Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
ROME
Iwant to take my firefly to bed and lose myself in her for several hours before we curl up and fall asleep for the majority of the day.
I got word from my men that she went to the gym this morning with Scarlett, and she’s since gone back to the penthouse.
The thought of her being in my home fills me with satisfaction.
Mine.
After our encounter in my office, the night went to shit. I’m ready for the distraction of a gorgeous woman.
My gorgeous woman.
“Get some rest,” I say to Luke as we ride up in the elevator. “Be at my place by six this evening.”
“I just got a text from your girl,” he says, surprising me.
I narrow my eyes. I don’t like Eloise texting Luke unless it’s an emergency.
“What did she say?”
“It’s a grocery list.” He turns the phone so I can see it. “What do you want me to do?”
“Send someone out for the fucking groceries,” I reply and stare at him like he’s stupid. “But from now on, requests will come through me.”
He smirks and nods, and the elevator stops at his floor. “I’ll take care of it. See you later.”
When the doors close again, I take a deep breath. It seems I need to have a talk with Eloise.
I stride over to my door and nod at the two men standing there.
“Some groceries will be delivered later. One of you can come in and put the cold stuff in the fridge.”
They nod, and I step inside and close the door, then stop and listen.
I don’t hear her bustling around downstairs, and by the way the air is still, I can tell that she’s not down here.
She’s in bed.
As I climb the stairs, I shed my suit coat and tie. I unbutton my shirt as I walk into the bedroom and toss the garments on a chair in the corner.
But Eloise isn’t here.
With a frown, I walk to the bathroom.
No Eloise.
I kick out of my shoes and listen. Then it occurs to me that her things are no longer in my bathroom, and with my temper starting to rise, I move to the closet.
Her clothes are gone.
If she’d moved out, my men would have told me.
Then I realize that a shower is running. With a scowl, I walk out of the bedroom and down the hall to the guest suite that’s never once been used—who the fuck am I going to invite over?—and realize that she’s moved into it.
What the fuck?
I hear the shower kick off, so I lean against the doorway, waiting for her.
She’s murmuring to herself. After a few moments, the blow-dryer kicks on, and still, I wait.
Eloise emerges from the bathroom, wrapped in a white towel, her dark hair loose and still a little damp around her shoulders. Her face is clean of makeup, and she looks so goddamn fuckable.
But she stops short when she sees me and bites her lower lip.
“Hi,” she says tentatively.
“Hello, Eloise.” Her brows pull together in an uncertain frown at the coldness in my voice. “Why are you in here?”
She glances around and licks her lips. “Because I didn’t know if you wanted me in your space, so I—”
I push off the doorjamb, and she stops talking.
“You what?”
“I found a guest room.” The words are quieter, and her gaze falls to my chest. She likes the ink. But I want her eyes on mine.
“I don’t want you in this room,” I tell her as I close in on her. I wrap my hand around her throat loosely and guide her backward against the wall, holding her there. Her pupils blow wide.
“Wh-where do you want me?” God, that breathy voice of hers when she’s turned on takes me out at the knees.
“In my bed. In my room.” Our bed, our room. But she’s not quite ready for that yet. “I want you with me, firefly.”
“I don’t want to be in your way.”
She doesn’t want to be in my way? Many men—and women—yield to me daily. It’s what I expect and demand. But this is different. And if I know anything about Salvatore Rizzo, this is the product of his abuse. His utter control. His cruelty.
How can I show her that I’m not like him? That she has a choice, but that I hope she chooses what I want?
I lean in and brush my cheek against hers and whisper in her ear, “I want you in my way.”
I tug the towel loose and let it pool around her feet, and then I push my hand between her legs and growl.
“You’re already wet. Why are you so wet, Eloise?”
She swallows hard against my hand. I fucking love that I can feel her pulse, her swallows, her breath.
“I—” She gasps when my finger slips between her lips and circles her entrance.
“Tell me.”
“I can’t talk.”
I grin against her cheek. “Yes, you can. Why are you so turned on?”
She swallows again and moves her hips as if she’s seeking more, but I pull my finger back, denying her.
“Because you looked sexy with just your pants on, leaning on the door, with your arms crossed and your muscles tight, and you looked so mad.”
“Making me mad turns you on?”
She shakes her head. “It’s just … God, please touch me.”
“I will.” I brush over her clit so lightly, she whimpers. “I’ll give you what you need. Tell me the rest.”
“I don’t know how to explain it.”
I dip my head down and pull one nipple between my lips, making us both groan.
Christ, she’s delicious.
“I just felt excited when I saw you like that.”
It’s all she can give me now, so I push two fingers inside her, continuing to suck on her nipple, until she cries out, clinging to me. Those little hands dive into my hair again, and her orgasm washes over her faster than I expected.
“This isn’t your room,” I say as she pants, coming down from the high. “And that’s the second time you’ve come on my hand and not my cock or my mouth.”
Picking her up, I march us out of the bedroom and down to our room, where I lay her on the bed. I stretch out over her, brush the hair off her face, and press my lips to her cheek.
“Rome,” she whispers as her fingers dance up and down my back. Christ, her touch ignites something in me that I didn’t know existed.
“Yes, firefly.”
“I really, really want you to—”
Before she can complete that thought, I cover her lips with mine, and she whimpers in relief. I don’t often kiss women on the mouth. It’s too intimate, too close. But this might just be my new kink.
Kissing Eloise.
Her lips are soft and plump, and when I lick across them, she opens up for me beautifully, letting me in.
I sink into her, devouring her, exploring her. My pelvis settles against hers, and she rubs against me, soaking my pants as I kiss the fuck out of her. I can’t stop. Touching her, feasting on her mouth.
Fucking delicious.
My life is too dangerous to bring something so fucking good into it.
Yet I know I’ll never let her go.
Her hands roam down to the waistband of my slacks, and she pushes under them, wanting me naked.
Happy to oblige her, I reach down and unfasten them and work them off, then return to her, brushing my mouth over hers gently.
“Better?” I ask her.
“So much better,” she agrees and claims my mouth once more, wrapping her arms around my neck as her legs open wider and pull up around my hips. My cock lies heavily in her wet slit. “Maybe about to get even better?”
I chuckle. “Are you ready for my cock, firefly?”
“Yes.”
I reach between us and rub the head, along with the metal there, over her clit, and her eyes widen.
“Holy shit, what’s that?”
With a smile, I lick over her lips. “It’s going to make you lose your fucking mind.”
I slip the head inside her and pause, then growl.
“So damn tight.”
She makes a strangled noise in the back of her throat but pushes her hips up in invitation.
“Don’t stop.”
“I’m going easy,” I inform her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s okay. Hurt me. Fuck, Rome, just—”
I shove inside her, making her cry out, and then pull back out and do it again.
“Is that what you want?”
She nods, her head thrown back.
“Eyes on me, Eloise.”
Those green eyes open and fly to mine, and I love how her pupils are dilated and her breaths are coming faster.
“More,” she whispers.
“You like it rough, baby?”
“I didn’t know I did until right now.”
And that sets fire to every cell in my body. I can’t hold back. I couldn’t if I tried, and I’m a man who has control in all things. I push into her, harder and deeper, but I want more.
I grab a pillow and lift her ass off the mattress, then shove the pillow under her, and it gives me the leverage I need to be even deeper.
“Rome.”
“That’s right.” I sink my teeth into her neck, fucking her hard, and she’s clutching onto me as if she’s scared that I’ll pull away.
Not a fucking chance.
I push up onto my knees and take her in. Tits bouncing with every thrust, her soft stomach so fucking gorgeous and begging for my hand.
So I cover it and press the pad of my thumb over her clit, and she arches her back, pushing even harder onto my cock, convulsing around me.
“Fucking come,” I growl, and watch as her skin flushes. Her hands fist in the sheets, and her gaze stays pinned to mine as she hurls over the edge into an orgasm so damn strong, she takes me with her.
I rock into her, my cum filling her, and feel nothing but … bliss.
That has to be what this is. There’s no other word for it.
I cover her once more and kiss her cheek, her neck, and over to her lips where I brush back and forth, gently, as we both catch our breath.
“This is our bed,” I say against her lips. “And our room. You’ll be here with me. Understood?”
She nods and licks her lips, brushing my own in the process.
“You’ll also text grocery requests and anything else directly to me.”
Her brows pull into that frown. “Okay. I didn’t know what to do.”
“Now you do.” I kiss her again. “Just ask me if you don’t know, baby.”
“Okay.”
I roll us onto our sides so my weight is off her.
“That was—”
“Fucking incredible,” I answer. I love the tender smile I get in return. Genuine. Happy.
“Your piercing … you’re right. I can’t explain how good that was.”
“I’m glad, firefly. It’s all yours now.”
A blush covers her face. Then she goes quiet.
“What?” We’re still connected—I don’t want to leave her heat—but I can tell something’s on her mind. Even though I should have fucked all thoughts from that pretty little head.
She takes a breath.
“I want to invite Scarlett here. She’s my friend.”
“That’s fine.”
“She was scared.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because it’s drilled into new employees that this is off-limits.”
“Ah.” I brush her hair over her shoulder. Christ, I can’t take my hands off her. “If she’s invited, it’s okay. Would it make you happy if I offered her an apartment here?”
She blinks rapidly. “You’d do that?”
“She’s your friend. If she wants it, I don’t have a problem with it.” My firefly’s eyes fill with tears, and I frown. “Hey, what’s this for?”
“I’m not used to … any of this.”
“Any of what?”
“Being listened to. Cared about. Feeling like I have a voice and a choice.”
“You have anything and everything you want.” I kiss her forehead. “Now, we have one more thing to discuss for now.”
“Okay.” She sniffs and brushes her sweet fingertips down my cheek.
“If you don’t want to get pregnant, you’d better get your birth control figured out. I don’t plan to ever fuck you with anything between us.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I grin before kissing her, then pulling away to use the bathroom.
“Rome—”
“It’s not up for discussion,” I add. “Although, the idea of you pregnant …”
Her eyes startle at that. Inwardly I do too. Just having someone I care about makes me more vulnerable. But a child?
That could bring me to my knees.
But the thought of having children with my firefly fills me with warmth.
“But are you … clean?”
I turn back to her. It’s a valid question. She knows I run a sex club, and she saw me go into the playroom last night.
“Yes, I’m clean. I’d never put you at risk.”
She still has questions, but I know she won’t voice them.
“And Eloise, when I go into the playroom, it’s not to play with other women. I’m just doing my job, making sure everyone who comes through my doors—either staff or clientele—are completely safe.”
She nods. “Understood.”