The Strand Brothers Series: Complete Set

by Lora Ann

  I held her jaw fast in my hand as I turned her for a deep, penetrating kiss. Our breathing was still ragged from fucking. Really, there was no other word for what we’d just done. When our pulses slowed, I eased out of her and murmured, “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

  She whispered, “Hurry up.”

  I chuckled while I strode across the suite to the huge bathroom. Once there, I ran a washcloth under warm water, wrung it out, and then walked back to where I had left her. She’d turned around, and was now leaning her back against the wall. I stopped short as I took in the sight before me: Her tits all trussed up from her bra. The skirt rucked up around her middle—her panties around one ankle and her stilettos still on. I rasped, “You. Are. So. Damn. Fuckable.”

  She glanced up at me from under her long, lush lashes. The look she gave me was hot. Heady. Then her eyes slid down my body and held on the fly, where my dick still hung out. She licked her lips as she pushed off the wall. Once she stood toe to toe with me, she went down on her knees. Without preamble, her warm, wet mouth encircled the head of my cock. I groaned as I watched her work my semi-erection into a full one with a hard suck. Reaching up, she finished undoing my pants and yanked them, along with my boxer briefs, down my legs. I toed off my shoes, and then she pulled everything away from my body.

  “My God, you’re so beautiful on your knees like this with my dick in your mouth,” I purred.

  She tugged away on a pop and directed, “Take off your shirt.”

  I held eye contact with her, and did what she told me to.

  Next she instructed, “Lie down,” she patted the floor in front of her, “right here.”

  I raised my brows, but complied.

  While I reached for several cushions off the nearby sofa, she stripped. I stilled and growled, “I need to be inside you.”

  She shook her head flirtatiously as she crawled between my legs. Then she went back to work on my cock. As she swirled her tongue along the sensitive underside, her cheeks hollowed and her throat relaxed, so she could take me all the way to the root. Her hands joined the party. And that was when I arched off the floor. With one hand she pumped me. The other was at my balls, where she stroked and gently squeezed my sac. I came on a grunt. Damn, the woman could give head like no other.

  We eventually made it to the bed, making love again and again. If we hadn’t been exhausted, we would’ve gone all night long. Instead, we fell asleep well sated and spooning.

  *****

  The six o’clock wake-up call was not welcomed. After I answered the call, I leaned over and kissed her mussed up hair. “You don’t have to go with me. I can handle this while you sleep.”

  She stretched and groaned a little. “No. I want to be with you.”

  “Alright. Grab a few more minutes of sleep while I jump in the shower.”

  She rolled over and sleepily replied, “’Kay.”

  As I showered, apprehension filled me. What if she didn’t remember the masquerade? What if she did remember, and ends up pissed off I didn’t tell her? What if that night didn’t mean the same to her, as it did me? All of those negative thoughts plagued me throughout breakfast—which did not go unnoticed by Aimee.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” she asked before sipping her coffee.

  I shrugged. “Nothing to worry about, Aimee.”

  Her brow arched. “Really? Because you sure seem anxious.”

  Could I hide nothing from her? I took a deep breath and found a calm I didn’t feel. “I’m good,” I replied, “Please don’t concern yourself with my moodiness.”

  She only stared at me. I knew she didn’t buy my act for an instant. As I wiped my mouth with the linen napkin, I stood and inquired, “You ready?”

  She met me across the room. “I don’t give up so easily, Nikko.”

  I half-smiled at that. “Don’t expect you to, lille.”

  When she placed her hand on my chest, she tiptoed to kiss the corner of my mouth. “So you know, you speaking to me in your native tongue won’t change a thing.” She kissed the other side of my mouth. “No matter how freakin’ sexy it sounds.”

  With that, she sashayed out of the suite. I followed her swaying ass with my eyes, and thought, I’ll never pull one over on her. No clue why I even tried. I gave myself a mental shake and placed my hand on the small of her back, as we made our way to the waiting limo. When I opened the door for her, she smiled up at me. “I do love you.”

  In return, I smirked, “Good thing for me. ‘Cause I would hate for you to havta kick my ass.”

  Once I crawled in beside her, I noticed she was laughing. Wow, I would give anything to hear that every single day for the rest of my life. Someday, I really needed to tell her just what she did to me. I squeezed her hand and didn’t let go on our ride through town. She really was the most incredible woman I had ever met. The fact that she was mine humbled me in ways I was still learning. My heart swelled with that knowledge. Somehow, someway, she had calmed the beast in me. Brought him to heel. And in doing so, she thawed out a side of me I thought I would never see again. I guess it was true: All things were possible. Not so long ago, I would’ve argued: but not probable. Now…well, I knew differently. And wasn’t that saying something about the power of what true love could do. Yes. Yes, it was.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Aimee

  When Nik had accused me of being able to “kick his ass,” there was no holding back the belly laugh that erupted. As if! The man was nothing but a slab of muscle and sinew. So freaking masculine it hurt to look at him. Every part of him was a bulging display of male anatomy—right down to that sexy as hell V, which led to his all impressive, long and thick, cock. My husband could give a porn star a run for his money in the ample penis department. Yet while all those thoughts ran through my head, I couldn’t help but notice the adoring look in his eyes and the loving expression on his face. Were those feelings for me? Or was it due to the fact, we were visiting old friends of his?

  Once he began to rub his thumb on the inside of my wrist, I was moved to some serious distraction. Why did that calming move not have the appropriate effect? It definitely caused a most sexual response, like he was stroking the ever-throbbing hot spot between my legs. Oh, hell. At this rate, I would mount him and have my wicked way with him.

  As we turned the corner, my lustful gaze took in the sight in front of us. The Tudor mansion set back from the street. We stopped at the security gates before we were allowed to enter. Why did it all look familiar? The closer we got, the more déjà vu it felt. Odd, that. Something teased my memory, but refused to reveal itself. Nik kissed the side of my neck, effectively bringing my attention back to him.

  “Where’d you go, lille?” His low voice rumbled, sending sparks of desire through me.

  I reached between his legs and stroked his erection, as I replied, “Was thinking of all the naughty ways I could have you—here and now.” I licked my lips to drive my point home.

  He growled, “Later, you’re goin’ to show me.”

  Before I could act, the door opened. Well, there went that seduction. I inwardly sighed because it was time to put on my new-bride-smiley-face and pretend to be interested in spending the day away from him. He proffered his hand to assist me out of the limo. I laced my fingers with his once we were on the sidewalk. As we approached the front door, it opened wide to welcome us in. A beautiful Italian woman stood there with a huge smile on her face. Without letting go of my hand, Nik leaned forward and kissed her on each cheek.

  “So good to see you again,” she greeted him with a glorious accent.

  He returned, “You, as well,” and added, “Though I would’ve preferred if it were under better circumstances.”

  She looked chagrined as she stated, “Yes, I would have to agree with that.”

  Nik turned towards me, tugged me forward and addressed, “Gina, this is my lovely wife Aimee. Aimee, this is Gina D’Arpino,” he introduced.

  I held my hand
out and announced, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Gina.”

  She drew me into a hospitable hug. “Oh, you are a beauty.” Then she gestured for us to enter. “Please, come in.”

  Once inside, a dark haired gentleman met us. “Nik,” he greeted—with the same accent as Gina’s, but not as thick—while they shook hands.

  “How’s everything, Franco?” Nik requested.

  He replied, “As well as can be expected.” Then he looked at me and smiled, “Ah, this must be your splendida sposa.” He stepped in front of me.

  Gina introduced, “Franco, this is Aimee. Aimee, my husband Franco.”

  With that, Franco hugged me tight and kissed each of my cheeks. I did my best not to pull away from the affection, as I replied, “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Franco.”

  He put his hand over his heart. “Nik, she’s as polite as she is beautiful.”

  Gina playfully smacked her husband’s shoulder. “Don’t scare her off.”

  He grinned when Nik took a possessive hold of my waist. Nik leaned in to me. “Don’t let him fool you, he adores Gina.”

  “He better,” she replied, “If he knows what’s good for him.” Her eyes narrowed on her husband.

  Franco grabbed his wife, dipped her over his arm and planted a sound kiss on her mouth. When she stood, she blushed—which was impressive, considering her olive complexion.

  After a few minutes of small talk, Franco turned to Nik. “Shall we handle this so we may return to these belle signore?”

  Nik kissed me softly and then said, “I’ll hurry.”

  I smiled, “No worries. I’ll be fine,” I assured.

  Gina stepped forward and clasped my hand. “She’s in good hands, Nikko.”

  I shot her a surprised look, having never heard someone say his full name—well, with the exception of me, that is.

  He bowed his head before leaving the room with Franco.

  *****

  Without preamble, I probed, “Why is it, that only you and I use Nik’s given name?”

  Her brow arched. “If you’d prefer me not to, I will honor your wishes.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not that. I was only curious.”

  “Well, by all means, let’s have breakfast. You may ask all the questions you wish about Nikko.”

  I grinned, “I would like that, a lot.”

  While we sat at the table, in an extraordinary gourmet kitchen, Gina poured me a cup of coffee and queried, “So, what all would you like to know, Aimee?”

  There was a warm sparkle in her eyes, which instantly made me feel like I belonged. It was comforting, especially considering I was unsure of my reception into Nik’s world. I mustered up some courage—time to get to the bottom of exactly who my husband was. “How ‘bout we start from where you all met.”

  “Ah, those were trying times.” She sighed heavily. “Of course, Lorenzo brought Nikko into the fold.”

  My eyes narrowed as my brow furrowed. “You have me at a loss. Who’s Lorenzo?”

  “I see Nikko is as tightlipped as always.”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “In his defense, it’s not like we’ve had a lot of time to get to know each other.”

  She bobbed her head. “Yes. How are things with the senator?”

  I blew out a breath. “Not sure. I mean, we haven’t seen or heard from him since the threat he made when he took me to the hotel.”

  “Oh, dear. I had no idea he had made other threats.”

  “Yeah, well, let’s just say the man is beyond unstable. He seems to think I’m impersonating someone.”

  She gasped, “How horrible!”

  “And then some,” I agreed.

  She refilled my cup and then hers. “I suppose I should give you a little back story to Nikko and Lorenzo.”

  I half-smiled at that. “Anything you feel comfortable sharing would be wonderful.”

  She continued, “Lorenzo came to this country at the tender age of seventeen. Quickly, he connected with old families which had relocated here.” She paused and glanced out the window, then proceeded, “See, these families had left Italy for good reason. They were, how do you say, crooks. Therefore, they were run out of our town after someone of great esteem was murdered.”

  My turn to gasp. “Wow. That must’ve been quite a scandal.”

  “Oh, yes. Thus, when Lorenzo reacquainted himself with these men, his family disowned him.”

  “How could they?! I mean, no parent wants their child to take the wrong path in life. But I would think love could overcome a bad decision.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point.” She sighed, “Unfortunately, not all see things our way.”

  I shook my head in disgust. Admitting only to myself, and this is the reason you have never told your family that you were a prostitute. Yeah, well, there was that fact to contend with. Fear, shame, and guilt, kept my skeleton locked tight in the closet. In a way, it seemed fitting I carried those feelings with me—a self-imposed punishment, as it were. Not something I would ever recommend one do, albeit, I would make the same choice all over again to save my dad.

  “What happened next?” I inquired, desperately tamping down my morose feelings.

  She shrugged. “As you can imagine, Lorenzo did not work within the law. But soon he established his own customers, and quickly made a lot of money.” She smiled, “Wanting to begin anew, he also ran legal companies. He desired for all of his companies to eventually be above board.” She exhaled heavily. “Others did not agree, unfortunately.”

  “Oh, no!” I exclaimed. “What happened?”

  “While on business in California, he was set up. But it wasn’t all bad. That’s where he met Nikko.” Her words belied her expression of true despair.

  I swallowed hard—truly unsure if I wanted to hear anymore—and queried, “How exactly did they meet?”

  Her big brown eyes grew serious as she replied, “They were in the same prison at the same time.”

  My mouth popped open on an O of shock. Yes, I knew Nik had done time—thanks to the Internet. Yet I didn’t know what for. The knowledge that I was about to learn this information tied my stomach up in knots. Maybe, you should wait for Nik to tell you this part? Instead of stopping her, I inclined my head for her to continue. Stupid! Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. Gah, sometimes I really hated that voice in my head!

  Gina went on, “Lorenzo saved Nikko’s life.”

  Unable to stop the surprise, I gasped, “What the?!”

  She nodded, “Prison is a dangerous place. Not where a mere child should be put. Especially…” She paused. “Well, that’s not really my story to tell. Anyhoo, for protection, Lorenzo did what he had to do.”

  “Which was?” I bit my lip, hard.

  Her eyes widened. “Why, to bring him into the gang, of course.”

  Gang? WTF?! My husband was in a gang. Holy crap!

  She clasped my hands with hers. “You didn’t know.”

  I fought the tears and whispered, “No. But I’d like to understand.”

  “There’s not much to it. You need someone to have your back when you’re in the pen. Lorenzo genuinely liked Nikko, so it wasn’t a tough decision.” She chuckled, “Besides, it was how he groomed the perfect CEO.”

  “Come again.”

  She beamed, “He saw the potential in Nikko. Plus, he knew the distraction was needed. Hence, your husband got his degree, along with one-on-one tutelage from a very successful business man.”

  “Oh, my! That’s incredible.” Seriously, I sat there in awe. To think he took a horrible situation and turned it around to something remarkable. Were there words for that?

  “Needless to say, once they were released, Lorenzo brought Nikko home to meet those of us who were ready for a change.”

  “Change? You’ve lost me again,” I affirmed.

  “You see, Lorenzo wanted all of his companies legal. Traditionally Franco, being his nephew, should’ve been the one to take over when he stepped down. B
ut my Franco is a wonderful assistant, not a leader. Therefore, Nikko took the reins. And as they say, ‘the rest is water under the bridge.’ ”

  Incredulous, for a moment, I couldn’t speak. As I processed all I had just learned, I took a sip of my coffee.

  Gina stood and stretched. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?”

  “Yes, thank you. I’d love to.”

  With that, we began our tour.

  *****

  Each room was lovely, old world money mixed with modern tradition, which made for a welcoming environment. I took mental notes, wondering if I would have a chance to decorate a home for Nik and myself. Were we staying in New York? Moving here? Guess it was time I inquired. As I took in everything, that same niggling sensation of familiarity filled me. What was it about this home? Why did I have the sense I’d been here before? We rounded the next corner, and I stopped short. I had long lost what Gina was saying as we entered the ballroom, which brought back memories of the masquerade like nothing else ever had. While I took it in from every angle, the night replayed through my head with crystal clear clarity. I could see the band, Michael Bublé center stage, the elegant ladies and debonair gentleman in their exquisite masks. The smells were even there in my recollection—all brought to the forefront as soon as I had walked into this ballroom.

  Gina finally pulled me from my reverie. “Aimee, is everything all right?”

  I shook my head and pivoted towards her. “Do you have many festivities here?” I inquired.

  Her puzzlement was obvious as she answered, “A few. Why do you ask?”

  I swallowed the huge lump in my throat before I replied, “You have an annual masquerade for charity.” Not a question. Somehow, I knew I was accurate.

  She grinned, “Yes, we do. We’ve been hosting that event for abused women and children for ten years now.”

  “Oh my God,” I gasped as my knees buckled.

  Before I hit the floor, strong arms enclosed my waist. A deep, raspy voice spoke low in my ear. “Breathe, little one.”