by Stone, Piper
“And you’re the man to do it?”
Another challenge.
Another moment of defiance.
God, I wanted this woman.
“Oh, you’re going to find out.” With only two strides, I had her in my arms, keeping her pressed against the edge of the sunken tub. When she slipped one leg over mine, grinding her hips, I was ready to thrust every inch of my cock inside.
“Then give it to me.”
The way she’d looked the moment she walked into the salon had literally taken my breath away, her beauty even more radiant. She’d been so unsure of what to expect and the way she’d been prepared to do whatever I asked was something I would never forget. But seeing the real girl, unabashed in her desire for simple things had jerked away a portion of my armor.
A cheeseburger.
The time spent with no pretense had been so unexpected. The way she’d rattled on about groups like Disturbed and Korn, a true metal head, and all while dripping juice from her luscious mouth had been more attractive than any five-course dinner.
She didn’t care about money or power. She certainly wanted nothing to do with our families’ legacies. She simply wanted a partner in her life.
I shuddered, biting back a fit of anger as the realization I doubted I could be that man nearly pulled me back into my cage. No. I was going to enjoy the night. Damn the rest of the world or what we’d be forced to face.
I cupped both sides of her face, holding her lips just a mere inch from mine. The way the moonlight cast a shimmering haze over her lovely skin was breathtaking, keeping me from devouring every inch of her.
At least for now.
“Trust me, lady. I will.” I lowered my head, pressing my lips against her forehead. Her soft whimpers were more like purrs as she grasped my wrists, her fingers digging into my skin.
“You do frighten me, Christian.”
Her words sent a knife into my heart, another ugly realization that I was forced to face. She could never love a man like me.
“But not why you think. I’m not terrified of the danger you insist surrounds you or the fact we both have enemies.” She lifted her head until she was able to stare directly into my eyes.
“Then why?”
“Because I never wanted to care about you and I do.”
I was at a loss for words, the almost desperate need I felt for her increasing. I smoothed her hair, my fingers tingling from the touch. “You have no idea what you do to me.” The admittance wasn’t one I would have shared with anyone else.
Just a weakness and one I couldn’t afford, but with her, everything was different.
She slid the palms of her hands up my chest, her fingers stroking my neck. “I do want you.”
The words were sweet music, the invitation one I hadn’t expected. I was used to taking what I wanted. I pressed my lips against hers, still remaining in place, slowly opening her mouth.
She was shivering in my hold, her breath skipping as she darted out her tongue. I held her in the same position for a full minute, enjoying the gentle exploration, the quiet touch of our souls meshing together. At least for the moment I could keep her safe.
If only I could make her happy.
Stephanie curled her arms around my neck, pulling me tightly against her as we kissed. There were no manic movements, no rush to consume every inch of her. Simple. Beautiful.
Perfect.
She was the one who slipped her tongue inside, rolling the tip around my entire mouth as if tasting me for the first time. When she slipped her other leg around me, I shifted my arms, cradling her bottom. My cock was aching, throbbing to the point I knew I couldn’t wait much longer. I’d never been a gentle man, never wanted to share in a romance of any kind.
Just sheer fucking.
The sadistic needs sweltering within me.
The dark cravings that often kept me prowling at night.
With her, everything was different.
Her breath skipping, she eased back, offering a provocative smile as she brushed against my cock. “Make love to me.”
There was no more holding back. I pushed my cockhead just inside, slipping past her slickened folds, taking her an inch at a time. The heat was incredible, the feel of her clamping around my shaft tightening every muscle. I pulled her all the way down, delighting in the way she threw her head back, issuing a series of strangled moans.
“Oh, yes. So tight,” she mumbled before lolling her head against my shoulder.
“Wet. Tight. Perfect.” I managed to speak the words as my heart raced, every sensation electrified. The water slapped all around us, splashing over the edge as I drove into her, pulling almost all the way out then thrusting in again.
And again.
She mewed her joy, shattering every last resolve until I could no longer hold back the beast. Every second of being inside of her only heightened my needs, the burning desire that was rocketing through me like jet fuel. I couldn’t get enough, plunging in a barbaric manner as she clung to me.
“Yes. I...” Stephanie laughed softly, tossing her head back and forth, dragging her nails down my back. Her sensual eyes burned a hole into me and as she twisted her mouth, I could only envision shoving my cock down her throat. Every volt of electricity that shot through me further ignited the fire, intensifying my dark cravings. I wanted more.
I needed more.
I fisted her hair and yanked her head back, sliding my lips along her neck until I reached her ear. “Now, I’m going to fuck you in the ass.”
She shuddered in my arms, her lips pursing as I bit down on her neck. I wanted nothing more than to mark her as mine for all the world to see. I pulled out and within seconds had her splayed over the edge of the tub, rubbing my cock against her bruised ass. The heat that radiated between us had nothing to do with the temperature of the water.
As she tossed out her arms, clawing the deck surface, she kicked out her legs as if attempting to run away.
I would have none of it, smacking her bottom with two hard cracks until she tipped her head back in reverence. I wound my hand around her long lengths of hair with one hand, using the other to position the tip of my cock between her luscious ass cheeks. “If you ever try and run away from me, I will find you. There is nowhere to hide.”
I could see the smile crossing her face as she closed her eyes, the pulse on the side of her neck ticking wildly.
Everything about this moment seemed cathartic as I pushed my shaft into her dark hole an inch at a time. My entire body remained tense and I moved to the balls of my feet, sliding in another inch. Then another. The moment I hit the tight ring, she moaned, pushing up against the deck.
I rocked my cock into her, finally plunging the rest, throwing back my head and roaring. “Fuck!” I was frozen as her muscles clamped around the thick invasion, pulsing the same beat as my heart. God damn, this girl was hot, more so than she’d even been before.
We began moving together as I thrust hard and fast, the water lapping between us, sloshing over the side. Still, I could hear skin slapping against skin, the sound sweet music. I closed my eyes as I plunged savagely, drilling into her with absolute purpose. My balls were swollen, filled with cum, longing to erupt inside.
She met every hard thrust with one of her own, her purrs only increasing in volume. “Uh. Uh. Uh. Uh.”
Everything about this moment felt right, the scorching heat keeping my blood pumping wildly. I stretched my arms over her, locking our fingers together as I lowered my head, nipping her earlobe. The sheen covering her face was spectacular and the way her eyelids were half closed pulled at my heartstrings.
I could hold back no longer, my balls aching to the point of sheer anguish. As the orgasm jetted into my shaft, a terrifying understanding ripped through my system.
This was the only moment of peace we would ever have, for the nightmare had already begun.
* * *
“Sorry to call you so late.”
Matteo’s voice held an edge that I wasn’t used to hear
ing. The captain had knocked on stateroom door sometime after midnight, immediately dragging the red flags to high alert. While the yacht had satellite, the call was a ship to shore, surprising the hell out of me. My father must have found out I’d chartered one of the usual family yachts. Goddamn the man for his interference. I’d left her asleep and peaceful, which is more than I could say for myself. I was already antsy, my sixth sense telling me that I should have never left New York. “What’s going on?”
“You get right to it, don’t you? Nothing about your honeymoon?”
“Matteo, if you’re making a call at this hour, you’re not calling to ask me about my relationship. What the hell is going on?”
“Evidently you accosted a reporter at the marina?” Matteo asked pointedly.
“More like the asshole accosted my wife. What did the bastard post?”
“Not only a string of pictures, including being punched by one of your employees, but an entire article suggesting that you have direct connections to the Taglioni family. There are also insinuations that you’re attempting to take over as some big mafia leader. As you might imagine, the families are concerned.” There was utter disdain in his tone, but not for whatever I’d supposedly done.
“He actually printed that shit?” This was entirely unexpected.
“He printed it all right,” Matteo said quietly. “Which is why there’s going to be a Council meeting in two days.”
“When?” I asked, already seeing blood in my eyes.
“Does it matter?”
“Maybe. What time?”
“Look—”
“Just fucking tell me. I was railroaded into this bullshit and I’m going to find out why. And you will not tell anyone I may show up.”
“Don’t do it, brother.”
I remained quiet.
“Fine. It’s at three in the afternoon. Just stay away.”
I could hear the angst in his voice but at this point, I didn’t give a shit. “Did Father put you up to this?”
His hesitation pissed me off.
“I don’t think he would approve of me warning you if that’s what you’re asking,” Matteo finally stated. “If you want my advice, I’d lay low for a little while. Allow the Council to develop a course of action.”
The Council was doing this on purpose in my absence. They weren’t simply worried about a media frenzy. The sect had weathered that before. They were preparing a plan to thwart any control I might try to have.
“Fuck Father. I have nothing to do with any mafia organization. The Taglioni family is well aware I don’t shit where I eat.” I had no intention of telling Matteo anything about the switch or my concerns. At least not now. The call bothered me on several levels. However, I certainly didn’t need any additional problems.
“Yeah, I know, but there are some interesting statistics that this reporter pointed out, including monies transferred to one of your accounts. There’s talk it’s from proceeds from running drugs, not a real estate development market.”
Someone was attempting to frame or destroy me. That was their method of curtailing my power: cutting me off at the knees, even chancing one of their own might be murdered? I couldn’t allow anything to spiral out of control. “That’s bullshit!” I walked out of the room, walking onto our private deck. The moon seemed much more invasive than it had before. Then again, I could only see blood. “Look, Matteo. I’ve never confided in you about my business. There’s been no need.”
“No need?” he scoffed. “Brother, all I’ve ever wanted to do is work with you. You’re the one who shut me out.”
I took another deep breath, weighing the various options. The Council members wouldn’t handle their dirty work themselves. They obviously had a group of individuals they could call on at any time, including the possibility of a mole within my own firm. I wouldn’t put anything past them. From what I’d heard, the Council had engineered a scheme, but someone might have pulled the rug out from under them.
Initiating another plan of action.
One that could include eliminating the very reason for their concerns.
“You know what has always been expected of you by our father. You’re the golden boy, Matteo. Not me.”
Matteo laughed, the sound bitter. “We’re going down into that load of crap now? You have to be kidding me! Do you have any idea how many times our beloved father has told me how worthless I am? You’re acting like I’m working against you, Christian. That’s not fair.”
For the first time I wasn’t certain if my brother was telling me the truth. He’d always looked up to me, some community members commenting that Matteo worshipped the grounds I walked on. The words hadn’t been meant as a compliment since I’d always been considered the bad seed. “I trust you, Matteo. What else is going on?” Something wasn’t jibing.
“From what I understand, there are members of law enforcement looking into your background, checking the corporation. My guess is that they’re going to make certain you’re not running drugs out of the corporate office. Here’s the thing, I think someone tipped them off before the article hit. Almost as soon as you were gone the police arrived at your apartment.”
I’d thought it best that he stay at my penthouse, remaining as close to my corporate operations as possible. The timing was... interesting. “And what did you tell them?”
“That you were on a secret honeymoon and I had no idea where. They grilled me for almost an hour before finally leaving.” Matteo seemed out of breath.
“What kinds of questions did they ask?”
“If I knew you were working with organized crime. If I had any knowledge of illegal activities. You know the drill.”
Yeah, I knew the drill all right. “I’ll manage to handle the situation.”
“Like I said, you might want to stay away for a week, maybe longer. Just until everything blows over. And I hate to say this, but there are enough details that I think you have some kind of a leak in your organization. What about the Taglionis? If they get wind of this, they may retaliate.”
While the Don of the Taglionis wasn’t a reasonable man, he also was unlikely to start a war over rumors. Still, it was something I would need to keep in the back of my mind. “As I said, I’ll handle it.” In my way.
“What do you want me to do?”
“You need to get to the office early and find out all you can. Reassure the employees and the board of directors.” My answers were short and sweet. Matteo might be the only person I could trust.
Inhaling, I didn’t like what my instincts were telling me.
Matteo sighed. “What if the police continue asking questions?”
“You know what to do. I trust your judgement. By the way, what’s the name of this reporter?”
“Gabe Dixon,” he hissed. “He’s well known for investigative reporting.”
Yeah, I just bet he was. “Let me know what else you find. Get Rex and Trevor to find out who’s leaking information. I don’t give a fuck what they have to do.” I was enraged even though my gut had told me that I had a mole inside my own house. What troubled me the most was I wasn’t entirely certain who he or she was working for.
“There’s something else.”
I exhaled, moving toward the deck bar, yanking out a bottle of scotch. “What else?”
“Father McGivney came to visit me today.”
“About? Let me guess, he’s not happy with the way things are being handled, the deal he somehow managed to make.”
This time, Matteo’s sigh was riddled with his own level of anger. “There were no accusations or even questions. He simply led me to believe that I had a revered place within the Sacred Sect.”
Yeah, when my world fell apart, my own brother would be there to pick up the pieces. “Of course he did.”
“Look, Christian, I don’t know what’s really going on, but I have no doubt that both you and Stephanie are in danger. Where the hell are you? I had to search hard to find out which freaking boat you were on.”
Tell me something I didn’t know. I obviously hadn’t covered my tracks well enough. “Nothing against you, brother, but I’ve kept my destination secret for a reason.”
“Just take care of her, okay? I know you don’t give a shit about Stephanie but she’s a beautiful, intelligent woman. She deserves better...” Matteo hissed. “She deserves a decent life.”
That much we agreed on. “I’m not planning on allowing anything to happen to her.”
“Good. Just remember that I’m on your side. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I ended the call, holding the phone against my head, squeezing until I knew I could crush the thing without issue. The drink seemed heavy in my hand as I walked closer to the railing, staring out at the blackened sea. There were too many questions running through my mind and I knew the answers would be difficult to obtain. I wasn’t a patient man. I also didn’t like to be made a fool of.
My grip on the railing tightened, the anger turning into rage.
At this point, I knew that I couldn’t trust anyone within my own company. My plan to find out the dark secrets within the sect would need to be handled very carefully. Perhaps I would need an ally.
I wasn’t entirely certain I gave a shit about the reporter’s article. Whatever had been said was enough to put a focus on the sect. That wasn’t good.
However, one thing was certain. The man would need to be dealt with.
Upon my return, he would face my wrath. It was time to clean house. Then I’d deal with the Sacred Sect.
My way.
Chapter Eleven
Christian
I played out every scenario in my mind as I walked the ship, enjoying the quiet in an effort to figure out what the fuck I was going to do.
While the list of my enemies was long, the ones who had the balls to attempt to bring down either the Capodanno family or the sect in its entirety was limited. Those who had the capabilities even less.
In fact, that only left the Council itself.
Sadly, it was necessary to turn the boat around. I couldn’t allow the Council to have a meeting without their proposed new prince, even though my crown seemed to be tarnished. The thought gave me a much-needed smile.
