9. Dario #3
“I know exactly what we’re about,” I tell her, whispering the words in her ear as I rock my hips, letting her feel exactly what she’s going to be getting. “And as soon as your sweet little temptation of a pussy is fully healed, I’m going to wreck it.”
“Fuck,” she whispers when I cup her breast with my other hand and drag my thumb over her piercing.
She’s wound tight, still so frustrated from earlier, and when I feel her start to rub her thighs together, I slide my hand from her hip and grip her leg, forcing her to be still.
“Go to sleep, Mia. We’ll be landing in the morning, and you need your rest.”
She gives an angry grunt, and when I nip at her skin again, she tries to wiggle away. Not having it, I keep her next to me.
“This is how I want to sleep with my wife,” I murmur against her skin.
“Jesus,” she groans. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
After a few seconds, her body relaxes back into mine.
I’m not stupid enough to think this is her giving in.
It’s a temporary acquiescence based on how tired she is.
This isn’t a battle she can win, so she’ll accept my cuddling, choosing to save her strength for the next fight.
I don’t care what her reasoning is as long as I get to fall asleep with my arms wrapped around her.
I hold her until her breathing evens out and I know she’s in a deep sleep.
Just like last time, she doesn’t thrash around.
Her body is still and calm, some part of her recognizing that it’s my arms she’s sleeping in.
Her waking mind might not yet be at peace with that, but her subconscious mind sure is.
Before I fall asleep, I reach over with my free hand and grab my phone. Switching off Airplane Mode, I pull up a secure chat and send a text to Tony.
ME:
You up?
TONY:
I am now.
ME:
Perfect. After a VCH piercing how long do you need to wait before you can have sex?
TONY:
Jesus. Do I want to know?
ME:
No, probably not.
TONY:
It depends, but usually 4 to 8 weeks. Sometimes as little as 2, but it just depends on the healing. Everyone is different.
My whole body lights up at the two-week comment, but his next one deflates the enthusiasm a bit.
TONY:
You’ll need to wear a condom.
ME:
Even if I’m clean?
TONY:
Yeah. It’s not about STIs. It could hurt her, cause an infection, prolong the healing. Just wear a condom to be safe, and I’ll pretend we’re not talking about Lev’s daughter right now.
ME:
Who said anything about Lev’s daughter?
TONY:
Exactly.
I tell him a quick thanks and then set my phone aside before wrapping my arm back around a sleeping Mia. I’m not thrilled about the condom news, but as much as I want to fuck her bare, I’m not going to risk hurting her.
For the second time in my life, I share my bed with a woman and fall asleep with her in my arms. Usually I have a hell of a time sleeping while flying, but with Mia it’s easy, and the next morning I’m already showered and dressed with an espresso in hand by the time she opens her eyes.
“Good morning, streghetta mia .”
She reaches her arms and legs out in a lazy stretch, and not for the first time since I’ve woken up, I run my eyes over her, imagining all the things I want to do to her.
“Do you have one of those caffeine bombs for me?” Her voice is thick with sleep, making her sound even more seductive than usual.
“I do.” I grin and add, “Marissa was kind enough to make you one.”
Mia gives an irritated grunt and lifts up enough to take the espresso I hand her.
“It’s not as good as mine,” I warn her. “I’ll be able to make you a proper one once we get to the house.”
While she takes her first sip, I hand her a plate of breakfast. She moans her approval at the sight of the cornetto and grabs it so she can take a bite.
“A girl could get used to this,” she says while still chewing.
“I know what my wife likes.”
She narrows her eyes at me, and I give her a wink before sitting back down in the chair so I can watch her.
“We’ll be landing soon. It’ll take about an hour to get to the house, and once we’re there I’ll get you situated before I meet with our men.”
After she finishes the espresso and takes another massive bite, she says, “I’m not going to just sit on my ass, Dario. Don’t you dare try to push me off to the side.”
“I’m not planning on it. You have a big part to play. I just don’t need you to play it yet.”
That seems to satisfy her. I watch her finish her breakfast, and then stifle my groan when she gets up, revealing her legs and the imprint of both nipple piercings. When she goes into the bathroom to shower, I know I need to leave the room. I can’t be trusted to not go in there after her.
Stepping out into the main area, I find my brother nursing what’s most likely his third espresso. His suit is rumpled, and when he sees my appearance, he grunts and lifts an annoyed brow.
“I hope you slept well and enjoyed that really large bathroom and shower,” he says before finishing the espresso and setting it aside. “I slept like shit, thanks for asking.”
I grin. “I slept like a baby. It’s so peaceful back there. I almost forgot I was flying.”
“How fucking nice for you,” he mutters. “No matter how big these leather seats are, they still aren’t a bed, and I had to share a tiny bathroom with the crew and everyone else on board.” He stops so he can glare at me. “Rocco is lactose intolerant. Guess who ate the Fettuccini Alfredo last night?”
I laugh while Sasha says, “Not fucking funny, Dario. If you had been in bed with anyone other than my sister, I would’ve barged in there and slept on the floor.”
Meeting Sasha’s eyes I say, “I won’t ever be in bed with anyone other than your sister.”
If he’s surprised by my confession, he hides it beneath the unreadable mask he usually wears. My brother couldn’t hide his shocked face even if he wanted to. He points at the wedding ring I’m wearing. “You know it’s fake, right?”
“For now,” I say, making him shake his head before his eyes take on the same mischievous look he’s been giving me since we were kids.
I turn, knowing what I’m going to see before my eyes even land on Mia.
She walks out from our room freshly showered, her wet hair pulled back in a ponytail, giving me a clear view of the piercings along her ears and the delicate line of her neck.
She’s in jeans and a T-shirt, and today she’s wearing her green Converse sneakers.
“Oh, Mom and Dad are going to love this,” Sandro mutters from beside me before nodding to Mia. “Did my brother let you get any sleep? ”
“All we did was sleep,” she tells him. Tossing her bag near the seat she’d originally taken, she plops down and lifts the cover so she can see out the small window. Bright light filters in, lighting up her face like the angel she definitely isn’t.
“All you did was sleep?” Sandro asks. “Seriously?”
I don’t bother explaining about the piercing, because that’s for only me to know about. Well, me and Benny apparently, but I plan on killing him when we get back, so I’m not sure he counts anymore.
Sandro looks over at Sasha. “We slept out here and endured Rocco’s lactose intolerant ass for nothing. On the flight back, we’re all sleeping in there. I’m pretty sure that bed can hold four.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I tell him.
He grins at me. “We’ll see.”
I ignore his laugh when I walk away to go and take my seat next to Mia. She’s looking out the window, and when I lean over, I catch sight of the sea beneath us.
“Keep watching. You should be able to see land soon,” I tell her before kissing her cheek. “I’m excited to show you my country, streghetta mia .”
“This isn’t a vacation,” she reminds me.
“For everyone on the outside looking in, it is a vacation. This is a trip to my home country, a trip where I’ll be introducing my wife to my parents and the men who keep things together for us when we’re not here. Above all else, my sweet wife, we have to make this believable.”
I run my finger along her jaw, amazed yet again that anyone can look so beautiful while putting so little effort into it.
I know Mia well enough to know she didn’t pack a makeup bag.
She effortlessly knocks me on my ass without even having to try.
It’s disconcerting to say the least, and I’m still getting used to it.
She turns to look at me. “If you ever call me your sweet wife again, I’m going to punch you.”
I smile and tap the tip of her nose, which causes her to narrow her eyes at me.
“What do you want me to call you?” I ask .
“Mia would work.”
I tap her nose again, and this time her nostrils flare and her mouth tightens in a hard line.
“That’s not intimate enough,” I tell her. “And I already call you Mia. Streghetta mia. La mia piccola vipera .” I whisper the words against her skin, smiling when I hear her suck in a sharp breath. “ Mia means my in Italian, sweetheart. Fitting, no?”
“No,” she says, easily pulling a smile from me, a feat that no one else can do on such a regular basis. “It’s not fitting at all, because I’m not yours, Dario. I don’t belong to anyone.”
“You belong to me.” I give her a quick kiss before she can yell at me and then point out the window. “You’re missing Italy.”
Distracted, she turns her head and looks out the window.
As we grow closer, the landscape comes into sharper view.
She can pretend to hate this plan, and she can try and fight how she feels about me, but there’s no way to be indifferent about my home country.
Italy is gorgeous, and no one can remain immune to her charms.
While she sits entranced by the view, I reach down and buckle her in so she’s ready for the landing.
Instead of the slight trepidation I usually feel when the seat belt light comes on and we start to descend, I feel at ease as I watch Mia’s eyes light up when Italy becomes more visible with each passing minute.
I barely notice the slight turbulence or the way my stomach drops when the wheels hit the ground before barreling down the runway that always seems like it might end up being a bit too short.
Once the plane has stopped, she turns her bright eyes to me, too excited to remember she’s trying to be pissed at me.
Her smile is easy to return, and as soon as it’s safe to do so, we stand to exit.
Sandro walks over to discuss our plans while Mia walks over to her brother and squeezes his arm in excitement.
He grins down at her, showing a side of himself that very few people get a glimpse of.
Mia’s always been an exception for him. I’m not sure what exactly he feels, but whatever good he’s capable of feeling is mainly reserved for her.
“We have a meeting scheduled with Giuseppe this afternoon,” Sandro announces while I grab my bag. “Dominic is already demanding hourly updates.”
I look at the phone he’s still gripping onto. “Well, since you’re already in touch with him, those updates should probably keep coming from you.”
“You’re not leaving me to do everything while you try to woo your wife.”
“I’ve been covering your ass since we were kids. You owe me, and I’m not trying to woo my wife.” I glance at Mia, checking to make sure she doesn’t try to leave without me. “I will win her over. She’s being stubborn, but she can’t fight me forever.”
“That’s so romantic,” Sandro says while he grabs a bag from the overhead compartment. “You’re going to need to step up your game if stubborn determination is all you’ve got. She’s eighteen, Dario. You’re not going to outlast her.”
The look I give him only makes him laugh.
“Don’t pout,” he tells me, and I swear to god if he wasn’t my brother I’d already have my knife in him.
“I’m leaving,” I say. “I don’t trust myself to not stab you right now.”
He laughs while I walk over to Mia. “Time to go, streghetta mia. ” Wrapping my free arm around her, I lead her to the stairs.
“What about my brother?” She tries to look around me to see him, but I don’t move.
Instead, I nudge her to keep going while I say, “They’re riding with our men.”
She grips the railing, locking herself in place as she looks up at me. “And where am I going?”
I nod towards the gorgeous Ferrari Roma that’s parked on the tarmac, ready and waiting for us.
Looking back at her, I say, “With me.”