LEO
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Leo sat in the bleachers, staring at the blue shirt Toya had insisted he wear. The bold lettering, “Knock Their Heads Off, Denver,” stretched across his chest, as subtle as a brick through a window.
He wasn’t sure how they hadn’t been asked to take the shirts off yet. But he was pretty sure it was because Orazio Cattaneo was seated just a few spaces down from him, wearing the same shirt. When the head of the Cattaneo family was in the stands, people tended to mind their business.
His gaze drifted to the field, where Denver, decked out in his jersey and helmet, finally spotted them. It had taken an ungodly amount of screaming, waving, and what Leo could only describe as Monique, Meka, and Toya’s synchronized choreography of chaos to get the kid’s attention.
Denver waved up at them, and the trio of women erupted into squeals and frantic waving. Monique and Meka even held up the banners they’d made, complete with glitter and oversized lettering.
Leo chuckled as Toya dropped back into her seat beside him, grinning like she’d just won a lifetime supply of whatever crazy ideas she’d dream up next. He handed her the purse he’d been holding while she’d been up yelling for Denver.
“You hungry?” he asked, leaning closer.
“No,” she said, her eyes sparkling up at him.
Damn, she was beautiful. A simple smile from her could wreck him in ways he never thought possible.
“You thirsty?” he asked, needing something to do for her, anything to keep that smile in place.
“Leo, I’m not a pet or a plant. You don’t have to feed and water me every few minutes,” she teased, smirking.
“Are you cold?” he asked, already reaching to adjust her jacket.
She glared at him, exasperated but not annoyed. “Leo!”
“What? I just want to make sure you’re alright,” he said defensively.
He wasn’t used to trying to figure out how to love someone who didn’t need him to do everything for her. Women in his past had pretty much used him, wanting him for his money or his connections. Toya wanted him for him, which left him not knowing how to treat her. Spending money and taking care of a woman’s every need was his love language.
But she didn’t need him for anything. Still, she deserved every damn ounce of care he could give and he wanted to show her that without making her feel smothered. Cas and Raz made it look easy, but for Leo, it felt like walking a tightrope blindfolded.
That’s why he had an entire notebook dedicated to Taking Care of Toya. It was a collection of every fact, preference, and quirk he’d learned about Toya. Her favorite food, the way she liked her coffee, what made her laugh, and most importantly, what made her mad.
He tried to avoid that as much as possible. Hell, there was even a section labeled “Emergency Smiles,” filled with jokes he could tell her when she had a bad day. He was doing his best to make sure she never grew tired of him.
In the beginning, she told him that she had a habit of leaving relationships because she got bored. He never wanted her to get bored with him. Even if she did, she had to know that he wouldn’t let her go.
That wasn’t an option. On their first night together, he’d told her that if she stepped into his room, he would never let her go. She’d laughed and said yeah, right. But he hadn’t been joking. He’d been serious as fuck.
“You don’t have to try so hard,” Toya said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I’m yours, Leo. I’m not going anywhere. With you is where I want to be. And I don’t need to be pampered every minute of the day. Just having you beside me is enough.”
The words hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She leaned closer, her lips brushing his in a kiss that was far too brief.
“And I’ll show you just how much I appreciate everything you do for me when we get home,” she added, her tone dropping just enough to make his blood heat.
“Promise?” he murmured.
“Promise,” she replied, her lips quirking up in a wicked smile.
Toya turned her attention back to the field, eyes narrowing as she tracked Denver’s every move. “Now, let’s focus on the game. I swear, if one of these kids tackles Denver, I’m going to whip their mama’s ass.”
Leo barely stifled a laugh. “Babe, tackling is part of the game.”
“They better not touch him,” she hissed.
He decided against pointing out how football worked. He felt sorry for the parents of those who tackled young Denver today. And if their fathers tried to intervene, he’d be the one to sit their asses back in their seats.
“Tell me you love me,” Leo demanded, needing to hear those words.
Toya glanced his way. “Do I have to say the words? Can’t I just kiss you?”
She had a hard time expressing her feelings. And he was okay with that. She showed him every day how much she loved him. But sometimes, he needed to hear those words from her lips.
“Say it,” he told her.
She sighed. “Leo, I love you. That should last you for a couple of days, right?”
He chuckled. That would only last him until he got her home and got her in bed. While he drilled her pussy, he’d order her to say it again, over and over, until her pussy ceased clutching his cock. Fuck , he loved this crazy ass woman. And to think, he never would’ve met her if his boss hadn’t kidnapped her friend.
***
CAS
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Denver had decided to stay the night with one of their cousins, leaving Cas and Meka alone in the house for the first time in weeks. After Denver’s football game, which Denver’s team won, Cas and Meka said goodnight to everyone else and returned home.
Now, they were showering together. And the water was hot as hell because that was how Meka liked it. With steam rising around them, Cas carefully bathed her. His large hands glided over her beautiful brown skin as she talked about her day and the employees she’d interviewed for Curve Couture .
Her excitement was contagious, lighting her eyes with a joy that made his chest ache in the best way. If it made her happy, he’d set up a Curve Couture in every city in every state. But that wouldn’t make her happy.
She and her friends wanted to make this work on their own. So, he wouldn’t interfere unless they asked him to. He listened intently as he ran the washcloth over her shoulders, down her arms, and along the curve of her back.
He watched how her eyes lit up as she discussed her new business venture with her friends. He was so damn proud of her and so fucking thankful for having her in his life. She calmed the chaos inside of him, making everything easier to bear.
And she didn’t try to force him to talk about his issues. Instead, she did all the little things she could think of to make him smile, and when he was ready to talk, she listened. He could cry in front of this woman without feeling weak or like a failure.
She cried right alongside him, holding him and encouraging him. She was his rock, and he wanted to be the same for her. She was his everything, and every day, he strived to be worthy of her.
After their shower, he dried her off carefully, taking his time, relishing the simple intimacy of the moment. When she reached for her robe, he acted on instinct, scooping her up into his arms before she could grab it.
“Cas,” she yelped, laughter in her voice. “I’m naked and still damp.”
“I know,” he growled, his cock already hard and ready to be buried deep inside of her. He carried her to bed and laid her down before climbing on. She scooted back until she was closer to the headboard.
Gripping his hard cock, he fixed her with a dark, hungry look. “On your knees,” he commanded, his voice low, gravelly, and filled with need.
Her grin turned wicked as she obeyed, rolling onto her knees and arching her back, presenting herself to him in a way that made his cock throb.
“Fuck,” Cas muttered, his hands gripping her hips as he bent forward, his lips brushing the soft curve of her ass.
He couldn’t resist her. He needed to taste her. Leaning in, he slid his tongue along her slit, groaning at the taste of her. She gasped, her body trembling as his mouth worked her pussy.
Cas devoured her, eating her pussy from the back, his tongue exploring every wet, silken inch of her. He sucked on her clit, his hands splayed possessively over her hips, holding her in place as she squirmed, body trembling slightly.
“Meka,” he murmured, his breath hot against her soaked folds. “You taste so fucking good.”
Her hands gripped the sheets as she moaned his name, her voice high and breathless. He licked and sucked her, drinking her down as her juices coated his tongue. Her pussy was a gift that kept on giving.
The more he licked her, the more honey he was gifted. She trembled beneath him, her thighs quivering as her body gave in to him completely. When she came, it was with a cry that sent a thrill down his spine.
Her sweet, wet heat pulsed against his mouth, and he savored every drop, groaning as he licked her clean. Only when she ceased trembling did Cas move back. He positioned himself behind her, gripping his cock and rubbing the slick tip against her entrance.
“Ready, baby?” he asked.
“Always,” she moaned, her hips pushing back toward him, desperate for more.
With one powerful thrust, Cas buried himself inside her, groaning at the way her tight walls welcomed him. He didn’t hold back, gripping her hips as he set a hard, demanding rhythm. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, mingling with her gasps and his guttural moans.
“You feel so fucking good,” he praised, his voice raw with emotion. “So perfect, Meka. So mine. All mine.”
“Cas,” she moaned, her voice shaking.
It was the only word she could manage, but it was enough. It was everything. He thrust harder, deeper, the intensity building as her cries grew louder. She fisted the sheets, pushing back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust.
Her body was made for him, and he worshiped every curve, every tremble, every breathless sound she made. He fucked her until a thin sheen of sweat covered both of their bodies until her groans sounded just as rough and animalistic as his.
He shoved into her sweet pussy until her walls convulsed around him, begging to be fed his cum. Her release hit her hard, her walls clenching around him as she cried out his name. The sensation sent him hurtling over the edge.
With one final, deep thrust, he spilled inside her, groaning her name, wishing this moment could last forever. He continued to push into her as he gave her what she needed, all of him. His body trembled with the force of his release, his arms wrapping around her as he held her close.
Carefully, he slipped out of her. He lay down on the bed and pulled her down beside him, wrapping her in his arms. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his lips brushing her forehead as she nestled against his chest.
“I love you,” he murmured, his voice heavy with emotion. “Thank you for being mine.”
She smiled, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest. “I love you too, Cas. I was made for you. You were made for me. This love was planned before either of us was born. And nothing can destroy it. Nothing.”
Cas smiled, believing her. No matter what happened, no matter how hard things got, he knew he had a safe haven in Meka and she had one in him. Nothing could change that. They lay there in the quiet of their bedroom, their breaths evening out as sleep began to pull them under.
Cas held her close, his heart full, the chaos inside him quieted by the woman in his arms. The woman who owned him, body, heart, and soul. When he’d been lost to the dark depths of despair and on the verge of ending it all, God had sent him an angel.
And he’d worship her for the rest of their lives.
***
JULIAN
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Julian sat in the dark, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together as he stared at the cold cement floor. His mind should’ve been on work and the upcoming jobs his crew needed to work on. But it wasn’t. It was on her. Stefanie .
The woman he was in love with. The woman who wanted him just as much as he wanted her. The woman who enjoyed being fucked into oblivion but who wouldn’t give him her fucking heart. She kept pushing him away when things got too deep.
And just when he thought he’d convinced her that they could work, bullshit had entered their lives. Now, they were right back to square one. He was so tired of this shit. They’d been faced with obstacle after obstacle. But he’d overcome them all.
Yet, she still hit him with excuse after excuse. He was too young. Too reckless. Too tied to his crime family. That was just BS. His age didn’t matter, and she knew it. He was a grown-ass man with a career, real estate, and a bank account with enough zeros to keep them traveling around the world for the rest of their lives.
As for his bloodline, it wasn’t a threat to her. It was her best fucking protection. And as for reckless? He was a lot of things, but reckless with her? Never . He was serious as hell about Stefanie. But no matter what he did, she wouldn’t let go of her fear of being judged by others for loving a younger man.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his thumb against his knuckles as he went through every possible way to make her see reason – every way to break through those walls she kept stacking between them.
The only walls they needed in their lives were her pussy walls, which should be clutching his cock or tongue right now. As he tried to think of ways to repair their latest rift, the muffled cries of the man he had chained up in the Basement of his family’s casino sliced through his thoughts.
Julian closed his eyes and ground his teeth together. I wish this motherfucker would shut up so I can think. The panicked gasps, the pitiful fucking whimpers were getting on his nerves. He sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“I’ll get to you in just a second,” Julian muttered. The man groaned behind his gag again, louder this time. Julian tilted his head, his patience snapping. “Shut the fuck up,” Julian growled.
Whimpers filled the darkness. And to think, this bitch had thought he was man enough for Stefanie. Look where those thoughts had gotten him, beaten and locked away in his family’s basement.
He’d never see the light of day again, never see Stefanie again. She’d never be his. She could only belong to one man, and that man was Julian Cattaneo. Julian was just about to get up and finish torturing the fucker when he heard the door to the basement room creak open.
A few seconds later, light flooded the room. Julian blinked against it, barely turning his head before he heard the familiar voice of his cousin.
“Julian?” Orazio’s deep voice called out. “Is that you?”
“Yeah. It’s me, Raz.”
“What the hell are you doing down here? And who the fuck is that you’ve got chained to a chair?”
Julian stood as Raz strode toward him, his cousin’s gaze sweeping over the dimly lit room before landing on the man chained to the chair.
“What the hell is going on?” Raz asked, his voice calm but edged with curiosity.
Julian rolled his shoulders. “I needed to borrow the basement for a bit. I won’t be here much longer.”
Raz didn’t respond right away. His attention shifted to Julian’s prey, the pathetic excuse of a man tied up, his shirt soaked with sweat and blood, his chest rising and falling in panicked bursts. The bastard’s wide, desperate eyes locked onto Raz, silently begging for help.
Raz’s lip curled in amusement. “Take as long as you need, cousin.”
The man let out a choked sob, his whole body trembling. The gag in his mouth barely muffled the terrified cries that followed.
Julian stared at the other guest in their basement. “Are you here for him?”
Chained to a chair was their former consigliere, Trevor, who looked half-dead already. His swollen face was barely recognizable. He was missing a leg and an eye. His body was slumped like he was just waiting for the inevitable: death.
Julian tilted his head. “You here to finish him off?”
Raz shook his head. “Nah. Just here to let him know how well my woman is doing.” His gaze flicked back to Julian’s prey. “What’s this guy’s deal?”
Julian’s smirk faded as his eyes darkened. “He’s here because he wants the same woman I want.”
Raz let out a low hum, studying the terrified man like he was finally understanding why he was chained up. “Yeah, he deserves to be down here then.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll leave you to your business while I go deal with mine.” With that, Raz turned and strode toward Trevor. His cousin stopped and called over his shoulder. “You got the wedding invite Monique sent out, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I got it. I’ll be there with my plus one.”
“I expect a nice gift from you for my Rose.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Chuckling, Raz continued forward. Julian’s eyes were locked on the bastard strapped to the chair, watching him shake like a fucking leaf. Julian took a slow step forward. The man pissed himself. Julian grinned. Good . He should be scared.
He crouched down, picking up the knife he’d been using to carve into his target. Slowly, he ran his fingers over the blade, eyes flicking up to meet the man’s frightened gaze.
“I’m gonna enjoy this,” Julian murmured. “Stefanie is mine. And I warned you to stay the fuck away from her.”
The man whimpered, trying to shake his head, trying to plead through the gag. Julian ignored him. He’d given this fool too many warnings already. Since words hadn’t worked, it was time to make sure the message was written into his fucking bones.
He dragged the blade over his prey’s trembling arm, pressing just enough to see red bead across the skin. The bastard let out another muffled sob.
Julian smirked. “Since you didn’t listen, I’m gonna have to make you.”
The man let out a pained whimper as Julian pressed the knife deeper into the bastard’s flesh. He would take his time with his prey before finally ending him. This bitch needed to suffer for thinking he could go after what didn’t belong to him.
Once he was done here, he’d go home, shower, and find Stefanie. He was done playing by her rules. He loved her. She loved him. And he’d tried doing things her way, giving her time, giving her space, letting her come to terms with what they were.
But her way wasn’t working. Her way was sending them around in circles, and he was ready to get off this fucking ride. Since her way wasn’t working, they were going to do things his way. They were going to do things the Cattaneo way. The Cattaneo way always worked.
Just look at Raz and his fiancé.