if just by omission, so I returned to set the record straight.” Olivia wasn’t making any sense. She had lied to them?
“What did you omit?” Lania asked and then put her hand up as if to tell her to hold on. “Let me make these omelets and then we can talk as we eat.”
Olivia nodded and then hopped off the barstool and walked into the living room. Lania glanced at her once or twice while she finished their breakfast. When they were done, she placed them onto two plates and then handed one to Olivia.
“So what did you omit?” she asked again.
“Do you remember last year when I got that awful flu bug?” she answered.
“Yes, of course I do. You got the entire group sick.” Lania remembered that week too. Those were some of the worst days of her entire life. She remembered thinking between the body aches and chills that she wasn’t going to make it.
“Well, the antibiotics I took must have been what caused my birth control pills to fail.” The blonde lowered her head and stuck her fork in the omelet.
“Wait! What?” Lania said as her words registered. “Did you get pregnant?”
Olivia raised her guilty gaze to hers, and Lania gasped, dropping her fork onto her plate.
“By who?” Lania had to ask, although if she was starting to piece things together, then this puzzle was starting to take shape.
“Luka,” Olivia mumbled.
“Oh my God, Liv. You and Luka? When did you two…” Lania found herself staring at a stranger. One of her best friends had gotten pregnant by another close friend and neither ever said anything. She couldn’t believe it.
“About a week after I’d gotten over being sick, I went to a club with some friends at school.” Olivia paused and shook her head as if to shake the memories away. “It wasn’t a place like Delirium. It was a…” She got quiet again and then whispered, as if she was ashamed, “A sex club.”
“No way,” Lania said. She’d always wondered about those kinds of places but assumed it was just a bunch of people in the same room having sex with each other. Come to think about it, that type of place sounded like something right up Mario’s alley. “What happened next?”
I was scared to death because there were whips and knives and all these strangers carrying on like it was the most natural thing in the world. Of course, me being me, I was shocked and curious all at the same time. A few men tried to make a pass at me, but I was too scared to move from the barstool. That’s when I saw him.”
