39. Powerless
CHAPTER 39
POWERLESS
A ntonio
The silence in the car is unsettling, pervasive like the darkness stealing in through the windows along the quiet road. I hazard a glance at Serena from the corner of my eye, and I can practically feel her biting her tongue. It’s unlike her to be silent for so long.
Though I’m certain her reaction is in response to my foul mood, a part of me wishes she would give in already so her bubbly laughter would fill the car. It would certainly make the drive much more enjoyable and go by faster. As to my dark mood, I can’t even explain it. I should be happy to be done with this business, but the idea that my time with Serena has finally come to an end has my cold, dead heart raging.
I’m not stupid enough to think I’ve fallen in love with this woman in a matter of weeks, it’s not possible. Right? Of course not, stronzo. My father’s voice interrupts my mental musings, further souring my mood. Just focus on the damned road. I hit the gas, anxious to arrive to the city already. I need distance from this intoxicating woman. The day she dropped into my life, I lost myself.
Or maybe, it’s the complete opposite, and she helped me find the old me. The one who had been lost to the darkness. Turmoil rages in my gut, and I process the past week and a half with Serena, then the turbulent weeks before. The demise of Papà’s precious territory, the kidnapping, the ransom, the attempted rape, the burning down of the villa, losing Mariuccia… Fiery anger and pain war in my gut, and my foot presses harder on the gas. We zip across the winding highway, going faster and faster. Everything blurs as raw emotion bears down on me, suffocating.
“You might want to slow down there, buddy.” Serena’s voice cracks through the downward spiral.
I glance at her from the corner of my eye, and she offers a tight smile. I heave in a breath and glance down at the speedometer. Merda . Two hundred kilometers per hour. My hands grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles are white. I let loose on the gas pedal just as flashing blue and red lights wash over us.
“ Porca miseria ,” I mutter.
Serena twists in the seat, glancing out the rearview window as the carabinieri ’s siren grows louder. “Well, shit, now we’re in trouble.”
I consider for only a moment before I slam the sole of my shoe to the gas pedal once more. My neck whips back from the momentum as the Alfa’s engine roars to life.
“What are you doing?” Serena squeals.
“I can’t risk getting caught right now.”
“What? Why? So you’ll get a speeding ticket. It’s much better than going to jail for resisting arrest.”
I cock a dark brow at her, shaking my head. “Oh, trust me, tesoro , we’re not getting caught.” The speedometer jerks to the right, then steadily rises.
“But why risk it?”
“Because if it is the Salernos or the Sartoris behind this, they’ll have our location within minutes. Both families have bought off more of the Milanese carabinieri than I can count. Getting caught is not an option, not until you’re safely aboard that jet with your cousin.”
The engine of the Alfa Romeo roars as I slam the gas pedal down before she has a chance to respond, the lights on the dash blurring as we shoot down the dimly lit road to Milano. Cool air whips in through the slightly open window, mixing with the smell of pure adrenaline.
Sirens wail behind us, and flashing lights are a steady reminder of the coglione on our tail. I shoot a quick look at Serena. Under the flickering red and blue, her face is tight with worry. “Hold on,” I shout, gripping the steering wheel even harder.
She nods, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, and even with the chaos unfolding, that look has a direct link to my cock. Shoving down the completely inappropriate thoughts, I refocus on the road.
The winding highway ahead is just a dark strip with only a few scattered streetlights. I swerve left, barely squeezing past a slower car—their horn blares, lost under the roar of our engine and the chaos behind us. My heart’s hammering, syncing up with every surge of the car as I push it harder.
Up ahead, the highway splits. Go straight, right into the city, or take the right onto a narrower, more winding road around Milano. I make the call in a split second, jerking the wheel to the right. The tires scream, and I’m thrown across the seat as I switch paths. I hazard a quick glance at Serena before I gun the engine again. It’s a riskier road, but the tight lanes might just work for us.
“You okay?”
She nods, clinging to the handle over the window.
The carabinieri is stubborn, its lights a constant annoyance in my rearview. Muttering curses, I downshift and the engine growls, finding new life as we tear down the winding road. Trees blur past, turning into a dark swirl overhead.
A sharp curve comes up and I take it way too fast, the car skidding dangerously close to the edge. “Hold on!” I shout again as Serena gasps and grabs the handle above the door, her nails digging in. The police lights lag, then disappear for a second—lost in the curve. It’s now or never.
I take a deep breath and swing into an almost hidden dirt track, covered by overgrown bushes and trees. We plunge into darkness, the car's belly scraping against the rough ground. I kill the headlights, and we roll in silence, the sound of gravel under the tires mixing with our heavy breathing.
“You think they saw us?” Serena whispers a second later.
“We’re about to find out.”
Time stretches out. The sirens fade away, swallowed by the distance and the night. I hold my breath, not daring to believe we’re clear until the heavy feeling lifts and the rearview mirror shows nothing but the dark path behind us.
“We did it,” I hiss, releasing a breath.
Serena stretches across the console and squeezes my hand hard, grounding me. “Surprisingly.” She smirks and the tightness in my chest wanes.
“Let’s wait a few minutes to make sure we’re clear.”
She nods.
“We might have to ditch the car before we reach the city limits. That carabinieri likely called in our plates.”
“Okay.” She rests her head back against the seat and releases a sharp breath. “Now what do we do to kill some time?” Blue eyes sparkle as they regard me, a hint of mischief in that gaze. I know the look, it’s the adrenaline that sparks after the thrill of the chase. It unlocks other base instincts…
As if my cock has come to the same conclusion, I feel myself harden against my zipper. Not now, stronzo . But it’s too late, somehow Serena’s gaze has tracked my traitorous dick. Her eyes sharpen as they trail over the bulge, and her tongue darts out to slide across her bottom lip.
A deep growl vibrates my throat as memories of that tongue on my cock surge to the surface. Her hand stretches across the console again, only this time it isn’t my hand she wants. Her fingers curl around my upper thigh, only inches from my throbbing dick.
“Serena…” I warn. I have zero willpower around this woman, and if her hand gets any closer to my cock, I will lose my fucking mind.
“You still owe me, Toni, and I am not the type of woman you want to owe a favor to.” Her grin lights up those brilliant eyes, and it’s not only my dick throbbing now. My stupid heart bashes against my ribs at the beautiful sight of her.
Her hand closes around my cock, over my jeans, and I let out a hiss. With the adrenaline still pumping through my veins, I don’t even feel the wound in my chest, nor do I consider the consequences of my next words.
“Take off your pants.”
Excitement illuminates her expression, and she shimmies out of her jeans in seconds. Beneath the cover of the trees, she’s blanketed in shadows and still I can make out every sexy curve of her body.
“Now the panties.” Already my voice is rough, ravenous with desire.
She does as she’s told, and I’m honestly shocked.
“Good girl,” I whisper. “Now touch yourself. Are you already wet for me?”
Her head dips on a groan as she runs her finger through her slick heat. “Yes, I’m soaked.”
“And I haven’t even touched you yet.”
“Must have been the thrill of the chase.” Her voice is laced with desire, and it only makes me harder, my erection straining against the zipper.
I reach beneath the car seat and slide it as far back as it’ll go, then I release my cock from the tight constraints of my pants. Serena’s eyes go wide as she takes me in, a faint gasp pursing her lips.
Dio , I could come from that sound alone. It’s like her voice has a direct line to my cock.
Her fingers wrap around my shaft, and she’s not the only one who’s already wet. Precum glistens on my tip, moistening my length as she starts to stroke. I’m helpless to her touch, spineless in her hands. My hips start to rock and thrust into her palm with each sweep.
I slide one of my hands beneath her blouse and find her breast, tugging away the soft lace of her bra to feel her warm flesh. I toy with her nipple, rolling it between my thumb and index finger and she releases a satisfying moan. Then my free hand sweeps up her thigh, and she trembles when I reach her apex.
I run a finger across those sweet wet folds, and pounding desire thrums across my cock. “Mmm, tesoro , I think you are ready for me.” Gripping her hips, I drag her across the console and lift her, so she’s straddling my thighs, her pussy hovering right over my cock. Then I lift my gaze to meet hers, pupils pulsing with desire.
A thousand words sit poised at the tip of my tongue, but I don’t have the balls to say them. This woman has ruined me. I’ve become soft for her, completely powerless against her siren’s spell. I wish it was only her pussy I was addicted to but it’s so much more.
My cock glides across her center, teasing her clit before prodding at her entrance. Before I rock my hips up, she sinks down onto me, taking all of my cock in one go. We groan in perfect sync, fire racing through my veins at the feel of her so tight around me.
“Oh, fuck, Toni,” she murmurs as her hips begin to roll. “Why do you feel so good?”
I was about to ask her the same thing. I’ve been with more than my fair share of women, but there’s something about her pussy that feels so right. “Because I am that good,” I rasp. It’s a stupid answer, but it’s all I can manage when I’m focusing all my attention on not confessing something I’ll surely regret or worse, coming in seconds like a horny teenager.
My fingers dig into her hips, lifting her then driving her down on my cock harder and harder. She moans against my lips as I devour her mouth. As much as I would love to drag this out all night, we’re too exposed out here on the side of the road. I need to get us somewhere safe for the night, and I know exactly where.
As I continue to thrust into her in a maddening pace, I release her hip and bring my thumb to her clit. I start to circle, and I can feel her pussy tightening around my shaft. Cazzo , she feels so right.
I nibble on her lobe, running my nose across the shell of her ear. “I’m going to make you come, are you ready?”
“No, not yet.”
“Yes, tesoro . Now.” My thumb exerts more pressure, circling faster until she’s panting. My hips take up a relentless beat, pounding into her, harder, longer, wilder. She bounces against my balls with each rise and fall, and fuck if she doesn’t come soon, I will.
“Come for me, Serena, me and only me.” I whisper the words against her ear, and her head falls back, the silky walls of her pussy clenching around me.
“Oh, Antonio,” she groans. “Fuck, yes, yes.”
She shatters over me, grinding her hips against me until I finally find my own release. Raw waves of pure ecstasy crash over me as she continues to ride my cock, milking every last ounce of pleasure. It’s been so long since I’ve had an orgasm with anyone it feels like my soul is splitting in two. My breath escapes in ragged pants, my chest heaving from the effort. I spill into her, my cum dribbling down her inner thighs with each maddening thrust.
Dio , this woman is perfect for me in every way.