Chapter 11 Raiden
RAIDEN
There’s nothing like riding your bike on a mountain road with a beautiful woman clinging to your back.
Isabella’s warm hands wrapped around my waist make my chest swell. I love that she trusted me enough to come undone on my hand. It was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen, the stubborn princess giving in to my touch.
I want to do it again and again and again. And more, I want to claim her and make her mine for the entire world to see.
I’m not scared of her father, although I probably should be. Let him come. I’ll fight his entire organization to be with my girl.
If that’s what she wants.
I don’t know if being with me is one more stunt to shock her father. Isabella seems genuine but she’s a complex woman, and there are secrets she’s not telling me. I’m sure of it.
But as we slide off the bike and her leg brushes mine, I don’t give a shit what she’s hiding. As long as I can wrap those thick legs around me and bury myself inside her, to hell with whatever her father will do to me.
I’m not in the business of deflowering virgins for the fun of it. With Isabella, it’s forever. I just need to convince her.
I take her hand in mine as we stride into the clubhouse. It’s just after the lunch service, and the restaurant is full of customers. I don’t want to take the chance of her being recognized, so we duck into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat.
Maggie’s drizzling sauce over a thick slice of cake, and she looks up as we enter. She smiles when she sees Isabella.
“Are you hungry?” she asks shyly.
Maggie’s our best pastry chef. She was shy as a mouse when she started working for us, but since she’s been with Arlo, he’s brought her out of her shell.
“Can you rustle us up some chicken or something? And a slice of whatever that is.” I indicate the cake.
“Can do, Prez.”
Arlo comes into the kitchen, and Maggie lights up when she sees him. He gives her a sultry kiss then nods to me, indicating he wants to talk. We step out of the kitchen, and I leave the women talking. Isabella’s trying to help, and Maggie’s too polite to shoo her out of the way.
“What’s up?” I ask Arlo as soon as we’re out of ear shot.
“Carlo’s looking for his daughter, and he’s pissed. Word is he’ll murder anyone who’s helped her.”
The words send a jolt of ice through my body. I like to think I’m not afraid of Carlo, but you’d be a fool not to have a little fear of the man.
Arlo tugs on his beard nervously. “You gonna send her back?”
I glance through the window to the kitchen. Isabella’s holding the piping bag while Maggie instructs her on how to squeeze the icing out of it. Both women are laughing. I’ve never seen Isabella so relaxed. She likes it here.
A vision pops into my head of Isabella being around permanently, strutting through the clubrooms like she owns the place. Me and her as a team.
“No. I’m not sending her back.”
Arlo takes a step backwards at the force of my words, and concern wraps around his face.
“Prez, her father’s out of his mind. He thinks someone kidnapped her like they did his wife…”
I hadn’t thought of that. Eliana, Carlo’s wife, paid the ultimate price for her choice of husband. The man’s had to deal with the grief ever since. It’s got to be why he’s such an uncompromising hardass and why he’s so overprotective with his daughter. He must be fearing the worst.
“Have someone let it slip that she was seen boarding a bus on her own. Don’t let it get traced back to us.” The last thing I want to do is worry her father unnecessarily. “Put the poor guy out of his misery.”
Arlo nods, but he doesn’t leave. I get the feeling he wants to say more. He tugs on his beard, and I look at him expectantly.
“What is it?”
“You’re going to have to face him sometime, Prez. You can’t just keep her here without him ever knowing.”
He says it gently, and I know he’s right.
But I need more time. One more day to tie her to me for good.
“Don’t let Isabella find out how upset her father is. We’ll give her one more day of freedom.”
“Then what? You gonna hand her back?”
There’s no way I’m handing Isabella over to her father. I need to tie her to me, but not by keeping her prisoner. It has to be her choice.
I have one more day. One more day to convince her she’s mine.
“Not a chance.”
Arlo shakes his head at me, but he’s wearing a grin. “Love, Prez. It’ll change your life.”
We eat chicken salad and creamy chocolate cake on stools in the kitchen.
I have some club business to do in the afternoon, and Isabella hangs out in my office.
She’s full of questions about the club, her natural curiosity and good business sense shining through.
She even puts forward suggestions on how to expand our reach for distribution.
I listen to her, impressed. She’s picked up a lot about business from her father. I wonder if he’s planning on handing over the business to her one day. I hear mafia families are very traditional, but without a son, maybe that’s what Isabella has been groomed for.
The thought makes me shudder. We run a legitimate business here, and I hate the thought of her doing anything else.
But when I ask, she laughs off the idea.
“You think I want to work with a bunch of old-fashioned Italian men? No way.”
She looks offended that I’d even ask.
“Then what do you want to do, Isabella?”
She looks down, the first time I’ve ever seen her shy. I sit up in my chair, intrigued. “What’s got my fiery princess tongue-tied?”
“It’s stupid for the twenty-first century. I should want more.”
I take her hand across the desk. “What is it? What does Isabella Berone, the Mafia princess want to do with her life?”
She takes a deep breath and looks up at me. “I want lots of babies.”
It’s not the answer I was expecting, and for a moment I just stare at her while my loins go into overdrive. I’ll give her babies; I’ll give her a whole damn house full.
“My mother only ever had me. She loved kids, and I want to be the kind of mother she was. I want a house full of children, and I’ll be the best mother I can. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
She looks down again, embarrassed, but she doesn’t realize how her confession has stirred me. I’ve already got a grown-up daughter. I thought that was enough. But with this woman, I suddenly see a future.
“I’ll give you a baby.” She laughs until she sees my expression.
“You’re serious?”
I come around the other side of the desk and take her hands. “Come upstairs, and I’ll show you how serious I am.”
She pushes me away, laughing. “I’m a good Catholic girl, Raiden. I won’t have sex until I’m married.”
My eyes narrow. “You’re telling me you’re a virgin.” It’s what I hoped, but I long to hear her say it.
Her cheeks flush pink, and I love making my princess embarrassed.
“Yes, of course. And I will be on my wedding day.”
I raise my eyebrows, but she’s deadly serious. “How about what we did out there on the hike?’”
She shakes her head at me. “That wasn’t sex, Raiden.”
She’s got a point. Technically, it wasn’t. “Where do you draw the line about what you can do and what you can’t do?”
All this talk has my blood running hot and my dick hard. She’s breathing hard and I pull her up off the chair, clasping my hands around her waist.
“Why don’t you spend the night with me and find out?”
My cock twitches, and I think I’m going to lose it in my jeans. This woman. She’s not afraid to ask for what she wants, and the fact that she wants me has me hornier than a college boy.
I want to do all the things to her that she’ll let me and then push her over the edge and do all the things she’s denying herself, consequences be damned.
Without waiting another moment, I hoist her over my shoulder. Isabella squeals. I bet she’s never been picked up like this in her life.
“Put me down.” She thumps on my back, but I’m holding her too tight.
“We’re going upstairs right now to find out how many orgasms I can give you while keeping your virginity intact.”
She giggles as I carry her through the corridor and up the stairs.
We pass Marcus, and Isabella gives him a little finger wiggle as I carry her past. The Isabella of a few days ago would have rather died than have anyone see the way I’m manhandling her. But she just laughs, and the sound warms my very soul.
I make her happy. She’s happy here.
With my arm clasped firmly around her thighs, I run up the stairs.