Sassy in Lingerie

  Sassy in Lingerie

  Lingerie #8

  Penelope Sky

  Hartwick Publishing

  Sassy in Lingerie

  Copyright © 2018 by Penelope Sky

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  One

  Bones

  Vanessa spent the day in her art room, pressing the tip of the brush against the canvas and getting lost in the colors of the paint. She’d been quiet lately, thinking about the conversation she’d had with her family, about the odds stacked against us.

  I’d been thinking about it too.

  Crow Barsetti hated me. No, he loathed me.

  If there were a stronger word for hate, that would perfectly describe the way he felt.

  I couldn’t blame him because I felt exactly the same way about him.

  That man took everything away from me, banished me to a life on the streets. He was directly responsible for turning me into the man I’d become. I had been inside his home with access to a gun, and I could have easily killed two Barsettis in two seconds. But my hatred was masked underneath the love I had for his daughter. I loved her so much I was willing to ignore his disrespect and insults. I was willing to be handcuffed like a prisoner awaiting trial.

  I’d never put up with that bullshit for anyone else.

  The idea of spending the foreseeable future this way, with my baby down the hall working on something she loved while I sat in my office, was exactly how I wanted to live out my life. It was peaceful, easy, and simple. Our quiet companionship was my favorite feature of our relationship. With her, I didn’t have to pretend to be something I wasn’t. She accepted me for exactly who I was. I never had to lie or exaggerate the truth.

  That was hard to find.

  And that was how I knew this was real. I accepted her exactly the same way, accepted the fact that her family may never like me. I accepted the fact that she needed to be close with her family in order to be happy—despite how much it annoyed me.

  I didn’t know what our next move was. Crow was putting his best men on my file, digging up every piece of dirt he could find. It was annoying because I didn’t have a problem saying the truth right to his face.

  Yes, I killed people—a lot of people.

  Yes, I’d paid for sex. I’d paid for a lot of sex because I was into kinky shit.

  Yes, I’d paid the police to look the other way.

  None of those were attributes a father wanted for his daughter.

  But his wife had turned her cheek to his murky past. She’d accepted him for his criminal behavior, for the way he’d treated women in the past. She loved him despite his temper and his rage.

  He and I were exactly alike.

  I knew that would make him hate me more.

  Max called me. “Hey, I just talked to Shane. He’s doing a lot better. Went to the gym today.”

  “Isn’t that a little soon?”

  “I think he’s trying to prove to Cynthia he’s back on his feet again. Apparently, she’s been a mess since he came home.”

  “I don’t blame her.” Vanessa had been in pain the entire time I was gone. I loved coming home to her, loved seeing the relief on her face when she saw me in one piece. It made me an asshole to say it, but I loved when she cried over me. I loved knowing her whole world would be shattered if something happened to me.

  “She’s trying to pull him out of the business.”

  That would never happen. “Shane is too deep into this. He’ll never leave.”

  “I don’t know… Cynthia wants kids.”

  Well, that changed everything. Being part of this lifestyle meant kids were impossible. Too risky. “We’ll see…”

  “I have another mission. Wanted to see if you wanted it.”

  “What about the rotation?”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. “But I thought you might want it. It’s in Thailand. I know you love it there.”

  I loved it because of the women. Brothels were on every street, and I got my kicks before and after my missions. But now that lifestyle had been buried with my former identity. “I’ll pass. I shouldn’t be sent out so soon anyway.”

  “It’s a big payout. Thirty.”

  I wasn’t tempted by the money. “No.” Vanessa was under a lot of stress at the moment. If I left, she would be pissed. She needed me right now. “I met her family earlier this week…didn’t go well.”

  “Did you kill them?”

  I chuckled. “No.”

  “Did they try to kill you?”

  “No. Pretty nonviolent. But it was tense…they hate me.”

  “No surprise there.”

  “Said they were willing to try…whatever the fuck that means.”

  “Yeah.” Max chuckled into the phone. “You must really love Vanessa to go through that bullshit.”

  “Unfortunately.” Loving her gave me my greatest joy but also my greatest pain. My life was a lot simpler before she came along. Now it was turned upside down. “So, I’m going to have to pass. But let me know if you need anything.”

  “Sure thing.” He hung up.

  I tossed my phone on the table and drank my scotch, not feeling any regret for turning down the mission. It seemed like I just came back from the last one, and my account was stuffed with so much cash I didn’t know what to do with it.

  I looked out the window and thought about my other home in Lake Garda. Spring had arrived, so the snow was starting to melt. Tourists and adventurers would start to enjoy the lake soon. My place was still pretty isolated because of the way it was on the mountain, and I missed that peace and quiet.

  I would ask Vanessa if we could go there soon since we didn’t have to keep up a façade anymore.

  A few minutes later, she arrived at my open door and tapped her knuckles against the hard wood. “Can I come in?”

  I looked up from my drink, taking in the sight of her in my t-shirt with her hair pulled up in a messy bun. There was a spot of yellow paint on her cheek, contrasting against her dark Tuscan skin. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, and her ankles were crossed. She was barefoot, and the sight of her made me think of the nights when her feet were pressed against my bare chest. “Yes. And don’t ask that again.”

  The corner of her mouth rose in a slight smile before she stepped inside. “I can barge in here whenever I want?”

  “Always.”

  She moved behind me then placed her hands on my shoulders. Her fingers rubbed into my bare skin, and she massaged me the way I liked, her fingers working hard to dig as deep as possible. I liked massages that were deep and rough, penetrating the thick muscle of my frame.

  I closed my eyes as I enjoyed it, loving the fact that my woman knew exactly how I liked to be touched.

  When she finished, she ran her hands down my chest to my stomach. “Working hard?”

  “Drinking hard.”

  She hooked her arm around my neck as she walked around my chair then sat in my lap. “Is that what you do all day?”

  “Among other things.” My arm wrapped around her waist so she wouldn’t fall over, and my other hand migrated up her smooth legs. I loved every part of her body, but I particularly loved her legs. So long and toned, they felt amazing wrapped around my waist.

  “Such as?”

  “Work, sometimes.”

  “And?”

  “Thinking about you. But I do that everywhere, not just in here.” My hand moved up her thigh and underneath her shirt. “How’s the painting going?”

  “It’s okay…”

&
nbsp; I detected the sadness in her voice. “Having a hard time?”

  “I guess I’m just distracted…”

  I knew exactly what she was distracted by. “Don’t let it bother you.”

  “Kinda hard to do.”

  I moved my face into her neck and pressed kisses along her skin. My lips paused when I felt her artery, felt her powerful pulse. Her smell washed over me, so feminine and sexy. I could get lost in this woman at any time. I squeezed her thigh and pictured her ass in the air as I fucked her from behind. I could stare at her asshole all day. I enjoyed making love to her, but I also enjoyed fucking her like we were just a man and a woman.

  She turned her head and pressed her face into my shoulder, her knees moving to her chest.

  I wrapped both of my arms around her, cradling her in my protection. “I said don’t let it bother you.”

  “Hard not to.”

  I wanted to tell her everything would be alright, but since I wouldn’t lie to her, I couldn’t say that. We both knew there was a strong chance this would end badly. There was a good probability she would leave me when her parents refused to accept me. I would go back to my empty life, and she would try to forget about the first man she ever loved.

  But right now, we were still together. That was what we needed to focus on.

  She pulled her face away from my neck and looked at me head on, her lids heavy with sadness. Her fingertips moved into the back of my hair as she looked at me. “Make love to me…that’s the only thing that makes me feel better.”

  I rubbed my nose against hers, my eyes softening at her request. My lips brushed against hers, but I didn’t kiss her, purposely teasing her. I loved listening to my woman ask me to be with her, so even if it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, I wouldn’t deny her request. I was the kind of man who would always give my woman what she wanted. “Alright.”

  Vanessa rested her head on my thigh while we watched TV on the couch. She’d fallen asleep, her hair stretching across my knee. She was tucked underneath a blanket, and her lips were slightly parted as she slept.

  I stared at her more than the screen.

  My arm rested directly underneath her tits, feeling her breathe in and out slowly. She was so much smaller than I was that sometimes I wondered if my arm was enough to crush her.

  My phone started to vibrate in my sweatpants, so I pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but since those numbers always seemed to be the most important in my line of work, I took it. “Bones.”

  A long pause ensued over the line, a stretch of silence that seemed innately purposeful. A full thirty seconds passed.

  I refused to say anything more, knowing there was a person on the other line. Silence was my game, and I could handle the tension better than anyone.

  “Meet me at Club Bellissima in thirty minutes. The men will bring you to the back.” I knew exactly who it was even though he gave no introduction. With a deep voice full of threat, his hatred was obvious in his tone. Hearing me address myself as Bones probably pissed him off so much he needed a full minute to unclench his jaw.

  “Alright.”

  Click.

  I set the phone on the end table and looked down at Vanessa. I assumed he’d called me this late because he didn’t want his daughter to be involved in this conversation. I scooped her into my arms and carried her to bed before I got dressed and left.

  The bouncers at the door recognized me before I gave my name. They handed me off to another crew, and the men guided me upstairs and to the back of the bar Cane Barsetti owned. I suspected both of the brothers would be there to interrogate me.

  They took me through a locked door and then into another room. With black walls and black leather sofas, it was a private room with no windows. It was soundproof and the throbbing from the bass immediately died away once I was inside.

  The men shut the door behind me.

  Crow Barsetti sat there alone, a bottle of scotch on the black walnut table with two glasses. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and dark jeans. His black wedding ring sat on his left hand, and his Tuscan skin was still noticeable despite the dark colors around him. His jaw was covered in thick stubble because he seemed not to have shaved since the last time I saw him. Fearless, he stared at me once I stepped inside and never once looked away.

  I stepped farther into the room, noting the privacy we shared. I didn’t bring a weapon to the meeting even though I had no idea what to expect. Also, the second he saw a pistol on my hip, he would immediately distrust me.

  I moved to the leather sofa facing him and lowered myself into the seat. I was in a black t-shirt with black jeans, the nighttime air not bothering me. My blood was too hot, and I craved the cold. I’d left Vanessa in my bed and was grateful she didn’t wake up before I left. I didn’t want to explain to her where I was going, knowing she would want to come along.

  Crow rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, his posture suggesting his guard was down. It didn’t seem like he was packing a gun, and I wasn’t sure what kind of message he was trying to send to me.

  I knew he didn’t trust me.

  He grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap. It was aged a hundred and fifty years, so it was bound to be smooth. He poured two glasses then set it down again, the bottle thudding against the coffee table.

  He grabbed his glass and took a drink.

  I did the same.

  He stared at me some more, his expression hardening into a look of irritation. My features alone were enough to make the bile rise up his throat, I was sure. Despite his aggression and distaste, he never pulled his gaze away.

  “I’m not carrying anything. Your men checked me.”

  He took another drink. “Nor am I.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from raising an eyebrow, surprised he would allow himself to be unarmed when we were alone together. He didn’t trust me, but I couldn’t think of a different explanation. Maybe he was trying to show respect to his daughter, but I didn’t think that was the reason either.

  He answered the unspoken question. “I don’t need a gun to kill you. My hands will suffice.”

  I was much more muscular than Crow, who was ripped and lean. I packed on the muscle at a young age and never allowed it to disappear. I continued to make it grow, continued to add more weight to my workout sessions. But size wasn’t always more important in a fight. He was thirty years older than me, so I had that leverage, but I wasn’t arrogant enough to assume he was powerless against me. He had more experience than I did, and after all, he’d outsmarted my father many times until he died.

  Eyes glued to one another, we continued to stare.

  I saw Vanessa in his features, the color of his hair and skin. But I saw most of her in his presence. They were both strong, proud, and stubborn. The similarities were striking, even when they weren’t in the same room together.

  I didn’t speak, unsure what the context of the meeting was. He wasn’t there to kill me, and there was scotch on the table like we were supposed to enjoy it together. It could have been poisoned, but I drank it anyway.

  “My daughter shot you.” He rested his fingers on the rim of the glass but didn’t take a drink. “Why?”

  I was sure he’d read up on me, knew everything about me he could discover. But that was a question he would never find the answer to unless he asked me or Vanessa. As much as I wanted to lie about the beginning of my relationship with Vanessa because it was terrible, I couldn’t. Men didn’t respect other men who lied. It ruined their credibility. I needed Crow to respect me, even if he hated me. “Ask me anything you want, and I’ll always respond with the truth. But be careful what kinds of questions you ask…because you may not want the answer.”

  Crow’s hard expression didn’t change. He didn’t even blink. “Why did my daughter shoot you?”

  I grabbed the glass and took a long sip, finishing the drink. I returned it to the table, letting the warm liquid burn me all the way down
to my stomach. “She was trying to kill me.”

  “Obviously. Why?”

  He didn’t know about the night we met. He didn’t know how long I’d kept her as a prisoner. It would hurt him to hear this story, but it would hurt more if he heard it from Vanessa. “I was working in Milan when I ran into her. I had an asshole in the alley, and she made the mistake of passing by at the worst time. She saw me kill him, and since she was a witness to the crime, I couldn’t let her get away. When I went to grab her, I got a better look at her face. That’s when I recognized her. That’s why I didn’t kill her.”

  Crow hung on every word, hiding his emotions behind his hard face.

  “I put her in the van and drove to Lake Garda to drop the body. I left the van in the snow, carried the body to the edge of the harbor, and while I was gone, she searched the van until she found my pistol underneath my seat.”

  “Good,” he said proudly.

  I was proud too. “When I was ten feet away, she raised the gun and fired. She was aiming for my heart, but I turned and she got me in the shoulder. My feelings for her started then. I’d never met a woman who didn’t flinch in the face of fear. She fought me the entire way and never gave up. She didn’t hesitate before she pulled the trigger. She would have killed me without remorse if she’d hit an artery, but she didn’t care. I had so much respect for her that I couldn’t keep it bottled inside. She made my hands shake. She made me feel something. So I grabbed her face and kissed her.” I looked her father in the eye as I answered his question, giving him the simple truth without remorse. “She kissed me back. Whatever I felt, she felt it too.”

  “You said she always fought you. Did she fight you before this?”

  I hesitated before I answered, knowing he wouldn’t take this story well. “When I tried to put her in the van in Milan, she wouldn’t go quietly. I tased her in the neck, and instead of dropping like men twice her size, she kept going. I tased her again, but that didn’t stop her. She just kept going…”

  His jaw clenched noticeably, his green eyes bright with hostility.