Beautiful Hell: The Mafia and His Maiden: Book One

by Wanitta Praks

  Fuck! He was hard again.

  He tore open a new condom pack and slipped it over his cock. He walked back and climbed onto the bed, spooning her in his embrace.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asked, her rosy scent making his head spacy.

  “Only a bit,” she said, her voice soft and musical, a ballad to his ear.

  God, this woman was driving him crazy. He couldn’t stop kissing her. He kissed her shoulder, back, and spine, then buried his face in her hair again. He ran his free hand up her belly until he found her breasts. He squeezed them a couple of times, then ran his fingers down her leg.

  “I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said, before lifting her leg up and folding it over his hip. She was now open and ripe for fucking. He slipped into her pussy and started moving. She moaned something incomprehensible, but it was still a pleasure to his ear.

  This time he took it slow. This time it was for her. And he loved it, hearing her moan his name.

  “Lorenzo. Lorenzo.”

  Fuck!

  He wanted her to call him Tyler. Tyler. Tyler was his name.

  Lorenzo grew aggressive. He pounded into her faster and harder. Amelia was struggling to keep up. She was grasping on to his shoulder, the bedsheet, anything to stop this turbulence he’d created. But she was losing.

  She lost her balance, and he slipped out of her.

  Fueled with anger and an uncontrollable need to control, he tossed her over until she was flat on her stomach.

  “Lorenzo.”

  No. Tyler. My name is Tyler.

  But he didn’t voice his thought. He dragged her until she was in the middle of the bed. Pulling her legs up, he spread her apart and entered her from behind. He pounded into her again.

  By this time Amelia was rasping, her voice lost to the sensation he’d given her. But he wasn’t done yet. He lifted her up and now she was sitting on him. He pounded into her from below, her breasts bouncing to the rhythm of his movements.

  He kept going and going until he burst, white light blinding his eyes, and then everything went still. They both collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily.

  He rested for five minutes, until his breath returned to normal. He opened his eyes to see Amelia already asleep, his marks on her body, evidence of the aggressive lovemaking he did.

  He rolled out of bed and saw the sun rising. It was already dawn.

  How many times did he fuck Amelia? He’d completely lost track of time. He tiptoed to the bathroom, closed the door behind him, and walked into the cold shower.

  He needed this. He needed the cold water to wake him up. Not just his physical self, but his stupid fucking brain, too. He’d just fucked a virgin girl within an inch of her life.

  He pressed the flats on his hands against the gold tile and let the cold spray wash away all his pain and misery.

  What had gotten into him? Why did he suddenly want Amelia to call him Tyler? No one had ever called him by that name since he was at the orphanage. So why now?

  “Rose.” He shut his eyes, his tears mixing with the water. “I miss you.”

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, Lorenzo was all dressed and ready to face the world. But was Amelia ready to face him, to face the world with him? He went back into his bedroom to check on her. She was still asleep. He sat on a chair and waited.

  It was time to make a decision. And he would let Amelia decide on her new fate.

  Chapter 20

  Decision

  I woke up to see Lorenzo watching me. He was sitting so elegantly on the chair, just a few feet away. He was already dressed in an immaculate business suit, as if he had come from an important business meeting. Whereas I…

  I remembered what happened last night. I bit my lip, gathering the bedsheet to cover my naked breasts. I looked at my surroundings. How many times did we do it last night? There were many condom wrappers everywhere.

  “Do you remember what happened last night, Amelia?” Lorenzo asked me.

  I nodded my head. “Yes.”

  God, I felt pathetic. Why did I feel like his mistress, some woman who he’d had sex with and dismissed? I felt like a whore. Was that how he viewed me, like a whore, because I was the one who had initiated this?

  “Come here, Amelia.”

  I went to him—

  And collapsed back on the bed. He did good on his promise last night. I was sore all over.

  He smiled, as if satisfied with what he’d done to me. And I was completely captivated by him. I had never seen his face this bright before. He was so handsome, and at that moment I thought of the young boy in my dreams and how uncanny it was that Lorenzo had his face.

  Lorenzo strolled toward me and came to sit on the edge of the bed, his fingers brushing my cheek softly, like I was something fragile he was afraid to break. “Do you regret what happened last night?”

  I looked down, not sure if I could answer this question. Did I regret having sex with him last night? No. I had enjoyed the experience very much. Despite it being rough and aggressive, I had enjoyed it all the same. Because it was with him, Lorenzo. It didn’t matter if he went fast or slow, it wouldn’t change the fact that I had enjoyed sex with him. And only him.

  I had no other men to compare it with since Lorenzo was my first, but I didn’t think I would enjoy it with other men like I did with Lorenzo. Because to me, sex was more than two bodies connecting. It was the connection of two souls. And Lorenzo and I, we had this connection. I didn’t know if he felt the same way or not, but to me, I definitely felt it.

  Before I could give him my answer, he spoke again. “I apologize about last night.”

  I frowned, stunned at all those apologies and questions coming from him. What did he have to apologize for? Did he regret what happened between us last night? Did he not enjoy the experience, like I did? Or was I not good enough for him?

  When he saw my facial expression, he tugged me forward until I fell on his lap. He shifted me until I was comfortable, then pressed his lips to mine. After a soul-sucking kiss that almost sent me to heaven, he said, “I want to apologize if I hurt you. I wasn’t aware you were a virgin.”

  Oh… Was that it?

  “It’s okay,” I said, a tinge of a smile on my lips. “You weren’t to know.”

  He brushed my cheek and tilted my chin up so I was able to see his face fully. Mesmerizing blue and green heterochromia eyes gazed back at me, so soft and warm, I felt loved when looking at those eyes.

  “I have a new proposition for you, Amelia,” he said out of the blue.

  I blinked, stunned at this new announcement. I looked up at him, not sure what he was proposing this time.

  “I want you to be my woman,” he said.

  “Your woman?” I repeated. “I thought I was already your possession.”

  “You still are.”

  “Then what difference does it make with the new title?”

  “As my woman, you will satisfy every facet of my life.”

  “You mean with sex?”

  “That is one component to our relationship.”

  I understood sex was an important component to any relationship, but what I felt for him, this connection, was there more to it than just sex? Did he not feel it, too?

  “Do you love me?” I asked, because it was an important question to me. And the answer would determine what kind of relationship we would have. And a relationship without love…could I go through with it?

  “I don’t believe in love,” he said with a straight face. And I knew he’d told me the truth. Because Lorenzo never lied.

  I looked down and twiddled with the lace of the bedsheets. I didn’t know what to make of his answer. I didn’t know how I should feel about this. My emotions were all over the place. I understood his meaning completely. He didn’t love me. That part was simple, but it somehow stung. Because I also didn’t understand what I felt for him. Affection, maybe. But did that equate to love?

  “You don’t love me, but you want to continue this sexu
al relationship between us,” I stated, wanting to clarify his proposition.

  “That is precisely what I’m saying.”

  So he liked sleeping with me. He just didn’t love me.

  When he saw I didn’t respond, he gave his ultimatum. “Amelia. I will give you two choices. You can decide what you want to do. If you choose not to continue this relationship, I will walk out this door right now and we will forget that last night ever happened. You will continue to be my possession. But I will never touch you again. If you choose to become my woman, you have all the rights and privileges as my woman.”

  Choices. Each choice led to a consequence. What would my consequence be if I chose to be his woman?

  I didn’t need time to think, because I knew already what I wanted deep in my heart. I leaned in to kiss him, my decision made.

  Chapter 21

  His Woman

  Lorenzo loved watching Amelia’s facial expressions, especially right now when she looked so animated as she watched the plane pull onto the runway. That smile, the light spark in her eyes, he took note of every little detail on her face. Amelia was excited. That pleased him very much. Until she shifted in her seat, her hands automatically gripping the armrest. The plane was ascending.

  “Are you scared?” he asked, noting the change in her behavior.

  “Yes,” she said, her eyes round and large.

  No. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like it when she was scared.

  “Don’t be. I’m here.”

  Amelia forced a smile, but it still didn’t hide the fact that she was afraid of planes.

  They felt a slight bump and Amelia immediately snapped her eyes shut and clamped her hands together in an effort to relax herself. It didn’t work.

  Lorenzo was curious as to what made Amelia so afraid of planes. Had she never been on one before?

  “Would you like to hold my hand?” he asked, leaning over to whisper in her ear.

  Amelia flipped her eyes open, as if only realizing that he was sitting there beside her.

  “Is that okay?” she asked as if afraid he would say no.

  Lorenzo didn’t respond. To him, actions spoke louder than words. He took her hand in his and link their hands together. “Squeeze my hand if it helps.”

  Amelia nodded and snapped her eyes shut again. When the plane made an ascent into the sky, he could feel the pressure tighten on his palm.

  He needed to ease her fear. Without thinking about it, he was already leaning toward her, his mouth just inches away from her temple.

  “I’m here. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he whispered and gently pressed a kiss on her temple.

  Amelia fluttered her eyes open at the close contact. Their eyes locked, and for that split second, words were not needed; they both understood each other.

  He palmed the side of her cheek and brought her face close. She watched him with large doe eyes, her lips slightly parting, as if she knew what was coming next. He complied, sealing their lips together. She drunk all of him in, moving her tongue in tandem with his, kissing and gliding along his jaw. He chased her lips, satisfying himself with another kiss before parting.

  “Thank you,” she said, her face flushed from the kiss.

  “For the kiss?” he teased her, watching her face grow redder by the second.

  “For distracting me,” she said, her eyes bright and alluring. “It means a lot to me. Especially since it’s my first time flying. So thank you. Niko.”

  Lorenzo was stunned. He couldn’t believe his ears when Amelia had called him by his first given name. This was the name his father gave him. And only close people called him that.

  Did that mean Amelia considered him as someone close now?

  A small smile played on his lips. Was this happiness?

  What about your brother? What about your revenge? Amelia is the woman responsible for all the disasters in your life. He tried to shun these thoughts by only thinking about the present.

  Were the last few weeks not enough? Did Amelia have to suffer more in order to satisfy him? He had created the perfect hell for her, but what did he gain in return? Nothing. Only heartache and pain. But yet it was Amelia who had given him something that he had thought he had lost forever. His smile.

  “It’s going to be a long ride. You should get some sleep.”

  Amelia didn’t ask further questions. She rested her head on his shoulder and relaxed. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

  The flight took a little over two hours, and Amelia had slept the whole way. His private plane descended on his private land, and it was only a small drive until he got to his residence at Rose Farm.

  Lorenzo picked her up and carried her to his home. At the front entrance, all his staff had lined up to greet him.

  “Master Niko. Welcome—”

  They paused midsentence when they saw the woman in his arms.

  “Amelia. Wake up. We’re home,” he lightly called to her, waking her up.

  Amelia stirred, fluttered her eyes open, and she smiled at him. He just loved it when the first thing she saw was him. It made him feel good. Like he was the center of her universe, an important person in her life.

  He liked that. He liked that feeling a lot.

  Amelia was all smiling and dazed, until she turned around and saw his staff smiling bashfully at her. She struggled out of his hold.

  “Niko. Please put me down.”

  He ignored her. “You’re tired. I’ll take you upstairs.”

  “But…” she started, and he chose that moment to make his announcement.

  “This is Amelia. She is my woman. I expect nothing but the best of service from every one of you.”

  Lorenzo was pleased to hear the collective cheers from his staff and to see the shocked look on Amelia’s face.

  “Niko, what was that? How can you say that in front of everyone?” She hid her face in the crook of his neck.

  She was embarrassed again. And he loved seeing her blushed face.

  He carried her up to his room. “Because I can.”

  “Niko. Put me down. I can walk now.”

  She kept talking, and he just wanted to shut her up with another kiss to her lips. But he ignored his need. Once he got to his private room, he laid her gently on his king-size bed.

  “Do you want to freshen up first or rest some more?” he asked, giving her the choice.

  “I slept so much during travel; my body is all achy now. I’ll go freshen up first.”

  “The bathroom is that way.” He gestured to the open door.

  “Thank you.” She smiled and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Lorenzo waited five minutes before following.

  Cool water bathed my hot, sweaty skin as I ducked my head under the shower, feeling the stress of the day draining away at my feet. I stepped deeper into the spray, willing the water to wash away all of my sins, all of my misery, all of my misfortunate that had led me to this point in my life. Because from now on, my life would get better. It had to. Otherwise, why would Lorenzo, the man who was my father’s creditor, announce to everyone that I was his woman?

  I was sold off to him in exchange for my father’s four-million-dollar debt. I had thought he had an underlying reason for why he had treated me so harshly for the past few weeks when we were together in his New York penthouse, but that was not the case. Since the night I became his, he had changed. And I felt it. Now I was here in his private residence in Chicago.

  “Amelia.” A deep voice caressed my ear and I startled out of my reverie. I froze, not knowing how to react in this situation. I was having a shower, a privacy that he had clearly invaded. But to him, there was never any privacy between us. I was his, and he could use me in any way he wanted. Anywhere and anytime. And he needed me now. There were no excuses. I was trapped. Right here. In his arms.

  He came to embrace me from behind, his blond locks soaked under the spray of the shower, his head bowed to rest at the junction of my nape. I breathed
, staying as still as possible. Waiting. Watching. Listening. For his next move. For his next action. For it was always unpredictable.

  But I was also unpredictable. Sometimes, I would let him have me. Sometimes, I would defy his order, fight him to get my way. And this time, there was no exception. I was the first one to make the move.

  “Niko—” That one word was the driving force that spurred him into action. In the span of several heartbeats, he had me pinned against the tile wall with both arms above me. Locked in place, his lips glided across my jaw and down to my throat, where he sucked at my carotid, feeling the pleasure of my pulse throbbing in tandem to my heartbeat. A ghost of a smile played on his lips.

  “Are you nervous, Amelia?” he growled, the deep timbre of his baritone struck a chord in my heart and I throbbed with a need only he could appease.

  He knew me too well. Yes, I was nervous. No matter how many times we did it, I would always be in this state. I wanted to run, get away from him, so I wouldn’t have to feel like this, but I had nowhere to escape. He was everywhere. In front of me, beside me, arms wrapped around me, to the point my senses went into overdrive.

  I was completely overwhelmed and undone by him. The touch of his fingers on my overly sensitive skin, the feel of his naked body molded against mine, and the scent of his deep masculine mast swirled around me like an intimate lover. Everything was just too much; I shamefully hid my face in the crook of his neck.

  Hiding was my tactic. Hiding was my vice whenever I faced trouble. And that was my first instinct. To retreat. To hide. In a place where he couldn’t see my lustful eyes, filled with desire for him. But he wouldn’t let me have my way. He cupped my cheeks, dragging my attention back to him.

  That was what he always did. He wanted me to focus only on him, because in my life, he was the center of my universe. He was the gravitational force that allowed me to stay pivoted. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. Without him, I would be long dead.

  I watched him, gaze fixated on his blue and green heterochromia eyes, just as his bored straight into my amber pupils.