Buttons and Shame Page 2

  I dominated her as every husband should dominate his wife. We might be married, but I still owned her. She wore the last button I never gave her, so she would always be in my debt. She would always be my willing prisoner.

  I grabbed the base of my cock and rubbed my tip across her lips, smearing the drop of lubricant that formed at my head across her beautiful mouth. Her mouth was slightly open, and I could see her small teeth behind her lips.

  “Wider.”

  She opened her jaw wide and flattened her tongue.

  I inserted my cock into her mouth just the way I would enter her pussy. I felt the tightness of her throat as I moved deep inside. Her tongue acted as a cushion, rough and soft at the same time. I felt her saliva surround me, lubricating my thick length as I fucked her in the mouth.

  I kept one hand tight in her hair as I thrust my hips and moved in and out. Saliva fell from her lips and dripped to the floor. Tears formed in her eyes as she resisted her gag reflex. I loved seeing those, the tears from my enormous cock.

  I was pissed at her for defying my wishes by spending time with Cane. But I couldn’t tell her what to do. This woman would never listen to a command I issued—unless it involved sex. So I would get my way now, relieve my frustration by ruling over her.

  I wanted to come, but I still had two other places to visit. I pulled my cock out of her mouth then wiped away her tears with the pad of my thumb. “Turn around, Button.”

  She did as I asked and positioned her ass at the edge of the bed. Her wet sex was gleaming with arousal, and I knew she enjoyed giving that blow job as much as I enjoyed receiving it.

  I shoved myself inside her and felt her walls constrict around me at the intrusion. Her arousal slickened my entrance and allowed me to squeeze through her tight channel. She felt unbelievable, just as good as every other time I fucked her. “Hands behind your back.”

  She locked her hands together and rested them on the steep curve of her back. Her moans came a moment later, feeling my cock ram deep inside her over and over. “My husband…”

  I closed my eyes as the shiver moved down my spine. There was nothing sexier than hearing her say that. I owned her in more ways than one. She was legally bound to me, the other half of my soul until time claimed our lives.

  I sucked my thumb before I inserted it into her back entrance. She tightened around me immediately, both her pussy and her asshole. Her moans were interrupted by her irregular breathing.

  Her pussy was so warm and wet. I wanted to stay there forever, buried deep inside my wife. I wanted to come again, but I wasn’t even close to the finish line. I needed to make sure Button knew every single hole in her body belonged to me. I rocked into her harder and inserted another finger into her ass, priming her for my big dick.

  It didn’t take long for her to come. Her face was pressed against the sheets, and it muffled her moans. Her body arched and twisted as it tried to take more of my length at a quicker pace.

  I didn’t deny her the pleasure.

  Her pussy tightened around my cock, another wave of moisture sheathing my length. She constricted around me hard until the euphoria passed.

  Now I really wanted to come. There was nothing hotter than watching my wife come for me.

  I pulled my cock out and stared at her beautiful slit. It was still dripping with her arousal, and her white secretions had piled up at the base of my cock. I removed my fingers then pressed my throbbing cock into her ass. Her body resisted at first, but eventually, I was able to get my rock-hard cock inside.

  She kept her hands behind her back as she moaned at the feel of my enormous dick. Quiet whimpers escaped her lips while she acclimated to the extensive stretching.

  I fucked her slowly, for her sake and for mine. If I moved any quicker, I’d come a lot sooner than I wanted to. She already came, so it was my turn to find my release. But I wanted to enjoy this a little longer, to fuck her a little harder.

  “Come in my ass,” she said through her moans. “Please.”

  An involuntary moan escaped my lips. My wife wanted my come, and I was going to give it to her. All of it. “You want my come, Button?”

  I gripped her hips with my hands, and she wrapped her fingers around my wrists. “Give it to me.”

  I set one foot on the bed and fucked her mercilessly, ramming into her until she screamed. My cock pounded her ass over and over, all nine inches. Only seconds after that, I found my release. “Fuck…” I released inside her, depositing my hot seed deep inside the woman I owned.

  She squeezed my wrists tighter as she stiffened. “Yes…”

  Taking my come turned her on as much as everything else. I grunted as I dumped the final drops of my come inside her, packing her ass with mounds of it. My cock slowly softened, but I enjoyed the final sensations of pleasure.

  I wanted to sit inside her a while longer, but I needed to wash off. Once I did that, I could fuck her again. I pulled out and stared at her gaping asshole, looking at my handiwork. I watched the white come rest at the entrance.

  I leaned over her and tilted her chin toward my face. I gave her a kiss with my eyes open, staring at the satisfied look in her eyes. I didn’t care about the argument we had earlier because I just proved my point.

  She was mine—and I could do whatever I wanted.

  3

  Cane

  The winery was warm in the Tuscan sun. The leaves were deep green and crisp, and the purple grapes contrasted against the wooden spikes that held the vines. I left my car on the rock path and ventured up the cobblestones and into the Italian fortress where my brother housed his business.

  His legal business.

  I moved past the tasting room and to his office in the rear. He had a large window that overlooked the vineyards on the hillside, prime real estate for someone who was on the phone and working all the time.

  I ignored his receptionist because I was a Barsetti. I didn’t have to check in with anybody.

  Crow sat behind his desk with the phone pressed to his ear. He sat upright in the chair wearing a black suit. A light blue tie hung down his chest, contrasting against the vase of red flowers that sat on the corner of his mahogany desk. Crow wasn’t much of a decorator, so that must be the handiwork of his assistant or Pearl.

  Since Pearl never left the fortress, I doubted it was her.

  Crow looked up at me, a hard expression on his face. The last time we spoke, he threw me out of his house like I was a homeless man begging for food. It didn’t matter if we shared Barsetti blood. When it came to his woman, I was scum.

  I knew I fucked up, so I couldn’t blame him too much. But he needed to get over it.

  Barsettis were stubborn.

  I fell into the chair facing his desk and scoured the room for a big bottle of scotch. I knew it was hiding somewhere, probably in one of the drawers of that enormous desk.

  Crow finished up his conversation before he hung up. “Yes?”

  “Hello. It’s great to see you too.”

  Crow’s eyebrows were still furrowed with displeasure. Sometimes I wondered what Pearl saw in him. He just looked pissed all the time, if you asked me. “What is it, Cane?”

  “Your wife nick your dick with her teeth this morning or something?”

  Now his displeasure turned into a full-blown glare. “Don’t test me, Cane. I’m not in the mood.”

  “So that’s a yes, then?”

  Like a bear that had been provoked, he tensed his shoulders like he was about to attack.

  “Alright, enough with the jokes. Can we bury the hatchet?”

  “There’s not enough dirt in the earth to bury our hatchet, Cane. You know it. Just stay away from my wife unless I’m present. You want me to play nice? Then do as I ask.”

  I rolled my eyes because I wasn’t afraid of my brother. Sure, he’d shot me once before, but I deserved it. “Fine. If that’s how it has to be, that’s how it has to be. But I think you’re being a little psycho about it. Pearl agrees with me.”

 
“Pearl’s opinion is irrelevant.”

  I called his bluff immediately. “Bullshit. We both know it.”

  He leaned back into the chair and rested his fingertips against his cheek. Despite how calm he appeared, I recognized the threat deep in his eyes. Crow was intimidating, even to me—sometimes. There was something about him that put people on edge. He was an excellent partner to have. I wouldn’t want anyone else watching my back.

  I dropped the humor and turned serious, laying all my cards out on the table. “I don’t want it to be this way, brother. Pearl means a lot to me. I’d walk over fire for that woman. I’d give my life for her, and you know it.”

  “I don’t doubt any of that.”

  My brother knew I didn’t lie. If I said something, I meant it. I was too honest. In fact, I was honest to a fault. I offended a lot of people with the shit that flew out of my mouth. “Then let’s move on. I don’t want to spend every waking hour with Pearl, but on the rare occasions you aren’t around, I’d like to feel welcome. She’s a Barsetti—as am I.”

  “No.”

  Man, my brother was an asshole. “Get over it, Crow. It was a long time ago.”

  “If I hadn’t walked in, she would have died.”

  Yeah, probably. “Different circumstances.”

  He gave a slight shake of the head. “I don’t give a shit, Cane. Pearl might sweep it under the rug, but I certainly won’t.”

  The incident seemed to be more of a problem now than it was when it happened. Now that they were married, he was more ferocious, more protective. “And it’s just going to be like this for the rest of our lives?”

  “Yes.” He held my look, cold and calculating.

  “You’re a psychopath, Crow.”

  The insult didn’t offend him in the slightest. “I’m aware.”

  My brother was such a pain in the ass. “After everything the three of us have been through, this is how it’s going to be?” Pearl put her neck on the line to save me, a gesture I’d never forget. I was more loyal to her than to my own brother. Together, we managed to take out Bones and his henchmen, avenging Vanessa for what that monster had done to her. But none of that mattered to him.

  “Yes.”

  I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this man, so I moved on. “I’m meeting Tristan tomorrow in Marseille. He has a few contacts that require assistance.” As if the previous conversation never happened, we switched into our business affairs.

  Crow retained his coldness, but he no longer seemed irritated. “When?”

  “Late afternoon. I’m flying out in the morning.”

  “Going to make a vacation out of it?”

  “No. Just business.” With Bones out of the picture, we had more work to do. Maintaining dominance in a saturated market was tough work. People were anxious to get ahead—at any cost.

  “Let me know how it goes.”

  “I will. We just got a shipment from the United States. High-quality stuff.”

  “I’ll come by and take a look this afternoon.”

  Crow was still involved with the business but not nearly as much anymore. I suspected he would give it up entirely one day. I hoped that never happened because he was an excellent partner. People feared our family name, especially since there were two of us. It wouldn’t be the same without him. “Good to know.” I rose out of the chair since the conversation seemed to be over. We were both men of few words. “Let me know what you think.”

  His only response was a nod.

  “Crow is such a pain in the ass,” Pearl said over the phone. “A big drama queen.”

  I loved hearing her talk about my brother like that. She wasn’t some pushover who obeyed her husband like some women I knew. She had her own mind—and very loud opinions. It wasn’t easy to put my brother in his place, but she did a great job. “You said it, sister.”

  “I’ll talk to him again in a few days.”

  “I believe you can do anything. But I don’t think you’re going to find any success with this.”

  “Trust me,” she said. “I’ve got this. He’s just overprotective. Once he gets used to the fact that Bones is really gone, he’ll come around. Sometimes it’s even hard for me to believe he’s dead. I still have nightmares from time to time.”

  I never really thought about her perspective on the whole thing. As a man, all I thought about was money, revenge, and sex. I’d never been sympathetic about anything. Even when it came to Vanessa, all I cared about was making Bones pay. I never took the time to think about her suffering or how she felt. But now that I was close to Pearl, I actually pictured myself in her shoes. How would it feel to have all my rights taken from me? To have someone use my body however they wished?

  It was an unsettling thought.

  My driver pulled up to the curb of the airport in Rome. The sun was peeking over the horizon, but the runway lights were still on. “I’ve gotta catch my flight. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Hope all goes well.”

  I hung up and walked into the airport to check in my luggage and go through security. Crow and I had a line of private planes at this airport as well as in Tuscany, but I wasn’t a certified pilot, so it was more trouble than it was worth. Since this was a harmless business meeting, I didn’t see the need to fly private.

  With my satchel over my shoulder, I grabbed a coffee then took a seat near the gate. My flight was about to board in ten minutes, so I needed to kill time. I looked through my emails and took care of those to remain productive. Announcements played over the intercom, and the sound of jets firing off as planes sped down the runway carried on in the background. I tuned most of it out.

  “Stay.” A coarse voice entered my ear. It stood out because it reminded me of the raspy voice Bones once had. I kept my phone in front of me but peeked up with my eyes. In the row of black chairs a few aisles back, a woman sat in an oversized jacket. It obscured most of her body, but the slender curve of her neck and jawline hinted at the feminine curves underneath the fabric. Mocha brown eyes were etched with worry as she watched the man walk into the bathroom. Her brown hair was over one shoulder, messy like she’d just rolled out of bed to catch her flight. A distant bruise sat over her collarbone, hardly noticeable except for the contrast against her fair skin.

  I couldn’t stop staring at her.

  Her expression wasn’t unique because I’d seen it before. She looked worried, just the way Pearl did when she first came into our custody. The woman’s eyes surveyed the airport like she was looking for something or someone.

  I lowered my phone because I was no longer interested in my emails. I was only interested in those high cheekbones and those full lips. She had a few freckles around her nose, faint enough that they could be covered with foundation if she were wearing any. The typical woman I was attracted to was done up, had beautiful hair, lots of makeup, and a skintight dress.

  This woman didn’t fit any of those criteria.

  She must have felt my look because her eyes traveled over to me. They landed on me, showing the same expression of fear she’d been wearing the entire time. She suddenly looked away, her eyes darting to the ground where they’d be safe from my penetrating gaze.

  Her timid nature aroused me. I liked a woman who was submissive, who yielded the floor to a powerful man. I didn’t take submissives often. I just had rough sex with women I met who were vacationing in Rome.

  She didn’t fit the bill.

  But I was still interested.

  She was in an airport, about to fly off to some other part of the world. After this exchange, I would probably never see her again. People came and went as we lived our lives, but the idea of never speaking to her troubled me.

  I wanted to know her name, at least.

  I hooked my satchel across my shoulders then walked toward her. Without looking at me, she was aware of my approach. Her shoulders stiffened noticeably, and her chest no longer expanded with the breaths she’d been taking just a moment ago. I took the seat beside her and tr
ied to think of an introduction. I usually uttered a simple line or compliment, but that didn’t feel right with her. “I’m Cane.” I extended my hand to her.

  She glanced down then quickly looked away like she hadn’t moved her eyes in the first place. She didn’t say anything to me, brushing me off coldly.

  I’d been rejected a few times in my life—but not like that. “Nice to meet you too.”

  Her eyes turned to the bathroom, where the man had just entered a moment ago.

  That was my cue to get up and walk away, but I remained glued to the seat. I didn’t know what I expected to happen. I took my shot and missed. Now it was time to return to the other side of the room and look at my phone again.

  But I didn’t move. “You got a name?”

  Nothing. Now that I was this close to her, I noticed the small cut in the corner of her eye. It looked like the mark from a fingernail. She either scratched herself, or someone took a swipe at her.

  That’s when I realized she didn’t have a bag. No purse. Nothing. Not even a pair of sunglasses. “Everything alright?”

  Her throat moved when she swallowed, her eyes still on the bathroom door. “My boyfriend will be back soon. I suggest you leave.”

  The guy had to be at least fifty, and she looked like she was in her twenties. He looked more like her father than her lover. “Are you sure? Because you’re way out of his league.” Maybe a compliment would loosen her up.

  Her fuse was lit, and she lost her patience. “Would you just go? I’m not interested. How do I make myself more clear?”

  “Maybe by talking?” I jabbed.

  She finally focused her gaze on my face, looking me in the eye for the first time. When she was angry, she was still just as beautiful. Not too many women could accomplish that. “I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but he’s gonna be back, and I can’t be seen talking to you. So, please, just go.”