Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Valentina
I should’ve been terrified. Scared out of my wits and begging for mercy.
I wasn’t.
Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Not the man who’d taken such care of me when I was drunk. Who’d cleaned up my vomit . If he were going to do something terrible, I couldn’t have stopped him that night.
There are rules about women and children , my mother used to say about my father’s violent world. I was scared of him as a child, terrified at night that he would return to kill her or me, but her reassurances always made me feel better.
I had to believe Luca ascribed to those same rules.
I stilled, waiting, the sound of my heartbeat thundering in my ears. I didn’t move, but I could feel his heat and strength surrounding me. The slabs of muscle and long limbs. I was trapped—and it was like my body didn’t mind in the least. I recalled the desk, his rough touch, and the bliss of his mouth between my legs. I softened against him. Acquiescing.
“That’s it,” he said, quieter now. Seductive. He pressed his hips forward and I could feel every inch of his very thick erection against my stomach. “Molto bene, piccolina.”
Very good, baby.
My lower half clenched, desire sliding through me again. One big palm landed on my hip, while the other rested flat on the door above my head. Bending slightly, he rocked his hips once, his shaft sliding against my mound.
Holy shit.
Heat sparkled in my veins and my swollen clit pulsed. Suddenly, it was like I hadn’t just come my brains out on his desk. A moan fell from my lips as I tilted my hips to feel more of him.
He hummed in his throat. “See? We will be so good together, bella. You are going to let me fuck you, to let me be the first cock inside that gorgeous pussy.”
I grasped at my few functioning brain cells to say, “Are you going to stop interfering?”
“Never.”
Asshole. “Then tell me why you’re in New York.”
“Business.”
“Mafia business.”
“There is no other type of business for a man like me.”
I grabbed his tie and held on tight. “Be more specific. What mafia business do you have in Paesano?”
“You can’t think I will truly tell you. There are rules, fiore mio.” He ground his dick into my body again, causing me to suck in a sharp breath. “And trust me, it is better if you don’t know.”
This is why my mother never married my father, why she wanted nothing to do with him. Lies, deceit, evasions. And Luca murdered people for a living. I made a quick decision, even as my hips rocked to get closer to him. “We can’t see each other again. And I don’t want you involved in my restaurant. ”
“You think this is over? I would not believe you even if you weren’t grinding on my dick right now.” Embarrassed, I tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. He had me trapped.
His hand shifted to my thigh, where he pushed the hem of my dress higher. I hadn’t bothered to put on my panties—those were somewhere in Luca’s office—so his fingers found my bare skin easily. He dragged two blunt fingers through my slit, while his lips coasted along the back of my neck. Between my legs was a slick mess, arousal pooling at my entrance, and Luca mumbled Italian words in a deep husky voice against my skin.
It was too much.
“Stop. Speaking. Italian,” I panted, my knees trembling with the force of my desire. I was dizzy with it, blind to anything but the magic he wove around me.
“Should I tell you in English, then? I said this is the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen, so ripe and pure, tight like a fist. She has been waiting so patiently for my cock to come along and fill her up with all of my come.”
God, that was worse. I should’ve been ashamed. I was putty in this man’s hands, all of my independence and backbone melting into the floor at his touch. “This won’t change my mind,” I managed.
“No? Then let’s try this again.”
In a blink he dropped to his knees. He lifted one of my legs up and over his shoulder, spreading me, before his mouth latched onto my clit. There was no time to protest before he was sucking and lashing, rolling the bundle of nerves on his tongue. I was sensitive and swollen from earlier, so it was like picking up where we left off, my body already halfway up the peak.
“Oh, shit,” I whispered.
A fingertip teased my entrance, then slid inside ever so slowly, invading. The pressure, oh god. My mouth parted and I panted, needing more. Craving him with every beat of my racing heart. I hadn’t ever felt so frantic, so crazed before. No thought, only sensation. Finally, he filled me with one finger, stretching me, and I rocked my hips, eager for more. I had inserted small vibrators before, but this felt different. Luca was warm and solid, so deep inside me.
The orgasm was right there, coiling in my muscles. Ready to explode.
He released my clit with a wet sound. “You’re going to be good for me, Valentina.” A lick. “You’re going to let me lick you, fuck you, pleasure you out of your goddamn mind.” Another lick. “Say it, fiore mio.”
“Luca,” I whined.
He gave my clit a hard suck that caused my eyes to nearly roll back in my head. “Dimmi, piccolina. Tell me, baby, and I’ll let you come.”
I thrashed my head, my body strung tight. “Why do you care? There are plenty of women in this town.”
Instead of answering, he went back to sucking my clit. It felt unbelievably good.
He withdrew his finger slightly, then pushed deep inside. Over my loud moan, he said, “The words. I need to hear them.”
I was too far gone, too mindless. What had he wanted me to say?
His lips nibbled my clit, but the touch was too light to send me soaring. I blurted, “I’ll be so good for you, Luca.”
He grunted, then began eating me out with abandon. Wildly, like a man possessed—and the orgasm slammed into me like a train. I tried to stay upright as I shook against the door, my body shuddering, convulsing, my muscles turning liquid. It was more powerful than the one on his desk, with waves that went on and on, until I finally sagged. Strong arms kept me from collapsing on the floor.
Luca pulled me into his broad chest, holding me close. Hugging me. A mafia boss who hugs. Who would’ve guessed?
I clung to him like a wet noodle. Whatever cologne he wore smelled amazing. He was solid and big and I burrowed into his body, my face nestled in his throat. I should’ve been embarrassed, but I wasn’t. There was something so comforting about Luca, but I couldn’ t put my finger on it.
After a long minute he eased back to see my face. His dark eyes were soft as he searched my features. “Are you alright?”
He could’ve gloated, but I was relieved he didn’t. I gave him a half smile. “Yes. Thank you for that. Again.”
“Do we understand each other now?”
I didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “On this, yes.”
If I thought he would be mad at my response, I was dead wrong. He threw his head back and laughed, the strong muscles of his throat working. “Oh, piccolina. We are going to have so much fun together.”
He released me and stepped back, then reached down to adjust himself in his trousers. “Cazzo, you get me so hard. It’s very distracting.”
It seemed surreal that this older, sophisticated man wanted me. He could have nearly any woman on the planet. And while I wanted to sleep with him—god yes, please—I didn’t want him micromanaging Trattoria Rustica. “Luca, I’m serious about the restaurant. Stop interfering.”
He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. “You work long hours and closely with other people. Then there are the strangers hanging out in the bar while you’re drinking. People looking to take advantage of you.” He shook his head. “I only wish for you to remain safe.”
When he put it that way, it almost sounded sweet. “I don’t need you paying my contractors or investigating my employees. I’ve been on my own for a long time and I’m doing just fine.”
The lines around his eyes deepened as he narrowed his gaze on me. “Were you doing fine the night I broke up a fight in your kitchen?”
Now he was pissing me off. “Yes, I was handling it. Women don’t always need a big strong man to come and rescue them.”
The side of his mouth curled in a way that sent my pulse leaping again. “Big and strong?”
“Oh, god.” I turned and grabbed the door knob. “I’m serious, Luca. Stop interfering. ”
He said nothing, just let me leave. I closed the door behind me with a snap. Irritating man. Sexy, but irritating. Extremely talented with his mouth, but irritating.
Had I really agreed to sleep with him? What was I thinking?
He was a mob boss. I should be running away from him, not agreeing to fuck him. Maybe he’d forget about me. No doubt he had a thousand illegal things to do everyday, all of which were far more important than chasing me down. I mean, the idea of Luca pining over me was ludicrous. He’d have no problem finding someone to take my place in his bed.
I should keep going and never look back. And if I felt a tiny twinge of disappointment at what might have been, I’d never tell a soul.
The entryway was quiet. Late afternoon shadows streaked across the smooth marble floor as I approached the front door. When I went out onto the stoop, a sedan pulled to a stop in the drive. It was a gorgeous dark blue Maserati with two men inside it. Because I wasn’t anxious to run into any of Luca’s “employees,” I took my fob out of my pocket, put my head down, and hurried to my mom van.
“Ho! Beautiful! Hold up!” The deep voice was thick with an Italian accent.
No way was I reacting to that compliment. I was already fending off one Italian. I didn’t need to deal with two.
My hand had just reached the door handle when someone grabbed my arm. “Wait a minute,” he said, angling me toward him. “What is the hurry, bella?”
I could feel my jaw drop. Oh, my god. A younger version of Luca stood in front of me. Equally handsome, the same chiseled features, olive skin, dark hair. His eyes held a confidence only found in incredibly attractive people, like they knew everyone was staring at them. “You’re his son,” I blurted.
The young man blinked a few times. “I am. My name is Gabriele. ”
Of course. The one who vomited on his father. “I’ve heard about you.”
“Then you have me at a disadvantage. Tell me your name, bambina.”
“I’m Val.”
Confusion marred his perfect face, but only for a second before he was grinning at me. “Ah. Va bene, va bene. You are her, the one from the restaurant. Valentina.”
Had Luca mentioned me to his son? I would need to consider this later. “Yes, that’s me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to return to the trattoria.”
He chuckled and took a step back. “You were here to see my father. This explains why you look—” he gestured to his face “—so flushed.”
Damn it! Did I look like a woman who’d just orgasmed twice? I dipped to look into the car’s side mirror, which only caused Gabriele to laugh harder. “Don’t worry,” he said. “No one will know by the time you drive into town.”
I straightened and sighed. Maybe I should run home first to clean up, before going back to work. “Nice to meet you. See you around, Gabriele.”
“Everyone calls me Gabi.” He snatched my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back. “And I look forward to seeing you again, Val.”
The charming yet knowing twinkle in his eyes grated on my nerves. “We won’t be seeing each other again. So enjoy your time in New York.”
I opened the car door and got in. But not before I heard him say, “Dai, bella. I would not be so sure.”
Luc a
I frowned as my son entered the house. After Valentina left my office, I followed her quietly to make sure she departed safely, which meant I caught Gabriele arriving outside.
He left the house when I specifically told him not to.
Not even here a full day and already my son was causing trouble.
“Where the fuck were you?” I barked when he stepped inside.
He jerked, clearly startled, but then composed himself and closed the door. “I went out to grab a bite to eat.”
“I told you not to leave.”
“Except there’s no food here.”
Was he arguing with me? I ground my back teeth together, struggling for calm. “The kitchen is not bare. You want something, you prepare it.”
Gabriele tossed the Maserati keys onto the entry table. “You mean cook, like on the stove? Dai, Papà. You know I can’t do that.”
Unfortunately, I did know this. Both of my boys were spoiled this way, thanks to my housekeeper and cook in Catanzaro. “I suggest you learn. I won’t have you running around in town, putting yourself at risk and alerting everyone to your presence.”
“There’s no risk here. No one knows who we are.”
There was always a risk for a Benetti. “That isn’t the point. The point is I told you to stay here and you disobeyed me. And stop arguing with me.”
He held up his palms. “Mi dispiace, Papà. But please, can we hire someone to cook for us? I need food—good food. You wouldn’t believe what people eat here. It’s disgusting.”
“This is not a vacation, Gabriele. I’m here for business. And if you don’t like it, then I suggest you return home.”
“Business?” He smirked at me, the expression reminding me of my brother Sergio. “I saw how Valentina looked when she left. That didn’t seem like business.”
“Watch your mouth.” I turned and started back toward my office. I was the boss—I wouldn’t answer to anyone about my actions. Also, I could still smell her pussy on my face and I wanted to jerk off while the memory of her taste was fresh in my mind.
“Oh, now I know why you’re so mad,” Gabriele called behind me. “You saw me talking to her outside.”
I couldn’t let him think this had a grain of truth to it. I was his father, as well as his boss. “Do you honestly believe I am jealous of you?” I scoffed. “Be serious, figlio mio.”
“No, you are.” I heard him following me. “That’s why you were waiting at the door, snarling at me. You didn’t like me flirting with her.”
I tried to be logical about it, to rely on cool intellect rather than emotion. I had no right to be jealous, and Gabriele was closer to Valentina’s age. They made more sense together.
I’ll be so good for you, Luca.
Fuck sense. She was mine—no one else’s.
I stopped at the office door. “If that is what you call flirting, then I’m surprised you get any pussy at all.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “You like her.”
The denial sprang to my lips, but I couldn’t force it out. And that infuriated me. I couldn’t have feelings for any girl, but especially this one. I was using her to draw out her father.
Aldo emerged from the direction of the kitchen. He popped a slice of pear in his mouth. “Why are you two arguing?”
Gabriele spoke first. “I met Valentina.”
Aldo grinned. “He didn’t like it, did he?”
“I am angry because I told my son to stay on the property, yet my guards let him leave.”
Before Aldo could answer for this lapse in judgment, my mobile buzzed in my pocket. I checked the caller. Unknown number. “Pronto.”
There was a lot of noise in the background. A male voice spoke quietly, as if trying to not be overheard. “Luca? It’s me.”
I froze, every muscle in my body on high alert. “Niccolò?”
“Luca, I’m sorry. ”
“Tell me where you are, right fucking now,” I said very carefully into the phone.
A sliding door slammed shut in the background before he said, “I did my best. Forgive me.”
Then he disconnected.
Motherfucker! I took a deep breath and tried the number back, but it didn’t go through. Niccolò probably used a burner to place the call.
Aldo was already speaking on his phone. He handed it to me and I heard Sergio’s anxious voice. “Niccolò called you?”
“Just now, yes. He apologized. Said, ‘I did my best. Forgive me.’ Then he hung up.”
“His best? What is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But it can’t be good.”
“Any idea where he was calling from?”
I considered this. “A lot of noise in the background. A sliding door slammed shut, like a car door. Maybe on a van.”
“Was he in a car?”
“No. The background noise was too loud. He was definitely outside.”
“An airport, maybe. A bus station.”
“Maybe.”
We were both silent for a long second. I said, “Sounds like he’s on the run, which means the police don’t have him. Just like Gabi said.”
“That’s good news,” my brother said. “But why call to apologize? Why not come to Catanzaro, where we can hide him?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find him. Get CCTV footage from every airport in the EU. Have the boys check around this time for any sign of Niccolò.”
“That will take forever. We need a way to search quickly.”
I considered this. I knew someone who could help expedite the process. “Call our friend in Napoli. Ask him to get his computer guys on it. They can find answers faster than we can.”
Enzo D’Agostino was the head of the Napoli ’ndrina and he made most of his money through computer fraud. We’d traded favors over the years and he was currently in my debt. His hackers should be able to find Niccolò; after all, they successfully hid D’Agostino from the world for four years.
Sergio hummed his approval. “D’Agostino? Good idea. I’ll ring you back with his answer.” My brother ended the call.
I tossed Aldo’s mobile back to him, then dragged a hand through my hair and stared at the wall.
“I told you Niccolò wouldn’t turn on the family,” Gabriele exclaimed. “Where did it sound like he was calling from?”
“I’m not sure. But if he’s on the run, then he’ll likely pass through an airport.”
My son shook his head. “Niccolò gets sick on airplanes. He’ll go by bus or car.”
Ah. This was helpful. “Go with Aldo. Make a shopping list of what you want and I’ll have it delivered. I need to ring Sergio again.”
The two of them left the entry and I returned to my office, where I sat behind my desk. Instantly, my mobile buzzed. It was Sergio. “Pronto.”
“He wants a face-to-face,” my brother said.
“Fuck that. I don’t have time to fly to Napoli.”
“He’s in New York. His woman has a show at Fashion Week tomorrow. He said you can come there to talk.”
I rubbed my bottom lip between my thumb and forefinger. New York was two hours away. “Cristo, he’s a pain in the ass.”
“He said he wouldn’t do it without talking to you first.”
A negotiation, then. I needed his help, so I would have to find out what he wanted. “Fine, I’ll go. By the way, Gabriele said Niccolò gets airsick, so he won’t travel by plane. We need to have D’Agostino’s people check bus terminals and car rentals.”
“Okay, but D’Agostino has another condition. And you’re not going to like it.”
I sighed. What now? “Spit it out. ”
“He said this can’t look like business. His woman will be pissed if he’s working during her show.”
“What does that mean?”
“He said you should bring a date. Make it look like you’re coming to Fashion Week. He’ll meet with you after.”
My eyes instantly went to the office door where I ate Valentina’s pussy not even thirty minutes ago. Would she come with me to Manhattan? I sure as fuck didn’t want to take anyone else.
If she agreed, I would have her all to myself for one night, maybe two. My groin grew thick again as images of the filthy things I wanted to do to her gorgeous body flipped through my brain. Her tits, her pussy . . . her ass. Madre di dio, I wanted to bite and lick and slap that ass.
I wouldn’t accept a refusal.
“I’ll bring Valentina.”
Sergio chuckled. “I thought you might say that.”
“Call the hotel I like, stronzo. Book the nicest room they have available.”
“Okay, but what if she doesn’t agree to come with you?”
I thought of the woman who’d melted like butter in my hands. “Don’t worry. She will agree.”