Refusing the King (The Sovrano Crime Family #12)

Chapter 1

1

Giselle

“What did you just say to my fiancée?” Carlo strode up to my father.

“What?” my father asked as he backed up. “I was just introducing myself. That’s all, man. I swear.” He held his hands up and his face turned stark white.

Carlo’s eyes shot directly to mine. He was asking me—without actually asking me—if what my father was saying was true or not.

I took a few seconds to think and realized there was only one way out of this.

If I outed myself and told Carlo this was my father standing in front of me—

Yeah.

That wouldn’t work out.

Then Carlo would easily find out who I really was. And then people would get hurt.

People I loved.

All because of me.

I’d have to think of another way to get rid of my father.

“He’s telling the truth.” I took a deep breath in. “He just frightened me. I didn’t see him here in the stables.”

Carlo looked me up and down and then settled on my eyes. “You look frightened out of your mind. Did he touch you?” His voice was low and menacing, and it made me shiver.

“No,” I shook my head, “he was just introducing himself like he said. I didn’t see him, and I overreacted.”

Carlo set his hands on his hips and turned to my father. “I think you owe my fiancée an apology. Don’t you?”

My father’s shoulders slumped, and he nodded. “I’m truly sorry, Ms.—” he hesitated and looked at Carlo, “Sovrano.”

Carlo lifted his chin and didn’t correct him.

And I sure as heck wasn’t going to. Carlo was ready to fight—and I knew it. The best thing to do was move on and get Carlo out of here.

“It’s fine,” I said and crouched down to pick up the horse’s brush. “Carlo, we should get going before it gets too late.”

His eyes scanned over me one more time before he retreated behind my father out of the stall. I watched as Carlo walked with him outside. Then I peeked out one of the side windows and hoped my father wouldn’t spill the beans on me.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I made sure to stay hidden. Carlo loomed over my father—and my father looked like he was ready to crap his pants. I might have giggled a little.

Even without so much as lifting a hand, Carlo Sovrano was a force to be reckoned with. I had no doubt that my lumberjack could pound my father into the ground with one hard swoop of his fist.

Part of me wished he would do that.

And the other part hoped my father would get scared off and just leave. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with him.

There were only three reasons why my father would have bothered searching me out.

Number one—he wanted money.

Number two—he was being threatened.

Or number three—both.

And I had a feeling it was the last one.

Which didn’t bode well for me at all.

Not one bit.

My father held his hands up again and took a few steps back. Carlo wasn't about to give him any space, though. He moved forward, closer to my father.

I could tell that he was chewing my father out. And that made my heart out and out explode with love for my fiancé.

My fake fiancé.

But still, my fiancé.

Carlo had no idea who he was speaking to. Of that, I was sure.

And he certainly didn't know my history with my father. Like how he’d treated me while I was growing up. Or how he’d stolen from me.

Or how he’d—sold me.

No, if Carlo Sovrano knew what my father had done to me, my father would be writhing in pain on the ground right now.

But if Carlo knew the truth—it could get him killed.

And even though I was leaving as soon as we got back to Chicago—I loved my lumberjack. And I always would. I didn’t wish him any harm. Quite the opposite. I wanted Carlo to have a happy, wonderful life. He deserved it.

And letting him in on my family secrets—well, that wouldn’t ensure Carlo lived. Let alone lived a long, happy life.

Carlo leaned into my father one more time without touching him. And I could tell from the look on my father's face that Carlo must have said something horribly threatening.

My father nodded and his hands shook out in front of him.

Yeah.

He was scared.

But I knew from past experience that words wouldn’t be enough to stop my father.

A sledgehammer wouldn't be enough to stop my father.

Finally, Carlo turned around and started back to the stables. I quickly spun on my heel and ran toward Carmen’s stall.

When Carlo walked back in, he stopped at the gate and looked at me. “Do you want help?” he asked, his voice still holding a load of tension in it.

I smiled over at him. “No, honey. I’m good, thanks. You get Capo ready, and I’ll meet you out front.”

He jerked his chin and started to leave, but I called out to him, “Carlo.”

His head swung back as I said, “I love you.”

I saw some of the tension leave his face as he nodded and left me.

I grinned and kept on with getting Carmen ready to ride. This was my happy place. Here. With the horses.

Listening to their noises and watching their bodies move even just in the stalls.

Before I knew it, I had Carmen all set. Carlo’s voice called to me over the gate. “What song is that?” he asked.

I looked up and then realized I’d been singing without knowing it.

I grinned and said, “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Just tell me to shut up next time.”

His head tilted, and he frowned. “Why would I do that? You have a beautiful voice. I’ve never heard you sing before.”

I bit my lip and shook my head. “You’re being kind. But thank you.”

He let out a sarcastic laugh. “You should know by now, Giselle. I am anything but kind. Now, let’s go.”

We led the horses outside and Carlo helped me up onto Carmen—even though I didn’t need him to.

Then he swung up onto Capo.

And then—we rode.

The wind blew through my hair.

My spirit felt so light. Out here, there were no responsibilities.

No vagrant fathers.

No bad guys hunting me.

No grouchy lovers who could barely look at me.

Just the fresh air. My horse. And my lumberjack.

“Over here,” Carlo shouted and whistled loudly.

I followed him through a stand of trees and down to the small stream we’d been at before.

After he dismounted, he helped me off Carmen and took my hand. “Time for a break.” He pulled me along behind him to our picnic spot. Today, there was a cute, white table and chair set. Of course, it wasn’t just some run of the mill table and chairs. They had intricate filigree patterns around the backs of the chairs and the top of the table.

I felt my face break into a huge smile. “You certainly know how to impress a girl,” I said with a laugh. We walked up to the table, and I let my fingers touch the top of the metal table. A large glass vase of pink roses sat in the middle. I bent over to give them a sniff. “These are lovely.” I inhaled the deep floral scent. I couldn’t help but touch the petals on one of the roses. They were too perfect. I had to feel it for myself to be sure they were real.

There was a metal wine bucket behind the table. Carlo wandered around and pulled out a chilled bottle from it. I turned around and watched the horses drink from the stream.

Everything out here was so peaceful.

If only it could stay this way.

“Here,” Carlo’s voice said from beside me. He handed me a glass of wine. I took it and brought it to my lips.

It was then I noticed something very, very sparkly in the bottom of my glass.

“Giselle, every time I think about my future—it has you in it. You’re the first person I think of in the morning and the last person I think of at night. You and Daniella have made my life—” he cleared his throat, “so unbelievably full. Marry me, Giselle. Grow our family with me.”

My heart.

My poor, poor heart.

It beat so fast in my chest.

I looked from my wine glass to Carlo.

And back again.

He took the glass out of my hand and tipped it over, wine spilling onto the ground. Before I knew what was happening, Carlo dropped to his knee.

His hand extended.

Carlo held the ring up. Diamonds ran around the entire ring. It sparkled like crazy.

“Marry me, Giselle. I have to make you mine.”

He was acting out the proposal I’d made up. The one I’d told the older couple at the ball.

Carlo had thought about this. He’d wanted to make this special. Just for me.

I’d gone this far.

What was one more lie?

I couldn’t marry Carlo. I knew that. I’d never be his bride.

But out here, on a perfect, beautiful day, with my strong, handsome lumberjack—I wanted to pretend I could.

Pretend that I’d wear a gorgeous white dress and walk down the aisle to Carlo. I’d say my vows—then he’d say his.

And then—

And then we’d both be killed.

Probably dying horrible, painful deaths.

Yeah.

Not good.

But having another of Carlo’s rings on my finger for a few more days—well, that wouldn’t make a difference.

But this memory we made right now, today—this memory I’d hold dear to my heart.

Forever.

“Yes, Carlo. I’ll marry you, honey. But you already gave me a ring.”

He slipped the new ring on the same finger with my large solitaire.

The engagement ring that I hadn’t taken off.

Yet.

I loved it so much. And every time I looked at it—I imagined what the rest of our lives would look like if I married Carlo.

I let my brain go there.

And pretend.

Because real life was about to come shooting back in, and then all I’d have left were these memories.

Carlo stood and pulled me into his body. “I didn’t give you the first ring properly. I liked your engagement story better.” His lips tipped up. “This is the one we’ll tell our children when they ask.”

He grasped my other hand and brought them both to his lips. “I want a quick wedding, Giselle. Are you okay with that?”

Carlo had spent time thinking about our engagement story. And what we’d tell our children about the day he asked me to marry him.

And not only did he want to marry me—he wanted to do it quickly.

“Yes. Whatever you want,” I told him. Because it didn’t really matter. He could have the wedding the day after we got back to Chicago, and it would still be too late.

I’d be gone by then.

He dropped my hands and circled his arms around me. His mouth covered mine in a breathtaking, soul-stealing kiss. My tongue met his, and we kissed as though it might be our last.

I let my hands travel up his chest and neck. His skin was hot—burning under my fingertips. I touched the sides of his face and he growled into my mouth.

Hot, hungry, possessive.

I loved Carlo like this.

My lips showed him how much.

But I wanted to demonstrate it in another way, too.

“Carlo, I love you. So much,” I whispered against his lips before my hand slid down to the front of his pants. I sighed and gently rubbed my hand over his hardness.

“Don’t start something you won’t finish,” he said with a low growl and deepened our kiss.

I smiled and pushed away. “Oh, I fully intend on finishing.” Then I lowered down to my knees and looked up at his stormy eyes. Slowly, I undid the button on his pants and gradually slid the zipper down over the huge bulge. My fingers traveled up to his waist. I curled my fingertips over his pants and pulled everything down. I was greeted with a very hard, very angry, very, very huge cock.

My tongue darted out and licked the tip of him. His cock jerked and he said, “Such a tease, Giselle.” Then his hand slipped behind my head and pulled me forward.

Yeah.

Carlo wanted me to get down to business.

So, I did.

I wrapped my left hand around his hard, veiny length, and balanced myself with my other hand on his thigh. His warm, musky, manly scent rose up into my nose. I loved how my lumberjack smelled when he wanted me.

“Yes,” Carlo breathed out while I moved my mouth up and down his shaft. I caught sight of my rings—shining in the sunlight—as I stroked Carlo’s cock.

Rings that Carlo had bought.

Just for me.

They were beautiful. The most stunning rings I’d ever seen in my life.

And he chose to give them to me.

That thought made me double my efforts. I allowed Carlo to pull me further onto his enormous cock. I swallowed down more of him than I ever had before.

My eyes watered and he’d triggered my gag reflex, but I didn’t care.

“Fuck,” Carlo hissed, and he spread his legs apart more. “Suck me hard, Giselle. Fuck, you are so good.”

I felt a rush of wetness drip between my legs. I swallowed and really relaxed my throat—like Eve had taught me. And now Carlo was almost fully inside of me.

“Christ, yes,” Carlo moaned with jagged, irregular breaths. One more shove forward—and I had him all—every freaking inch of him—down my throat. My eyes watered so much, but I couldn’t stop them. And I didn’t care if my makeup was getting ruined.

All I cared about was pleasing this man. I wanted to thank him for making me feel special.

For wanting me.

And for showing me how much.

He’d given me his rings—and his heart. And that meant everything to me. He’d taken in my daughter and treated her like his own.

No.

He’d claimed her as his own.

With each trip up and down his cock, it got easier and easier to swallow him down. My body knew what to do now. The fear I’d had—was gone.

The salty taste of him grew more and more intense. I knew he was close.

Eventually, he pulled himself out of my mouth. “Fuck.” He kneeled down in front of me. “You are too good. I’m going to come down your throat if I let you suck me any longer.” His lips touched my wet ones.

I smiled and said, “That was the whole idea.”

He shook his head and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from under my eyes. “Not this time. Not until you’re carrying my child. Until then, every drop of me goes into your tight, wet pussy.”

His hands undid my pants in record time, and then he swiftly jerked them down my thighs. One quick movement had me facing the opposite direction.

“On your hands and knees. Now,” were his only orders as he pushed on my back.

I bent forward, my hands landing in the cool grass underneath us. Carlo immediately lined himself up at my core and thrust inside. “I’m going to fuck you, Giselle,” he grunted and moved his hips, “and fill you up with my seed.”

His hands held tight onto my hips as he slammed himself into me, stretching my pussy each time. The ache between my legs quickly turned into a dull throbbing. “Yes, Carlo, come inside of me. I want to feel you fill me up,” I moaned and quivered. He sped up his pace, and I knew it wouldn’t take much more before I exploded around him.

“Come with me. I want to feel your tight pussy milk my cock.” Carlo’s hand moved over my hip and straight to my clit.

I gasped even though he touched me with only feather light contact.

The sexy, wet sounds of our bodies smacking against each other drove me wild. I pushed back harder with each thrust of his, wanting him.

Needing him.

“Fuck, I’m coming,” he let out a guttural moan that hit me right between my legs. So did Carlo’s fingers. He brushed over the top of my clit so, so perfectly—I came in an instant. “Yes, Carlo. Oh, yes,” I screamed out my release just as Carlo did the same. And he filled me up with his hot come. I felt his cock twitch and jerk inside of me endlessly. My walls squeezed him tightly—over and over again.

Until he covered me with his body. His chest moving rapidly against my back.

He stayed inside of me for a few long minutes after that, as we both caught our breath again. Then he finally pulled out and tucked himself away.

He helped me stand and then yanked up my pants and refastened them for me. Then he stood and kissed my lips. I smiled and sighed. “Maybe we leave that part out of the engagement story?”

He chuckled and held me close. “That’s probably a good idea.”