“Does it look like I give a shit? I don’t. They need to understand that while they are out on dates with you, my draga, that I am the one warming your bed, the one who will tend to your needs, the one who truly takes care of you and Puff” I took a step towards the bed as he spoke, ‘tend to your needs’ caught me off guard. Nothing sexual has happened between Ion and me besides that brief kiss. I wouldn’t lie to myself; I wanted to kiss him again. I craved his lips on mine, his hands on my body. I feel like deep down the dating of the other clan members was a horse and pony show. I had no real interest in any of them. Phillipe was promising, but Ion was something else entirely. In a split second, I’d made up my mind, I’d go out on one more date with Philippe as I promised him, but I would not go out on another. Not when I wanted to be here, with Ion.
In truth, I didn’t know exactly what I felt for Ion. I just knew that it was so strong, what I felt for this cocky, arrogant man was nothing compared to the small like I had for Phillipe.
I walked to my side of the bed, where Ion had slid in and stared. “I sleep here,” I told him, waiting for his argument. Instead, I didn’t get any. He got out of the bed, standing in front of me. He slid his hands around me and flipped me over, slamming my back against the mattress. “What are you doing?” I asked, startled by his sudden movement.
“I’m kissing my wife goodnight.”
“I’m not your wife” I angrily pointed out.
His lips turned up into a smile as they pressed against mine, “Not yet, draga, but you will be” Ion’s lips were soft, his hands were rough around my body, his hand tangled in my hair and he pulled slightly. I thought the act would startle me; it only served to excite me. While his hands were rough exploring my body, his kiss was light and delicate. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders feeling him, his strength, his power. This is exactly what I mean; I don’t want to kiss Phillipe, or any other man as much as I want to kiss Ion. I opened wider, intruding my tongue in his mouth, meeting with his. He enhanced the intensity of our kiss; I could feel chills radiating all the way through my body.
Ion yanked me up into his lap; I could feel his hardening shaft against my silk shorts. I rolled my hips against him; I wanted him. I’d never wanted sex before; it was always given to me if I could even call it that. “Fuck me, Ion.”
He ripped his lips away from mine, staring me dead in the eyes. “Ana, I will not be fucking you tonight” I’d expected him to turn into a caveman and fuck me the way I wanted him to, to claim me in the last way he could, to go all alpha male and mark me as his. I didn’t expect him to deny me.
“Why not?” I ask him
“Why not? You haven’t ever had a good sexual experience. You were raped for years by that despicable animal. I’m not going to fuck you. When we’re together, my little draga, I will be making love to you, and that will not be tonight. God, I want you so badly, but now is not the time. I will take you when you are ready for me. We’ve been together for two weeks. We have an eternity, love” I was pissed. How dare he deny me what I ask of him. In a way, a small, miniscule way, I find it sweet that he denies me, that he believes he’s somehow protecting me. In a big way, I find it extremely irritating, and I want to slap him. He brushed his thumb against my cheek and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. “All in time, now, let’s get to sleep, yes?”
I didn’t respond, Ion just took control, positioning me, so I was up against him, his body pressed up against my back, his arms draped around me. For the first time in years, I can say that I feel safe. I’ll never know why my father chose Ion, but somehow, I’m starting to figure out why.
“Goodnight” he murmured into the back of my hair.
“Night.”
***
Phillipe came just a few days later. This time, instead of taking me on a jet, we stayed closer to home. He knew of a restaurant that was romantic and known for its huge dancefloor and VIP seating. I felt a buzz go through me at the idea of being on a fancy date with a man like that. Phillipe had a way of making a woman feel special, even if he couldn’t make me feel the way that Ion did. This date was the last one. I was going to tell him at the end of the date that I wouldn’t be seeing him any longer. He was a great man, just not the man I envisioned to be in my future. His eyes would stay on you the whole night, and he would brag about you to the wait staff. It was something totally different than anything I had experienced. I wondered what all these Sala clan members did with their spare time and money. They had to be some fun people to hang out with. Or maybe they were all snobs.
The restaurant was superb; the kind that only served the best bottles of wine and with golden chandeliers making a spotlight over the tables and dancefloor. It was a little crowded, but I could see why. It was probably a hot spot for rich couples, and I found myself wondering if it was a place Ion had ever thought of bringing me. I shouldn’t have been thinking about Ion on a date with another man, but I supposed it was difficult when we were still technically engaged and living in the same house, and the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about Ion. That was the problem, he’s infected all of my thoughts, and now I’m sitting here on a date with Phillipe thinking about the way Ion kissed me just a few days before, and the way he would leave a small peck on my lips in passing.
Phillipe reached across the table and placed his hand on mine affectionately; it took me out of my daydreaming thoughts of Ion. Phillipe did things like that often even though we technically didn’t know each other. It felt like he actually meant the things he said and that he might like me. But if I was honest with myself, I liked the lifestyle more than I liked him. He was a bit much sometimes, spending so much money at the drop of a hat and quoting famous poems I didn’t recognize. The sad part was, none of it was fake. Or at least, I didn’t detect that it was.
“I am so happy you are here with me tonight,” he said. Phillipe could easily make any woman swoon and compare their time with him to a fairytale, but there was something missing that I just couldn’t place. Maybe something was wrong with me because of Jonas, and I was incapable of developing feelings for a good man. Ion isn’t a good man. I know that. I’m not naïve. Although, he may be good for me. I still don’t know him, I’m learning, but I know he keeps secrets. Ion isn’t a horrid man; he’s a product of the cloth he was cut from, as am I.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked him, our gazes meeting. I was trying to pass the time as quickly as possible. I just wanted to get back home. A jazz number was being played, and few other couples were making their way to the dancefloor after finishing their tapas. The light was the perfect low glow, and Phillipe nodded, leading me gracefully and flawlessly out onto the floor.
I was surprised as my body responded to the rhythm. I danced as a child, but with all my injuries and the fact that I had done nothing of the sort in over eight years, made me worry that I wouldn’t be able to do these things anymore. Yet, I was swaying with him to the music. It was a silent dance, but it was nice; the kind you might have with someone you had been with for a long time – the kind I should be having with Ion.
After the song was over, he excused himself to the men’s room, I supposed, or maybe to take a phone call from his clan. It could have been anything, but he left me on the dancefloor instead of at our table. I felt awkward just standing there until I felt a hand on mine, spinning me towards the person violently as a new song was played. It sounded like it could be for a tango, and I looked at the face of the man who had decided to be so bold and saw that it was none other than Ion, crashing my date.
“Shouldn’t you be with Bianca?” I asked in annoyance, trying not to let the music or his dancing skills get to me. I didn’t want him to know how my feelings were starting to grow; he’s already a cocky, arrogant asshole. He’d love that I’m starting to develop something for him.
“Bianca is with our cousin, and she is fine. They are painting each other’s nails or something. I thought if they hit it off, she could be the live-in nanny for us. Besides, ar
en’t you supposed to be on your date with Sala?” he asked with his eyebrow raised at me. Damn it; he was hot when he did that. What was wrong with me? I was supposed to experiencing freedom and dating, and I still found myself entrapped with Ion Petran. Damn him, and his use of his cousin as ours.
“I am on a date,” I retorted. “Until you stole me away,” I harrumphed back like a kid.
“I plan on doing that for the rest of your life,” he whispered as he put his lips ear my ear again. One trick pony or not, it was a turn on. “You would have been so bored to death, anyway. Aren’t you done with him?” Ion asked, daring me to tell him the truth. My heart was beating fast, and I could do one of two things. I could disappear with my betrothed and admit may attraction to him before Phillipe even saw us together, or I could walk away from Ion and get back to the table so I could enjoy the meal with Phillipe.
“I can’t lie,” I told Ion, coming to a conclusion as his hands stroked my hips and up my sides. The way he dominated me just enough without being harmful was something I realized I needed. I was no good given just any option in the world. “I am bored. Let’s get out of here.”
A triumphant smile came to Ion’s face, and he led me out the back-way lightning fast. He already had the car waiting for us as if he had known the whole time I would say yes. I looked over at him as the car sped away, I assumed to the house, and I shook my head at him. “You are a cocky bastard.”
Those were the last coherent words I got out as Ion’s green eyes met my chocolate ones just before he closed our short distance with a kiss. My body responded with something similar to what it had when he had touched me the day on the treadmill. Even if I didn’t love Ion, or even like him sometimes, my body was thinking something entirely different. A sort of frenzy began, and I wondered if this was what it felt like to have the freedom to choose to be with a man. I suddenly wanted to experience that freedom, and I didn’t want it to be in bed he was forcing me to sleep in, or in the house with my daughter. I wanted it to happen now, so I hoped the driver went slow.
I pressed my body up against Ion’s, trying to let him know what I wanted. In this department, I had no true experience, so I hoped I wasn’t making a complete fool of myself as I placed my hand on his thigh, caressing it, before moving up more and more. I wanted to have him anticipate it before I reached the spot, which was much closer than I had imagined. He was hard, his shaft sliding down his pant leg towards me in response to our continued kisses, tongues dancing in each other’s mouths. This is what dancing should feel like.
I let my hand stroke him through his pants, and he growled into my mouth before nipping at my bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth. It swelled with pleasure as I trailed my hand up his chest, feeling the muscle underneath. I began to unbutton his shirt, but he stopped me, tipping me over in the backseat so that he was looming over me. He had one hand under my head to support it, making sure I was looking right into his eyes. His other hand began to remove my clothes effortlessly, finding no trouble with zippers or buttons. Before I knew it, I was naked on the leather seat as Ion was kissing down my body, making goose bumps rise all over my skin. “I wanted to wait for you little minx, but you’re so tempting.”
I shivered as his lips landed at my navel, letting my head go so that his fingertips of his other hand could stroke my nipples. They instantly hardened, and I arched my back in response. No one had ever touched me like that, in a way I might enjoy. “You’re a smart woman, love. I bet you knew there was nothing more that I’d love to do then be inside you after your date, hmm?”
The moment his hand slipped farther down, finding that sweet spot on me, my mind was blown. I knew it was possible and that it existed, but I didn’t think any man would ever touch me where I would like to be touched. He had my full attention and control at that point. “Answer me, love.”
“Y-yes” I trembled, Ion sat up just enough to begin stripping himself. I tried to sit up on my elbows so I could watch, but he shoved me back down, his palm landing square on my chest. There was that dominance again. He was the male lion, the head of the pride. I didn’t know he was finished until I felt his shaft, his hard-on right up against my thigh now. I tried to judge the size based on what I had felt and wondered what I was in for. Did his manhood match his confidence? I certainly hope so.
Ion snaked his hands up my legs before spreading them apart. The head of his shaft was now sitting at my entrance. It was not because he was waiting for permission, but he was going for suspense. The minute he slid inside of me, pushing through my wet center as far as he could, my mouth rounded out in an O. My hand reached up to grab the “oh shit” bar, dangling from it as his slow, hard thrusts sent pleasurable shivers down my spine.
I didn’t know sex would ever be that good for me, but I felt my mind letting go, feeling free in the sensations as he rocked my body. I moaned, relaxing into him as he took control of me, his cock spreading me wider as his rhythm picked up. My hand lets go of the bar, and both my hands travelled down his bare back, feeling the ripple of the muscles with the effort of his movements. He would go slow and then fast and then slow again, holding me back from that moment I wanted to experience so badly. It was pure heaven, and I never wanted it to end.
The car was slowing down, and I knew this needed to happen fast. He wouldn’t dare leave me so worked up and unsatisfied, would he? Just as the car slowed, he rocked his hips hard against mine, finally letting it happen as my body shivered beneath his. He held onto me as I moaned, feeling like I had been transported to another planet, his own release happening at the same time.
CHAPTER 13
Mariana
In the past two weeks, I’d forgotten completely that I had previously set up another date with a clan member. It was a few short weeks ago when I’d met him at a meeting Ion and I had attended. So far, the dates I’d gone out with were definitely not amused by Ion's cockblocking behavior. Both leaders I had attempted to make something happen with had gone off whining to other clan leaders, which told me that in their cases, I had made the right decision not to pursue them.
His name was Stefan Dalca. He was four years older than I was, making him well within the right age range, and his reputation more that preceded him. Besides Ion and Anton, he was one of the most feared clan leaders alive. He was quick-witted, sly, and easy on the eyes. He was a lady killer of sorts as well. There were rumors that his drug trades had made him a billionaire. I couldn’t help but think that if anyone other than Ion had the makings of taking on the Vasile legacy, he would be the one.
We ended up in an adjacent room, though I didn’t know how long our privacy would last. I smiled politely at him as he stared intensely at me with his amber eyes. His tight black shirt allowed me to see just how ripped he was, and his facial hair looked like it had been painted on. He could have easily been an offspring of Zeus in another life.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Mariana," he said, my name flowing off his tongue like melted butter. This guy was good.
"It is nice to meet you too, Stefan,” I told him, feeling myself getting nervous; like full on shaky knees nervous. It probably had something to do with him looking like he belonged in a Calvin Klein ad.
"I have heard the rumors you know, like you have been dating other clan leaders to see if they are a better fit for you than Irritable Ion," he commented, dropping hints all over the place. I couldn’t help but laugh at his nickname for Ion. "How has that gone so far?" he asked, smoothly.
I felt no need to lie. "Not so well," I admitted with a shrug. At that point, I kept glancing towards the hall, expecting Ion to show up at any moment. "Look, Ion could be here any moment and discover us..."
I was interrupted by Stefan who leaned close and then brushed a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear. I blushed, cheeks hot and red. What was it about this man? "Then, I guess we better give him something to look at," Stefan retorted with a cool grin. A warmth came over my stomach at that moment, until I did see Ion coming to watch us with fury in
his eyes.
"I will see you very soon," Stefan told me with a wink before turning around and looking Ion right in the eyes on the way out. I knew with this one, it was going to be nothing but a battle of the testosterone.
***
I did see Stefan again, several times before we even went on a date. He brought me flowers, a selection of cheeses, and even chocolates and a card. I could tell he was partially doing it so that he was in Ion’s face at all times. He even began calling for me at the house before he finally took me out. It was nice for me, though, because I felt I already knew some things about him before we had to converse on our first date. Maybe that was where I had gone wrong with the other two men; it had been the awkward exchange of total strangers. With Stefan, it wasn’t.
Our first date had actually been a tour of a winery outside of town followed by a small picnic. He was easy to laugh with but also easy to just look at or kiss if I wanted. There didn’t seem to be a rush or pretenses, nor did I feel like we had to talk about on or Jonas, or anything. He did know about my daughter, and he let me ramble about her all I wanted. Maybe what I had with Stefan was pure narcissism, or maybe it was what a real relationship was supposed to feel like.
I’d forgotten about our second date, he just showed up at the house, and I was completely unprepared. I looked back to Ion, his face filled with fury. If I had remembered I would’ve called Stefan and cancelled it, in truth, my heart didn’t want to be with him. I went with Stefan, discovering that he rented a house boat where there was a candlelit dinner waiting for me. It was stunning, seeing the city from afar like that at night as we fed each other good food. After dessert, he pulled out something I didn’t know he had; a guitar and proceeded to sing me a song in Portuguese. I didn’t know all of what he was saying, but his voice was beautiful. It took me aback, and I was smitten by the time he laid out a blanket so we could just float and look at the stars.
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