Dario

by Eden Butler

  I didn’t care about the anger in my voice or how much of an ass it made me sound. My temper clawed up my throat, scratching, burning and I was torn between yelling at her and taking her into the little alcove behind us to kiss her until we both ached from the taste.

  “Boundaries?” Ava said, a laugh edged in her tone. “Seems to me you need a lesson on boundaries as well.”

  “I’m not the one disobeying the rules…” I ignored her laugh, continuing, “Or, coming into places she’s not welcome.”

  “For your information, your mother invited me, and no matter what you think of me, I never go where I’m not invited.” She turned, dismissing me like I was nothing, like I didn’t know exactly how she sounded when she came, her heels tapping against the wood floors.

  “Then you must get bored in this town.”

  “Don’t kid yourself.” She stopped, spinning to face me. It was the first time tonight I’d seen her angry. I could almost taste it. Touch that anger. It felt like a fucking high. She inhaled, stepping back, but the anger lingered, twisted her expression into something vicious. “Trust me when I tell you there are invitations. Lots of invitations that have nothing to do with sweet Italian women and their nice restaurants.”

  My body tensed, feet moving and the coil of disgust for myself bubbled in my gut. A flare of jealousy rose, thudded inside my head, and I wanted to slap myself just to keep from acting like an asshole. “Name one.”

  “Why would that interest you, Mr. Carelli? You interested in where I lay my head at night?”

  Ava was sweet when she wanted to be, but I started to realize she had a talent for cruelty. Fine. I’d play. She’d lose and realize who the fucking champion was.

  “Ava,” I said, grabbing her waist, loving the soft gasp she released. “Where you lay your head doesn’t matter to me, until you’re laying it on my lap with your mouth around my cock.”

  Arms tense, she pushed me away, moving in one fluid movement, shoulders straight, mouth pinched into a curl, palm sharp as she slapped me hard, not bothering with even a backward glance as she walked away.

  “Fuck.”

  Everything in my head blurred, and I fought the urge to go after her.

  Fuck Ava, I thought. Fuck all this shit.

  I only wanted to be as far from her as possible. She was a headache I had never wanted; a pain I’d known even as a kid six years ago not to fuck with. It was why I avoided relationships. Damn sure hadn’t missed that fucking drama when I was on the inside.

  I cleared the lobby and neared the dining room, my hands in fists, the anger like a fever now, and then I stopped. Hating myself when the thought came to me.

  She’s gonna walk home. Alone… that’s five blocks in the pitch dark.

  “Fuck that.”

  I turned, jogging back in the opposite direction, ignoring Dimitri and Maggie on a fluffy chair, snuggled up together as I darted toward the hallway and slipped out of the back, hitting the alley.

  Two blocks from the restaurant, Ava’s voice moved across the pavement like cloud, louder than the clack of her heels on the sidewalk and her keys rattling in her hands as she dug for them.

  “Asshole. Freakin’ jerk.” I followed behind her, watching the street, waiting for the intersection near her building before I made my move. She went on complaining, her temper like a wave I could practically feel. “I swear to God—” I made out the growl in her tone as I moved to her side just a half block from her complex. “Dario fucking Carelli indeed…what the—”

  She stiffened in my arms as I tugged her off the street and against the side of O’Bryant’s General Store.

  “Get your hands off—”

  “You drive me out of my fucking head,” I interrupted moving over her, my hand against the brick next to her head. But I kept my voice soft, and my features relaxed. She wasn’t wrong. I was an asshole. I had no excuse.

  “Stay away from…from me,” she tried, the last words coming out in a long breath.

  “You really want that?”

  She nodded but didn’t look convinced. She inched her hips against mine, her breast grazing my chest. Her body told me what she wanted. It always had.

  I can read people, I’d once told her. Right now, she was headline news, announcing everything she wanted.

  When I reached for her, running a knuckle under her chin, Ava dropped her gaze, staring down at the sidewalk. “Don’t look away from me. You want me gone, convince me.”

  She jerked her head up, eyes narrowed and tight. “I don’t owe you anything.”

  “Maybe not, but you’re not just lying to me.”

  She hissed when I took her chin in my hand, keeping her eyes uplifted, as I fought the growing need to take her mouth.

  A deep inhale, catching the sweet scent of her hair, and I shut my eyes, clearing my throat before I spoke again. “How can you sleep with that lie?”

  “Easily.” She jerked her chin out of my hand, hardening her features. “Comfortable…”

  “Coward.” I moved closer, running my nose against her cheek, my body on fire from the closeness of her and that sweet, temping scent.

  “I’m… not…” Ava relaxed against the building, her breath coming out in soft pants that brushed against my face. The anger was dying, the fire in her eyes dimming. “I…I don’t want you.”

  “Liar.”

  She didn’t deny it, didn’t do anything more than move up her chin, mouth open, waiting like an invitation she wouldn’t dare give but couldn’t deny if she wanted to.

  I wouldn’t touch her, not now. Not if she insisted on running. Instead, I flicked my tongue against the ring in my bottom lip, tugging on it as I shot a look over her mouth. “Stop running.”

  Ava’s breaths grew harder, and she arched against me, sliding her fingers onto my shoulder. It hurt to have her this close, but I was determined not to give in first.

  “Be brave.”

  Everything shifted in that moment, and a dozen different emotions etched into her features, changing her anger into want, her desire into need. Then Ava swallowed, releasing two long pants that I bet tasted like sweet bread and champagne before cursed under her breath and grabbed my collar, crashing my mouth against hers.

  Everything I wanted was in my hands, and I took it—my fingers on the swell of her hips, my mouth owning hers, not giving an inch as we battled with tongues and taste and aching need.

  She let me pull her against my cock, grinding into her, hips to hips, out in the open where anyone could find us. Ava pulled her mouth away, teeth against the front of my throat, over my tattoo and my head went fuzzy and blank at the feel of her hot tongue on my skin.

  It was too much.

  It was not nearly enough.

  She released a surprised, soft gasp when I pulled away from her, holding her face in my hands. “I to be need inside you…right now.”

  She opened her mouth, like she might complain, like whatever had her cutting me loose had resurfaced and needed to be said again.

  One shake of my head stopped whatever she was going to say. “Don’t send me away.” She shuddered against my mouth when I kissed her. “I need you.”

  Ava dipped her head down, not looking at me as she pushed off the building, tugging out of my reach when I tried to keep her close. Eyes shut, trying to quell that brimming anger in my chest, I watched her move out of the alley, my arm against the brick and my fingers curled into a fist that ebbed some of my temper at another of her rejections.

  She walked to the intersection, stretching her neck before she stopped and turned. Her chest still moved with her heavy breathing, and when she looked at me something told me I’d either hate whatever she said or move too quick to follow any demand she made.

  “You coming?” She offered her hand to me. “Thought you needed me.”

  Ten minutes later, we were inside her apartment. The door slammed when I kicked it closed, moving in two steps away from it and into her arms.

  She walked. I followed, my mout
h against hers, that champagne taste on my tongue while Ava pushed off my jacket and led me, moving backward into her bedroom.

  “Hurry,” she muttered, devouring my neck with her greedy fingers, nails denting my skin as she untucked my shirt and tore through my buttons. “God…hurry…”

  “We have time, sweetheart.” Even with that promise, I worked my hands over her—fisting her skirt, bunching it up between my fingers when I lifted her against me.

  “Dario…” she whispered against my neck, moving her mouth to my bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth. “Touch me.”

  Tugging up her skirt, I brushed aside her thong, taking in the low, soft moans she released when I slipped two fingers inside her. “Fuck, baby, you’re soaked.” Ava pressed her forehead against mine gripping my collar until I had her on the bed, hovering over her, one hand on the mattress, the other deep inside her searing pussy.

  She shook her head, like there was too much sensation, too much need for her to handle and she brushed my hand away, going back at me, pulling me fully on the mattress.

  We never stopped moving—fingers, tongues, and touches as we finished undressing, pulling, needing naked skin and greedy mouths against each other.

  Ava didn’t wait to get me completely naked before she straddled me, holding my face between her hands as she kissed me, taking over and for once, I didn’t mind it.

  She went to my chest, humming a groan over my skin. “Dario…you taste so good.” Then she was between my legs, my cock out and in her mouth and the groan went deeper.

  “Ava…shit…”

  I could only fist the sheets under me, jerking a look down, my eyebrows pushed together as she took all of me, working my sac, my cock deep in her throat. “Fuck…fuck, sweetheart…” Then she glanced up at me, mouth full, bright, beautiful eyes wide, gaze on me…it was almost too much. Too good. Too fucking hot.

  The slick noises of her sucking me off, deep throating me sounded around the room and I felt the pressure starting in my balls, but it was too soon. I wanted inside her. Filling her, having that hot pussy milking me as I came.

  “Ah…Dario…” she gasped when I pulled her off me by the arms, flipping our positions. She arched into me when I tugged down her bra, dragging my teeth and tongue against her skin, licking her nipples even as I gripped her thong and tore it down her legs.

  “I’m going to say this again…”

  Ava went still, breath held as I pushed her legs apart, holding my cock between her pussy lips.

  “This time, you aren’t going to chase me off when you hear it.” She opened her mouth, the tip of her tongue against her bottom lip like she was ready to argue, but she kept quiet, looked a little dumbstruck as I teased that wet pussy with the head of my cock.

  “You’re mine…” I slipped inside, bottomed out, my stare steady, not moving from her face. When she closed her eyes, I took her chin in my free hand, stopping her from looking away. “Tonight, tomorrow, I meant that shit, baby…we belong to each other.”

  Ava closed her eyes, just for a second, and the hard rhythm of her pulse quickened when I ran my fingers against her neck. “I don’t say that shit lightly,” I told her keeping the edge from my tone.

  Then my Ava’s face relaxed and she pulled on the back of my neck, kissing me slow only stopping to whisper against my mouth, “I don’t take it lightly.”

  She had secrets that could likely hurt me. They’d come to light with time, but for tonight, in that moment there was only me and my girl and no one else in the dark with us.

  19

  Ava

  I lived a fairytale. This town was the Carelli Kingdom, no matter what I thought. Dario was my hero, and this bakery was my haven.

  Two trays of lemon squares brimmed to the top of the display as I wiped powdered sugar from the rim and the tangy sweet scent made my stomach growl. It was busy work, something to keep my thoughts from Dario and his trip to the city with a recovered Dino and Dante. There’d been a lead on the hacker Smoke wanted to find, and after Dino’s shooting and Mateo’s kidnapping, no one went anywhere without back up.

  But in the kingdom, all the princesses were protected.

  As the bell chimed over my door and I glanced at my sole patron, I guessed today was my turn for the king to visit.

  “Smoke,” I said, dropping the dishrag on the counter. My thoughts went right to Dario and my imagination drummed up horrible scenarios and the worst results of his trip. “What’s wrong? Is it Dario…”

  “Relax,” he said, strolling to meet me at the counter, his hands lifted in surrender. “Everything is fine with my brother. He should be back soon.”

  Worry had crept up in my head since last night, when Dario picked a fight with me at his family’s dinner. He’d called me out, tested me, and I had failed.

  Or won. Depended on one’s perspective.

  But now I was in dangerous territory.

  Now I had something else to lose, and it made my skin prickle every time I thought of Dario in the city, likely doing things that were on that gray side of business that was the Carellis bread and butter.

  No amount of easing from Smoke would tamp out that worry.

  Behind me, Angelica rolled her eyes, first at Smoke then back at me when I mentioned Dario’s name. She was irritated when I’d told her we were together, but her attitude had lessened. Dario wasn’t the same horny kid he once was. Well, most of the time.

  Smoke glanced to Angelica and Ty as they set out scones and cookies onto the rack. I met his gaze and moved my eyebrows up, acknowledging his silent question.

  “Hey, guys,” I told them, “why don’t you both take your lunch now? I’ve got this handled.”

  Ty opened his mouth, shooting a glance down Smoke’s body before Angelica pushed him toward the back exit. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, Romeo.” And they disappeared through the door.

  I led Smoke to the seating area near the back window, hoping the flush I felt on my cheeks wasn’t obvious. This was the same spot where Dario sat me on his lap and…well.

  “Can I get you an espresso?”

  “Not what I came for.” Smoke lifted a hand, motioning toward the chair across from him; a silent request for me to sit. I did, unable to do anything but sit straight as Smoke’s cool, controlled gaze narrowed at me. “I had some thoughts, a few questions.” He watched me close, gaze dropping the spot on my neck. Dario had been overzealous, wild. I hadn’t hated it. “If we have this discussion in front of my brother, he’s going to piss around you.”

  “What on earth…”

  “Carelli men.” He shrugged. “Well. We’re territorial. About our women.” He motioned to my neck. “I’m guessing that’s what you are now.”

  That warmth in my cheeks elevated to searing, but I wouldn’t give Smoke any bits of news that wasn’t his business. Not about me and his brother anyway. Instead, I leaned back, pretending to be calmer than I was. “I’m guessing you want to know about the McKinneys.”

  Even Smoke’s slow, sure nod was smooth. The man really was slick. “Reynolds, the asshole who worked with Maggie’s ex to take our boy…he did the whole evil villain monologue bullshit. Bragged about your in-laws wanting a war with my cousin Johnny…with all our family.” When Smoke went quiet, gaze moving over my face, I guessed waiting for a reaction, I tipped my head, urging him to continue with a quick blink.

  “I’m sure you understand how lucrative a war can be to the right people.”

  I’d never heard what went on in the meetings Liam got invited to, but from my father and Alex, I’d heard more than enough to know my husband’s uncle wasn’t running numbers or simply stealing cigarettes or whiskey off trucks with greedy drivers. “I’m familiar with how it…all works.”

  Smoke paused, moving his mouth to the side, like he wasn’t sure what to say and needed a minute.

  Finally, he licked his lips, releasing a slow exhale. “I’m not like my cousin, Ava.” He got up from his chair and grabbed two lemon squares from the
top of the display case, shrugging when I didn’t take the extra one he offered me. “This isn’t the city. Normally, the only problems we have come from eager assholes who want at our docks while they try to make names for themselves.” He sat back down in one fluid motion, waving a hand as he spoke. “But Reynolds, he was convinced taking me out would make McKinney happy and have him wanting to invest in his bullshit business.”

  The name wasn’t familiar, but the battle was. Liam’s uncle was always thirsty for blood, always itching to take over any territory he thought might get him ahead of the other families. This Reynolds person, if he had even half a brain and a grain of ambition, would know that and take advantage of it.

  But there wasn’t much I could help Smoke with when it came to Reynolds. “I wish I could help you, but I don’t know anything about Reynolds.”

  His stare was long and penetrating, making the heat engulfing me spread down my neck. “I didn’t know much…”

  “Ava, why did you come to Cuoricino?” It was a simple question with a complicated answer. One I wasn’t sure Smoke was ready to hear. Telling him everything, the whole truth before I spoke to Dario, would make me look disloyal and I wasn’t. Not to Dario. Not to the Carellis.

  So, I shot for vague. “Liam…had the same thoughts of this Reynolds person.”

  Smoke blinked, kept his expression neutral.

  “It was the same thing my…my father wanted too. They were always looking for something to make McKinney happy. I…came here…because we have a common enemy and I needed…protection.”

  “From Liam?”

  Until he asked, I hadn’t really let myself think about how scared I was. I wasn’t a coward. Liam had nearly killed me once because he was mean, and I was too scared and too weak to fight back. My recovery had emboldened me. Alex reaching out, offering me a chance at another life, doubled that confidence. Now, Liam wasn’t a threat, but my father knew how to get to me. His taunts could well be idle, but I couldn’t risk Makayla’s life. And as Smoke watched me, as the reality of who I was talking to and what my father wanted from me—to lead Smoke to McKinney—the guilt and worry all crowded in my head. The weight of it was too much. Too sharp, and my stomach dropped when I realized there were tears burning my eyes and leaking past my lashes.