Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
C armella
Fire imploded in my core, my skin searing from Alejandro’s touch and the powerful, dominating look on his face as he’d gazed all the way to the tennis shoes on my feet. Try as I had, the attraction to him was growing stronger. The draw to him unexplainable and inexcusable. I was smarter than to fall for a man in alluring attire.
My pussy still throbbed from the rough fucking we’d done earlier. Standing in front of the altar exchanging our vows had seemed surreal, a transcendent moment where I’d been staring down at a carbon copy, shell-like creature entirely different from the one I’d been for at least a full decade.
Two sides of me were weighing in. One was questioning continuously why being attracted to him was so bad. The other was laughing bitterly, making fun of me for even considering forming my own alliance with the handsome man. My inner voice of reason had gone so far as to wonder why I hadn’t brought a weapon with me.
I rolled my hand down my neck and before I knew what I was doing, I cringed from realizing I was swirling the tip of my index finger around my fully aroused nipple.
Goddamn, the man was infuriating.
Every ounce of my being wanted to hate him, but he had a way about him that not only intrigued my mind, his words and the heated looks he offered left me squeezing my thighs together.
I’d been brought up to believe every other mafia family and the minions who worked for them were my enemy, capable of doing cruel and heinous acts. Granted, as I’d gotten older, I’d learned there were not only two sides to every story, but criminals came in all sizes, shapes, and walks of life.
Upbringing didn’t matter, nor did incredible wealth or education. Those born with a penchant to cross the line, indulging in the gray area, included PTA moms and softball coaches. However, the alliance my father had entered into had seemed a spur of the moment decision instead of his usual well thought out process.
I wasn’t privy to any aspect of my father’s business. I was merely a princess after all, but I’d learned a few things by keeping my ear to the ground.
And by snooping.
For the first time it seemed as if my father was afraid of the future. Or of his mortality. Without a son at the age of claiming his empire, he remained in a vulnerable state. Much like Don Santorelli. The two men could be considered easier prey given their advanced age.
I stared long and hard at the empty doorway before turning toward the bed. Without being told anything about if or what a honeymoon might look like, I’d packed quickly, barely thinking about the items I’d tossed into the small case.
That suitcase had been snatched from the room I was staying in at my father’s house. It almost felt like an invasion of privacy. Drawn to the packages placed on the bed, hatred of my curiosity didn’t stop me from opening the bags. Inside I found two beautiful dresses that I knew would fit me perfectly, gorgeous lingerie, and a spectacular dark violet silk robe along with a stunning pair of heels.
I guess he’d taken a peek at the jeans and shirts I’d tossed into my personal bag, preferring to see me in something else. I hadn’t even selected a reception dress because I’d planned on insisting that I be taken home early while still wearing my wedding gown.
It would seem nothing was working out as I’d hoped.
At least either one of the beautiful dresses would work for the reception. Just peering down at the bags, tissue paper, and hangers full of lovely items became overwhelming enough that I thumped down on the bed. My fingers instantly went to the necklace he’d gifted me. As I rubbed the large stone, I tried to envision myself as a married woman.
To him.
I’d yet to wrap my head around it, but that would need to occur before we left the resort. I closed my eyes and a few brief images of my mother popped into my mind. One of the last memories I had of her was coming to this very hotel with both my parents. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven, eager to explore every inch of the harbor and docks, the restaurants and beaches.
It was the last time I remembered seeing my mother truly happy. So much of what had occurred after that remained a tremendous blur in my mind. My father had been told by some fabulous doctor that forgetting passages of time was my mind protecting itself. To me the shadowed memories felt like a prison cell.
Maybe being here was good for my mind. But what about my heart?
I fingered the robe and shifted my gaze toward the door. He’d turned on music, the light jazz an unusual choice. Although I had no idea what type of music Alejandro enjoyed. How could you marry a man and not know anything about him? I’d been so zoned out at the rehearsal dinner I hadn’t paid any attention to what he’d ordered.
I’d never seen his condominium. I’d never watched a movie with him. Hell, I’d never been on a date with the man. A laugh was right there in my throat, but what was the point in allowing it to escape?
I jerked to my feet, still angry with myself as I stripped off my clothes, kicking my tennis shoes aside. I’d worn no bra and he’d stolen my panties. Shit. My thong. It was still in the pocket of his tuxedo. Oh, my God. The poor guy pretending to be him would find them and wonder what the fuck was going on.
A snicker erupted from my lips from the sinful thought. What a surprise. I tried to determine which dress to wear, but couldn’t. I just didn’t care. Maybe a drink would help. I grabbed the robe, ripping off the tag and hurriedly sliding into the silky frock.
The material felt like a dream and as I tied the sash, I had a crazy thought about whether this was what mafia princesses were supposed to wear.
How silly of me.
I’d ripped my hair from the pins holding it in place during the ride. Now I rolled my fingers through the long strands, not bothering to check to see if I was presentable in the bathroom mirror. Who cared? This was a done deal. I was married. Rings and all. As I walked into the other room, I stared down at my engagement and wedding rings. Every girl had thought at least once about the moment when the love of their life would propose to them. Now I’d never know that experience. There’d been no ceremony around the engagement ring. The box had simply appeared on my dresser. The diamond was at least five carats, maybe more. Expensive and in my mind, gaudy.
Much like the necklace Don Santorelli had given my sister for her birthday.
So much for romance.
Alejandro was standing in the middle of the bay window overlooking the harbor. The only light he’d turned on was a hanging fixture in the tiny kitchen. At least the light added a warm glow to the area, complemented by the harbor lights.
“I still need to change,” he said in a deep, gruff voice, but it seemed like he had a lot on his mind.
“No hurry. As you said, the guests can wait.” Forever as long as I was concerned, although I longed to hold my little boy in my arms and kiss his sweet face. The subtle pleasures in life were what brightened my day.
His sigh was as heavy as the way my heart felt and when he turned around, I was unable to see his expression because of the shadows cast across his face. But I didn’t need to see his eyes to feel the explosive heat crackling the air between us.
“You’re not dressed,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Nope. I needed some encouragement.” He’d left the open bottle of scotch alongside a lovely bottle of cabernet he’d already opened. I chose the scotch, grabbing another rocks glass, instantly grateful he’d dumped ice cubes from plastic ice trays into a small bucket. After plopping in a single cube, I poured a half glass, instantly bringing it to my lips.
Alejandro watched me carefully the entire time I took and savored a sip. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t saying a word. Just watching my actions as he’d done every time he’d been in the same room since I’d met him.
“You have expensive tastes,” I admitted, enjoying the scotch tremendously.
“Only in certain things.”
“Such as?” I ventured out of the kitchen space into the shadows, my skin completely alive from the light brushing of the robe’s material.
He remained quiet until he finally chuckled. “A good cheeseburger. A box of candy. They don’t need to be the most expensive brand to be delicious.”
“I’ll accept that. What about in vehicles?”
“I don’t drive a Ferrari if that’s what you’re asking. I’m more of an American car kind of guy.” He moved around the dining room table, taking a few steps closer.
“Ah, a muscle car man.” I advanced by a few inches.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing at all. I was just afraid you were going to say you preferred a Pacer or maybe a station wagon.”
He burst into natural laughter and the sound forced goosebumps popping along every inch of skin. “I can’t say I’ve ever driven either one. What about you?”
“I prefer trucks and Jeeps, although I have a Mazda because of Gabriel. It’s a better make for a car seat.”
“Ah, yes. I guess I need to remember that.” He took another step closer and so did I.
“Yes, you will. And he’s into everything. I do mean everything. I have those clips on all my lower cabinet doors and you cannot allow any cleaning products to remain anywhere where he can get them. I walked in on him with a dishwasher soap pod in his fingers ready to eat it. I almost had a heart attack.”
“Shit. I guess I’ll see about childproofing our new house as soon as the contracts are signed.”
“Our new house?”
He moved from the darkest part of the shadows, allowing me to see half of his face. I couldn’t help but think of the appearance of good versus evil. I’d always believed even the vilest human being had a softness somewhere buried deep inside.
My pulse skyrocketed and I kept my legs together as my pussy throbbed. Without wearing any panties, soon my inner thighs would be damp from the juice trickling from my core.
“A condo in New York City is no way for a young boy to live.”
So he’d mentioned before. I don’t know why I hadn’t believed him. I’d heard so many promises over the years that had turned into lies, I didn’t trust anyone.
“A house would be nice. Even though I own a house.”
“Too far away.”
“So I gathered.” Besides, he wouldn’t want to live in something so… cozy.
He moved even closer until he was standing only a few feet away. I wasn’t certain if he realized I was quivering, but I hated myself for it. He was just a man after all. Okay, so a gorgeous man, but still flesh and bone and nothing more.
Alejandro was no gentleman, but since we’d been alone, there was something even more dangerous and edgy about him. He gave off a sophisticated aura, but underneath the expensively tailored suits was an animal.
“Then whatever you want, you can have.” A smile quirked on his face.
“Are you bribing me?”
“Would you care if I was?”
I had to think about his question. “Yes, I would. Whatever this is, I don’t want lies or to be treated like I’m nothing but Daddy’s little girl. I’m a grown woman who prefers the truth, no matter how ugly or difficult. I’ve had far too many lies in my life.”
“Duly noted, Firesong. The last thing I want to do is to lie to you.”
“What do you want to do?”
I had a feeling he took that as a blatant invitation. Maybe I meant it that way. With my hand shaking as much as my legs, I took a sip. The edge of the glass hit my teeth, I was so out of sorts around him. At least the smooth liquor was warm as it slid down my throat.
He was still watching me as if fascinated in everything I did.
“You forgot to bring my favorite thong with you.”
He cocked his head as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.
“You know, the one you stole from me and refused to give back?”
“Ah.” He took a deep breath and reached into his back pocket.
I slapped my hand over my mouth when he presented the expensive lace, even tormenting me further by bringing the crotch to his nose.
Why did his actions embarrass the hell out of me? My face was red hot and likely the color of poppies. Just the way he was taking the time to savor the scent kept every inch of my body trembling. When he was finished, he returned them to his pocket, taking a sip of his own drink.
“Take it off,” he commanded.
“What?”
“The robe.”
“Why? Does it look terrible on me?”
“I don’t like it. Just take it off. Now. If you don’t, I will.”
So much of me wanted to either call his bluff or call him an asshole that I remained right where I was debating which would be better. It soon became painfully obvious he wasn’t a patient man. All he needed to do was to take a long stride forward and he was able to snag my drink from my hand.
“You obviously don’t understand that as my wife, you will now follow my commands. My rules.”
There were several nasty things I wanted to spout off to him before I slapped him in the face and I would have had I not noticed the shift in the way he was looking at me. He couldn’t care less about whether I was obeying him as much as he did about stripping me bare in front of him.
The revelation brought an entire package of fireworks to the table, the rush of excitement nothing I’d wanted.
Alejandro took the time to take both our drinks to the end table. When he returned, his expression had turned primal. His hunger knew no bounds of decency or anything else. He also couldn’t care less whether we had a hotel full of guests or that soldiers from either side of our worlds could come knocking at any time for a safety check.
He immediately tugged at the sash on my robe, slowly but purposely sliding the light material through the two loops. As soon as he had it in his hands, he gave me a single nod. Without a word spoken, I knew what it meant. There seemed to be no denying the man or his needs.
I continued to tremble as I eased the material from my shoulders, allowing gravity to pool the robe around my feet. Without a second’s worth of hesitation, he yanked it into his hand, tossing it aside. We both watched as the material fluttered to the floor like a sail.
The man was very much in control, the corners of his lips upturned while I was biting my inner cheek I was so nervous. I was a thirty-one-year-old woman who’d been with more than one partner, yet no man had ever made me feel so anxious.
What crazy kind of power did he have over me?
He shook his head several times as he peered down at me. “Mine for the taking. You are truly a magnificent creature, Carmella. I’m a lucky man.”
In the world of powerful mafia men, his attitude and behavior were unexpected. Yes, I’d seen the adoration in my father’s eyes for my mother and now for Sasha, but things could always be different behind closed bedroom doors.
“Perhaps you are.”
When he took my arms, holding them out in front of me, I fisted my hands. I knew almost immediately what he had planned, but as he wound the sash around my wrists, I swayed back and forth. The knot he tied provided another glance at his level of expertise. There was no way I could loosen the knot myself.
He backed away, his nostrils flaring as he studied both me and his work.
“You do know you’re going to get fucked again before we attend the reception. Don’t you?” His question was laced with an intense level of hunger.
“Is that what you’re going to do?”
“Yes, I will, but first…” He didn’t finish the sentence, pointing at the floor instead. I didn’t need to be told what to do and in truth, I was eager to hold his thick cock in my hand.
And feel it pulsing inside my mouth.
My eyes never leaving his, I lowered to my knees on the floor, fighting with the bindings on purpose. He shifted to the back of the couch, leaning against the edge. He appeared comfortable in his own skin, enjoying every second of controlling me.
If I was truly honest with myself, I’d admit I was enthralled, his command of me scintillating. I did what I could to crawl toward him, even feeling comfortable enough to toss my head back and forth.
He wore no expression, but his dark eyes continued to bore through me. I was breathless by the time I reached him, settling on my knees and shaking my head back and forth for a final time.
“Why do I feel free around you? That doesn’t make any sense,” I admitted.
“Because there’s no pretense between us, no fixation on the failure of love. We can truly be ourselves and enjoy what we crave.”
Sad, but profound.
I forced his legs wider and rolled one finger of my bound hands along the inside of one leg and down the other. When I didn’t even brush a single finger across his groin, his entire body tensed.
There was no mistaking how excited he was. His cock was throbbing through his jeans. My mouth watered in anticipation. I gently brushed one palm across the thick bulge before reaching for his belt. I found it fascinating to try to accomplish anything ordinary while being shackled like a captured prisoner.
He kept his hands to himself, even crossing his arms while I worked to free his cock. When I managed the task, an involuntary moan floated between us.
“My thirsty baby.”
“Perhaps.” I tugged on his jeans, forced to yank them down his hips. Just seeing the deep lines of the V that were cut from his abdomen to the creases of his legs kept my pulse high. When I freed his cock entirely, he finally groaned. I’d never thought of a man’s shaft as a thing of beauty, but Alejandro’s was an exception.
It was long and thick with a perfect formation and a beautifully bulbous tip. Veins were pulsing on both sides, similar to the thick cords in his neck.
As soon as I blew across the tip, he lost some of his trained control by grabbing a handful of my hair. I darted the tip of my tongue around his sensitive slit and he growled.
“ Succhiami, canto di fuoco. Prendermi in giro non farà altro che incoraggiare il mio lato oscuro .”
His Italian was beautiful, his diction perfect. There were no curse words, no slang. Just polished perfection. And the words sent a series of tremors through me.
Suck me, Firesong. Teasing me will only encourage the dark side of me.
A part of me longed to see his dark side. I wrapped my hand around the base, stroking with my thumb before lifting his cock and blowing across the tip again. After rolling my tongue around his cockhead, I engulfed several inches, suddenly becoming greedy in my own desires.
With my hands tied together, I was limited in what I did. I popped his cock from my mouth and licked all the way along the underside to his balls. His musky scent was already making me lightheaded. There was nothing better than the feeling of having a man’s testicles in my mouth. As soon as I pulled one between my lips, his upper torso began to shake.
There was something incredible about having this amount of control. I sucked, using just enough pressure his breathing changed. He tugged on my hair as I shifted to the other ball, enjoying my ability to torment him as he’d done to me.
At this point, there was no thinking involved, just enjoying the passion as I sucked on his cock, taking him down an inch at a time. The taste of him was musky, tangy, and I longed to swallow every crop of his sweet cream. Something in me said that wasn’t going to happen. At least not tonight.
I relaxed my throat, keeping my eyes closed as I concentrated on pleasing him. Every sound he made, every grunt and growl was a sign of encouragement. I seemed to know how to please him. I would never have thought it important just a few days before. I’d planned on the man never touching me in a sexual way. A marriage in name only.
I’d try to return to my personal promise tomorrow, but for tonight, I was enjoying the moment of feeling free. I swirled my tongue and twisted one hand around his shaft until I created friction.
Alejandro bucked his hips forward, slamming the tip of his cock against the back of my throat. He was on the balls of his feet, every muscle tense. I glanced up at his face, half expecting to see a sneer. His eyes were closed, his lips pursed thin. And he was shaking, losing all sense of control.
But he wasn’t finished with me yet, pushing my shoulders gently until he broke the hold. I sat back on my haunches, studying his reaction.
He placed both hands on either side of his face and took rapid breaths to fill his lungs. But he dropped his head seconds later, rubbing his thumb from one side of my jaw to the other before ending by rubbing the rough pad across my closed lips aggressively.
“What the hell am I going to do with you?” His question seemed rhetorical, but not like something a man would say after a great round of sex. He truly didn’t know how to react around me. I sensed when he was in the throes of passion, he was close to becoming unhinged.
For a man so highly trained and regarded, doing so was likely frowned upon. But he wasn’t just any man nor was he only a soldier any longer.
He was a man to be reckoned with. He could make or remake the rules as he wanted. That scared me, but not nearly as much as how much I was enjoying the time we spent together. Doing so was truly dangerous.
Taking a single stride away, his passion remained furrowed on his brow as he ripped off his boots and jeans. The fact he’d left his shirt on had me more curious than ever. I didn’t have time to react before he’d slipped his arms under mine, lifting me with ease two feet into the air.
“The first answer is easy,” he growled.
“What is it?”
“I’m going to fuck you senseless.”