Buttons and Shame Read online

  She continued to breathe hard with a volcano erupting behind her eyes. She usually had a quick reaction to anything Crow or I said, but now she was at a loss for words.

  “I’m sorry, Pearl. If I could save her, I would. But I can’t.” I’d accepted it once Crow and I talked about it. Now I’d made my peace with it. I would enjoy her while I could then return her once the fun was over. End of story.

  “What if I had given up on you?” she whispered. “What if I’d just let Bones kill you?”

  I’d never forget the time she stuck out her neck for me. I was grateful—from the bottom of my soul. “You should have let him kill me, Pearl. You shouldn’t have risked your life for mine.”

  “But you would have done the same for me.”

  Yes, I would have. But that was different. “But you are family, Pearl. You’re a Barsetti.”

  “As are you.”

  It didn’t matter how much she irritated me. I loved this woman like a sister. I loved her like Vanessa. In a lot of ways, she reminded me of her. Vanessa’s spirit was still with me—through the woman my brother had made family. “After what I did to you, I didn’t deserve your loyalty.”

  “Family loves each other no matter what. That’s why Crow didn’t kill you.”

  True. If I were anyone else, Crow would have murdered me.

  “And since family is always there for each other, that’s why you should be there for me.”

  I didn’t know what she meant. “I am here for you.”

  “But yet, that poor woman is going back to Tristan in just a few weeks.”

  I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. “I already told you, there’s nothing I can do about it. She won’t leave her friend behind, so I can’t help her escape. And I can’t buy her from Tristan either. So what am I supposed to do?

  She finally shut her mouth.

  “Pearl, what am I supposed to do?” I repeated, pressing my point harder.

  She finally dropped her gaze.

  Good. This conversation was finally over. “You should get going. She’ll be awake soon.”

  “I want to meet her.”

  “Why?”

  “I know exactly what she’s been through. I can talk to her.”

  I couldn’t imagine why a woman would want to discuss her trauma with another woman who’d experienced it. That would be like two guys talking about their terrible childhoods together. “I’ll think about it.”

  “You’ll think about it?” Her tone rose again. “This woman shouldn’t feel alone.”

  “She doesn’t. She has me.” If she ever wanted to talk to me about anything, I would listen. I may not give great advice, but I knew how to listen.

  “You told me you would give her back without thinking twice about it.”

  “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be there for her while I can. I don’t think you talking to her is going to do any good.”

  “I thought you didn’t boss her around? Now you’re making decisions for her?”

  Pearl was such a pain in the ass sometimes. “I’ll feel her out, alright?”

  “Why don’t you just ask her now while I’m here?” Her phone rang in her pocket, and the fact that she ignored it told me it was Crow.

  “One, she’s not awake yet. And two, I’m not gonna bombard her. Go home, and I’ll let you know what she says.”

  Her phone rang again, telling her time was up.

  I glanced at her pocket before I met her look again. “You better get home before you really piss him off.”

  Pearl opened the front door and walked out, ignoring the phone ringing in her pocket. “Let me know what she says.”

  I rolled my eyes then shut the door behind her, grateful that pain in the ass was finally gone. She accused me of bossing Adelina around, but Pearl bossed around everyone under the sun. She got in Crow’s face anytime she felt like it, and she certainly wasn’t scared of me.

  I headed back into the kitchen and halted when I spotted Adelina standing there. She was in my t-shirt, the fabric reaching her knees and swallowing her small frame in the loose cotton. Her brown hair was pulled over one shoulder, and a rested look sat deep in her eyes. A steaming mug sat on the counter, and she cupped it with her palms before she took a drink.

  She’d been standing there for a while.

  Now that I looked at her, I remembered our passion the night before. I’d never been buried in a wetter or tighter pussy. It was a little slit of heaven, beautiful slickness. Just breathing the same air as her made me aroused. I remembered exactly the way her pussy felt when it tightened around my throbbing cock when she came.

  I’d never forget it as long as I lived.

  I stood on the other side of the kitchen counter and watched her, seeing the way her lips pursed together when she took a drink.

  Kissing her came to mind.

  “Who was that?” She lowered her cup and returned it to the counter.

  “Depends. How much did you hear?”

  “A good amount. Something about wanting to talk to me…”

  Now I didn’t see the point in hiding anything. “That was my sister-in-law, Pearl. She sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’s not happy about my arrangement with Tristan. Pretty pissed, actually.”

  “Oh?”

  “She’s been through the same thing and wants to help you.”

  “Help me?” Her voice escaped as a whisper.

  “Yeah. I told her I’d think about it, but I don’t think talking to her will do any good.”

  She grasped the handle of her mug but didn’t take a drink. “So, she was trafficked?”

  I nodded.

  “When?”

  “About two years ago.” Time went by fast. I remembered the day I met her when we took her from Bones’s estate in Rome. She was fiery, violent, and good with a knife. She fought harder than most men did on the battlefield. Now it didn’t surprise me that my brother fell for her so hard.

  “She escaped?”

  I shrugged. “Kinda. She was owned by someone else, but my brother and I broke her out. It wasn’t to save her. We were planning on using her to get revenge after what her former master did to us. But Crow decided to fall in love with her instead.”

  “And she fell in love with him?” she asked with surprise.

  “I couldn’t believe it either. So now they’re married and live in Tuscany.”

  “And she’s never wanted to go home?”

  “She didn’t leave much behind in America. Doesn’t have a family or many friends.”

  “Oh…”

  “I’ll tell her you aren’t interested.” I poured myself a mug of coffee then came around to her side of the counter. Her coffee was a little lighter than mine because she added cream and sugar. The second I was closer to her, I felt my hair stand on end. She didn’t smell exactly the same as she did last night—because she smelled like me.

  “Actually, I do want to talk to her. If she came all the way over here…she sounds like a considerate person.”

  I hid my disappointment as best as I could. I didn’t want to share Adelina with anyone, not when I only had a limited amount of time with her. “I’ll let her know.”

  She pulled the mug to her lips and took another sip.

  I wanted to get down to business again, but she just woke up and she had an empty stomach. I should let the poor woman eat something and relax before I pinned her to the bed and fucked her from behind.

  I couldn’t be completely barbaric.

  “Hungry?”

  Her hand moved to her firm but tender stomach. “Starving. Everything here tastes so good…”

  I suddenly felt like shit when I remembered how she used to be starved. Now I wanted to make her a feast for every meal to fatten her up as much as I could before she had to return to that daily torture. “How about pancakes, eggs, and bacon?” I grabbed two skillets hanging from the hooks that hung from the ceiling.

  “That sounds like a dream.”

  “Then I’l
l get to it. Grab me the carton of eggs from the fridge.”

  “You’re gonna cook?” she asked incredulously.

  She thought I didn’t know how to work a kitchen? “Yes, I know a thing or two.”

  “I thought I was supposed to do the cooking and cleaning around here? Isn’t that what you said?” She grabbed the eggs from the fridge and gathered other supplies, like the refrigerated bacon and the pancake mix from the pantry.

  “I’ll give you the day off.” I tossed the butter in the skillet and melted it before I prepared the pancake mix.

  She continued to watch me with incredulity, like this was some kind of trick. “I can do it. I don’t mind.”

  “You take care of dinner. I’ll take care of this.”

  When she finally believed me, she grabbed her cup of coffee and took a seat. She stared out the window and to the Tuscan fields in the distance, in quiet contemplation. I wondered what she was thinking, and I would do anything to know that information.

  “You doing okay?” I poured the batter into the pan and watched it bubble. I shouldn’t care if she was sore or uncomfortable. Asking her about her feelings implied that I cared, which I didn’t. But I wasn’t sure why I asked to begin with.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She stared down into her coffee.

  “Sleep well?”

  “I’ve slept like a rock since I got here.” Her long brown hair trailed behind her, slightly messy from rolling around in my bed all night. “It’s been really nice…” Her voice trailed off, probably thinking about her time in Tristan’s dungeon.

  “I’ve slept well too.” On the nights she shared my bed, I didn’t wake up once. I was rested and ready to start my day the second the sun rose. I didn’t have dark and twisted dreams like I usually did. Maybe she chased away my nightmares. Or maybe it was just a coincidence.

  I finished preparing breakfast then placed the food on the table, the pancakes drizzled in syrup and the bacon hot and crispy.

  She leaned down and smelled her food before she picked up her fork. “God…this smells so good.”

  When she said the word god, I remembered her saying it the night before. My cock hardened in my sweatpants, but I didn’t jump at her across the table. I was patient enough to wait until the meal was over.

  At least, I hoped I was.

  I walked into her bedroom and heard the shower running in the bathroom. Knowing she was hot, wet, and naked made me picture her soaped up tits and ass. I wanted to press her against the tile in the shower and fuck her from behind, but shower sex was always complicated. I wanted to take my time and really enjoy it, run my hands all over her body and stare at her ass at the same time.

  So I decided to wait.

  I stripped down until I was naked and lay back on her bed, my hard cock ready for her. I wrapped my fingers around my length and massaged myself gently, thinking about how tight she would feel wrapped around me.

  The shower turned off, and she moved in the bathroom before she dried her hair. Minutes passed as she got ready, drying herself off and making the final touches to her hair. The echoed sounds finally stopped in the bathroom, and she stepped out with just a towel around her torso.

  I propped myself up on my elbows and stared her down, liking every inch of her. I intended to see her put on more weight around the waist and the thighs, filling her with heavy breakfasts and feasts for dinners. But for now, she was still perfect.

  My cock hardened more when she stared at it, clearly not expecting me to be lying there. My balls clenched slightly as I looked at her, my arousal stealing all the blood from the rest of my body. A drop of lubrication formed at my tip because I was ready to be buried inside her. “Drop the towel.” I sat up and put my feet on the ground.

  She walked closer to me until she released the towel, letting it fall to the ground. Her nipples were hard because she was cold, and her long, lean stomach looked kissable. She sauntered closer to me, her hair clean and soft.

  When her thigh touched my knee, my fingers grazed over her warm skin. I gripped both of her thighs and pressed kisses to her stomach, tasting the body wash she had just lathered onto herself. My mouth slowly worked up her body until I sucked one of her nipples.

  She drew in a breath through her teeth then gripped my shoulders for balance. Her chest rose and fell with the deep breaths she took, and I could feel her excitement grow the longer I touched her.

  I wanted to kiss the rest of her—but I wanted to fuck her more.

  I pumped my cock a few times before I rose to my feet, towering over her by a foot. I pressed my mouth against hers and kissed her on the mouth, feeling those soft lips and thinking of a rose petal. My large hands gripped her small breasts, and I squeezed them gently as I dove my tongue into her mouth.

  She kissed me back with the same fire, the same desire. Even if she was working for a place to live, it seemed like she wanted me regardless. Once I pushed my cock inside her, it wouldn’t be dry with hard friction like sandpaper. It would be warm, soft, and heavenly.

  As much as I wanted to keep kissing her, I ended the embrace and grabbed her by the hips. I positioned her at the edge of the bed and pressed my mouth to the shell of her ear. “On all fours, Bellissima.”

  She crawled on the bed and separated her knees, her ass in the air.

  I moved my hand up and down my cock while I enjoyed the beautiful sight, my hand catching a drop of lubricant and smearing it down the rest of my length. I couldn’t wait to sink inside that beautiful pussy. I could see the gleam from her arousal in that moment, right then and there.

  My knees hit the mattress and made it sink as I scooted closer to her. I pressed my palm to her lower back and pushed down, arching her body in just the contours that I liked. I could see the tight muscles of her back and her perky ass in one great view.

  My mouth found the back of her shoulder, and I pressed a gentle kiss there. “I’m not gonna be easy on you this time.” I kissed her neck and the shell of her ear before I sat back on my knees and positioned my head at her entrance. My hand could barely grip my cock because it twitched so hard. I’d already fucked her once, but the experience didn’t dim my excitement for another round. Sex with the same woman was fun for the first week or so, but I quickly lost interest after a short period. But judging from my raging hard-on, I wasn’t going to get bored with Adelina anytime soon.

  I pressed the tip of cock inside that wet slit and felt the heat rush through me like someone lit me on fire. Her moisture surrounded me, along with her obvious tightness. The carnal beast inside me emerged, and I gripped the back of her hair and yanked harder than I should have.

  She released a loud breath but didn’t pull herself away.

  With her head angled back, the arch in her spine was even deeper than before. Just the head of my cock was inside her, but I didn’t take my time getting the rest in there. I shoved myself hard, squeezing through her tight channel and nearly hitting her cervix in one swift move. “Fuck.” Like riding a horse, I gripped the reins and controlled every single move.

  She kept her ass tilted up to me with her arms underneath her for support. Her breathing was ragged and uneven, her chest working hard to get the necessary air deep inside her lungs.

  I let my cock sit inside her for a moment, letting our bodies enjoy each other for a beat. I’d felt a slick pussy before, but nothing compared to hers. She was always drenched for me the second we were in the same room together.

  It seemed like she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

  I wrapped her hair around my fist and got a powerful grip before I thrust into her. My hips rammed into her as I shoved my whole length deep inside her. Over and over I moved, getting my cock soaking wet in her arousal. My hand rested on her back as I continued to grip her hair, keeping her body pinned exactly as I liked it.

  And I fucked her.

  Our bodies made sex noises as they moved together, my wet cock squeezing in and out of her slippery channel. My breathing picked up, and I felt the sweat
collect on the back of my neck. I should slow down and give it to her gentler, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted to dominate her exactly as I wanted the first time I saw her.

  I stared at her tiny little asshole and saw the slightly darker skin surrounding it. My cock wanted to fuck that next, but for now, I was content with this perfect pussy. I wish I could stop myself from coming altogether so I could just do this forever.

  Sweet fucking pussy.

  I stopped for a moment and adjusted myself to get closer to her, and that’s when she started to move on her own. The second I stopped giving it to her, she started to fuck me inside. She rolled her hips in a sexy way and took my length over and over, her pussy cream collecting at the top of my shaft.

  Jesus Christ.

  “You like my cock, Bellissima?” I loosened my hold on her hair slightly, allowing her to rock her body into me harder. I wanted her to give me everything she wanted. It was just as arousing as taking whatever I wanted.

  She looked at me over her shoulder, her lips parted and her cheeks flushed. A sexy fire was in her eyes, and I knew she wasn’t faking any of this.

  I pulled on her hair so her face was turned toward me even more. I shoved my dick inside her harder, claiming that little pussy as mine. “Answer me.”

  Her answer came out as a winded breath. “Yes.”

  I pounded into her harder, my ego inflating as well as my cock. She met me thrust for thrust, rocking her hips back into me and taking every inch that I gave her. Her fingernails dug into the comforter, and she moaned as we continued to fuck like animals.

  I propped my leg up with my foot firmly planted on the mattress and shoved myself into her harder, wanting every inch to be drenched with her pussy juice. I was just about to wrap my arm around her hips and rub her clit when she started to moan.

  Her face moved toward the bed as her moan slowly escalated into screams.

  I grabbed her by the neck and turned her face toward me again, forcing her to look at me as she came. I wanted to watch her expression just like last time, to see that rosy pink color enter her cheeks. “Eyes on me, sweetheart.”