Chapter 24
RAPH
“So you’re okay with me wearing shorts to bed now, huh?” She giggles as I flip her over my shoulder.
“Of course I am.” A smirk touches my mouth as I slide my hand underneath the tiny scrap of material covering that glorious ass of hers. “Now that I get to do this…” My palm slaps across her behind. “You can wear whatever the hell you want.”
I drop her onto the bed and press my body into her, my cock pulsing between her legs.
“But I much prefer when you wear nothing at all.”
I run a hand up the inside of her thigh, my fingers in the waistband of those shorts I’m dragging down until she’s in a pair of black panties. My mouth lowers to her abdomen, kissing her right above her mound while she moans, grabbing my hair in her fist before I kiss right back up.
The desire to sink inside her and forget the rest of the world overwhelms me until it’s all I know.
With a single swipe, I push a strand of hair away from her face and stare down into those eyes, never wanting to leave them.
“How can someone be this beautiful?” I whisper, almost to myself.
And when her lips flutter in response, all I want to do is kiss them, so I do just that. I kiss her gently at first, my tongue swiping inside her warm mouth, but then it overtakes me—that hunger, that desire to make her feel everything we are together.
I flip her on top of me as my teeth graze her jaw, hand fisting her hair as she grinds herself, rolling her perfect pussy over my hard-on.
Breathlessly, she drags herself away, pulling up her shirt until she’s tossing it on the floor.
“Fuck,” I grit, my eyes greedily taking in every one of her curves. I reach my hand for her chest, and slowly, I let my fingertips trace in between her breasts, watching her skin prickle in response.
She rocks her hips, eyes pinning me with intense desire boring through them as her hand lowers to my erection and she grips it tight.
“Shit.” I shut my eyes as she strokes me through my pants.
When I feel her slide off of me, I look back at her, finding her kneeling between my thighs. Her eyes dart between me and my hard-on, and she gives me a confident grin before grabbing my pants and pulling them down. I like seeing her this way, like she’s comfortable with me in every way.
My cock stands at attention, hard and ready for her. What else is new? When the hell was I ever this hard? Don’t think I ever was.
“You’re a damn dream. I’m not worthy of you,” I say as her soft hand wraps around me.
She runs her thumb over the crown, and I buck, groaning out her name, but when her soft mouth lands there, I almost explode.
“Shit, what are you doing?” My palm instinctively locks onto the back of her head as she kisses my cock.
Fucking hell, this woman…
“I want to try to…you know?” Her cheeks stain with a deep shade of pink.
“You really want to suck my dick?”
She nods.
My chest expands at the thought of it. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t had the image in my head more than once, but she’s new to this and I didn’t want to push her. But if she really wants this, who the hell am I to refuse.
“Are you sure?” My voice is heavy with yearning. I’m barely keeping it together.
She nods again.
I curl my arms under the back of my head. “You ever done this before?”
It wouldn’t matter either way, but I want to be the first man she’s tasted. The mere thought of her sucking some other guy’s dick fills me with unexplainable jealousy.
“No.” Her brows slant. “So I may not know how to.”
She’s nervous and it’s hot as hell. “Don’t worry, tesoro mio. You’ll be perfect. You always are. You could touch my cock and I’d be fucking happy.”
Her cheeks flush, and she bites her damn lip.
“Fuck, I’m gonna have you choking on my cock if you keep looking at me like that, biting your lip.”
Her chest rises heavily and her mouth trembles.
“Will you show me what you like?” she asks in the sweetest tone that makes me want to throw her back down on the bed, spread her thighs, and make love to her real slow.
“I’ll show you whatever you want. I’ll teach you everything. But you need to understand…” I lift up and grasp her jaw in my possessive hand. “That this thing between us, it goes beyond sex. Beyond all of this.”
Her eyes grow softer. “I know it does, but I want to make you feel good. I want to learn what your body likes. I want to be as good as the other women you’ve been with.”
She stares down like she hates the thought of me with anyone else as much as I do.
I tilt up her chin between two fingers. “You’ll never be like the other women I’ve been with.”
And for a moment, sadness crosses her gaze.
“Because they’ll never compare to you, Nicolette.” I drag my eyes over every inch of her face. “You’re my destiny. They were the forgotten path that brought me right to where I’ve always belonged: with you.”
“Raph…” she breathes, chest rising and falling steadily before she lowers her mouth, soft lips landing on my cock.
I groan, throwing my head back, clasping a fist around her luscious hair.
“W-was that okay?” she whispers, glancing up at me.
“It’s more than okay. No one has ever kissed my cock before and it’s now my favorite thing.”
“Really?” Her eyes gleam.
“Really.”
“I want to give you all your favorite things,” she murmurs, taking my length in her grasp, stroking me from root to tip.
“That’s easy, baby. You’re my favorite thing, and you’ve already given me that.”
A coy little smile curls over her mouth. “What else can I give you?”
“Kiss it again,” I tell her.
And she does, right before the tip of her tongue strokes up my length.
I let out a beastly grunt, clasping my palm behind her head. And when she moans, my control snaps.
“You really want to suck my cock? Because this is your final chance to refuse.”
“Yes,” she says, and I clench her hair, staring into her eyes.
“Come on, then. Wrap that pretty mouth around it and suck.”
Her eyes grow, and gradually, she obeys and sends me straight to heaven.
She swallows the head, and when she glances up at me, all doe-eyed, my cock jerks against her tongue.
“Grab it as you suck and tighten your fist at the base.”
But her fingers can only wrap around about half of it.
“Stroke me up and down.”
She does, loosening her grip.
“Tighter.”
She cinches her grasp and glides it up and down real slow. “Fuck. That’s it. You’re doing good.”
My balls are practically burning for release. I stare at her, naked for me, aching to fuck her, to stare into those eyes that own me. There’s no feeling like it in the world. Never will be.
She takes more of me into her mouth, her moans vibrating over me.
“Yeah, just like that,” I hiss, throwing my head back, my palm pushing her down roughly until she’s swallowing the rest of me. “Tighten your lips around it even more. Good girl,” I groan when she does.
She gags and pulls back a little, her eyes tearing as she looks up at me.
“I’m sorry, tesoro mio. I was just…”
Completely obsessed with you.
“Do that again,” she tells me, excitement taking over her eyes.
“You liked that?”
What the hell am I going to do with this woman? By the time I’m through with her, she’s going to be trouble.
“You want me to force my cock down your pretty throat?”
“Yes…please.”
“Want me to make you gag on it again?”
Another nod.
“Good girl.”
A blush creeps up her cheeks.
“Where should I come?”
“In my mouth,” she confidently says. “I want to taste you.”
“Fucking hell.” I grind my teeth, my hips arching, begging for that mouth again.
“Better brace yourself, little one. I’m not going to be gentle.”
“I don’t want gentle.” Her gaze turns heady. “I want you.”
Instantly, her hair’s wrapped tightly around my wrist, and I drive her mouth right back onto my cock, forcing her to take it down deeper and deeper.
“That’s it. Now, you’re going to suck until you swallow every drop of my cum. You understand?”
When she doesn’t nod—when she gags and chokes—I say, “Nod if you understand.”
And when she does, I tell her, “What a good listener.”
I yank her head back with a pull of my wrist and force her down onto me over and over, her hand jerking me as I make her take every raw inch.
“Just like that—fuck!” I groan. “Gonna make me come so hard.”
She moans and the sound vibrates around me, shooting down my spine. She takes over, sucking me hard and fast, gazing at me as she does.
“Oh, shit…” My voice trails, my fist tightening around her hair and the release hits me so damn hard, I grow lightheaded.
It shoots out of me in waves, hot spurts coating the back of her throat as I hold her head hostage, not letting even a drop slip.
When I’m through, my hand eases and she gradually pulls back. Her wild stare and watery eyes take me in, but I can’t tell if I did something she may have not enjoyed.
“You okay, baby? I’m sorry if—”
“That was amazing…” Suddenly she’s grinning, lowering her body back over mine, her lips kissing my jaw, my throat.
I chuckle. “Who are you and what have you done with my sweet Nicolette?”
She shrugs a single shoulder. “She’s still in there. She’s just a little more of a freak now.”
“Oh, is that right?” I flip her under me, settling my body over hers, my lips slanting down to the curve of her neck.
Her hands snap to my shoulder blades, sinking her nails into my flesh as I kiss up her throat, stroking my semi-hard cock against her pussy. Blood rushes into it again, and the need to fill her, to worship her, to own her is all I know.
“Fuck me, Raph,” she gasps.
I’m close to getting fully hard when my damn burner rings. I ignore it, my mouth dropping to her chest, lips latching on to a stiff nipple, teeth nipping it before I move on to the next.
It rings again.
“Fucking hell…” I mutter, throwing my forehead against her chest.
“Just get it…” She goes breathless.
I know I should. It could be Michael or one of my men.
“Two minutes.” I trail kisses between her breasts. “I promise.”
Then I’m jumping off the bed and hurrying to the table, grabbing the cell.
I see Michael’s number and immediately answer. “Yeah?”
There’s a long, ominous pause before I hear him. And in an instant, everything changes.
“It’s happening,” he says, those words laced with a tense undercurrent.
Something is terribly wrong.
“In three hours from now, we’re taking him out.” He sounds like he’s going to burn the whole city to the ground. “Get back to the house and get everyone ready.”
I turn to look at her as she props herself on her elbows, her eyes full of questions. And my heart lurches.
All I can think about is what the hell I’m going to do with her when I’m gone.
I have to bring her to the house where my men can protect her. It’s the only way. She’s too vulnerable here alone.
“We’ve been ready,” I tell Michael. “See you soon.”
I don’t bother him for details. I can call him back on the drive.
The call ends, and I grasp the cell tighter.
“Baby…” I despise separating from her, even knowing it’s the only way to finally end all of this.
She sits up straighter, grabbing the blanket to cover herself. “Is everything okay?”
A panicked expression flitters across her gorgeous features. I hate seeing her in fear. It’s why this has to end.
Then it hits me. This could be the last time I see her. Something inside my chest snaps, like my heart has broken free from my rib cage.
What if I never get to tell her I love her? And how fair would it be to tell her now only to leave her and never return?
No. I’ll tell her when I come back to her. When I can tell her over and over again.
“Was that Michael?” she asks.
I retrieve my sweats from the bed and slip into them. “Yeah. We have to go now.” Her brows pinch in confusion. “We’re taking care of my father today.”
“Oh.” Goose bumps skate down her arms.
“Everything will be okay.” I lower on the bed beside her and take her hand in mine. “But I have to bring you to my house where my men can watch over you.”
She drags her hand away and shakes her head. “No. What if your father’s people find me there?” Dread skitters in her gaze. “No one knows I’m here. Wouldn’t it be safer to stay?”
“I can’t leave you here alone.”
“Think about it.” She slides closer and places a palm on the top of my knee. “They won’t know where to find me. I’ll stay here the whole time you’re gone. It shouldn’t take long, right?”
Fuck. Why am I even considering this? But what if she’s right? What if this is the safest option?
“I hate the thought of leaving you, tesoro mio. If something happens to you…” I trail, grasping her nape and pinning her forehead to mine. A thick slam of emotions hits the back of my throat.
This may be the very last time I get to hold her. So I hold her tighter, my arms wrapping her so close, I wonder if I’ll break her.
And instead of pulling away, she holds me too. Just as tightly.
“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” I say.
“Promise me you’ll come back,” her whispered voice drops with tears filling it.
She feels this too. This slice of pain in the air, the goodbye, not knowing if it’s forever.
“I promise,” I lie.
Because sometimes lies are all we have to hold on to.