Empress in Lingerie Page 12

  That made me feel better. It was unlikely I would catch anything then. “But you don’t know if I’m clean.”

  He chuckled. “Women like you are clean.”

  “And how do you know?”

  “Because you’re smart.”

  “I’m fucking you, aren’t I?” I countered.

  “And that’s the smartest decision you’ll ever make.”

  “It’s never been a decision.” It was kidnapping, plain and simple.

  “You’re lying on me right now, aren’t you? My dick is hard but you like feeling it against your clit. Yes, it’s a decision. And you make your choice every single time.”

  “Have you ever—”

  “I’m sick of all this talking.” He grabbed me and turned me over, forcing my back against the couch and my head on the armrest. He moved me harshly, treating me like a doll rather than a person. He pulled the front of his boxers down so his cock could come out. Instead of getting my underwear off, he ripped them in half like a caveman. He folded one leg against my body, pinning it to the back of the couch, and then he moved on top of me, his big body pressing me into the cushions. He shoved his cock inside me hard, sliding through my wetness. “Always so fucking wet.” He pressed his forehead to mine, the back of my leg against his shoulder. He inserted his arm behind my knee, keeping me spread wide apart so he could fit his fat cock inside.

  My body was always wet when he was around, ready to take him at any time. We were fucking around the clock, like newlyweds on their honeymoon. My pussy needed to be prepared to take that big dick at any time. I stopped feeling ashamed because the truth was crystal clear.

  He knew it.

  I knew it.

  One arm wrapped around his neck while my other hand clawed at his back.

  He thrust into me hard, dominating me on the couch and fucking me like he hadn’t had me in weeks. He panted and grunted, working his body hard to give me all of his cock from the crown to the bottom of his shaft.

  I bit my bottom lip and stared at his face, watching the concentrated expression as he examined my reactions.

  “You love my cock. Say it.” He pushed me harder into the couch, keeping my body still so he could ram me harder.

  He was already going to make me come. I could feel it in my belly. I’d never been fucked by this man without feeling completely satisfied when we were finished. I never had to touch myself after he left to reach my climax. He always did the job—and did it well. I didn’t need my hand for anything. I just needed him.

  When I didn’t cooperate, he ground his hips harder, hitting my clit with perfect pressure.

  Shit, my legs were starting to shake.

  “Say it, baby.”

  My fingers moved up the back of his neck and into his short hair. My nails clawed at his skin, slipping on his sweat. “I love your cock.”

  He didn’t smile in arrogance, but his eyes intensified in arousal. “I love this cunt. Best fucking pussy I’ve ever had.”

  I pulled his head toward mine so I could kiss him. “You’re the best I’ve ever had…”

  He moaned against my mouth, his kiss faltering for an instant. Then he kissed me again, this time harder. His fingers wrapped around my neck and he gave it to me good, driving me into a powerful orgasm. “Say it again.”

  I gripped him tighter as he swept me away in the best climax I’ve ever had. “You’re the best I’ve ever had.”

  I packed my bags and wrapped up the painting that I would be giving to my family for Christmas. I left everything by the doorstep.

  Bones stood by the doorway, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders broad in his t-shirt. “You know how to drive in the snow?”

  “I’m going to Conway’s place first. He’ll drive.”

  “You want me to drop you off?”

  I laughed because I thought it was a joke.

  “I’m serious.”

  “If you think I’m letting you anywhere near my family, you really are crazy.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve been told that before.”

  “I’ll be fine…not that you care.” I grabbed my bags and carried them to the car. Straps were over my shoulders, and I had to use both hands to carry the painting. It would make sense for me to make two trips, but I’d rather get it done in one trip.

  Bones snatched the painting out of my hand and took one of my bags. “I got it.”

  “The last thing I need is for you to carry my stuff.”

  “I disagree.” He grabbed the other bag then took the stairs toward the parking lot. “It would be a shame if you dropped this painting before you had the chance to give it to your family…”

  I locked the door to my apartment, even though that seemed pointless now because two of my enemies had broken in without a struggle. I joined Bones at the car in the parking lot, and he already had my things in the trunk and the painting in the backseat. He leaned against the trunk, his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a black hoodie over his dark jeans. The colors contrasted against the blue softness of his eyes. Some of the ink from his tattoos extended past the sleeves of his sweater. A few others reached above the neckline.

  I stared at him for a second, at war with myself. A part of me would miss him, miss this psychopath for reasons I couldn’t explain. He was a paradox, threatening to kill me and my family, and then carrying my stuff to the car like a nice boyfriend.

  He cocked his head slightly, examining me with the same intensity as I was examining him. “You think you can be around them without telling them what’s going on?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He didn’t flinch at my honest response.

  “I’m close with my family. It’s hard to lie. I never lie.”

  “Just don’t forget their lives are on the line. Your silence keeps this blood war at bay. It would be a terrible way to spoil their Christmas, especially when I know exactly where every single Barsetti will be…” The threat was unmistakable, in his words and his gaze. “All I have to do is rig the property with explosives and watch it crash to the ground while you all sleep.”

  Now I wouldn’t miss him.

  “Just something to keep in mind.” He rose to his full height and stopped leaning against the trunk of my car. He walked toward me then craned his neck down so he could kiss me.

  I wasn’t kissing him after that statement. I walked around him and headed to the front seat.

  He snatched me by the elbow then pushed me into the car door. His hands pressed against the window on either side of my body, and he pressed his face close to mine, his jaw hard because he was clenching it so tightly. “Kiss me, baby.”

  I kept my arms against the car, my eyes showing my disdain for him. “No.”

  “Then you aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I could knee you right in your happy place.”

  “You wouldn’t dare, not when it’s your happy place too.” He grabbed my hands and pinned them against the car, holding me in place even though I wasn’t trying to go anywhere. His strong fingers squeezed my wrists. “You’re going to be late.”

  “Let me go.”

  “No.” He pressed his face closer to mine. “I want something to think about when my hand is wrapped around my dick later. I’m sure you want something to think about when your hand is between your legs tonight.” He was the most arrogant man I’d ever met, but everything he said was true.

  I would think about him.

  I craned my neck to reach his mouth, and I pressed a kiss softly against his lips, feeling the warmth of his mouth the second we touched. Scruff had grown along his jaw because he hadn’t shaved since he came to my apartment. He didn’t kiss me back right away, letting me kiss him for a moment instead.

  Then his mouth moved against mine, keeping the kiss slow and seductive. He gripped my hands with a tight squeeze before he moved his hands to my hips. He pressed me harder into the car, his hands shaking with his passion. His hands showed his aggression, but his kiss remained
purposeful and slow.

  My arms circled his neck, and I kissed him against my car, our mouths moving hard together and breaking part. His large body kept me warm, his dick hardening in his jeans as he kissed me goodbye. He pressed it harder into me, wanting me to know how I made him feel.

  His hand cupped my cheek, and his thumb gently glided across my skin. He kissed me with a gentleness that didn’t match his appearance at all. He could surprise me sometimes and show a side of himself that I didn’t think existed.

  He sucked my bottom lip one more time before he pulled away, keeping his mouth a few inches from mine. He stared at my mouth, like he was thinking of moving in once again. But he kept his distance.

  I felt like prey as I stood in front of him, his hands on me and his eyes watching every breath I took.

  “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.” He kissed the corner of my mouth before he turned away. He walked off without looking back, walking across the parking lot and to the street. Even in a sweater, the muscles of his torso were obvious. He was broad like the wings of a plane and build like a brick house.

  I watched him until he turned the corner.

  Then I finally got in my car and drove away.

  8

  Vanessa

  Conway drove the SUV with Carter in the passenger seat.

  Sapphire and I sat in the back so we could talk. I hadn’t talked to her much over the past two weeks because I’d been busy.

  Busy with Bones.

  “How’s the baby?” I asked. “I know you’re only six weeks along, but do you feel differently?”

  Sapphire was in a long-sleeved sweater dress with a dark blue scarf. Her diamond ring sparkled anytime she moved her hand. She wasn’t just glowing with her pregnancy but also with her happiness. “We went to the doctor the other day and everything is going well. I’m taking vitamins now.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Conway and I are working on the nursery.”

  “What about the wedding?”

  “Well, I want to get married as soon as possible because I don’t want to be huge in my wedding dress, but it’s been so cold this winter. Once spring arrives, we’ll do something small. I’ll only be a few months along by then.”

  Conway looked at her in the rearview mirror. “A little baby bump will make you look sexier, if you ask me.”

  Sapphire smiled, a slight tint coming into her cheeks.

  Seeing my brother act affectionate with someone was gross, but I shut my mouth and let it go. When I brought my husband around someday, I suspected he’d be just as affectionate with me.

  The way Bones was.

  Fuck, it was the twentieth time I thought of him since I left.

  His come was sitting inside me that very moment.

  “What’s new with you?” Sapphire asked, changing the subject before Conway could say something else inappropriate.

  “Nothing,” I said quickly.

  “Nothing?” she asked with a laugh. “You’re always so busy all the time. I find that hard to believe.”

  I’d witnessed Bones kill a man in an alleyway, and he held a knife to my throat and almost murdered me in his home. Now I was fucking him all the time. My life wasn’t the same, and it was pure chaos. No, I wasn’t doing nothing. “I’ve been painting a lot. School was hectic at the end of the semester. I’m glad it’s finally over. I went out to the bars with a few friends once finals were over, but nothing interesting happened.”

  “Are you seeing anyone?”

  Bones popped into my mind, six-three and buck naked. His package lay against his stomach as he waited for me to get on top of him and ride him hard. My neck felt warm, and I hoped the arousal wasn’t written all over my face. “No. I’ve been too busy and haven’t met anyone worthwhile.”

  “You could always be a painter at a nunnery,” Conway said. “They’re always looking for new followers.”

  I would definitely not fit in at a nunnery. Bones and I were fucking more aggressively than animals. We had the kind of passion and ferocity that I’d only heard about in stories. I’d never had a relationship so intense and volatile. He could threaten my family one moment and then fuck me so hard the next. “I’ll pass…”

  They wouldn’t take me anyway.

  On Christmas Eve, we had hot cocoa around the fire and talked about the wonderful things that had happened over the past year. It always happened after a feast, and we sat near the tree and admired all the ornaments that we’d collected together throughout the years.

  My mom was always exceptionally happy around Christmas time. When we were all together, laughing in front of the fire, she lit up brighter than the tree. I always caught my father staring at her, affection in his eyes.

  Conway had Sapphire sitting across his lap, his hand moving to her stomach from time to time even though she didn’t look pregnant at all. Carter sat with his mom and talked to her about his car business. Uncle Cane drank more wine than anyone else, and usually got particularly loud at the end of the night.

  I thought about what Bones had said.

  That my uncle used to be a Skull King, a hitman.

  I shook the thought away.

  I didn’t participate in the conversation as much as I usually did because my thoughts were clouded by the recent events in my life. When I saw my entire family gathered around to enjoy the holidays, I realized I could never tell them what was really going on with Bones. I couldn’t risk their safety, not when my family had already been through so much.

  I had to kill Bones myself. That was the only way out of this.

  He knew it was coming, knew I would make my move eventually.

  That meant I had to be clever. I only had one shot to take him out. Poisoning seemed like the best option, but that seemed too obvious. I could shoot him again, but this time, I had to shoot him in the skull or the heart. If I hit him anywhere else, it wouldn’t stop him.

  My father moved from his spot on the other couch and sat beside me. He held a glass of red wine, choosing to drink it at family events instead of the scotch he preferred. I knew he drank it when he was alone in his office because I’d caught him a few times. “Tesoro, how are you?” My father had raised me like a son, pushed me to be strong, smart, and independent. It annoyed me when I was young, but now I was grateful he pushed me as hard as he did. I believed it was much harder to be a woman in a male-dominated world than people realized. My father prepared me for that. If it weren’t for him, I never would have escaped Knuckles. And if it weren’t for him, I’d be panicking right now.

  “Good. How’s the winery?”

  He didn’t answer me, his hazel eyes watching me with quiet intelligence. “You seem distracted.”

  I wished my father couldn’t read me so well. “It was just a long semester, and I’ve been thinking about my future as an artist…stuff like that.”

  “Talk to me, tesoro. You know you can tell me anything.”

  Not anything. Not this. “I’ve liked going to school, but I’ve been considering dropping out…”

  Instead of getting angry or shouting his disapproval, he just stared at me. “You know the winery is yours if you decide you want to take it. But you’re very talented, Vanessa. I don’t think you should give up just yet.”

  That’s not what I meant, but I appreciated his words anyway. “That’s not what I meant. I was thinking of dropping out of school so I could focus my time painting. I want to start my own gallery, but since classes take up so much of my time, I thought it would be more effective for me to spend time creating something…but then that would mean two years of education down the drain.”

  It would be easy for my father to get upset because he was the one who paid all the money for my education. Even though he was extremely wealthy, that was still his savings. “If you’re asking for my approval, you don’t need it. Follow your destiny. No one knows the path better than you do.”

  “Well…do you think that’s a good idea?”

  He took
a long pause before he answered. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you have the talent. Getting an education may help you in some ways, but you already have the foundation of an artist, and that’s something that can’t be taught. It’s something you’re born with. But I can’t tell you to withdraw from the university or stay. That has to be your decision, and I won’t influence you either way.”

  My father had been hard on Conway and me when we were younger, pushing us to be talented and smart. But he was incredibly caring and understanding. He guided us where we needed to go without directing us. Now that we were adults, he was still involved in our lives, but in a much more distant way. He had faith in both of us to become the people we were supposed to be.

  I was extremely lucky.

  “So, what do you want to do, tesoro?”

  “Well…I would like to focus on my painting.” I couldn’t believe I was actually listening to what Bones said, but his words had been ingrained in me. He wouldn’t say he believed in my work unless he meant it. He was honest, even when I didn’t want to hear him speak the truth. “I just have to open a gallery somehow. Milan might be a good place for that.”

  “I can help you do that.”

  I knew my father would buy me anything I wanted, not because I was spoiled, but because it was important to my parents that their children have what they needed to be successful. But I didn’t want his money. I was twenty-one and shouldn’t be using his cash anymore. “No, I’ll figure it out.”

  He kept up his stern stare, his silent authority. He did the same thing Bones did, made moments tense with just his silence. It was a trait powerful men possessed. “Do you have a plan to do that?”

  “Sell some paintings and save some money.”

  “Where will you sell them if you don’t have a gallery?”

  “Well, I was thinking I could display them at the winery. When people come in for tastings, we could have them up. Maybe people will buy them…maybe they won’t.”

  It was the first time my dad smiled. “That’s a great idea.”