Chapter 23
Marcella walked Cosimo to her bathroom without another word. The air around him was charged with danger, like she was standing next to a bomb ready to go off.
She might not fully understand what Cosimo was going through with his dragon side at that moment, but she knew she couldn't leave him alone, and she didn't want to.
"Let's get that jacket off," she said, helping him slide the wet fabric from his shoulders.
He was wearing a leather holster underneath it that held five sheathed daggers.
It was so sexy, Marcella bit back a groan.
He was watching her carefully, his eyes all dragon. Blood stained his shirt and hands.
"Are you sure none of this is yours?" she asked, undoing his cuff links one at a time and placing them on the counter. Cosimo shook his head. "And you didn't kill Carlo? Because this is a lot of blood."
"I didn't say I didn't maim him," he replied, voice steady. "But I also didn't go looking for the fight. I found Carlo under your window, trying to put a compulsion spell on you to lure you out. I acted accordingly."
Marcella raised a brow. "And that means what exactly? Carlo's compulsion spells have never worked on me before, and I don't think anything could get through the wards that your children put up."
"That is not the point. Carlo wasn't going to respect your wishes. Now he knows that leaving you alone is in his best interests," Cosimo said in that same deadly calm.
"Carlo has never been known to give up an idea once he has it in his head. I'm not sure why he is insisting we get back together after all this time. They could have tried before and haven't."
Cosimo's voice was all snarl as he said, "They didn't realize how much you have grown into your power without them around to crush you.
I know you hide it, but anyone with a whiff of magic would know that you are powerful.
They will imprison you and do to you what they are doing to the girl downstairs. "
Marcella swallowed hard. "That doesn't surprise me, but how do you know for sure?"
"Bas read Renata's mind."
"Bitch. God, I hate that woman so much. When I get back to Florence, I'll put a restraining order..." Marcella began and then stopped talking as Cosimo placed a finger on the counter, a ring still on it.
His voice dropped to a soft growl. "Consider this a courting present."
Marcella didn't need to ask who it belonged to.
She should be repulsed or frightened as she stared at the finger, but all she felt was relief.
The divorce had legally gone through, even if Carlo had never signed the documents, but a part of it hadn't felt finalized until that moment.
She knew in her bones that if Carlo tried anything again, Cosimo would kill him and wouldn't feel a drop of remorse.
There was a glorious and wonderful finality about it.
Horrible laughter bubbled up in Marcella's throat, and she quickly swallowed it back. "I love it," she replied. "It's what I always wanted."
"He's lucky it wasn't his dick," Cosimo replied, which made her giggle more.
"I shouldn't be laughing. This whole situation is a bit insane, but thank you." She turned on the hot water tap and wet a clean face washer. "Give me your hands and tell me what happened. I want details."
Cosimo obeyed, letting her gently wash away the blood as he spoke about the encounter with Carlo outside. The only damage he had was two split knuckles.
"I'm surprised he didn't try to stab you. Carlo's always carried a knife and used to love waving it about when he was angry," she said, drying off his hands.
"He might have carried a knife, but he was shit at using it," Cosimo said. Marcella looked at the ones in the holster he was wearing. "I'm good with them. With a family full of fae warriors, you get trained with everyone else."
"Let's hope Carlo takes your warning to heart, and we don't have to deal with them anymore," Marcella replied. She reached for the leather holsters and slowly slid them off his shoulders before hanging them up on the towel rack.
Cosimo stayed perfectly still, letting her do as she liked. Her fingers were shaking as she untucked his shirt and began to unbutton it.
Marcella knew he would have a good body from the times when he had held her. He was leanly muscled, the kind of build that came from training to fight, not being in a gym.
Her mouth watered as her eyes followed the dark trail of hair across his chest and down into his pants. Blood had seeped through his shirt, and she carefully wiped it away.
"I don't want any of that bastard on you," Marcella said, her voice as shaky as her hands. She studied his ink over his left ribs, and her heart skipped when she saw how much it was like the one on her ankle.
"This is a surprise. I didn't think you would be the tattoo type." It was of skulls and roses surrounding a scroll that said, Memento Mori. Memento Vivere. She ran her fingers over it. "Remember, you will die. Remember to live. Usually, people forget the second half."
"I had it done after I came out of the walking coma I was in for the first year after my wife died.
I had to have a reminder that living was more than just being alive.
I had to get out of bed every day, try to be a good father to my boys, find things to be passionate about again," Cosimo replied, his fingers moving to twist gently in her tumble of loose curls.
"I didn't think I would be lucky enough to feel anything for anyone again. "
"You did seem adamant when you said you weren't capable of it," Marcella replied, butterflies dancing in her stomach.
"So were you." Cosimo didn't stop playing with her hair, as if fascinated by its softness.
"I suppose that makes us both idiots then, doesn't it?" she whispered.
They held each other's gaze for a long, tense moment before Cosimo snapped.
His mouth crashed down on hers, and she was up in his arms, her hands burrowing in his still-damp hair.
His tongue flicked against her lips, and she opened her mouth for him, needing the taste of him.
His hands gripped her ass tightly as he carried her out of the bathroom.
They got as far as the room's small dining table, where he set her down on the edge of it. Cosimo's hands moved the sides of her robe apart and slid up the curves of her thighs, making her shake at the feel of his skin against hers.
"Fuck, you are so soft," he growled against her lips. "I want to kiss you everywhere."
Marcella's whole body went hot, wetness flooding her panties. "Then do it."
Cosimo's hands went higher, his teeth lightly grazing her bottom lip in a way that made her whimper.
"I've been losing my mind every time I smell you," he admitted hotly, his mouth moving down to her neck. "You have no idea what you do to me."
He carressed her soft panties, and they both groaned. He moved his fingers under the satin, kissing her deeply again and capturing her moan when he found her wetness.
"Oh, love, you really do need a good fucking, don't you?" he said, stroking her pussy and circling her clit.
"Fuck...yes," she managed to pant out, her legs tightening around him. He had barely begun, and she was already feeling like she was going to embarrass herself by coming too quickly.
Cosimo's eyes flashed like an animal's, a smug little laugh escaping him. Marcella suddenly remembered the warning that he had a darker side that rarely came out. There was no sign of the gentleman magician tonight, and she fucking loved it.
With his other hand, Cosimo gently pushed her back onto the table and undid the tie of her robe. Marcella's hands caught his, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"What are you trying to hide from me?" he asked, his fingers stroking her again and making her writhe. "You know there's no hiding from me tonight."
"I'm... I'm not as young and as firm as I once was and..." Marcella tried not to feel like an idiot for saying it.
She was usually so confident. She loved her body most days, but she was the only one who got to see it.
She was forty-three, and the reality was her skin wasn't as tight and her breasts weren't as high.
She had a soft roll of a belly and thighs that would always have dimples no matter what she did.
All her old insecurities were swamping her.
"Marcella, look at me," Cosimo demanded in the commanding voice that made her pussy clench every time he used it.
She forced herself to open her eyes and look at him.
"Everything about you is fucking perfect.
You are all my dirtiest dreams come to life.
When I saw you in that dress tonight, I almost lost my damn mind.
You think I'm not going to like a single thing about your body?
Woman, the sound of your heels on a floor is enough to drive me to distraction. "
"It does?" Marcella had no idea she had that kind of power over him. It was enough that she let go of her robe and nodded to him.
"Everything about you is intoxicating and I'm done trying to fight it."
Cosimo tugged at the tie, and she didn't move to stop him again. The sides slid apart, revealing her breasts and stomach. Seeing his hand still in her black panties made her groan. His eyes trailed over her, going so hot with desire that she bit back a gasp.
"You are a fucking Botticelli goddess come to life," he said reverently. He moved his hand away from her long enough to tear the crotch clean out of her panties. His eyes dropped to her core, and a low growl reverberated through the room. He pressed his fingers into her, making her back arch.
"I'm going to make you feel so good that you never try to hide from me again."
His other hand pressed her back down before cupping one of her large breasts and squeezing it. Marcella's nails scraped against the tabletop, needing something to hang onto but finding nothing. Cosimo's hand slid over her belly to her hip.
"I see these fucking curves every time I close my eyes," he admitted, thrusting his fingers slowly and deeply inside of her pussy. "I want to live between these thighs."
His hand tightened on her hip before dragging her ass back to the edge of the table.
Cosimo dropped to his knees and buried his face in her pussy without warning.
Marcella bit back a scream as he moaned against her clit.
His tongue was so hot and wet against her, she didn't think she could handle it.
"Fucking hell," he said, his voice going husky. "You taste even better than you smell, tesoro mio."
"Cosimo... I'm going to..." Marcella stammered, the pressure in her pussy building.
"You can come as much as you like, as long as it's on my face," he said and lowered his mouth back over her.
Marcella's thighs clenched around his head, spurring him to devour her harder. His tongue circled slowly while his fingers thrust faster and deeper, tearing a cry of his name from her lips as her first orgasm in far too long broke her apart.
Cosimo removed his fingers slowly. "Again," he commanded, his large hands closing around her ankles to lift them onto the edge of the table before spreading her wide. She felt too exposed, too aroused, too everything.
Cosimo's heavy palms held her thighs down so she couldn't close them. "I told you what was going to happen if you let me through your door, strega, and you did anyway, so you're going to take everything I'm going to give you."
"Mio Dio, salvami," was all she could whisper.
"God can't save you from me. Not tonight." Cosimo's grip didn't loosen as he spread her wider and licked her over her soaked hole.
Marcella was sure her soul was going to leave her body before the night was out. He didn't let her up for a second, making her squirm and groan as he explored every part of her.
She had never thought she was the type to let a man dominate her, but this was something else entirely. This wasn't a man trying to control her to take from her. This was a man controlling her to give to her, and it was unlocking a wild thing inside of her she hadn't remembered existed.
"Fuck, Cosimo, I need you in me," she begged, her fingers gripping his hair, pulling it tight.
"I know what you need," he said, completely confident. "I think I know it better than you do right now."
Marcella wanted to give him some witty comeback, but her ability to speak ceased to exist when his tongue thrust into her pussy. "So sweet. So fucking wet. I could do this all night."
"Why did you have to have a dirty mouth on top of everything else?" she whimpered, feeling helpless against him.
"My mouth hasn't even begun to get dirty." Cosimo laughed softly, his breath on her oversensitive flesh making her squirm. "Keep these legs spread for me, or I'll stop."
"If you don't get inside of me, I'll…" she began. The air whooshed out of her body as he thrust two fingers inside of her.
"You'll what?" he growled, his eyes glowing. Another finger moved to stroke over her ass at the same time. Marcella couldn't breathe, couldn't think as he filled her there too. "That's what I thought. You can be in charge another night, but not tonight."
Cosimo lowered his head, his mouth burning hot against her clit as his fingers worked her. The ones in her pussy curled up, finding her G-spot and sending her screaming over the edge once more.
When Marcella came back to herself, her cheeks were wet with tears, and her body was shining with sweat. She was ruined, a complete mess, and so boneless she couldn't move.
Cosimo leaned over her and licked the tears off her cheeks. Marcella was breaking apart as she stared up into his impossible purple eyes. This man, looking at her like she was the centre of the universe, couldn't be real.
Cosimo brushed his lips over hers, a tantalizing, brief kiss, before he whispered, "Now, my beautiful Marcella, I'm really going to fuck you."
Marcella could only whimper as he dragged her off the table, lifted her up over one shoulder, and carried her toward the bed.