Chapter 9
ROSA
I’m so tired of cheap motels and crappy food. Rory assures me one more night, and we’ll be back in New York. The mirror shows me how different I’ve become. My hair is now blonde. I dyed it before we left New Orleans. I’m split between wanting for this journey to be over and never wanting to leave it. The fates have to be laughing their asses off because I love him. I can’t help it. My heart clenches at the thought of losing him. His soft breathing as he sleeps on the bed brings me back to the present. My body is wonderfully sore and sated from phenomenal sex.
“You’re watching me again.”
“Of course, I am. It’s my third favorite thing to do.”
He props up his body, resting on his elbow. “What’s number one?”
“You know what’s number one.” Before I can stop giggling, he shifts me under him and enters my wet pussy in one easy motion.
“I’ll never stop wanting you.”
“That’s a good thing because I’m always going to want you. Make love to me Rory.”
His gentle hands grasp my ass and hold me as he pumps my pussy with his hard cock. The sensations overwhelm me as he rubs my clit with every stroke. Moments fly by as I lose track of time and space as I’m lost in the pleasure.
“Come for me!” He plays my body like a Stratovarius, using his cock to make my heart sing with pleasure. I don’t know how much time passes until my body soars into a life-altering orgasm. I forget myself as I cry out. “I love you.”
Rory continues to give me everything his magnificent cock has to offer, pumping in and out as he climbs the climax cliff. He didn’t react to my outburst, and embarrassment embraces my soul. I’m screwed. I’m sure I’m pregnant. He didn’t ask about birth control, and I haven’t shared. Emotions swirl my soul as he cries out.
Damn. No exclamation of love as he climbs off the bed. Before he gets back, I’m on my feet, ready to enter the bathroom as he strolls out. Slipping by him, I turn on the shower and pee while he stands in the doorway with a frown.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. You’re not the relationship kind of guy. I get it.” Stepping into the shower, I will myself to hold back the tears brimming in my eyes.
Turning off the shower, I step out to Rory’s thoughtful eyes. “Let me dry you.”
“I can…”
“No.” He focuses on me as I comply. “We need to talk.”
“We don’t.”
“Damn it. You will just do what I want.”
I pull the ends of the towel from his hands and wrap it around myself, taking a pose. “Look. I shouldn’t have told you. It’s obvious that this isn’t what you had intended. I get that. Once we get to New York, I’ll figure out a way to handle my family. Who knows, maybe the Russians might want the information I have for protection.”
Rory tightens his jaw while crossing his arms. “I’m protecting you.”
My heart can’t take any more, so I turn to leave the little bathroom. His hand grabs my upper arm, turning me into his hard chest. “Just let me go.”
“Never!” He lifts my chin to take my mouth in a sensual kiss, exploring with his tongue as his hand slips under the top of the towel, dropping it to the floor. “I want you.” He stares into my eyes. “I didn’t want any relationship, but you matter to me. I’m unsure what the future will bring, but you’re mine.”
I can’t argue because he’s carrying me to the double bed to ravish me again.
RORIC
The Lincoln Tunnel runs under the Hudson River. My heart picks up speed as my palms dampen. It’s only a mile and a half; you can do it. It’s the same mantra I chant in my head whenever I go through this. The fear started in my childhood when we ran from a shooting at my brother’s birthday party. The actual shooting didn’t seem to register as much as being in a dark SUV racing into a tunnel. It took forever to get through the mile and a half. I’m so lucky that my mother understood and walked me through it whenever we came this way. My father, the Pakhan of our bratva, wasn’t so patient. His idea of mastering your fears was total immersion. He had a closet built in the basement of our home, just to ‘help me with my fear.’ I shudder. I thought a lot about killing in that room.
“What’s wrong?” Her hand grazes my arm. Guilt and resentment bubble up. I haven’t been able to brush away her feelings the way I want. Papa will kill me for getting involved with a cartel princess.
“I just want to get you somewhere safe and talk to Fingers about what he found on the drive.” Her head pivots to look out the window at the concrete walls as I steady my nerves to get through the last hundred feet.
We pull into the parking area for the apartment complex on east Sixtieth Street off Third Avenue. A small gasp brings my attention to Rosa. “I didn’t think I’d be back in New York.”
“It’s safe. We’ll stay here. Fingers arranged it, so there is no way anyone is going to find us.”
“If you say so.”
Twenty minutes later, a knock on the door lets me know our takeout food has arrived. Rosa’s face lights up when she sees the bags. I beam at her. “You know Donna Margherita?”
“Duh. Food from Donna Margherita is to die for.” She rummages through the bag and sets the food out on the table, turning her attention to the pizza box. “I love their pizza.”
“I love their meatball panini. I’ve missed this.”
Rosa finishes her fourth piece of Napoletana pizza and leans back in her chair. “This makes up for the slop we’ve eaten lately.”
“It’ll be better.”
“I hope so.” Rosa’s warm pink cheeks decolor into a beigey-green as her hand thrusts up to her mouth. She bolts to the back of the apartment, throwing open a door. The slam gets me moving faster. She’s emptying out her stomach into the toilet as she tries to keep her hair back.
“Let me.” I run my hand through her hair and hold it gently at the back. I reach for the small hand towel and hand it to her when she leans back on her heels.
“Oh. God. You saw that.”
“You’re sick. I’m here.” I scoop her gently from the floor and place her on the edge of the counter, grabbing a clean washcloth to moisten. “Wipe your face.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
“Everyone gets sick. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
She drops her feet to the floor as she turns to turn on the faucet, cupping water in her hand, she takes a drink and spits it out. “I don’t know why I got sick.” She’s unstable on her feet when she turns to face me, so I collect her in my arms again.
“Let’s get you settled.” She rests her head against my chest. Did she eat something earlier when we stopped for breakfast that could have made her sick? I set her down on the sofa in the living room and place a blanket over her lap. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Could I have some of the soda?”
I jog over to the table to grab the white Styrofoam cup and adjust the straw. “Here.”
She sips the beverage as she leans against the back. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop. You can’t control that. We just need to make sure you feel better.”
Her eyes close and I take the cup so it doesn’t fall and spill. The little danger voice in the back of my mind that alerts me to trouble ticks like a clock. We’re safe here… This apartment is a Bravikov Bratva safe house. It’s recently remodeled with simple colors and comfortable furniture. My father believes extravagance is just for him, so his decorator did the bare minimum on this twelve-hundred square feet place. The lack of a view from the window flicks at my dislike of closed spaces. I wish this place had more glass, like Cynric’s former penthouse, a few blocks away. My mind wanders to my older brother and his pregnant wife. I could have abandoned Rosa once I determined she wasn’t a threat to my brother, but something made me stay. It was that same something I found with her in Prague.
An hour later, texting my youngest brother and flipping through the streaming platform to find something to watch as Rosa’s eyes ping open. “I fell asleep.”
I chuckle. “Was that a question or a fact?”
“Neither, I guess. I’m sorry.”
I move to her and kneel. “The next time you apologize for no reason, I’ll spank your ass.”
“Um.” A smile rises from the corner of her mouth. “Promises, promises.”
“As soon as you can keep a meal down, game on!”
Her head snaps to the fridge. “Any leftover pizza?”
“Do you want it heated?”
“Nah. I love cold pizza.”
I chuckle. “Me, too. I’ll grab two plates and the pie.”
Rosa nibbles the second piece of pizza with stops in between bites. “Waiting for your stomach to roll again?”
“Yeah. It seems fine, though.” She dabs the napkin to her lips. “You were saying something about an activity once I ate.”
“Let’s see if your stomach cooperates, then we’ll talk.”
An hour later, I’m sitting on the sofa, bored, watching a series on Netflix as Rosa stands to strip off her clothes. My cock is rock hard and pushing against my shorts as she dances around, moving side to side, pulling off her bra. It lands atop her shirt as she plays with the waistband on her drawstring pants. She lowers a side so I can see her hip, then giggles and pulls it up again. She’s driving me crazy. My hands itch to possess her as they thrust out to capture her and bring her to my mouth. Her skin is soft and warm. My hands brush her pants and panties down in one move, leaving her naked before me. I can only imagine the lust on my face as she offers a half-smile.
“You’re stunning.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she shifts to drop to her knees as I stand quickly, catching her movements and scooping her up in my arms. “Hey?”
“We need to lie down and take this slow.”
“I’m fine, Rory…” I cut her off as I hustle to the bedroom. “You don’t always have to be in charge.”
“Ha. I’m always in charge and don’t you forget it.” I chuckle as I toss her gently onto the bed to stand before her. “Undress me.”
Lust sparkles in her eyes as her hands rush to my athletic shorts. In a fast move, she’s shoved down my shorts and briefs and caressed my cock and balls.
“Tsk, tsk. No touching until I say so.”
Her big eyes fill with amusement as I rip off my own shirt. “I thought you said…” She can’t finish her statement before I’m on her. Pushing her knees up, I’m dying to be inside her. Her breath catches as my cock enters her pussy. “Ohhh.”
“Take me.”
She shifts her ass to angle her pussy to meet my thrusts. “Oh. Rory.”
“That’s it. You’re going to cry out my name when you come.”