by Kiera Silver
When he found the watch, had he called off the search completely? She didn’t know. The only thing certain was when he had accidentally crossed her path, he’d still wanted her enough to take her. Or had he simply wanted to eliminate a witness? She wasn’t sure she was ready for that much blunt honesty, so she hadn’t broached the topic yet.
“Okay, let’s concede that. Why the hell are you back here with him now? Did you come crawling back because you decided that you can’t live without him?” Haley’s scathing tone made it clear how pathetic she found that sentiment.
Glaring at her sister, she shifted slightly on the loveseat. “We actually ran across each other in another city, where I was living. Armo convinced me to come back. There’s more to it than you know.”
Haley scoffed. “What could possibly make it okay to be here with the mafia? You know better than that. What they do is wrong.”
Katie shrugged a shoulder, not intending to engage in an ethical debate with her sister if she could help it. Lucas picked right then to start crying, and from her heavy breasts, she knew he was ready to eat. “I’ll be right back.”
Haley’s mouth dropped open. “Is that a baby?”
Ignoring her sister’s question, Katie went down the hallway to the master bedroom and lifted Lucas from the crib. After opening her shirt and bra, she offered him her breast, and he quieted down as soon as he latched on. She rubbed his downy head as she walked over to an armchair in the corner and sat down with him. She looked up in some surprise when the door opened with a hard push that made it rebound against the wall. “Come in,” she said dryly to her sister.
Haley’s gaze was focused on the baby latched to her breast. “It is a baby. Your baby,” she said in an accusatory fashion. “Oh, Katie, how could you do this?”
Her shoulders went up defensively as she glared at her sister. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Lucas wasn’t planned. I just found out I was expecting him when I… left Armo.”
Haley shook her head. “It didn’t mean you had to have it. You could’ve terminated. It would’ve been the safest option, and you wouldn’t have anything tying you to a mobster.”
Except she’d been a witness to him murdering Parsing. She left that part unspoken. Instead, Katie shrugged a shoulder. “Until you’ve been in this situation, you can’t really judge the decision someone else makes, Haley. I thought about it, but it just didn’t feel right. I had Lucas because I felt compelled to do so. I love him, and I don’t regret the decision to keep him.”
“I’m so grateful that you did,” said Armo as he stepped into the room. His expression was mild, though he wasn’t entirely successful in hiding a flash of irritation when his gaze settled on Haley before moving to her and Lucas. “I don’t think I ever said thank you for that.”
She gave him a tentative smile and nodded her head. “It was difficult, but it was the right thing to do.”
“Oh, please,” inserted Haley, her exasperation obvious. “You’ve ruined your entire life over this mess. I told you not to get involved with him, and then I tried to get you to see reason and leave him alone, and now you’re stuck with him for life.”
“Fortunately, that’s not your business, Haley,” said Armo in a stern voice. “I’m sure Katie was happy to see you, but you must be going now. It’s getting late.”
Haley crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “I’m not leaving without talking to my sister. If I have any say in it, she’ll be leaving this place with me.” Her eyes narrowed suddenly. “Unless she’s not free to leave? Are you holding her prisoner here, Moretti?”
Katie didn’t look up from the baby as she awaited Armo’s response. Technically, she was his prisoner, but she hadn’t made any move to leave either. It had seemed futile, but she was still interested to hear what Armo would say.
“Katie can leave of her own free will if she chooses,” he said impassively.
She did look up then, his disinterested tone catching her attention and ripping out her heart. Her lips opened to emit a small gasp, but before she could work herself into an emotional frenzy, she saw the resignation in Armo’s gaze and realized he was preparing himself for her to choose to leave, as though he dreaded it.
Haley made a scoffing sound. “Yeah, sure. You say she can leave, but let me guess? The kid stays with you, ergo Katie’s your captive, because you know she won’t go without her kid.”
Armo’s expression betrayed little, and his voice was flat when he said, “Katie can take Lucas if she wants to. We’ll set up visitation or something. I’m not holding her against her will.”
Haley seemed surprised, sputtering for a moment in her shock before regaining her composure. She turned to face Katie. “Well, come on then. Let’s get out of here while you still can.”
Katie bit her lip as she considered the two people standing in front of her. Haley made no effort to hide her emotions or opinions, so it was easy to guess what she wanted. She wanted Katie and Lucas to walk out of Armo’s apartment and not look back. Armo was more difficult to read, but it was because he hid how he was feeling that she intuited his emotions. He was preparing himself for the pain of them leaving again. “No,” she said softly.
Haley frowned. “What do you mean, no? He’s giving you permission to leave. Take it. Let’s get out of here.”
Katie squared her shoulders and looked up at her sister, who was looming over her in an intimidating fashion. “No, thank you. I love you, Haley, but you need to butt out of this. It’s my decision, and I’ve already made it. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her sister’s eyes widened with shock. “What? I don’t understand you. You were freaked out enough to run away from him and stay hidden for a year without contacting your family or telling us you were having a baby, but now that you have a chance to get away, you’re not taking it? Is that what you’re telling me?”
With a shrug, she nodded. “I guess that’s what I’m telling you, Haley. I’ll call you soon, and I’ll call Mom later today or tomorrow as well and try to explain the best I can.” That was bound to go well, since she couldn’t explain it herself, let alone someone else. “Thank you for being concerned about me and coming here. I know this isn’t what you want for me, but I have to make my own decisions. It’s too important to let someone else decide for me.”
Haley threw her hands up in the air. “Fine, whatever. It seems like you’re letting him make the choice for you, but you’re clearly not going to listen to reason. When you’re finally ready to do the right thing call me, and I’ll help you get away.”
“I’ll see you soon, Haley.” She ignored the offer to help her escape. “I really am glad to see you again.”
Haley still looked angry, but she let out a long sigh as she walked over and bent down to the chair to kiss Katie’s cheek before running a finger down Lucas’ face. “I love you too, sis. He’s beautiful. I want to spend some time with him soon, if that’s okay?”
Considering Haley usually issued demands rather than asked permission, it was a nice change of pace to see her sister treating her like an adult with her own opinions and authority. She nodded her head. “Maybe we can have lunch together in a few days—just you, me, Mom, and Lucas.” She wasn’t going to invite Armo to that tête-à-tête just yet, not until everyone had a chance to calm down and reflect on their emotions in the situation.
With a regretful-sounding sigh, Haley stood up again and walked toward the door. She paused briefly in front of Armo to glare up at him, though there were only a few inches’ difference in their height. Her sister was extremely tall for a woman. “I don’t care who or what you are, Mr. Mob Man. If you hurt my sister again, I’ll kill you.”
If Armo found the threat amusing, he didn’t show it. He simply dipped his head once and said, “I’m glad she has someone else willing to protect her. I’ll do the same for her.”
With another sigh, Haley turned and left the room, not looking back or sharing a word of parting. She was clearly still annoyed by
the whole thing, and it would take her a while to get over her temper and hurt feelings. She just needed a little space.
As soon as her sister was gone, the silence lengthened as she stared at Armo, who seemed to be hovering on the edge of bewilderment. The air was fraught with tension, and as she switched Lucas to the other breast, she couldn’t look away from Armo’s brown eyes. They were warm, complete with the glow in his eyes that appeared every time he’d looked at her before she had left. She bit her lower lip again as she waited for him to speak.
“Why?”
It was a simple one-syllable question, but she knew exactly what he meant. “I couldn’t leave.”
He walked closer. Only a couple of steps, but it was enough to make her heart rate increase. “Why not?”
Her voice emerged as a husky rasp, her throat suddenly tight and swollen as she tried to find the words. “I’m not entirely sure. I just knew I couldn’t leave you when the idea came to me. The thought of walking away again, turning my back on you, didn’t feel right. I couldn’t do it.”
He glanced down at Lucas, who was finishing up his feeding, his expression soft, but also wary. “Are you staying because of the baby?”
She nodded. “But not entirely because of Lucas. He needs his father, but I think I need his father too.”
Armo didn’t speak when she pulled Lucas from her breast as his mouth opened, and a dribble of milk rolled out. He had nursed himself back to sleep, and she moved carefully from the armchair to the crib to lay him down inside it. He let out a small sigh of contentment, and his eyes never flickered open as he settled back to slumber.
When she stood up, there wasn’t any excuse not to look at Armo or face the conversation head-on. She squared her shoulders and turned to face him, startled when she realized he’d closed the distance between them on silent feet. Nothing had betrayed how close he was to her, and now she was pressed against him, with only a couple of inches between them.
“How do you need me, Katie?”
She touched her tongue to her dry lips, eliciting a moan from him. “I don’t know how to feel or what to think, but I don’t want to walk away from you again, Armo. I don’t know how to reconcile what you do with how I feel, but—”
She didn’t get the chance to finish the statement before Armo’s fingers grasped her hair, tugging her head backward to bring her mouth to his. His lips molded to hers, and his tongue plunged inside her mouth as he tasted her with intense need. She held back for just a moment, remembering the humiliation of the other night, but couldn’t resist her own need for long. Soon enough, she melted into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck as she deepened the kiss.
Their mouths devoured each other for several moments as their hands explored. Armo soon stripped off the button-down shirt and loose lounge pants she wore, until she was in just her nursing bra and panties.
Her fingers hadn’t been idle either, and she’d stripped off his tie and jacket before going to work on the small buttons of his shirt. Her hands trembled a little, but eventually she managed to remove it as well, leaving him bare from the waist up.
They paused to stare at each other for a moment, gazes locked, breath mingling though their lips weren’t quite touching. “I’ve missed you so much, Katie.”
She nodded her head. “I’ve missed you too, Armo. I used to lie awake longing for you, even though I knew I shouldn’t. What you do is impossible to overlook.”
“You’ll find a way,” he said confidently before his mouth covered hers again. She surrendered to the kiss as her fingers worked at the button and zipper of his pants, helping him shed his trousers.
She gasped softly when he removed her nursing bra, revealing her larger breasts. Since the baby had just eaten, she didn’t feel uncomfortably full, but her flesh was tender and sensitive even under his visual exploration.
When he bent his head to lick her nipple, swiping away a tiny drop of milk that had escaped in the process, she acted from instinct and pressed him closer by placing a hand on the back of his head. He responded to the unspoken request by increasing the pace of his mouth, his tongue swiping and swirling around her swollen nipple as she moaned and arched her back.
After a moment, he turned his attention to the other breast, perhaps realizing if he lingered too long, he might trigger a flood of liquid. That would have been awkward for both of them. Still, it was difficult to feel his mouth lightly grazing her breast when she wanted to feel deep suction and his talented tongue twirling around the taut bud.
His mouth went lower. Her stomach twitched with anticipation as his tongue slid down it, pausing to circle around her bellybutton before moving south.
She experienced a moment of anxiety when she remembered she now had a bit of a rounder stomach and wider hips. She had lost most of the baby weight, but her shape had changed. She was fairly positive she’d always have a little bit of a pooch now, and while she liked it and the new generosity of her curves, she wasn’t certain that Armo would like the changes, despite his comments when she had worn the black dress the other night.
If her changed shape bothered him, he gave no indication as his mouth moved over the softer flesh that used to be so firm before going farther south, his tongue delicately tracing down her slit before squirming in between the lips he parted with his thumbs. She relaxed her stance, allowing her legs to open as wide as she could while standing, and moaned as he began to stroke her pussy with his tongue.
Armo had always been good at this, easily the most talented lover she’d ever had in every department, but especially when it came to pleasing her orally. That hadn’t changed, and fierce pleasure hurtled through her, making her rock her hips and rub against his face as he devoured her heated folds.
She was slick with need, certain she had painted it all over his face even before the first orgasm rocked through her body, making her buck her hips and cry out his name as she almost fell to the floor in the throes of release. Only his hands on her hips kept her standing, and she surrendered to the bliss, knowing he would hold her and not let her fall.
A moment later, he was on his feet and lifted her into his arms. She clung tightly to him as he carried her to the bed and laid her down, pausing to retrieve a condom from the nightstand before he lay on the bed with her. He was clearly desperate to feel her wrapped around his cock, because his fingers shook a little when he tried to open the package.
She was more languorous from her recent climax, so she reached up and took the condom from him, tearing it carefully before removing the latex barrier. She smoothed it slowly down his thick shaft, enjoying reacquainting herself with each ridge and vein. Later, she would indulge her craving by taking it in her mouth, but for now, she wanted him buried into the heart of her, his cock deep in her core as they thrust against each other and chased release.
“Fuck me, Armo.”
He shook his head even as he shifted into position and settled between her thighs, spreading them wide to allow him plenty of access as he lined up his cock with her slick opening. “I don’t want to fuck you today. I just want to make love.”
He’d never called it that in all the time they’ve been together before, and while it wasn’t a declaration of love, it was a promising start.
He surged slowly inside her, and she was surprised to find it moderately painful. She shouldn’t be, since she hadn’t had sex for almost a year, and she’d given birth in that time, but it was definitely uncomfortable for just a second. After he was fully seated inside her, the discomfort waned, followed by intense pleasure as he began to rock his hips and thrust gently in and out of her. He was going slowly and shallowly, but that wasn’t what she wanted or needed.
Katie cupped his buttocks, digging her nails lightly into the taut flesh as she pulled his pelvis tighter to hers while increasing the rate of her thrusts. He quickly realized what she wanted and began to thrust more forcefully and rapidly inside her.
Armo slipped a hand between their bodies so his fingers could dance with
masterful precision over her clit as his cock filled her to the extreme before nearly withdrawing and surging inside all over again. She lost herself in the rhythm of his hips and fingers, surrendering to the pleasure building as she strove to meet each thrust. She screamed, uncertain if she called out his name or just a wordless cry of satisfaction as she sailed over the edge into another climax.
Her convulsing pussy must have been enough to trigger his own release, because Armo twitched inside her, his climax exploding with a small grunt as he buried himself to the hilt inside her still spasming channel. They lay joined together for several long moments as the bliss intensified before fading away, leaving them sated, but exhausted.
When he pulled away from her, Armo rolled onto his side and pulled her nearer him. He pressed his lips over her forehead before trailing them down her cheek. He didn’t quite touch his mouth to hers.
She watched with fascination as his eyelids blinked before closing, amused that she had reduced him to an afternoon nap. Which reminded her—she would need to ask why he was home this afternoon anyway when he usually wasn’t, but it didn’t matter right then. Nothing mattered except being wrapped in his arms as she started to drift off to sleep.
She was just on the cusp of falling over into slumber when Armo’s sleepy voice reached her ears, making her eyes snap open with shock.
“I love you, Katie. Always have. Always will.” He ended the statement with a yawn, and it wasn’t even a minute later that he started to snore softly.
She worried her top teeth over her bottom lip as she speculated that he had revealed his thoughts when he was too vulnerable to keep them inside. Would he remember? Or take them back? The thought sent a pang through her, and she tightened her fingers without thought around the parts of his body that she was holding onto. He winced, but didn’t awaken, and she lay there beside him, watching her lover sleep as her mind churned with the possibilities, outcomes, and consequences of Armo’s words.
