Chapter Sixty-Five Ella
Chapter Sixty-Five
Ella
Soft lips pepper kisses along the side of my neck, and I snuggle closer.
Turning onto my back, I let my fingers glide into his soft hair and gently tug to bring him up to my face. My lips seek his, and a contented sigh escapes me as he devours me with a hunger that matches mine.
I’ve missed you so much.
His familiar touch travels down my body to cup my breasts and rub my nipples between his fingers. Then he pinches them hard.
Yes.
Raw need blossoms in my core. I want him, need him… now.
Enough foreplay.
I grind against him, trying to speed things up, but Tiero only smiles against my lips.
“No, princess, you know who sets the pace. It’s not you.”
That’s where he’s wrong. I’m done letting him always run the show. I pull him closer against me and kiss him with a ferocity I’ve never unleashed before. And he’s right there with me.
When I can tell he believes in my submission, I move suddenly, rolling us both over so that Tiero is now underneath me. Rising to my knees, my smile is triumphant, just as Tiero’s is surprised.
My hands wander over his body, muscles rippling beneath my touch. The man is built like a god. How did I ever get so lucky?
I can’t get enough of him.
My mouth soon follows my hands as I lick and kiss my way along the dips and valleys of his perfect abs. Tiero writhes and moans. A heady sense of power washes over me as I work us both into a frenzy.
“Angel, take me into your mouth. Now,” he commands.
I gaze up at him and raise an eyebrow. Is he not getting that I’m running this show?
“Please,” he moans.
That’s better.
With a devious smile, I gently kiss the tip of his cock, before licking along his shaft and lapping his head to taste him.
“Fuck, angel. You’re killing me. Please, just suck me.”
Who would have thought the big bad Mafia Don would ever beg?
I let him have it, taking him into my mouth until he hits the back of my throat. Engulfed in his scent and taste, I lose myself. I’m loving giving him this pleasure.
My arousal is climbing at a feverish pace, and the fire inside demands to be fed. I let go of him with a plop and kneel up. Tiero takes my hips and guides me over his hard length before gently pulling me down.
Oh yes!
I throw my head back as Tiero stretches me so good.
How did I ever think I could live without this?
My hips still in a firm grasp, he slowly moves me up and down until we’re both panting and covered in sweat.
Nobody feels as good as Tiero inside me. Nobody.
I close my eyes as I ride him until my world explodes into a million fireworks. We both let go in perfect unison.
I collapse on top of him, chest heaving, and then roll off to spoon him.
God, I love this man.
Throwing my leg over him, encasing him in my arms, I hold him close, so content and happy.
This is where I belong, where I want to be.
A noise from behind startles me. I look over my shoulder and see a tall, dark creature charging at us.
I scramble up to sitting, my body breaking out in a cold sweat. My heart is racing like Tiero’s Ferrari. He reacts instantly, pulling me down and covering me with his body.
“I will always protect you and our baby.”
I peek out from underneath him. The creature is still running at us, making inhuman noises that have goosebumps race up my spine. Its face comes into focus…
A fox.
What the?
It’s frothing at the mouth, looking menacing and mad.
Then the sound of gunfire echoes in the room.
Is it being shot at, or is it the one shooting at us?
I scream. It’s loud and piercing.
And it’s what wakes me up.
I shoot up in bed. My heart is jackhammering in my chest as I clutch the sheets as if that could calm me.
I frantically glance around. Single bed, tiny desk, a door to an even tinier bathroom. And no fox.
I let out a long breath as it sinks in I’m in my shoebox.
It was a dream… just a dream turning into a nightmare.
What is my subconscious processing now?
Did talking to Claudette mess with my head?
Perhaps this was some kind of flashback to the time on Tiero’s boat when I thought someone had fired at us.
And what about the fox? It looked like it had rabies.
But worst of all, Tiero’s baby comment… I shudder.
No, I am not pregnant.
As my heart slows, my body still trembles. A sense of danger and foreboding has taken over.
I lie back down and notice how sticky I feel between my legs.
Jeez, I think I actually came in my sleep. There’s a first. Good thing you can’t get pregnant from dreams, or I’m sure I’d be carrying triplets.
“Good morning, darling,” Claudette singsongs as she joins me for breakfast in the staff cafeteria.
She’s way too chirpy for seven in the morning, and I fight the urge to glare at her just for being so happy and carefree.
She studies me as she sits down, mug in hand, the scent of coffee drifting up my nose.
“You seem… edgy. Why?” she asks, taking a sip.
“It’s nothing,” I deflect. “I just had a dream.”
It’s so not nothing. Ever since I woke up, I’ve been feeling restless, with a sense of imminent danger hanging over my head.
But I don’t want to discuss it with my psychic-extraordinaire. Though she’d probably have plenty to say about it.
“Oh, tell me more.” She looks excited, and it’s like I can see the wheels in her mind turning in anticipation.
Have I mentioned that she’s also a dream interpreter? After leaving her cabin last night, I read her pamphlet which lists her many talents.
I hesitate. Do I really want her to analyze my dream? But what better way to get answers, or at least an opinion.
“No need to sugarcoat it. What happened in your dream? And be precise.”
Heat rises into my cheeks. I’m probably as red as a tomato. No way am I admitting to dreaming about sex with Tiero and coming in my sleep.
“Hmm, not much happened,” I deflect. “I was… umm, sleeping and then this fox ran toward me. It looked like it had rabies. Then there were gunshots, and I didn’t know who the target was, the fox or me. I think I screamed not just in my dream. It woke me up.”
There, that’s a good summary.
Claudette considers this for a long moment, then nods slowly.
“A fox,” she says, her voice almost a whisper, “is the trickster, the shapeshifter, the one who moves between truths. It appears when someone around you is hiding their real face, when you must read what is not being said.”
A small shiver crawls up my spine.
Sofia’s face pops into my mind before I can stop it. I let her trick me, and if Alonso hadn’t intervened, God knows what would have happened.
But that was in the past. So why does the fear feel fresh again?
Am I still processing her kidnapping attempt?
Or is this about something else?
Who in my life isn’t what they seem?
Freemont? Claudette?
No, surely not. I push that thought aside quickly.
Or is this about Tiero?
In the dream he shielded me from the fox. Was it one of his enemies? Molinaro? Or, more likely, Tiero’s traitor?
“Right. And the rabies part?” I ask, my stomach feeling like lead.
Her gaze sharpens. “When the fox turns rabid, its gift of cunning becomes distorted. What was once subtle becomes dangerous. It means something in your life has soured, corrupted, and is no longer pretending to be harmless.”
Well, finding out who Tiero really is has certainly soured something in my life. But my gut tells me it’s not what Claudette is talking about.
My heartbeat kicks harder.
“Your mind is warning you. The gunshots show rising conflict. You feel hunted, even if you cannot name the hunter.”
Well, I don’t just feel hunted, I know I am. And not just by Tiero.
A cold ripple sweeps through me.
Claudette reaches for my wrist. “Your intuition sees the truth before you do. Listen to it. A relationship might be about to turn dangerous or unstable.”
I swallow hard.
This is about Tiero’s world, and I escaped that. Now, more than ever, I’m determined never again to be part of it.
Goosebumps cover my skin. This conversation is really unnerving me. There’s a reason I didn’t want to talk about this. But too late now.
Sensing my tension, Claudette softens her posture, her voice easing into something gentler, almost coaxing.
“Let’s step back a little, darling. Tell me, do animals come to you often in your dreams?”
The shift in topic is like someone cracking open a window in a stuffy room. I reach for my cup of peppermint tea. God, I wish this was licorice, but as Garrett drummed into me, no more of my habitual go-tos.
“No,” I say, grateful for something less terrifying to focus on. “Usually I sit on them.”
Claudette lifts an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yep. I once sat on a hedgehog. I could go on… the list is rather long.”
A smile curves her lips, the atmosphere finally lightening. “What a prickly experience.”
“You can say that again.”
“Hedgehogs are interesting,” she muses. “They encourage you to listen to your inner wisdom and guidance. Obviously, that’s good advice at any time, but if this little guy took a risk like that, you must have really needed to get the message.”
“Message?” I repeat.
Sure, I’ve heard of animal totems, but never taken them seriously.
“Yes, animals are drawn to you in a big way, Ash. They’re trying to help you. Actually, it sounds like they’re even willing to sacrifice themselves to get your attention,” she laughs.
“Oh.” How have I never thought about this before?
Perhaps if I had, I wouldn’t have sat on so many innocent creatures.
“So, how do I know what they’re trying to tell me?”
“You ask them,” she says. “What’s your message for me? And then you listen to what thoughts and feelings arise within you.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
But the truth is, I’m a little excited. The idea that the animal world has been trying to talk to me for years feels strangely comforting.
We eat in silence for a while until the scrambled eggs in my stomach turn heavy and uncomfortable. A sudden wave of nausea strikes, and I cover my mouth with one hand while holding onto the table with the other.
“You okay, darling?” Claudette asks, concern in her voice. “You’re a little pale.”
“Yeah, I don’t feel so well. Perhaps I’m seasick.”
The light swaying of the ship is suddenly very noticeable.
And then it hits me.
Oh no! No, no, no.
My hands fly to my stomach, and my panicked eyes meet Claudette’s. Bile rises in my throat, and I jump up and run to the toilet.
I make it just in time.
God, no. Please, please don’t let this be true.
I flush, close the lid, and sit down, holding my face in my hands.
Fuck. Tiero, what have you done?
I want to be rid of his world. I’m not cut out for all this danger.
Tears prick my eyes and start rolling down my cheeks.
This isn’t what I’m fearing.
It isn’t!
I’m just seasick. The dream conversation with Claudette upset me. That’s all.
Still, my throat grows tight as images of Tiero’s gorgeous face flash in my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut.
The universe can’t be that cruel.