Chapter 8
RAFEAL
There’s a lot I should be focused on, but when I hear her moan over the phone, I’m lost. As lost as I was that first night, completely wrecked for anything else.
I’ve got my cock in my hand, rock-hard, precome sliding up and down my pulsing length as I pump my hand.
“I’m stroking myself just listening to you moan, Ava,” I snarl, my hand moving faster.
“I’ve got my dick out, the same dick that filled your perfect pussy and fucked you for an hour straight, the same dick that stretched you and made you come over and over.
I’m wanking myself so damn hard, I keep thinking I’m going to blow.
Thinking about those extra curves of yours.
Imagining kissing your stretch marks to show you they make you ever sexier, not less. ”
“Oh, oh.” She gasps, high-pitched and breathy, when I mention her stretch marks.
“Fuck, you like that,” I snarl. “Like knowing our baby has made you ever hotter.”
“Yes,” she whimpers.
“Are you just rubbing your pussy or have you got your fingers in your soaked slit?”
“Ru-rubbing,” she moans.
“Your clit?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Good. Keep rubbing. I want you to do it faster. I want you to close your eyes and think about me with my dick in my hand, getting off on the thought of you naked and bent over for me, your ass even bigger and sweeter now, your hips fuller, more of you to grab and own as I fuck you like you deserve to be fucked.”
I can barely talk as I stroke my cock, quick pumps up and down, the base throbbing, my end leaking like a goddamn volcano.
“I need to hear you come,” I growl. “I need you to fucking break for me, Ava. Now.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Now, Ava. I’m going to fucking blow.”
“I’m—cuh-coming…”
I roar as my hand moves like an unstoppable force up and down my dick, so much fire in my steel I can hardly take it, hardly even believe it. It’s like an entire year has fallen away and we’re back in bed together, her lips wrapped around me, her big beautiful breasts bouncing as I rail her.
Come explodes all over my stomach, slipping hotly into the rivulets of my abs.
She moans breathily down the phone.
“Ava?” I say, once both of us have steadied our breathing.
“Hmm,” she says, sounding sexy and tired before she seems to snap to her senses. “That wasn’t…”
“Part of the plan?” I offer.
“No,” she huffs… mad at me, at herself maybe. “It wasn’t.”
“You just do that to me,” I tell her honestly.
There’s a long pause, her breath catching. “Text me the details about tomorrow. Lunchtime works best for me. I’ve got an hour between twelve and one.”
“Okay—”
She hangs up, leaving me covered in my own mess, my chest rising and falling hard. I toss the phone aside and go into the bathroom, catching sight of myself in the mirror. Tall and shining with my own release, my eyes on fire with how badly I need her…
And my cock, so recently drained, is twitching and growing hard again as I think about the way she moaned over the phone.
I step into the shower and turn the water to the coldest setting in an attempt to clear my head.
The next morning, I meet with Tony, Dante, Riccardo, and Enzo in the bakery at the end of the street where I’m staying. These are my most trusted men… apart from Nico, who betrayed me. But what does trust mean these days, exactly?
“We’re going to be staying here a little longer than planned,” I say. “Dante, Tony, your job is to find Nico and bring him to me. You know Nico. He won’t come quietly if he doesn’t want to come. But this is a top priority. Enzo, Riccardo, your job is to follow me… discreetly, at a distance.”
I’m not having a repeat of last year, when those bastards showed up and forced me to run and abandon Ava.
“You got it, cousin,” Tony says, eager to prove himself as usual. “You can count on me… on us. No problem. We’ll find him like that.” He snaps his fingers, nodding enthusiastically.
“Be careful where you step in this city, especially if you’re venturing onto Hungarian turf.”
“You think they’re out to get us?” Dante asks, cracking his knuckles.
“Last year, I was on their turf when those men came for me. And now someone I care about is involved with Adrian Kovacs, who, as we know, is a friend of the Hungarians.”
“Could be a coincidence,” Riccardo says, shrugging. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Sure,” I agree, thinking of Adrian’s warning last night, his gall, thinking he has any right to tell me to stay away from my own child.
“But I’m not taking that risk. Right, you’ve got your jobs.
In the meantime, I’m going to meet with some more private art sellers.
Might as well make the most of this time. ”
At lunchtime, I wait in the café for Ava, wondering if she’ll show. The memory of the phone sex keeps tugging at me, making my body respond with a savage hunger that tightens my every muscle. I try to push it away, reminding myself this isn’t about that…
And hell, she sounded pretty pissed after that was done. Like she regretted it.
When she walks into the café, I stand, hoping to hide my disappointment that Theo isn’t with her. I was hoping to see him.
She looks beautiful, hair tied up, form-hugging black pants and a suit jacket that gives her a professional appearance that causes pride to swell in me… pride I probably have no right to, but still.
She approaches my table, and I move in for a hug. She steps back and raises her hands. Her pulse pounds visibly in her neck as if she’s just stepped too close to something dangerous. Like she’s afraid…of what she’ll let herself do if I touch her?
“Coffee?” I ask.
“Sure,” she replies. “Thank you.”
I go to the counter, get us some drinks, then return. She’s biting her lip when I turn around, watching me. When she sees me notice, she quickly lets it go.
I set the coffees down, then stand over the table.
She looks up at me, eyebrow raised. “Well, are you going to sit?”
This part is going to be awkward.
“Before we talk about anything, we need to go into the hall,” I say. “Somewhere private?”
Her eyes widen a fraction. “Why?”
“You need to trust me on this. I’m prepared to take a very, very big risk for you, Ava. But you need to meet me halfway.”
“And if I say no?”
I swallow. “Then we’ll need to rearrange.”
She considers, then huffs out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll play your game for now.”
I lead her into the corridor that leads to the bathrooms, glancing up and down to make sure no one can see us.
“I need to pat you down,” I tell her.
She laughs, shaking her head, then abruptly grows serious. “For real?” That spark of defiance enters her eyes. “The phone call wasn’t enough, huh?”
My body responds viscerally, but I try not to let it show. Damn right, that phone call wasn’t enough.
“You think I’m wearing a wire,” she says after a pause.
I just stare at her.
“Jesus Christ, Mikey.” Her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
“I’ll be quick.”
She throws her hands up. “How is this my life?”
I step forward, feeling the heat radiating from her body, watching as a bead of sweat slides down her neck and disappears into her shirt. I’ve never been jealous of sweat before, but as it vanishes into her ample cleavage, I am.
“Don’t make this into something extra,” she snaps.
“Fair enough.”
I do it fast and efficiently, smoothing my hands over her body. My groin aches in my pants, pushing urgently against my briefs, but I try not to focus on that. I glide my hands over her plump gorgeous breasts, her hips, her legs, her ass. She glares at me… or tries to.
She can’t hide the lust punching through her.
“Are you done?” she snaps, voice breathier than she’d probably like.
“Yeah.”
“Satisfied?”
“Not even close.”
She rolls her eyes, the corner of her lip twitching. “I mean… are you convinced we can talk now? That’s the only reason I let you do this ridiculous thing.”
“Yeah, I’m convinced.”
We return to the café as someone else enters, giving us a strange look.
At the table, she leans forward. “So then, are you ready to tell the truth?”
I reach into my jacket pocket and take out an envelope. “This is the death certificate my man showed me when I ordered him to check on you. He is – was – one of my most trusted men, which is why I didn’t verify the information myself.”
She takes it, hands trembling slightly. Her eyes dart across the page as she reads. “Wow,” she murmurs. “This looks legit.”
“That’s what I thought,” I tell her. “I swear, Ava, I wanted to see you again. Badly. If I’d known you were alive…”
“How do I know you didn’t forge this last night just to back up your lie?”
I run a hand through my hair. “Hell, you don’t. But I didn’t. I swear, Ava.”
She looks at me, eyes glistening, sassy and hurt and heartbreakingly beautiful.
“Okay, fine,” she says. “What about the rest? Who are you? What are you?”
I lean forward, lowering my voice. “I would never normally, under any circumstances, tell a civilian what I’m about to tell you.”
“So I’m special?” she says sarcastically.
“Cut the sass for a second.”
She softens, murmurs, “I’m sorry.”
“No, Ava, you don’t apologize to me. Don’t you dare.”
“Sorry for saying sorry, then,” she says with a small smile.
I grin, can’t help it. “But you, us, our kid, this situation overrides everything. So yes…” I take a breath, wondering if I’m really doing this, if I’ve lost my mind. “I’m the Don of the Bellini mafia.”
She gasps, though I know she expected this.
“But it’s not what you think. As Don, I’ve changed things, made them better, built something new, something unique.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“We don’t hurt civilians. Or women. We don’t hurt anyone who didn’t sign up for this life.
The bulk of our money comes from financial crime and blackmailing corrupt politicians.
We then use that money to buy and sell art, then funnel it into legitimate businesses. It’s not like the movies, not anymore.”
She sits back quietly, her expression difficult to read. “The father of my baby is a mob boss,” she says quietly, as if to herself.
I nod. “You have to understand the risk I’m taking by telling you this.”
“You don’t hurt women or civilians, right?”
“Never.”
“So what if I went to the cops with what you just told me?”
“I’d deny it.”
“And if they believed me anyway?”
“Then I’d take the punishment,” I growl. “That’s what I meant when I said I’m taking a risk. But you’re worth it. Theo is worth it.”
She buries her face in her hands for a moment. “God, Rafe.”
I smile. She lowers her hands.
“What are you smiling about?” She snaps.
“You called me Rafe.”
Her lip twitches, then she disciplines her mouth. “This is… a lot. I don’t even know if I can believe you.”
“You can. I’m telling you the goddamn truth.”
“Don’t get angry at me about it. Jeez.” She leans back, shaking her head. “Can you blame me for being skeptical? This time yesterday, I thought you were a one-night stand called Michael who ghosted me. Now…”
“I know. But every word since then has been the truth. I gave a fake name out of habit. I always do with civilians.”
“But why leave me, then?” she snaps. “Why sneak out?”
“Men came for me,” I tell her. “Your apartment is in Hungarian turf. You’d never know it, but it belongs to them. They didn’t like me being there. You were asleep, a heavy sleeper as you know.”
Another guilty smile. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
“I had to leave or put you in danger. I swear, Ava, I didn’t want to go. I wanted to cook you breakfast, be there for you. I wanted to make love to you all day, then take you on a date you deserved.”
Her cheeks flush, but then she abruptly stands, chair squeaking on the floor.
“This is a lot to think about. I need some time. But…” She walks around the table, staring at me.
I stand and look down at her. “Promise me all of this is true. If I’m going to sort this out, I need to know I’m dealing with facts. ”
I take her hips in my hands, loving the small, breathy sound she makes as I do.
“I promise. Every single word.”
I wonder if I should mention Adrian’s possible involvement. But she seems happy in her job. And, if Adrian were going to hurt her, he would’ve done it by now. No, I can’t upend her life. Not yet. Not until I have proof.
“Okay then,” she murmurs, moving to turn away.
But I can’t let her go. My hold tightens on her ample hips, a hungry instinct punching through me. She makes a soft gasping noise, shock mingled with desire and something else.
As I lean in, she shakes her head, but her eyes can’t lie. Her lips, already parting for me, tell the truth.
I crash my mouth against hers, and suddenly, time has stopped again, just like it did last year. The mob, Nico, my responsibilities, my past, my pain—all of it ceases to matter.
It’s just her taste and her muffled moan and her hands clawing at my shirt against my chest. She pulls herself closer to me. Then she flattens her palms and pushes away, leaning back in my grip, staring up at me wide-eyed and electrified.
“Don’t do that again,” she whimpers.
“Say that like you mean it, then,” I quip.
“Rafe…”
I kiss her again. She opens her mouth, claims my tongue with hers, lighting my body up with every hungry movement.
Then she pushes away for real, looking around. People are watching us, staring with jealousy at our obvious, undeniable connection.
“I need time,” she says. “Let go. Please.”
It takes every shred of decency left in me to release her, let her go.
“I want to see my son again,” I say.
She chews her lip and sighs. “I need to think about that for obvious reasons.”
“For obvious—”
“The lies. The mob stuff. The fact you’ve just waltzed into my life and turned everything upside down,” she whispers, then yells.
She turns and walks away. I sit down, breathless.
I just bared my soul to a civilian, a stranger, but I don’t regret it. She’s the mother of my child and the only woman who’s ever made my heart pound like this.