“Are you going to kill me?”
The question thrilled him, shocked him, delighted him. He stroked her face and smiled. “Yes.”
And he drove the knife deep into her belly.
Tommaso stroked her cheek. “You look unbelievable,” he said gently. Inca flushed with pleasure. Her dress was a dark gold, reflecting on her skin, her hair pulled over one shoulder. Tommaso’s eyes lingered on her mouth. “Inca, mio caro, how would you feel about making our relationship more official?” His lips were on her throat and Inca closed her eyes, letting all the tension of the past few days drain from her.
They’d had a quiet dinner at a little place in the city, then Tommaso had driven her back to his mansion. “Raffaelo is away on business,” he told her, with a wicked grin. “We have the place to ourselves and I …,” he trailed his fingertips down her belly, “am going to fuck you in every room in this house, my darling Inca …”
A moan escaped her as he took her in his arms now and she nodded. “Yes, Tommaso. We can talk about us.”
“Good.” He pulled his tie from his neck and, grinning, wound it around her eyes. “Do you trust me, Inca?”
She hesitated a little. “Should I?”
Tommaso gave a throaty chuckle. “Absolutely not.”
Inca laughed and felt him take her hand and lead her somewhere else. She felt a draft of cold air but said nothing as Tommaso began to strip her. She felt his lips on her skin, felt him take each nipple in turn into his mouth. She stroked his dark curls as his kiss touched her belly. Then his face was in her sex, his tongue lashing around her clit, his hands pushing her legs apart. His fingers gripped her hips tightly as his mouth found her and she caught her breath when his tongue plunged deep inside her.
“You taste of honey,” he said, his deep voice rumbling through her. She felt him stand and kiss her mouth. “I want you to feel my cock inside you, Inca. Feel how much I want you.”
He guided her hands to his cock now, thick and huge and hot as she stroked him. “It wants to be in your sweet cunt, Inca, always.”
Jesus …
She could feel herself becoming unbelievably wet as he continued to describe what he wanted to do to her, and by the time he laid her back on what felt like a table, she was desperate for him to be inside her. He teased her, sliding two fingers in and out of her before he took her almost violently, thrusting his engorged cock deep inside of her, harder and deeper each time until she was crying with pleasure. His thumb rubbed her clit and she came explosively, her body jerking and trembling, but Tommaso would not let her rest. He pulled her to the carpet and tugged the blindfold off, only to bind her hands behind her.
“You like this, bella ragazza?”
Breathless and excited, she nodded, and he gave a soft laugh. “Good. Now …” He rolled her onto her back, her bound hands pressing into the small of her back. She gazed up at him; his green eyes were intense, almost demonic against his swarthy skin and dark hair—God, he was divine. His body—hard and defined—covered hers.
“You are mine, yes?”
She nodded. “Yes, Tommaso. I am yours … oh …”
He slid back inside her, gently this time, but as his thrusts became more forceful, the weight of his body pressing down on her, her shoulders burning from having her hands bound, Inca found she enjoyed the sweet pain of it.
Tommaso had a satisfied look in his eyes—almost victorious. “You like the pain?”
Astonishing herself, she nodded. “From you, yes,” she whispered, and he chuckled.
“Maybe another time we can explore that further …”
“Maybe.”
He drove her to another shattering orgasm and she clung to him as his lips found hers. He smoothed her damp hair away from her face and gazed down at her. “Ti amo, Inca Sardee. Ti amo.”
Inca’s eyes filled with tears at the depth of passion in his voice and in that moment her heart swelled and she kissed him fiercely. “I love you too, Tommaso.”
Much, much later, she fell asleep in his arms and didn’t wake when he slid from the bed. For a few minutes, he watched her sleep, her dark hair spread on his pillow, watching her deep, regular breathing, her skin glowing in the low light of the room.
Tommaso tugged his pants on and wandered down to the kitchen. Lately he had been plagued by insomnia and nothing, it seemed, not even exhausting himself fucking Inca, could help him.
Tommaso Winter knew darkness. It ate at him constantly and, despite his happiness with the beautiful woman in his bed, he found himself sinking back into the blue funk he knew so well. Only Raff knew how to drag him out of it; only Raff knew the depths of it. He called his brother now.
Raffaelo was in Rome, checking on his favorite and original club. Tommaso glanced at the clock—Rome was nine hours ahead of Seattle, which made it eleven a.m. He knew Raff would be parked in his favorite café right now.
“Tommaso.”
“Hey.”
“Everything okay?”
“Inca’s here.”
There was a silence. “What’s going on, brother?”
“I told her I loved her.”
Another long pause. “Oh, damn.”
“Yeah.”
Raffaelo sighed. “Look, don’t freak out. Did she say it back?”
“Yes, but I don’t know …”
“You’re freaking.”
“I’m not. Yet. I need you to talk me down. Stop me from ruining this.”
Raffaelo knew his brother well. Through the damage their father had inflicted on both of them when they were young and the loss of their mother, Raffaelo had been the one to hold his brother up. And ever since then, every time Tommaso went through any heightened emotion, Raff was his rock. His anchor.
They both knew what Tomaso was capable of when he felt insecure. Tommaso closed his eyes now. “I don’t want to hurt her, Raff.”
“You won’t. Listen to me. So, you’ve said it. Did you mean it?”
Tommaso nodded to himself. “I did. I do. She is everything.”
He heard his brother give a hiss of frustration. “Tommaso, get yourself together. You barely know her. You’re projecting.”
“No. No. It’s really not like that.”
But he knew Raff didn’t believe him. He heard his brother curse softly. “I’m coming back.”
“No, no. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have called you. You know me.”
“Exactly. Let me come home and help you. There’s no reason, if you really love her, that this time can’t be different.”
Tommaso went back to the bedroom after ending the call and saw that Inca was now lying on her back, the sheet tangled around her hips. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her breasts, the soft curve of her belly as she slept. He lay down beside her and stroked her soft skin, tracing a line between her breasts down to her navel.
She murmured in her sleep and turned towards him, half opening her eyes. “I love you, Tommaso,” she whispered before her eyes closed again and Tommaso was glad she was asleep again quickly, so that she would not see his tears.
The news broke the next morning and the entire town was horrified. Jasmine Khan had been one of their own, a well-loved girl found murdered in her own apartment.
Inca felt sick. Jasmine had helped out at the Sakura more than once. Inca had been glad to help her out as she studied for her college degree. Jasmine had only been seventeen, sweet, intelligent … and now this.
Olly looked shattered when he came into the Sakura that morning. The whole town was buzzing with police.
Inca hugged her friend. “Oh, Olly.”
He relaxed into her embrace. “It’s bad, Inks. Really bad.”
Nancy’s face was creased with worry as she looked between the two. “Come sit down, Olly, before you fall down.”
Inca didn’t want to ask the question, but Olly must have seen it in her eyes. “Yeah, sweetheart. Your name was carved into this victim too.”
Inca’s hands clenched into fists and her t
emper broke through. “Then why doesn’t he come after me? Why kill an innocent woman? All those girls? Just kill me!’
Olly took her shoulders and his face looked fierce. “I never want to hear you say that again, Inca Sardee. You are not to blame for this. Don’t ever, ever say that to me again.”
He tried to smile to soften his words. Tyler came in then, accompanied by Tommaso, who was talking at him rather than to him. Tommaso’s face was serious, and he appeared to be pressing his point with some fervor. Tyler looked rather taken aback.
“Hey.” Inca smiled at them both, hoping to break the tension. Tyler smiled back rather wanly. Tommaso kissed her cheek.
“Bella,” he said warmly and sat down, nodding to Olly, patting his shoulder. “Chief. Guess you’ve had a rough morning.”
Olly nodded. “You have no idea.”
Inca offered Tommaso some coffee.
“No, thanks. Look—”Tommaso began, but Tyler shook his head.
“Tommaso, this can wait.”
Tommaso frowned. “Forgive me, Tyler, but I don’t think it can. Nancy?” he called out, and Nancy poked her head out of the kitchen. “Nancy, would you join us, please?”
Tyler sighed and sat down. Nancy looked confused but joined them, pulling out the chair next to her husband. He took her hand and squeezed it.
“Thank you.”
Tommaso was being oddly formal, Inca thought. She had no idea what was going on and waited for Tommaso to begin.
“Tyler and I are concerned.” He held up his hand as Tyler started to object. “No, Tyler. I know you think I’m being overly cautious. But the fact is, a young Indian woman was killed here last night. We all know what’s been going on in the city and I don’t think it’s hysterical to suggest that, for the meantime, we take precautions. Inca, please, don’t go anywhere alone, especially at night. Do you understand?”
Nancy looked annoyed at his tone. “Yeah, Olly beat you to the punch, albeit less patronizingly.”
Inca coughed, interrupting her. “I think what Nancy means is, thank you for your concern.” She tapped her mom’s arm as she was about to protest. “I’ll take care, I promise. I do think you can be over-cautious, but, hey, it’s not like we don’t have people around us all the time.”
Tommaso shook his head. “Until you are in that apartment isolated from everyone.”
Inca glanced at Tyler, but he nodded. “He’s right. I’d feel better if—”
“You’ll move into the mansion,” Tommaso announced suddenly. “It’s the best solution.”
Inca started to protest, but he held his hand up to stop her. “I won’t take any arguments. Do any of you feel that this isn’t the best arrangement? Do you realize how much security we have access to? No-one would get near Inca.”
No one had any answer to that, and so Inca found herself agreeing. She would move in with the Winter twins until the killer was found. Tommaso left soon after, to arrange things, Olly following him to re-join the investigation across the street.
Inca blinked at Tyler and Nancy, grinning slightly.
“Well, I guess I have roommates. That happened fast.”
Tyler reached out to pat her arm. “If you’re uncomfortable, you can always stay with us.”
Nancy nodded, gesturing towards the door. “Tommaso was eager, wasn’t he? A bit too eager, if you ask me.” She gave Inca a meaningful look, and Inca flushed.
“He’s just being a good friend, Nance, and he’s right; he’s got security out the wazoo. And you two really don’t want me hanging around like a moody teenager, do you?”
Tyler and Nancy laughed, and Nancy tugged gently on Inca’s ponytail. “Kiddo, you know you always have a home with us. Just watch that Tommaso doesn’t get the wrong idea.”
Raffaelo was tired when he arrived back at the mansion, but he listened to what Tommaso told him in silence, then nodded. “You’re right. She should stay here.”
Tommaso was vaguely surprised. “I thought you’d object.”
“That you want to protect the woman you love? Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want anything to happen to Inca either.”
“Thank you.” Tommaso turned to leave his brother’s room, knowing he was exhausted, but Raffaelo called him back.
“Tommaso … I hope that, by Inca being here, you won’t …” He trailed off, but gave his brother a meaningful look. Tommaso cocked an eyebrow.
“Won’t what?”
Raffaelo sighed. “You know what I mean. Inca is an independent woman. She’s under our protection, yes, but we have no right to dictate what she does, or where she goes.”
Tommaso’s smile faded. “You think I would try to control her.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Tommaso looked annoyed now. “Inca is different.”
“I know. I’m just saying … don’t get too entrenched with her that you can’t see anything else. She’ll feel suffocated.”
“You think I’m suffocating?”
“You can be. Even with your good heart, you know what has happened in the past. If Inca really means that much to you, give her space.”
Tommaso gave his brother a tight nod and left the room. Raffaelo pulled off his shoes and lay back on the bed. It would be strange having Inca living here. Neither of the twins had ever lived with one of their girlfriends before, but then again, they’d always had each other.
Raffaelo had known this was coming for a couple of years now, and he was glad. It was time. They were thirty-five— too old to be sharing with a sibling. They needed to move on, but he’d been reticent about how to broach the subject with Tommaso. Tommaso had always been the insecure one of the two— again, Raffaelo thought darkly, more fall-out from their father’s shitty parenting. But Raffaelo liked Inca and didn’t want her hurt because Tommaso hadn’t worked out all of his issues.
For himself … he had no intention of getting involved with anyone. The emptiness within him was something he clung to—it stopped him from feeling. It had been an age since he had been attracted to anyone enough to make a move. His looks meant he could have anyone, and yet he found he wanted no one.
Yes. He told himself that he wanted no one. There was no woman who could penetrate his walls.
No one.
Except that when he dreamed at night, he dreamed of café-au-lait skin and a warm, sweet smile.
Inca had packed everything she owned and Tyler had helped her load her boxes into his garage. She didn’t want to take all of her stuff to Tommaso’s mansion, despite his protests, but Inca felt she needed to have something rooted back in her old life. It was weird enough to be moving in with Tommaso; he’d cleared space in his closet—or rather, his maid had—and now her clothes were hanging next to his expensive, handmade suits. The fact that she would be sharing his bed, his room, hadn’t even been discussed, just assumed.
Tyler saw her face as they tidied the garage up. “You okay, Bubba? You can always change your mind, you know. Our offer will remain open.”
She smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you, Popsicle, but I think this is the right move. I love Tommaso. I really do.”
Tyler studied his adoptive daughter. “You do?”
Inca was surprised. “Yes, of course. Why do you ask that?”
Tyler shook his head. “It’s just … you don’t seem excited about him. When I fell in love with your mother, I was like a horse with ginger up its butt for the first few years.”
Inca giggled at the image. “Lovely, Pa. I guess it just feels more relaxed than that. More …”
“Sedate?”
Inca thought about it. “Yeah. Like it just is, you know?”
“Each to their own.”
“That’s what I think.”
Tyler nodded. “He’ll keep you safe.”
Inca stopped and then let the fear show in her face. “He will. Pa … I don’t understand what is happening. Why … if someone wants to kill me, why not just do it?”
Tyler paled, but nodded. Before he’d retired, bef
ore all of this, he had been the island’s police chief, privy to investigations and resources that he wished desperately to have access to now. The thought of Inca being a target was agony to him. “I can’t answer you, Bubba. But nothing is going to happen to you. I promise.”
Later, in the split-level duplex on Hewlett Avenue, Tyler poured himself a finger of scotch and slumped into the armchair. He heard Nancy moving around in the kitchen, the smell of roast chicken and thyme drifting through the house. She poked her head in the room.
“Hungry?”
Tyler tried to smile and nodded. “Smells great, Nance.”
She hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down on the arm of his chair. He patted her leg as she kissed the top of his head. The TV flickered quietly in the corner, the familiar scenery of the town invaded by reporters from the city. They watched it in silence. Eventually, Tyler sighed.
“I’m worried about Inca.”
He felt Nancy nod. “I know, honey.” The reassurance he expected from her didn’t come, and he felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Nancy’s eyes were concerned. She sat down in the chair opposite him and took his hands.
“But, honey, she’s an adult. She’s stronger than you think; she really is. She’s come so far and grown so independent. All we can do is support her decisions and hope, whoever this maniac is, that he doesn’t get to her.”
Tyler studied her face, her dark eyes just starting to crinkle at the edges, her brown hair just starting to show fine strands of grey. Nancy Hama had come into his life at a time when he’d come to terms with being alone. After his initial adoption of Inca had been turned down—I am sorry, Mr. Sardee; the child is damaged, and you are on your own—he’d slumped into despondency.
Nancy had been one of the nurses at the children’s unit in Seattle where they’d taken Inca after the horror of what had happened with her birth parents. Nancy and Tyler had talked long into the night over Inca’s sleeping form, her tiny body bandaged, the little crease between her brows starting to relax. Nancy was forthright, opinionated, and had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever known. When Inca had left the hospital, Nancy had gone home with Tyler and never left—heir adoption of Inca successful this time.
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