Ruthless

by Deborah Bladon

  I skirt around the core question by pointing at the vacant chair across the table from me. “You should sit with me.”

  On an exaggerated sigh, she plops into the chair, wiping both hands on the sauce-stained apron she’s wearing. “I’ll sit. You’ll talk about your boyfriends.”

  “Boyfriends?” I pick at the corner of a slice of garlic bread in a basket in the center of the table. “I don’t have any boyfriends, Marti.”

  She frowns. “Not one? Why not?”

  Shrugging, I let out an exaggerated sigh. “It’s not for lack of trying.”

  I can’t tell her that I’ve kissed my boss twice. She’ll show up at my office with a laundry list of questions for Barrett about his intentions. That’s a complication that I don’t need.

  I know she means well, but I have to chart my own course. Barrett may only be looking for a one and done as in one fuck, and we’re done with that fun.

  “I’ll ask around here if there are any single nice boys.” Her finger curves in an arc as she surveys the room. “Leave it to me to find you a date.”

  “No.” I reach across the table to tap her hand. “I’ll find him one day, Marti.”

  “When you do, I’ll tell him what a treasure you are.” She squeezes my fingers. “I’ll let him know that you’re the most special girl in the world.”

  I hear the emotion in her voice before I see it in her eyes.

  “Grandma,” I whisper, darting from my chair to round the table so I can drape my arms around her neck. Pressing my cheek to hers, I relish in the comforting fragrance of her perfume. She’s worn the same scent for as long as I remember.

  “I know how lucky I am to be your grandma.” She pats my arm. “I know how lucky I am that you’re here with me.”

  Pulling back, I smile down at her. “I’m lucky. Marti Calvetti is my grandma. Not many people can say that.”

  That lures a grin to her mouth. “Your sister, your brother, and all of your cousins can say that.”

  Kissing her cheek, I laugh. “Good point.”

  Her gaze darts to something next to me. “I should get back to the kitchen, Dolly.”

  I’d join her, but I’m ready to call it a night. I was hoping that Barrett would reach out at some point, but I haven’t heard anything from him since he left the office with his sister this morning.

  I put in a full day, finally leaving work at six to come here for dinner.

  I wait until she’s on her feet before I take my grandma in my arms. “I’ll talk to you soon. I love you.”

  Holding tight to me, she kisses my cheek. “I love you, my sweetheart. Be safe on your way home. Promise me you’ll look both ways before you cross the street.”

  “I promise,” I say, pulling back to lock eyes with her. “I always do.”

  Chapter 39

  Barrett

  She’s going to give me hell for this, but I don’t give a shit.

  Lowering the back passenger window of the town car I’m in, I take a moment to appreciate how goddamn beautiful Bella is.

  She’s walking on the sidewalk, swinging a brown paper bag in her hand. Calvetti’s is stamped across it in red ink.

  I was headed in that direction after I stopped by the office to find it empty. A visit to her apartment resulted in a quick conversation with her sister. Gina was the one who suggested I check out the family restaurant.

  I could have texted Bella or called her, but I wanted to surprise her.

  As the car rolls to a stop at a red light, I reach forward to tap the driver on the shoulder. “I’m getting out here. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

  “Sure thing, sir.”

  I exit the car, keeping my gaze trained on my executive assistant as she strolls down the sidewalk, smiling at virtually every person she passes.

  Her soul is gold. Happiness radiates from her.

  I know she’s too good for me, but I don’t care. I want her. I’ve never wanted a woman more.

  “Bella,” I call out as I step onto the sidewalk from the street.

  Her head bobs to the left, then the right. A glance over her shoulder lures a bright smile to her lips.

  I put that there. I have to be the luckiest man in the world.

  Pivoting on her heel, she tilts her head to the side. “Did you just get out of a car?”

  Laughing, I narrow the space between us with hurried steps. “My subway guide was busy.”

  Her gaze drops to the pink box in my hand. It’s tied with white string that is doubling as a handle. “What’s that?”

  “Bait to get you to come home with me.”

  She takes me in. I’ve been wearing the same suit and shirt since this morning. I left my tie at my sister’s place after shedding it halfway through lunch. I know I look haggard, but it’s in a good way.

  I had my first family reunion today. It feels like I’ve been wrung inside out emotionally. Nineteen years of pent up feelings worked their way out, and by the time I said goodbye to my two sisters, I was spent.

  A night alone and a glass of whiskey was what I thought I needed until I spotted a bakery in Brooklyn on my way back to Manhattan. I made my driver pull over. I hopped out, ran in, and came out with a half dozen cupcakes.

  I don’t buy cupcakes. I’ve never thought about feeding one to a woman until now.

  Resting a hand on the lapel of my jacket, Bella leans closer. “A kiss is all the bait you need.”

  Wrapping my free hand around the back of her neck, I take her mouth in a deep, sensual kiss.

  I hear a “yes, man,” next to us, followed by a string of whistles.

  When we break apart, her eyes are glazed. I swear to fuck that’s exactly how I feel.

  Running the pad of her thumb over my bottom lip, she smiles. “Lipstick.”

  “Come home with me, Isabella.”

  A soft kiss to my lips is followed by the only word I want to hear her say. “Yes.”

  ***

  With her back against the door to my penthouse, I give Bella another kiss before we enter. This one drops the bag from her hand as her fingers tangle in my hair.

  I’ve been hard since I kissed her on the sidewalk. I could barely contain myself when we rode the subway here. It was packed, so we stood. Bella’s ass was pressed against me the entire time. I dropped a hand to her hip to control our movement. Grinding against her in public may have been out of the question, but the friction of her ass brushing against my erection was enough to pull a soft moan from her when I pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

  “Inside,” I groan against the corner of her mouth. “Inside now.”

  She leans back to look in my eyes. “I can’t until you unlock the door.”

  All the blood in my body has rushed to my cock. I can’t think straight. Pushing the box from the bakery at her, I fumble in my pocket for my keys. Tugging them out, I unlock the door quickly.

  I wait for her to enter first. She bends down to pick up the bag she dropped. That gifts me with a perfect view of the top of her tits.

  Her gaze meets mine when she straightens. “Were you checking me out?”

  “I’ve been doing that since I met you at Atlas 22.”

  Shrugging a shoulder, she laughs. “Same.”

  Watching her walk, I follow behind a step. “You’ve been checking me out since that night?”

  She drops everything in her hands on the foyer table. “Every chance I could. I even found some pictures of you online.”

  I know what she’s talking about. Alyssa kept a running diary of our relationship on her social media pages. After I broke things off, I asked her repeatedly to wipe my face clean from her online presence, but she insisted our relationship was “a chapter of her story.”

  “The only pictures of you online are on your Facebook page, and those are two years old,” I point out.

  That spins her around to face me. “You looked at my Facebook?”

  I drop my keys and wallet on the table. “Don’t pretend that you’re surprised,
Bella. You know I’ve been fantasizing about you for weeks.”

  She steps out of one of her heels before she does the same with the other. The loss of height puts her almost a full foot shorter than me.

  “What did you think about when you fantasized about me?”

  I fucking love that she’s not too shy to ask. I love that her cheeks haven’t bloomed pink out of embarrassment. She took my confession for what it is. I’m telling her that I’ve thought about her when I stroked myself.

  Sliding out of my suit jacket, I drop it on the floor. “Your tits.”

  Her gaze falls to the front of her dress. “They’re nice, aren’t they?”

  “From what I’ve seen, they’re fucking magnificent.” I edge a finger over the neckline of the red dress she’s wearing. “I want to see more.”

  She turns slowly, lifting her hair with her hand. “Unzip me and I’ll show you.”

  With a steady hand, I grab the pull and yank the zipper down in one fluid movement. The back of the dress falls open, revealing a black lace bra and the top of a black thong.

  My knees shake, but I suck in a breath. She’s going to fucking kill me with need.

  The dress is on the floor before she spins back around, her hands at her sides.

  I take it all in. The swell of her breasts pressing against the delicate lace and the darkened circles visible beneath are what draw my eyes down. Her nipples are perked and aching to be bitten.

  I slide my gaze lower to her stomach and the small triangle of lace that covers her mound. She’s smooth. I can see it under the sheer fabric.

  “Is this what you saw in your fantasies?”

  I have her up and in my arms, before I can form an answer. I tangle a hand in her hair, kissing her with abandon, not caring that our teeth crash into each other and I’m stumbling forward.

  She wraps her legs around me, and I feel it. I fucking feel the need from inside of her. Pure heat is radiating from her skin.

  I toss her onto her back on the couch.

  A wince mars her perfect face. “That hurt.”

  “I’ll kiss it all better,” I growl, dropping to my knees.

  I slide the panties down, every inch stealing another breath from my lungs until she’s bare. Pink, wet, and perfect.

  I lash my tongue against her tender flesh. “I need to taste you.”

  With a push of her ass off the leather, she curls her hands in my hair and breathes out in a moan. “I need to come.”

  Chapter 40

  Bella

  “Stop please,” I beg as I tug on his hair.

  Pull. I’ve been yanking on Barrett’s head since my second orgasm. I’m barreling toward the third, and he won’t let me breathe.

  My lungs feel like they’re collapsing within my chest. The room is spinning.

  One of his fingers is inside me, hitting that spot that I knew existed in some faraway fantasy world. But I’m there now.

  I’m close. So close.

  I scream when it hits me. Tears well in my eyes not from anything but sheer pleasure. It’s that good. It’s been that good since he settled between my legs.

  I thought it was a myth that men could be this good at oral sex.

  His lips move from my core to my inner thigh. A trail of light kisses ends with a bite of the flesh on my hip. “Damn, Isabella.”

  Damn is right.

  How am I going to go back to mediocre men now?

  “You enjoyed that,” he says as he straightens over me.

  I answer with a nod of my chin even though he wasn’t asking.

  “Again?” The question is punctuated with a brush of his finger against my already super sensitive clit. “I can eat you until morning.”

  I shiver under his touch. “No. Please. It’s so much.”

  Running the finger that just touched me over his bottom lip, he laughs. “That means you’re in no shape to be fucked?”

  I stay silent when he stands, watching in awe as he strips right in front of me.

  He drops the shirt and then his shoes and socks before the pushes his pants and belt to the ground.

  The large bulge under his boxer briefs is all I can look at.

  “Come to my bed, Bella.” He stretches out a hand. “If you’re too weak, I’ll carry you.”

  I fumble to my feet, grabbing for his hand for balance.

  His fingers play over the strap of my bra. “Let’s lose this.”

  I reach to unclasp it, but he beats me. His fingers glide behind me, and in one swift movement, the bra is undone and sliding off my arms.

  “Every inch of you I uncover is more beautiful than the last.”

  I drop my gaze to his boxer briefs. “Can I see more of you?”

  He reaches down, pushing his underwear down his legs until they’re on the floor.

  I stare at his naked body. It’s powerful muscle and smooth skin. His cock is beautiful. Thick and long, it curves up toward his stomach.

  “Your bed?” I question with a raised brow.

  Taking my hand in his, he brings it to his mouth to press a kiss to my palm. “I’m not letting you leave tonight, my Bella.”

  The ache in my heart steals my breath. “I won’t go.”

  I never want to go. I’d stay with this man, in this apartment, forever if he asked.

  ***

  His body hovers me. The only light in the room is from outside. It’s the glow of the city. It’s enough for me to make out every detail of his handsome face.

  He sheathed his cock while I settled on the bed, taking in the expansive bedroom.

  It’s barren except for the large king-size bed, and a pair of leather chairs tucked into a corner.

  We don’t say anything. Our eyes are locked, our bodies speaking their need with their movements.

  I edge my legs apart, making room for his hips.

  He grunts out a sound of need as the broad head of his cock presses against my core. I move my hips, relishing in the sensation when it grazes over my clit.

  A smile takes over his face before it morphs into something else. It’s something raw and primal when he notches his cock against my opening and pushes in slowly. Every inch is filling me more and more until I feel him deep inside me.

  “Ah, fuck. So good,” he growls out between heaving breaths.

  I reach for his hips, holding him tight while we ride the wave together.

  Deep, powerful thrusts that shake the bed are followed by slow, measured strokes that take me to the edge.

  His eyes stay on mine the entire time.

  I come with a cry that I don’t recognize as my own. My voice bursts out in a strangled moan that sets him off.

  He pumps harder and faster, chasing his own release and when he finds it, he calls my name over and over until he collapses on top of me with a kiss to my mouth and words whispered so softly that I can’t make them out.

  Chapter 41

  Barrett

  I sense her behind me before I hear her.

  She clears her throat in warning as if I’m doing something I need to stop before she catches me.

  “You’re eating my leftovers.” She laughs.

  I’m on the couch with a tray of baked ravioli in my lap and a chilled water bottle next to me.

  She fell asleep after we fucked. I cleaned her pussy with a warm facecloth, kissed her stomach, and before I could wrap her in a blanket, her eyes closed and she was drifting off.

  That was over an hour ago.

  I spent most of that time watching her sleep. I’ve never had that urge before, but I couldn’t tear myself away from her. Her hair was a tousled mess around her shoulders. Her lips were swollen and pink. She looked at peace. I wanted to imprint that moment on my mind for eternity.

  Waving my fork in the air, I motion for her to sit with me. “Do you want a bite?”

  Tugging on the bottom hem of the white dress shirt she’s wearing, she shakes her head. “No. I’m good.”

  Her hand shifts from my shirt to her other
hand. She starts rubbing on her thumbnail. I don’t want her to regret a second of what we did.

  I pat the spot next to me. “Come sit with me.”

  She shuffles over on her bare feet. Tucking her legs beneath her, she settles in beside me. “It’s good ravioli, isn’t it?”

  Forking a piece, I feed it to her. She parts her lips to take it, closing her eyes as she chews. When she swallows, she lets out a little moan.

  Christ. I could watch that forever.

  She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever known. The kindest. The most beautiful.

  “I love my grandma’s cooking,” she says, sliding a finger over her bottom lip.

  I take another piece of food in my mouth. Swallowing, I place the container on the coffee table. “It’s fantastic. I understand why it’s the best place for Italian food in the state.”

  Her gaze darts to me. “In the world.”

  Family pride is something I’ve never felt before. I felt it in spades today. My sisters are both teachers. They followed their dreams and made them come true. They’re shaping the youth of this country.

  I’m a lucky bastard to be their brother.

  “Gina texted me.” She drops her gaze to her lap. “That’s what woke me.”

  I inch her chin up with my index finger. “What’s on Gina’s mind at this hour?”

  It’s after midnight. I suspect that her sister reached out to find out where she was or how she was. Gina knew I was on the hunt for her younger sister. She must know that I tracked her down.

  When I went to grab the Calvetti’s bag, I heard Bella’s phone buzzing in her purse. I picked it up by the strap and dropped it on the floor next to my bed so it would be within reach once she woke up.

  “She worries too much.” She half-laughs with a roll of her eyes. “She wanted to make sure I was alright.”

  Turning to face her head-on, I cup her hand in mine. “Are you alright?”