19. Massimo
Duarte beamed at Evelyn, and the sharp edge to his grin made me tense with aggression. I wanted to snap at him not to look at her with that subtle threat in his black, shark’s eyes, but he was my host. I couldn’t protect her if I got myself killed for insulting the notoriously mercurial drug lord.
“It’s so lovely to meet you, Evelyn.” He addressed her warmly, as though he was genuinely delighted to make her acquaintance. Then his cold eyes cut to me. “Massimo has been very…bold in choosing to bring you as his guest. I was under the impression that you were engaged to someone else.”
She stiffened at my side, and I traced a soothing pattern on her lower back, trying to offer her quiet comfort.
I kept my own charming smile fixed in place. “Do you see a ring on her finger?” I asked blandly.
Duarte let out a soft hum. “Interesting. I must’ve been mistaken.”
Carmen stepped close to him, and he draped a possessive arm around her waist.
“Don’t interrogate them, darling.” She brushed a kiss over his cheek. “Evelyn has chosen to be with Massimo.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking down at Evelyn. Her cheeks were flushed the prettiest shade of pink, and her eyes were downcast. I couldn’t quite read her reaction to Carmen’s declaration. Was Duarte’s wife speaking the truth? What had the women talked about in their private conversation?
The prospect that Evelyn had indeed chosen me made my chest swell with pride. The stunning woman at my side belonged to me, and she’d acknowledged my claim publicly. She bore my mark on her neck, and she didn’t try to conceal it.
“I didn’t realize that the situation with her former fiancé had been handled,” Duarte said, a genial but incisive remark. “It’s good news if he’s no longer in the picture.” He wanted confirmation that Crawford was dead.
My smile twitched at the corners, but I quickly cleared away the sign of strain. “Evelyn is my primary concern at the moment.” I allowed the weight of my loyalty to her to deepen my tone. She was my priority. Killing Crawford was an important secondary goal. She wouldn’t be safe until he was dead, so his days were numbered.
“But I value our friendship, Stefano,” I continued smoothly. “And I always keep my promises.”
He offered me a small nod of acknowledgement, his displeasure evident in his glittering black stare. “Yes,” he agreed, “I hope our friendship lasts a lifetime.”
I heard the threat, loud and clear: my life wouldn’t be very long if I didn’t follow through on my promise and eliminate George Crawford.
“That’s settled, then,” Carmen announced, moving the conversation away from death threats: the epitome of a skilled hostess. “Aren’t you going to invite our new friend on our trip tomorrow, darling?” she prompted Duarte. “I’d hate for him to miss the opportunity to meet Adrián.”
Adrián Rodríguez was Duarte’s Colombian partner. He worked with the Mexican drug lord to move their product from Colombia into his territory in America. My friendship with Duarte was important, but getting in with Rodríguez would secure my position here in the Americas. Gian, Enzo, and I would have a powerful friend in our corner when we finally made our move against our despotic boss back home.
“Where are we going?” I asked, accepting the invitation before Duarte could take it back.
“Colombia,” he replied, keeping me fixed in his sharp stare. He still wasn’t pleased by the situation with Crawford, but he wasn’t ready to give up on our alliance over it. He had much to gain from our business deal, too.
“We leave tomorrow morning.” He glanced at Evelyn. “You are welcome to make yourself at home here while we’re away.”
“Evelyn goes where I go,” I said immediately, too sharply. I took a quick breath and calmed my most savage urges. “I made a vow to protect her. I don’t want her out of my sight.”
Duarte’s dark brows rose. “And you think she won’t be safe in my home?” he drawled.
“Like I said, I always keep my promises,” I replied coolly. This wasn’t up for negotiation. Crawford was still in Mexico City. I wouldn’t leave Evelyn here without me to guard her.
And I wouldn’t be able to focus on my important business in Colombia if I didn’t have her with me. I’d be consumed by thoughts of her. The depth of my obsession should’ve alarmed me, but with her slight body leaning into mine, I couldn’t bring myself to care. She looked to me to shield her, and I was addicted to her trust in me.
“Do you want to come with us?” Carmen addressed Evelyn, allowing her the choice.
Part of me appreciated that she was offering Evelyn agency, but my irritation at the prospect of being parted from her far outweighed my flicker of respect. My delicate little butterfly wasn’t leaving my side.
Before I could insist that she accompany me, Evelyn said, “I want to stay with Massimo.”
Her soft declaration punched my heart like an arrow, and my feral desire for her surged.
Mine. She was all mine, and she knew it. She chose me.
It might be out of fear, but that notion didn’t bother me. She’d made it clear that being in Stefano’s home, the heart of his cartel, made her anxious. She didn’t want to stay here without me.
She knew that I would keep her safe, and she didn’t want to be parted from me.
That was enough to satisfy me for now. Her devotion would grow with time. She belonged to me, and there was no going back.
“Excellent,” Carmen approved. “We’ll all fly out on the jet tomorrow morning. Adrián is keen to meet you, Massimo.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” I replied absently, my attention fixed on Evelyn.
Her gaze was still downcast, her eyes averted. And that lovely flush colored her cheeks. I wanted to see that shade of pink while I feasted on her pussy again; I would make her cry out my name in ecstasy. Would her pert ass flush a matching shade beneath my hand? I craved to see it imprinted on her creamy flesh. She’d responded to the pain of my bite. Our chemistry was undeniable. She would come to accept the more deviant things I needed to do to her.
She was innocent, and I craved to corrupt her. I would teach her to enjoy my darker sexual games. Evelyn would love being mine.
“You two should enjoy the party,” Carmen announced, a dismissal and a gift. My hunger for Evelyn must be plain on my face, and the cartel queen was giving me permission to be alone with my pretty little butterfly.
“Thank you.” I managed a modicum of politeness before I steered Evelyn away from the powerful, dangerous couple.
She’d been quiet for most of the conversation, and she was probably disconcerted by the interaction with Duarte. The man was intimidating, even though he played the part of impeccable host.
“Dance with me,” I commanded, sweeping Evelyn into my arms.
She blinked up at me, slightly bewildered by the sudden turn of events. “I don’t want to go to Colombia,” she said, even as she began to sway to the beat, allowing me to lead her.
“I’ll make sure you enjoy our little vacation,” I promised, firming my hand on her waist.
She shivered and melted into me, submitting to the confident way I handled her willowy body.
“It’s not a vacation,” she protested, her peridot eyes glittering with frustration. “You can’t just take control of my life like this. I want to go home, not farther away from America.”
Your home is with me now. I kept the promise locked in my chest. She wasn’t ready to hear it. Not yet.
“This meeting is crucial for our security,” I admitted, persuasive. I didn’t want to tell her the details of my business, but she might be more amenable if I reasoned with her. “And I promised my friends I would take care of things with Duarte and Rodríguez. I meant it when I said I don’t break my promises, Evelyn. I made a promise to Gian and Enzo, but I’ll make a vow to you, too: I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I will take care of you and give you everything you desire.”
“What I desire is to return home to Albuquerque.” That defiant posture was back, her shoulders squared and her delicate chin tipped at an impertinent angle.
Surrendering to my darkest instincts, I cradled her nape and crushed my lips to hers, trapping her in a fierce kiss. She wouldn’t be able to talk about leaving me if I tamed her tongue with mine. I would drive her wild with mindless passion, until she’d never consider being parted from me. I wanted to make her addicted to my touch, just as I was already addicted to her nearness.
I was usually skillful in my seductions, but the imbalance in my relationship with Evelyn made me feral. I was undeniably obsessed with her, and she was still thinking of returning to her life in America. Without me.
I would obliterate that desire from her mind and cleave her soul to mine. Just the thought of losing her robbed the air from my lungs, so I breathed her in instead, taking her oxygen as I kissed her in a ruthless claim. She softened in my arms, her tongue lashing mine in desperate strokes.
Her hips pressed tight to my thigh, and she shuddered against me in need. I’d left my good girl waiting long enough. I’d edged her before the party, teasing her pussy and tormenting us both to ensure her compliance. She’d done so well. I would show her how much she pleased me.
I should probably stay longer to entertain Duarte, but I couldn’t hold back for another minute. The notorious hedonist would simply have to understand why I was leaving early. My fiery bond with Evelyn would be obvious enough to anyone watching our intense kiss. I staked my claim in front of everyone, brazen in my desire for this perfect woman.
All mine.
I finally released her swollen lips, and she swayed into me, dizzy from our heady chemistry. I braced my arm around her waist and steered her off the dance floor, away from the party.
“Time for your reward, dolcezza.”
She shivered, and her cheeks flushed once again. She’d been indignant about my promise of a reward for good behavior, but Evelyn had a sweet heart and a giving nature. And I’d worked her into an erotic frenzy. It wouldn’t be difficult to convince her to love being my good girl, to please me in every way I desired.
We stepped into the empty elevator that would carry us up to my suite. As soon as the doors closed, she threw herself at me like she was starved for my lips. Shock punched me, but I didn’t hesitate to meet her hungry kiss with equal fervor. She pressed her hips against my thigh again, on the verge of rubbing herself against me to reach orgasm.
I slammed my palm against the emergency stop button, and the elevator came to a halt. She didn’t seem to notice; she was completely intent on kissing me, her fingernails biting into the back of my neck in an effort to pull me closer.
“You are a greedy girl.” My words were strangely slow and deep, like I was drunk. Everything about her was intoxicating, all-consuming.
I backed her up against the mirrored wall and wedged my thigh between her legs. “Go on,” I ordered. “Make yourself feel good, farfallina.”
She licked her lips, hesitating. She was so innocent. I found her shame delectable. I would find every wicked act that made her blush and teach her to love it.
I lifted my leg slightly, forcing her up onto her toes. I could feel the heat of her pussy through my pants, and I wondered if she’d come hard enough leave a wet spot on the expensive fabric.
The prospect made my cock stiffen. Fuck, I needed her. I craved to drive into that wet heat and feel her tight cunt squeezing me as she came undone.
I clenched my jaw and shoved down my most basic, animal urges. I wouldn’t rut into her like a mindless beast. Evelyn would welcome me to claim her sweet pussy. She would beg me to fuck her. Until she was ready to do that, I would control my darkest instincts by dominating her. Controlling her pleasure helped me master myself, too.
A heady rush of power pulsed through me as she began to rock against my thigh, stimulating herself at my command. Her eyes slid closed, as though she could hide from the shame that she was feeling for behaving so wantonly.
My fingers tangled in her hair, tugging just sharply enough to capture her full attention. Her stunning eyes met mine, glassy with lust. Using my grip on her hair, I directed her face toward the mirrored wall to our right.
“Watch yourself,” I rumbled. “See how beautiful you are when you come undone for me.”
“Massimo…” She whispered my name, a soft plea for mercy that made my cock ache.
But I had no mercy. She would bear witness to her own carnal desperation, her full submission to my will. I’d done this to her: reduced her to a needy, lustful mess. My power over her was the most delicious thing I’d ever seen.
When her eyes locked on her own reflection, her lips parted on a soft gasp, as though she didn’t recognize herself. I pressed deeper into her, stimulating her clit on my thigh. She released a soft cry, then surrendered. Her hips rocked, her hot cunt rubbing against me. She blushed, but she stared at herself with rapt fascination as her breaths quickened and her movements became more frantic.
“Come, Evelyn. Come for me.”
She shuddered in my arms and orgasmed with a low moan. I could practically feel the waves of bliss rolling through her body, almost as though her pleasure was my own.
“That’s it,” I praised, watching her reflection along with her. She remained transfixed by the image of her ecstatic abandon. “Bellissima.”
A soft whimper caught in her throat, and her body softened as she floated down from her orgasmic high.
But I wasn’t nearly finished with her. Once I got her back to my bed, I would make her scream my name.