Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
A lejandro
“I think he’d down for the count,” Carmella whispered as she continued to stroke Gabriel’s head. He had such a serene face, full of light and life just like his mother. He was lying across her lap, even snoring every once in a while.
I glanced at the television before leaning forward and grabbing the remote. “I haven’t seen Dumbo in a long time.”
“Oh, really? Then you’ve been missing out. Since you were so enthralled, I have about three dozen other Disney movies you’ll die for.” She laughed as she studied me.
I offered a sly grin, but the ache from spending a night in our new home eating pizza, drinking wine, and discussing options for the house seemed far too normal. So much so I was brought back to a life that had all but faded in memory. The pain was real, my mind processing all that I’d sacrificed.
It was a bad time to do so with so much at stake.
“Well, then I guess we’ll have a regular pizza and movie date night for a long time.” My voice was flat.
If she noticed, I couldn’t tell. “Psst. I will tell you that I prefer more adult movies.” Her face immediately flushed. “I don’t mean X-rated! I mean just, you know, thrillers with some sexy stuff. Like not full nudity, but… Oh, hell. I have no clue what I’m saying.”
Having her nervous around me forced my cock to twitch. “I understand you perfectly.”
“I’m glad someone does.” She moved to try to stand, but Gabriel was dead weight. I certainly shouldn’t be considered a gentleman any longer, yet a portion of the man I’d once been still existed.
I rose to my feet, taking the child into my arms. At first, her grip remained firm, apprehension furrowing her lovely face. When she finally took a deep breath, releasing him into my hold, I offered a smile. Maybe I hadn’t been a part of building the full alliance, but now that Carmella and her son were in my care, I would do everything necessary to keep them safe.
She said nothing as she trailed behind me. As I walked through the mostly all glass enclosure, it suddenly felt as if we were in a fishbowl. Of course there were methods of keeping us better protected. I hadn’t told her the family who’d moved out had done so based on threats the husband had received. It didn’t surprise me she’d been intuitive enough to pick up on that. However, the previous owner had been involved in supposedly illegal activities. It would seem there was corruption in every part of the world.
In the man’s line of work building defense systems for the government, he’d endured threats for years, but he’d taken to spending hundreds of thousands of dollars replacing the windows with bulletproof glass, the security system more refined and in depth than what I’d let on.
A light was already on in what would become Gabriel’s room. As I eased him onto the bed, Carmella sighed from behind me.
“He adores racecars. I don’t know how you knew or did it, but this is a perfect room for him.”
I took a step away, allowing her to adjust the covers around him. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I had nothing to do with the room other than purchasing a few books and toys on the fly. The previous owners have a little boy almost Gabriel’s age.”
“What would make them leave all these beautiful things?”
“Danger.”
She tipped her head, sucking in her breath. A part of me expected her to either deny what I was telling her or argue with me about what danger meant. The fact she remained quiet meant she was shifting from feelings of anger toward and betrayal from her father to understanding what was at stake.
Forgiving and accepting were entirely different.
Bending down, she kissed Gabriel’s forehead, taking a few seconds to swipe several strands of hair from his face. I barely heard her tell him how much his mommy loved him. I bristled deep inside and found myself turning away.
I moved to the hallway, going over pieces of the puzzle in my mind.
“I’ll need to purchase a baby monitor. I know he’s not a baby, but these are new surroundings and he’s scared of the dark.”
“Already taken care of. The unit should arrive tomorrow and it’s complete with additional speakers that can be placed as far away as one hundred feet.”
When she looked at me, I could tell she was doing her best to figure out why I’d even give a shit.
“How do you know these things?”
“I’m no fool, Carmella. I do read.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you?”
“I can barely tolerate my father, but the one thing he told me that I do believe is that if something is too good to be true, then you better start looking for a sharp instrument to be thrust into your back.”
I inched closer, using only the heat of my body to drive her against the wall. She acted as if she was going to push me away, even planting her palms against my chest.
“Answer me this question, Firesong. What do I have to gain by lying to you? Or by hurting you?” I lowered my head, inhaling the sweet essence of her perfume. There was a hint of something floral mixed with a fresh dash of citrus and several warm spices. The fragrance had almost driven me crazy in the car.
She wrapped her fingers around my shirt, her breathing more labored than before. The fact she was having a difficult time looking me in the eyes was telling.
But not nearly as much as the heat resonating from her body. I’d told myself keeping a certain distance from her at this point was a good idea.
However, just being close to her in a room, discussing nothing that pertained to the brutal world that had determined we were a couple had changed my mind.
I wanted her. All of her.
Not just in name only.
“I wish I knew, Alejandro. Perhaps you’re some knight in shining armor, but there are very few heroes in this world.”
As soon as I dropped my head even lower, she arched her back, lifting her chin until our lips were almost touching. “I’m not trying to be a hero.”
“Then what are you trying to be?”
“A decent man.” I captured her mouth, holding our lips together. She’d been the first woman I’d been with in years, my only experience one brief encounter after Jessica’s mother had died. That had felt empty, a ghost looking down from above.
This was entirely different. I felt every alteration in my pulse, the skyrocketing heat that usually came close to overwhelming us both during the throes of passion. I wrapped one hand around her jaw, extending my fingers down the long line of her neck. The hold wasn’t forceful, but it was possessive.
Her tongue fluttered against my lips and I opened them, allowing her to explore my mouth as I’d done with hers. She was tentative at first, acting as if she wasn’t allowed to touch me.
Or to enjoy our carnal needs.
She was trembling, soft moans escaping our kiss. There was no pretense about who and what we were, just a strange but intense connection that had already tethered us together. My hunger growing and my patience waning, I tightened my hold around her throat and deepened the kiss.
I captured every moan as she quivered to my touch. As she ripped the shirt from my jeans, her fingers finally touching my skin, my cock became painfully hard.
Just being able to explore her mouth was pleasurable, but my desire was already reaching entirely different levels than what I’d experienced both before and after the wedding. Maybe I’d finally accepted I was married to a woman I had no business being around.
My carnal instincts took over, leaving all rationality tossed to the side. I wanted nothing more than to ravage every inch of her body and that’s exactly what I was going to do.
Carmella continued ripping at my shirt as if desperate in her building hunger. She even attempted to drive her hands between us so she could unfasten my belt. But our bodies were too tightly woven together.
I controlled her tongue, dominating every inch of her mouth, but she wasn’t complaining. If she had alternative thoughts, her body had already betrayed her.
After sucking on her tongue, I broke the kiss, tilting her head and exposing her long neck. If the woman had any fear of me and what I could do, it certainly didn’t show. She closed her eyes as I dragged my tongue from one side of her jaw to the other. Every sound she made ignited me even further.
There was something powerful about being lost in her.
The moment I bit down on her neck, she gasped then issued a subtle yet nervous laugh. It appeared she hadn’t experienced passion in as long as me. That was about to change. I was finished toying with her and enduring her gentle caresses. I longed to bring out the lioness I’d experienced before.
I gathered her into my arms, immediately heading for the master suite. She’d walked through the house, turning on a light in almost every single room. At least with the bedroom, there were blinds protecting us from any and all prying eyes. While I had confidence in Gio and his man to keep us from harm’s way, being on edge was part of my job.
One I hated tonight for the first time in over a year.
I lowered her onto the bed, purposely fanning her long strands of hair around her head. She smiled, studying me while remaining immobile. Whether or not there was a silent tether between us, she didn’t like anyone pushing against her resolve.
And she’d resigned herself to keep more than an arm’s length away from men. All men. I couldn’t blame her after hearing the brief story regarding Derek, the man who’d fathered her child. The prick had been using their relationship as a way of attempting to get to her father. While the jerk had heeded my warning, I’d still keep him on the radar for a long time.
What I couldn’t figure out was why a man like Lupini would act as if he would dare turn over his grandson to a man who’d attempted to extort from him.
That was for another time. But I would figure it out.
Being able to admire her long legs and voluptuous figure in this way kept my balls throbbing. Her wedding dress had been provocative, her reception attire sensual, but she looked best in jeans. But I needed them gone, immediately.
I crawled onto the bed, straddling her legs. Her expression shifted from a hint of apprehension to amusement as I fought to jerk off her sweater. She finally laughed and eased onto first one elbow then the other to offer her assistance.
From that moment I became like a wild beast, ravenous in every way. I jerked one bra strap down before the other, sliding my arms under her and thankfully managing to unclasp her bra with ease. With it removed, my hunger spiked.
A guttural laugh pushed up from my chest just before I lowered my head, cupping both breasts and squeezing her firm flesh. When I flicked my thumbs across her nipples, she arched her back just as she’d done before.
Her arms were completely straight, her hands fisted. I sensed she was still trying to convince herself she shouldn’t want or enjoy the sexual aspect of our relationship.
Perhaps for all the wrong reasons I wanted to change her mind.
“You’re beautiful,” I managed before engulfing one fully hardened bud. Everything about her was sweet, including her rosy nipple. I licked across her chest to the other, taking my time swirling the tip around her areole.
She was still in her jeans, and my mind was envisioning all the filthy things I could do to her. I took my time enjoying the moment before rubbing the flats of my hands down her taut stomach. She immediately flinched, which forced me to lift my head.
Hers was turned to the side. Her reaction indicated more than just nerves. I made a mental note, refusing to break the passion between us.
As I slowly unzipped her jeans, she brushed her curled fingers back and forth across her mouth. The light pink hue coloring her jaw and cheeks drew my attention.
But only briefly.
I had other things on my mind.
As soon as I slipped my fingers under the waistband of her jeans, she dropped one hand over mine. Was she suddenly embarrassed? She hadn’t seemed that way before. Maybe this was a more intimate setting, forcing her to face a reality she loathed.
I stopped my actions, rubbing my hands down her legs until I reached her shoes. She didn’t fight me as I tugged them both off, tossing the sneakers to the side. She even sighed, undulating her hips as if intentionally taunting me.
It was working.
“A little tease, huh?” I muttered.
“Uh-huh.”
“Be careful, Firesong.”
“Or what?”
This time I didn’t hesitate, lowering her jeans and taking her passion purple thong with them. When she was completely naked, I hovered over her like a hungry beast prepared for a feast. She finally turned her full attention in my direction, stretching and touching herself. There was something powerful about watching a woman intensifying her own desire.
Carmella was breathing irregularly as she squeezed first one nipple then the other. My mouth watered, but I was enjoying the show. However, my libido was on fire and as she shifted her hand between her legs, I lost all sense of patience.
I shoved her to the center of the bed while dropping a knee onto the covers and whisking her hand away. She laughed softly, but the sound continued to hold an anxious tone. I was no longer in the mood to be gentle, immediately bending her legs and pushing them wide open.
She gasped and laughed, pointing her toes as I breathed across her pretty pink pussy. But I suddenly had another idea in mind. When I flopped back onto the bed right by her side, she remained silent for almost thirty full seconds.
Until she couldn’t take the anticipation any longer. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I said as I slowly turned my head to the side. “Change in plans.”
“How so?”
“Sit on my face.”
Instead, she straddled my waist, swinging her hair back and forth. Her mischievous side had returned and while I did enjoy that part of her, my extreme thirst needed quenching.
I gripped her hips, pulling her up by several inches.
“I said. Sit on my face.”
Carmella had the audacity to shake her head. Was the woman actually refusing me?
I cracked my hand against her bottom several times, my entire body aching from her reaction. Her eyelids were half closed, her lips shifting into a perfect O shape. Right at that moment, the bad man inside of me wanted nothing more than to fill her warm mouth with the entire length of my cock.
After smacking her bottom a few additional times, we were both panting. “Now. We’ll try this one last time, Firesong. Do not think you’ll get another chance. Sit. On. My. Face. Now.”