The Skull King Read online

  That was a dream come true, listening to a woman say she didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to screw then leave. It was exactly what I wanted from a woman—the bare minimum. But with Cassini, I was disappointed she rejected my offer. I saw a special woman choose an ordinary life. It seemed like such a waste. I wasn’t even sure why I’d offered to help her, to proclaim war on an opponent I didn’t even know. I’d warned Heath not to be reckless, but here I was, being reckless for some woman. I’d never been so hypocritical in my life.

  But I did as she asked and didn’t bring it up again.

  You couldn’t help someone who didn’t want to be helped.

  I was a busy man, so why should I spend my energy helping her anyway?

  It wasn’t like she meant anything to me.

  When I was inside her again, her anger disappeared, and she turned into the lustful woman I desired. Her nails clawed at my chest, and her tits shook as I fucked her. Her eyes filled with unbridled passion—and all of her desire was focused on me. She kept her knees close to her body, so I had plenty of room to get between her legs and pound her pussy.

  Her nails dug into at me harder, her breath growing deep and labored. Her eyes started to close as the enjoyment overloaded her mind. Then the moans came, uncontrollable and incoherent. “Balto…like that.”

  I didn’t respond to commands, but I responded to her orders. I wanted to please her the way she asked because her orgasms always got me off so hard. All the muscles in my back tightened painfully because her performance did crazy things to me. My ass worked until it was stiff to keep thrusting inside her. My dick would be sore tomorrow, and I wasn’t letting her leave until her pussy was sore too.

  She gripped my ass and widened her legs as she came, pulling me deep inside her so she could come all over my length. Her cunt squeezed me hard, like a hand squeezed a lemon into a recipe. Her strength was impressive compared to her size, and she definitely had all the qualities to produce powerful sons—and fearless daughters.

  Id’ never imagined a lover giving birth to children. It was the first time the thought had ever crossed my mind.

  She opened her eyes and looked at me as she finished, her nipples hard like diamonds and her eyes drenched with inexplicable joy. Her hands went to my arms, and she held on as she finished, her hips bucking and her legs clenching. She pulled me closer to her and kissed my mouth as she finished, her lips soft but demanding.

  Once I felt her lips against mine, my cock was pushed over the edge. I shoved myself completely inside her and released, filling another condom full of my seed. My arms scooped under her legs so I could deepen the angle, imagining that my come was filling her directly, just as I’d filled her mouth earlier.

  She watched me come inside her, her fingers digging into the back of my head. “You look so sexy when you come.”

  Because I was coming inside the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

  I’d never fucked the same woman this much. Two rounds was my max, and even that was rare. I had screwed this woman many times, and every time she left, I looked forward to the moment when she returned. And I didn’t get pussy anywhere else in the meantime.

  She pressed her palms against my chest and caressed my muscles as we both came down from our high.

  I knew the instant I pulled out of her, she would leave. It was getting late, and if she was out past eleven, it would trigger suspicion. So I wanted to stay inside her forever. I wanted her to sleep over so I could have her first thing in the morning before I started my day. I wanted her naked body beside mine all through the night.

  The idea of this beautiful woman sleeping alone seemed innately wrong.

  She should be sleeping with me.

  I pulled out and discarded the condom in the bathroom. Just as I’d expected, I heard her gather her clothes in the other room. Heels were picked up off the floor, and her dress made a gentle thud against my bed.

  I should be pleased she was leaving. I could have a drink and go to bed without having a woman lie on top of me. I was a warm sleeper, so having a partner was always an annoyance. But I found myself even more annoyed that she was returning to her life of solitude.

  Life was too short to be someone’s prisoner.

  She should be the master, not the other way around.

  I returned to the bedroom and pulled on my clothes.

  She looked in the mirror on the bedroom wall and fixed her hair and makeup. She was supposed to be spending the evening out with friends or family, not getting fucked so much that her pussy would smell like latex for days. She had a small vial of perfume in her clutch, so she squirted that everywhere to cover up the scent of sex.

  I watched her, my hands in my pockets and my eyes on her reflection. She spent so much time composing herself, pretending to be something she wasn’t. She had so much potential, but she refused to fight because she had no chance of winning. Mentally submitting as well as physically submitting was her best option.

  Sometimes it was easier to accept your fate than to fight it.

  But I suspected she was a fighter, even if she didn’t show it. She never would have sacrificed her life and freedom unless she was fearless, unless she was willing to fight to the end. Evan didn’t deserve it, but that didn’t make her sacrifice any less selfless.

  I would never let a woman take my place—even if I didn’t love her.

  Her eyes didn’t meet mine in the reflection. “You stare a lot.”

  “When I have something to stare at.” I came up behind her, smelling sex on the back of her neck. It was heavy in the sweat that still clung to her skin. My sweat had rubbed against her body, and hers against mine. My sheets would smell like her until the maid washed them in the morning.

  She closed her clutch and turned around. “It’s getting late…”

  As if she needed to give me an explanation. I knew this routine better than she did. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “You don’t need to do that every time. It’s not like I’m walking back to the bar—”

  “Come on.” I grabbed her hand and walked her to the elevator. Now that my brother lived in the same building, I didn’t want them to cross paths unless I was there to act as a buffer. Heath would love to play games since we were twins. He’d gotten off on it in the past, offering himself to the women I dumped so they could have another night with me. He didn’t care if they were my leftovers. Pussy was just pussy to him.

  We rode the elevator to the ground floor and crossed the parking lot to where her Bugatti was parked. It was always sleek and shiny whenever I saw it, as if someone washed it every time she returned to her home. I knew that wasn’t for her benefit, but for her owner’s instead.

  I stopped when we reached her car. “Tomorrow?” If her husband was gone until Tuesday, that meant she had the rest of the weekend. “I’m available during the day too, not just the evening.”

  “I wasn’t sure when you worked.”

  “I work all the time,” I said bluntly. After she left, I would check on a few matters. There was no such thing as rest for the wicked. Just when people thought I’d disappeared into the shadows, I reappeared again, showing them I was always there—even when they least expected it.

  She didn’t ask about my job. She didn’t want to be pestered about her marriage, so she probably didn’t want to pry into my career. She already knew everything she needed to know—that I was a criminal. “I’ll text you.”

  “I’ll text you first.” I opened the car door for her.

  She sauntered close to me but didn’t lower herself into the seat. She stood in front of me, the summer air making the strands of her hair dance slightly. Since she’d reapplied her makeup, she looked ready for another round, like she hadn’t been fucked enough to begin with.

  Made me want to finish the job. “I want more pictures.”

  She was a sexual woman, but that comment made her blush. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she pursed her lips together. “I want pictures too.”

&
nbsp; “You’ve got yourself a deal.” Her heels gave her extra inches in height, but she still had to rise onto her tiptoes to kiss me. I appreciated women in all shapes and sizes, but I liked her height. She was taller than the average woman, but since I was a big man, it made us much more compatible. Her hands slid up my arms, and she kissed me with her back against the car.

  Just a simple kiss goodbye was enough to make me hard. I pressed the outline of my shaft against her, showing her how much I wanted her even though I’d had her plenty of times. This woman was so sexy, and the fact that she made me feel sexy only made her more desirable. Women wanted to fuck me for money or protection. This woman just wanted me for sex—for her own pleasure. I’d offered to kill her husband and fix all her problems, but she turned me down, because that wasn’t what she wanted me for.

  She rocked her body slightly against me, those amazing tits feeling so incredible against my chest. Her kisses were soft and full of heated breath, her parted lips nearly trembling against mine. Her hands left my arms and explored my chest, her fingers digging into the hard muscles she’d spent the last few hours worshiping.

  It was like the evening never happened.

  We were back to square one, hard and horny.

  Her fingers reached the front of my jeans and popped the buttons and the zipper.

  I watched the desire in her eyes, seeing the way she wanted me—still.

  She hiked up her dress and hooked it around my waist. My truck was parked on the other side of us, so we had privacy from the security detail. They would figure out what was going on, but they wouldn’t get a prime view. Right now, it didn’t seem like she gave a damn if anyone saw us.

  I pulled a condom out of my pocket and rolled it on.

  She watched me get the latex up to my base, her tongue swiping across her lips in the most seductive way.

  I yanked her thong to the side and sank into her so easily, like we were still in bed together, wet and aroused.

  Her nails clawed my arms, and she inhaled deeply, like she’d never felt me before. Her lips released a moan, and she rested her face against mine, silently relishing the goodness she felt between her legs.

  I looked down at her in the darkness, my dick happy to be sheathed in its favorite place. I had a perfectly good bed upstairs, one that had been thoroughly used that evening, but now I got to fuck her against the Bugatti her husband bought her. I hoped there would be a smear from where I pressed her against the door, where I pounded her ass into the paint as I fucked her like she was mine.

  She balanced on one leg while leaning her weight on my frame and rocked with me, breathing against my mouth as if I hadn’t just made her come four times that night. The breeze blew her hair into her face, but her red lips were still on display.

  My hand hooked under her knee, and I carried the weight for her as I pressed her hard against the side of the car. My cock was deep inside her, sliding through her overwhelming wetness. Not once had I fucked this woman without her being soaked. She was ready for me at all times, regardless of the time and place.

  “Balto…fuck me.” She whispered against my mouth as she pushed my ass into her.

  I scooted closer to her and gave her all my length, my body rubbing against her clit at the same time.

  She grew louder and louder, the strap of her dress falling down her shoulder.

  I wanted to see those tits as I fucked her against the car, but I didn’t want anyone else to. I pulled the strap back up and sealed my mouth against hers to keep her quiet.

  She continued to moan against my mouth, but at least she was quiet.

  We fucked like two horny teenagers after a date at the movies.

  She pulled me tightly to her when she finished, her lips moving into my neck so she could smother her voice as she came. Her teeth sank into me slightly, like a vampire sucking my blood. Her nails scratched me with the same violence.

  I gave her my final pumps as I pressed her hard into the car. Three thrusts later, I was finished, dumping my seed into the tip of the condom. My calves tightened and so did my ass. I’d had enough orgasms that night that I didn’t need sex for at least a week, but somehow, that climax felt as good as the first one I’d had that night.

  She kept her face in my neck, clinging to me as she finished.

  I slowly pulled out of her and hid my dick in my boxers and jeans. I’d have to dispose of the condom once I got upstairs.

  She ran her fingers through her hair, her lipstick smeared and her eyeliner uneven. She’d just fixed herself up, but she looked thoroughly fucked all over again. She was cursed.

  “Goodnight, baby.” I kissed her on the corner of the mouth before I turned away. If I stuck around, I would probably fuck her again, but since I didn’t have any more condoms in my pocket, that wasn’t possible.

  Her breath came out shaky, like she hadn’t recovered from what had just happened. “Goodnight…”

  19

  Cassini

  That man did crazy things to me.

  I never knew sex could be that good.

  I never knew a man could be that good.

  I’d never been fucked against a car door in public, but I hadn’t hesitated before I’d hiked up my dress and locked my leg around his waist. My ass flattened against the door because he pressed me so hard into it. As if he hadn’t just spent the evening pleasuring me, he gave me one more climax for the drive home.

  The second I walked in the house, I missed him.

  Being a bird locked in a cage had never felt more agonizing. I’d talked myself into accepting my fate because it was easier than being miserable all the time. But now that I knew men like Balto existed, I realized how much I was missing.

  I didn’t want to be under Lucian one more night. I didn’t want to kiss him goodbye like I actually cared he was leaving. I didn’t want to lie and pretend I was grateful for his generosity. I didn’t want to be his wife anymore. I’d never wanted to be his wife in the first place, but I despised it even more now.

  Not when there was a man like Balto in the world.

  Sometimes I fantasized about how different my life would be if I’d left Evan to his fate. Now that I knew there were so many possibilities out there, I realized I could have had any life I wanted. Even if I never married, I could be hitting the sheets with a beautiful man. Even if I never fell in love, I would still be happy. But that wouldn’t have happened either because I would have felt too guilty for betraying Evan.

  No matter what decision I made, I lost.

  I was doomed.

  I said hello to Maria before I went to bed. She was cleaning the kitchen even though it already seemed spotless. She was obviously keeping herself busy until I walked in the door because Lucian asked her to keep an eye on me.

  To make sure I came home every night.

  I went to bed and pulled out the phone Balto gave me. I miss you—every inch of you.

  The three dots appeared instantly, like he’d staring at his phone in anticipation of my text. Every inch of me misses you too.

  Case lived just outside of Florence in a two-story house that had been in our family for generations. It originally had belonged to my grandparents, but it’d been handed down the line until Case inherited it.

  It had a lot of renovations about a decade ago because the plumbing was bad, the kitchen was out of date, and the ventilation system couldn’t keep up with the summer humidity. After a remodel, it still possessed its antique charm, but now it embraced modern civilization.

  I never cared that Case inherited almost everything because he was the oldest son. All three of us inherited the pasta company, but I’d been removed from that line of work once I became Lucian’s wife. My brothers were nice enough to continue to give me my cut even though I didn’t work for it—and I didn’t have any need for money. It piled up in a bank account that I never touched.

  My brothers clearly had some hope that Lucian wouldn’t be around forever. And once he was gone, they wanted me to have what I nee
ded to start a new life. They were my arrogant and annoying brothers, but they were also my protectors, taking the place of Mother and Father since they were gone.

  I pulled up to Case’s house, which was surrounded by a gate with a short driveway. I’d brought a bottle of wine from our favorite Italian vineyards, Barsetti. I walked inside and smelled lunch being prepared in the kitchen. “Something smells good.”

  “Definitely not you,” Dirk called out.

  I stepped inside and saw Dirk sitting on a stool at the island. Business paperwork was in front of him, like he was going over the books even though it was Saturday.

  Case had an apron around his body, form-fitting like the t-shirt he wore. He pulled the pan off the stove and scooped the chicken parmesan fillets onto the plate then spooned the sauce on top. He finished by sprinkling parsley and mozzarella cheese.

  I loved my brother’s cooking. He’d always been much better at it than I was.

  He pulled the zucchini noodles from the bowl and dropped them onto each plate. “Hungry?” he asked, barely giving me a glance.

  “Do you have any idea who you are talking to?” I grabbed the plate, helped myself to cutlery from the utensil drawer, and sat on the stool on the edge of the kitchen island.

  Case took a seat so each one of us was on a different side.

  Silently, we dug into our food.

  Both of my brothers were quiet by nature, so I didn’t think their silence was unusual. They were both the strong and silent type, the kind with powerful poker faces. It was almost impossible to read their moods, so people assumed they were angry all the time.

  “I brought some wine.” I held up the bottle.

  “I’ll take some,” Dirk said, scooping the food into his mouth.

  “Me too.” Case rose to his feet and grabbed three wineglasses.

  I poured the wine then handed the glasses across the table.

  Case took a long drink before he picked up his fork again. He preferred hard liquor over wine, but whenever he sat down to a meal, he usually drank wine. It was when he had an empty stomach that he preferred the stronger stuff.