Hero: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance

by Lara Swann

  His breath hitched and he withdrew a moment later, his arms wrapping around me while he pushed me back against the soft cluster of cushions at the head of the bed. He grabbed something off the nightstand and the crinkling foil let me know what he was doing before he came back over me.

  His hands held my hips as he shifted into position, the sudden thickness against my entrance sending waves of nervous excitement through me while his mouth gently covered mine, taking a deep, slow kiss that left me mindless against him. My body was tense and ready, crazy with the lust and need that he’d drawn out with sweet, slow torment and waiting to explode.

  “Bella…”

  I could hear the deeper undertone in his voice, but I wasn’t up for talking, for hearing whatever it was he wanted to say. I needed it now or I wasn’t sure I’d build the nerve again.

  “Fuck me, Seth. Now.”

  He answered my wish a moment later, that teasing cock sliding slowly into me in one smooth movement, our bodies joining tightly together. There was a momentary pain, but I was wet and ready and it dissolved into a tight friction unlike anything I’d felt before.

  He didn’t give me much chance to recover, his hands moving from where they’d been anchoring us to cup my breasts, stroking and teasing while his mouth worked mine with a passion that had me clenching hard around where he’d settled inside me. My hands explored his back, hovered at the nape of his neck as I enjoyed the way our bodies pressed close together, every slight movement creating a spark of electricity that shot right through me.

  His hands moved around my back, letting every inch of exposed skin feel him as he started moving slowly inside me. I gasped at the sensation, his thick cock seeming too much for me to handle but creating such intense friction that my whole body felt like it was beating in time with his movements, blood rushing through me as the tension in my stomach started moving towards a pleasure I couldn’t describe.

  “God, Seth…fuck…”

  His chuckle was too strained to be convincing, the effort of holding himself back becoming apparent within moments. I was grateful for the restraint as I adjusted to the feel of him inside me, but the slow movement was quickly not enough and I found myself rising against him, meeting him stroke for stroke as I wanted more.

  “Damn it, Seth, harder…I need…”

  My breath came in short gasps, insistent, and a moment later he took me at my word, throwing me back on the bed and thrusting suddenly inside me, stars shattering behind my eyes with that one quick motion. All the power in his hard, muscled body exploded against me as he let the last vestige of control slip, the wild animal that had always beat just below the surface taking over. I cried out hard, my legs wrapping around him as I clung on with everything I had, nails scratching along his shoulders while he nibbled at my lips and his hands left hard, bruising marks against my skin.

  “Christ, I’ve never felt anything like you, Bella.”

  I wasn’t sure my tight pussy could take it, but every thrust brushed against my clit, taking me closer to the explosion I felt building inside. I was moaning incomprehensibly now, but I couldn’t help myself, I couldn’t believe what this felt like - what he was doing to me. The aching tightness only took me higher and I heard myself gasping Seth’s name as he grunted under me.

  “Seth…I…I can’t…”

  “Don’t. Don’t hold back. Come for me, Bella.”

  It was all I needed, his hard rasping breath in my ear as my climax roared through me, wave after wave crashing against my suddenly over-sensitive nerves. I screamed and his mouth covered mine, taking my release as he’d promised while my body gripped his with a tightness I couldn’t control. A moment later it proved too much for him, and I felt his last two hard thrusts before he joined me in an oblivious heaven, his cock throbbing hard as it jerked again and again inside me.

  For a moment, I knew nothing except the feel of his arms and the warm, musky scent of our joint bodies around me, lost in depths of pleasure I couldn’t have imagined.

  We came down in starts and shudders and when I finally managed to release my legs’ death-grip on his hips, he worked his way out of me and lay me down gently on the bed, leaving me feeling thoroughly used and aching. I wondered idly whether I’d be able to walk straight tomorrow, and found part of me hoping I’d feel the reminder of this for a while to come.

  He settled behind me with his arms wrapped around me protectively, his warm chest heating my back and letting me feel his skin while I still breathed heavily, hazy from the pleasure shuddering through my body. We stayed like that for a long time, content to drift in the warmth of what we’d just done, and I found myself falling asleep to soft-spoken words brushing my ear.

  “I’m never going to let you go, Belle…”

  Chapter One

  Bella

  Engaged?!

  I stared, eyes wide as shock plastered my face.

  My father was looking straight back at me, calm and controlled in that unflappable way he had while I struggled to reign in my wild reaction. I knew he was waiting for a response. A sensible, equally calm response. Something about as far out of my reach as the moon right now.

  My eyes flickered around the familiar study, seeking some comfort as I tried to control my reeling emotions. The floor-to-ceiling bookcases and warm leather sofas were as comfortable as I’d always remembered them, adding some color and life to a room that was otherwise too functional.

  My father stood before his dark mahogany desk, perching lightly on the edge of it as he waited for me. His salt-and-pepper hair had a little more salt in it but was otherwise unchanged from a few months ago, when he’d last visited me at university. With the strong face and slightly weathered complexion it framed, he had an appealing mixture of roguish good looks and old wisdom that I imagined made it fairly easy for women to consider him attractive. If, of course, the temptation of his wealth and position at one of the most prominent technology giants wasn’t enough.

  A moment to let my mind run through this set of detached, logical thoughts and I could finally ask the first question in my mind - without the bite that was so tempting to put in there. I cleared my throat and let just a little of my consternation show as I faced the solid, respectable wall my father always presented.

  “Why…how didn’t I know about this sooner?”

  “I wanted to tell you in person, Annabelle.”

  His expression didn’t flicker, no indication that he felt the slightest bit awkward telling his daughter that while she’d been away at university, he’d somehow gotten engaged to a woman she’d never even met. But then, he probably hadn’t even considered that I might have a problem with it - clearly, the decision made sense for him, and therefore it must be immediately obvious to everyone else. At least, anyone who shared his belief in pure, rational thinking.

  And in truth, the idea of him getting married - while potentially a little disturbing and disruptive - wasn’t a problem for me. If he’d found someone to make him happy after all these years, I could support that. But having no chance to get used to the idea, no way to share that journey with him or the opportunity to adjust gradually to the concept, that was hard to deal with.

  I was still trying to process it when he continued, not quite showing his impatience at my lack of calm acceptance of his life-changing news.

  “I think this will be good for us, Annabelle - you should have a maternal influence in your life, and I…well, I’m sure you can understand it’s been lonely for me, all these years.”

  Maternal influence?! Sure, maybe if I was a child…

  My attempt to hold onto a measured response was lost in disbelief, and I was too taken aback to even notice whatever else he’d said.

  I was 21, damn it - just graduated from university and come home to this craziness, not some child looking for a lost mother!

  I yanked my temper back sharply, trying to calm my nerves. Getting angry wouldn’t help - I’d been raised better than that, and if I wanted to make the slightest i
mpression on my father I’d have to take the time to process it and give a sensible, reasoned response.

  In fairness, he’d always been right about that - the one and only time I’d done something reckless and emotional, it had ended in disaster. Maybe it was difficult, but his approach had always worked out best for me. It was just so damn hard to live up to.

  You need to think things through, Annabelle. We can’t have these teenage tantrums; you’re better than that. I don’t know what your mother would have thought…

  I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself again. It was alright. This didn’t have to be a disaster.

  It was unexpected, sure. I would have liked to have been involved before this. And his approach to this conversation sucked balls - but that wasn’t a reason to rule it out already. My father had a point, and he’d raised me alone for the last 21 years - if he’d found something that would make him happy now, then I could hardly blame him for pursuing it.

  He certainly didn’t need my permission. Sure, seeking my opinion would have been nice, but this wasn’t the first time he’d made decisions without consulting me, and it was hardly right for me to object on those grounds. My blood was slowly returning to normal and I managed to get enough breath under me to give him a small nod and listen to the rest of what he was saying.

  “I’d like you to meet them—”

  “Them?”

  My voice came out a little sharper than I’d intended and he frowned briefly at the interruption, but continued with a nod.

  “Yes, Cora and her son - they’ll be coming for dinner tomorrow evening. I’d like you to meet them, make them both feel welcome.”

  Son? A new stepbrother too?!

  This time my instinctive reaction was harder to get over, and an uncomfortable weight settled in the pit of my stomach. I could come around to a new woman in my father’s life, but somehow the idea of a stepbrother sounded far too invasive. I didn’t want some stranger suddenly interfering with my life. Not when I was finally starting to feel ready to give it some direction and make my own decisions for once.

  It was a struggle to squash the sudden flare of resentment at that thought, but I could already tell I was over-reacting.

  The idea of this threatening the independence I’d wanted from this conversation was making me defensive, but it didn’t have to be a bad thing.

  So what if the last thing I wanted to do was invite a couple of strangers into my home? I owed it to my father to try and make this work. And that started with not deciding it was going to be horrific before I’d even met them both.

  What he’d said hit home - he had been alone all these years, and I’d never even considered that he might want something else. He’d always seemed so certain that Mom was the only one for him, so stoic in his lost love. He never talked about her, but the way her loss obviously still hurt him - even after all this time - had almost made me believe in the idea of soul-mates when I was a teenager.

  That thought was enough to take the last remnants of anger out of me. Thinking about Mom - about what had been lost before I’d even had the chance to know her - always did that.

  I looked up to find my father watching me carefully, that strange mixture of curious and baffled spread across his face. The same look I’d seen every time he couldn’t work out what was going through my mind or how I was going to react. It had always made me think that he was mentally preparing for a crazed teenage outburst - not that I’d had one of those for a good long time. My lip curved up at the thought of that, and all the other times I’d seen that expression.

  And then it wasn’t so hard to step forward, rest my hand lightly against his arm and nod, my own wild swirl of emotions settling for a moment as this became more important.

  “Okay, Dad.”

  I gave him a brief hug and felt one arm wrap around to squeeze my shoulder before he stepped back.

  “I’m sure we’ll all get along great - and I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy.”

  He smiled back at me for a moment and nodded, his demeanor as calm as ever while the slight tension that had grown between us slipped away. He stepped back behind his desk before turning to look at me.

  “I knew you’d understand. Now, didn’t you come in here to talk about something else?”

  I took a deep breath at the question, my mind returning momentarily to all the thoughts and plans I’d wanted to discuss with him - the well-rehearsed arguments and mental conversations I’d already had about potential career paths and options, discussions that in reality never quite went how I’d planned. But I wasn’t sure I could face that now - not another potential conflict, even one I was well prepared for, when my emotions were already stirred up and confused. There would be another time to think about all that.

  With a small shake of my head, I just shrugged.

  “It wasn’t important. I think I’m going to get an early night.”

  That was enough for him to murmur a goodnight and return to the stacks of paper I’d originally interrupted. I turned without another word, wanting some time and space to adjust to the landslide I’d just heard.

  I tried to convince myself I meant what I’d told him - that it would all be fine.

  I knew my immediate reaction hadn’t been fair, even if it was perhaps understandable. Having a new step-mother and stepbrother would be…different. But who was to say that wouldn’t be a good thing? My relationship with my father hadn’t changed since before I could remember and while I loved him dearly, shaking things up and having something to distract his intense scrutiny of my life might be good for us.

  I just wished I could squash the butterflies that kept skipping through my stomach at the thought of my new stepbrother.

  Chapter Two

  Seth

  I grunted hard, feeling the bench solid underneath me and my muscles burning as I forced the bar up, chest twinging as I managed to lock my arms straight and complete the rep. My teeth grit together tightly but I started bringing it down again anyway, ignoring the limits of my body as my blood pounded with the intensity of the workout and drowned the rest of the world out.

  My arms started shaking with the tension and my breath exploded out as hands closed around the bar from above, guiding it safely back into the rack. My focus broken, I snapped at the spotter.

  “You didn’t need to do that, Mike.”

  I sat up with a frustrated growl, leaning one arm on the bench and breathing hard while sweat streamed under the hard glare of my eyes.

  “Easy, bro.”

  Mike met my irritation with a calm glance that scraped at my loose control but had me looking away - we both knew he was in the right. I’d been driving past failure and it would have been dangerous to continue. The high of pushing myself to my physical limits was still flooding my body - nothing compared to some of the adrenaline I was itching for, but enough to lift me out of my mixed mood.

  At least for a bit.

  Taking a deep breath, I settled back onto the bench for the next set, prepping my worn muscles and clutching the bar as Mike idly scratched the scar running down his left cheek.

  “Seth—”

  I ignored the warning note in Mike’s voice, pouring my energy into the pure physical activity and letting the supremacy of my military-fit body fill my awareness. I knew I was pushing it, but I could take a few more…just a few…

  “Hey man, aren’t you late? Thought you were on the way to some fancy-ass dinner.”

  The words from the entrance of the room had my lips peeling back in a snarl, only driving me harder into the workout as my mood soured further. For a glorious minute, I could ignore the comment and get lost in the pulse beating hard in my ears, before I finally had to acknowledge the edge of my limits.

  I sat up with a grunt, wiping myself down with a towel as I flicked a glance to where Dale was leaning against another machine, watching me casually with eyes that never stayed in one place for more than a moment. My breath returning, I forced myself to stop
snapping at the guys who knew me better than my own flesh and blood and shrugged off the comment with a grimace.

  “Yeah, ‘cos I can hardly wait to see my washed-up mother and whatever asshole she’s shacked up with this time.”

  I managed to keep most of the bite out of my tone and Mike slapped my shoulder while I stretched my aching body.

  “Can’t choose your family, mate.”

  Ain’t that the truth.

  I sighed and shook my head, glancing towards the clock.

  “Shit. I really am late.”

  I stood and shook my muscles out, reluctantly grabbing up my towel and turning for the showers when Dale cocked his head in my direction.

  “Hey, while we’re talking of family - you gonna make the barbecue at Becky’s in a couple of days?”

  The question took me by surprise, but the smile that spread across my face was immediate. It had been a while since I’d been back at base and while I couldn’t help my reaction to whatever extravagant dinner was planned for tonight, I’d always had time for Ryan’s wife.

  “Barbecue huh? You promise Ryan you’d bring a bunch of gullible bastards again?”

  “Ryan? Shit, no. I promised Becky - so you’d better show, or I’ll make sure you’re on the end of that ball busting.”

  My smile turned into an all-out grin at the memory of how easily that warm, hearty woman had taken command of the SEAL squadron that had landed on her doorstep to ‘help’ with a few odds and ends, the promise of a barbecue dangling a day’s worth of hard work away. Of course, anyone who could survive life with Ryan for so long would know how to deal with the rest of us.

  “Who’s going?”

  Our platoon had only landed a couple of days before and I hadn’t had a chance to catch up, but as far as I knew most of the guys from my first squadron were still deployed.

  “Just us this time round, and Ace - saw him last night. Screwed his leg a month ago and been sitting pretty back here waiting on the physio’s word.”