Coveted: Men of Mayhem: Book Two

by Luciani, Kristen

  “How do you feel?” I ask.

  “Good as new. Ready to blow holes into the Fortunatos. You get a location yet from the Darknet geek squad?”

  “Not yet,” I say, stifling a yawn. “Elia’s gone offline again, so they have nothing to track.”

  Tommy chews, staring at me. “So why are you still sitting here with me, dumbass? She’s in the apartment downstairs, yeah?” He shakes his head. “You should be running down there right now to tell her you just risked your life against a pizza cutter. Find out how grateful she is that you ran into the line of fire for her.”

  “You’re sick.”

  “Not as sick as Elia.” He swallows a large gulp of soda. “You think it’s a little weird he’s offline? Leaving his equally sick fans wondering what he’s gonna do next?”

  I rub the back of my neck, the image of Julia in that t-shirt and nothing else taunting me. “He’s not gonna stop until he finds her, Tommy.”

  “And Nic isn’t gonna rest until he has us by the balls,” Tommy grunts. “Seems like we’re fucked in all directions, and while I usually like the way that scenario plays out, this time it’s gonna be a lot less orgasmic and a lot more deadly.” He grins at me, nodding toward the stairs. “Speaking of getting fucked…”

  “She’s in shock, for Christ’s sake!” I whisper-shout. “I don’t always think with my dick, Tommy.”

  “Correction, now you don’t always think with your dick.” He points a new slice of pizza at me, his mouth full of cheese and sauce. “Before you met Julia, you let that log do a lot of the work. But now you’re a new person, right? Because you love her or something?” He chuckles, still chewing. His chuckle fades after a few seconds of me staying silent and his eyes widen. “You’re fucking with me right now.”

  I cover my face with my hands. “Shut up.”

  “You love her?” he exclaims. “Get the hell outta here! You don’t do that love shit. I think maybe you’re in shock, too.”

  “Listen,” I hiss. “I’m not saying I love her, okay? But I care about her. And I want to keep her safe. And I—"

  “And you love her!” he singsongs. “I never thought I’d see the day!”

  “If you don’t shut your damn mouth, you won’t see another day, understand?”

  Tommy smirks. “You mean, you’ll shoot me again? Should I be scared? Are you gonna clip me in the other shoulder?”

  “I really hate you sometimes.”

  “Until you realize how boring your life would be without me in it to zip shit up.”

  Boring. That actually sounds really nice.

  A fucking pipe dream, but nice.

  “I’m going to bed,” I say.

  “Oh, yeah!” Tommy pumps his good arm in the air. “I’ll just be here, finishing this pizza, making a lot of noise so I don’t hear you guys banging. That shit will give me nightmares.”

  I grin at him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t kill me, too.” He winks and stuffs the last bit of crust into his mouth. “Now get the fuck out of here and tell your girl what she needs to know. Then rest up because I have a feeling you’re gonna need some energy for tomorrow.”

  I leave Tommy to the rest of the pizza and walk back down the stairs. This time when I pass my gun sitting on the couch, I grab it.

  Just in case.

  I barely have my fingers on the doorknob before it swings open and Julia jumps into my arms. For a second, I hug her tight, breathing her in, not saying a word.

  Julia squeezes her arms around my neck, burying her head against me. “Thank God you’re okay! I was so scared,” she murmurs against my ear. “But I didn’t hear any major explosions or gunfire, so I figured you had everything under control.”

  “It was just Tommy. Hardly a threat.”

  She giggles. “I’m going to tell him you said that.”

  I shrug, walking into the room, my arms still wrapped around her waist. “Not like I don’t tell him every day myself.”

  Julia pulls away from me, her hands moving to the sides of my face. “I couldn’t sleep at all,” she whispers. “But I felt better with you next to me. Safer.” A smile lifts her lips. “Happier.”

  “Good.” Still holding her with one arm, I stroke her back with my other hand. “Then I did my job.”

  We stare at each other for a minute, both caught under the same spell, neither willing to break it. My fingers creep higher still until they tangle in her long, dark hair. I tug at it gently, my lips gently caressing hers. A shock zips through me when we connect, exploding in my groin as her teeth nip at my lower lip. It started as a simple kiss, innocent and sweet, and as the seconds pass, it grows more desperate and demanding.

  Carnal.

  My cock jumps and a soft gasp escapes her lips.

  “Didn’t expect that, huh?” I mumble against her mouth.

  “No,” she says in a breathless voice. “I, um…I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t thinking that we, ah…” Her voice trails off and I pull back with a smile.

  “Hey,” I whisper. “Don’t be sorry. You’ve had a really rough time and you need to rest.” I lay her in the center of the bed, sweeping the hair from her eyes. “We have plenty of time.”

  “Do we?” she whispers.

  “If I have anything to say about it, we do.”

  She nods, her cheeks flushed and her eyes hooded. It takes every ounce of restraint for me to back away from that bed. “Okay,” she says with a small smile. “I believe you.”

  “I’m gonna take a shower.” I grin at her. “Maybe a cold one.”

  She laughs then covers her face with a pillow. “Ugh,” she says in a muffled voice. “This makes me a cock tease, doesn’t it?”

  “No,” I say. “It makes you even more perfect.”

  Her jaw drops and I have to catch my own from doing the same thing.

  Jesus, I actually said that out loud? I didn’t think it?

  Who in the fuck am I?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Julia

  The door to the bathroom closes and the shower spray turns on seconds later.

  I let out a muffled yell into the pillow pressed against my face. What is wrong with me? I didn’t just ruin the moment. I stabbed it, shredded it, and set fire to it to the point where it’s beyond repair.

  I’m hopeless.

  He spent so much time in the past few hours convincing me he’s exactly the guy I want, the one I need, and he didn’t even realize he was doing it.

  Because he was just being himself.

  So why the heck am I still holding back?

  I roll over onto my back, the memory of his lips on mine sending delicious chills down my spine.

  And then the memory of his rejected expression flashes across my mind like a cold bucket of water thrown on the flames of passion.

  Extinguishing every last ember.

  I sit straight up, run a hand through my hair, and slide out of the bed. A smile plays at my lips as I tiptoe over to the bathroom door and grasp the doorknob.

  My heart thuds against my chest as I twist it and push open the door, engulfed by steam and…

  Oh, holy hell.

  I catch a glimpse of Antonio through the clear glass shower doors and my jaw hits the cool floor tiles.

  Man.

  So much man.

  Forget the bucket of water. Those embers crackle deep inside of me and it’s time for them to finally ignite and let that fire rage.

  I pull off the t-shirt and creep toward the enclosure, pulling open the door. His eyes widen as he pushes back his hair and a slow, sexy smile lifts his lips. “You already had your chance…to shower.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t take a cold one. I decided that sounded like fun,” I murmur. “But it’s not cold in here. It’s hot.” I step closer to him, biting my lower lip as my eyes drop to his cock. I almost have to grab the wall when the realization hits…it’s not even hard.

  “So you think we need to cool things down?” he asks, his d
eep-set gaze searching mine for some reason as to why I’ve climbed into his shower after turning him down for sex only minutes earlier.

  I shake my head, reaching my arm around his waist. “I think we need to turn up the heat. Right now.”

  “Are you sure?” His fingertips dance along the small of my back, grazing the top of my ass. “Because I’ll wait for as long as you need.”

  “What I need is you,” I whisper. “Now.”

  He digs his fingers into my hips, flipping me around so my back is pressed against the wall. He fists my hair, crushing his lips against mine as the hot water courses over us. Our tongues twist and tangle together, the intense and coiling heat radiating throughout my body. His strong arms gather me close, and the euphoria from his kiss alone is enough to make me swoon.

  His lips travel down the slope of my neck, with slow and torturous anticipation of what’s to come. Our fingers interlock and he raises my hands above my head so I’m trapped against him in a most delightfully carnal way as he uses his knee to separate my legs. He leans into me, his thick cock grazing my clit as his tongue and teeth nip at each one of my breasts. My head slams back against the wall, a sharp gasp slipping through my lips as he feasts on me. Tingles shoot through me as he works my nipples with his tongue and teeth. The sensations coursing through me right now are so deliciously blissful, I almost cry out.

  Antonio fists my hair, dragging his lips back up to mine. He releases my hands, sliding his up and down the sides of my quivering torso. His devious fingers roam my curves, digging into my hips as he presses into me, his cock hovering at my slick entrance. My heart thumps as he slides himself against my clit. My body quivers with anticipation, my head foggy with pent-up lust. Each second that passes drives me closer to the edge of sanity, and all of this teasing is about to push me over the side. Our frenzied hands glide, grope, and grip, acting out of a passion I never knew existed until this very second.

  Heat pools in my belly as he plunges his thick fingers into me, sliding them in and out, slow and deep. I gasp as his thumb works my clit at the same time, igniting the flickering embers of desire deep in my core. It rages through me like an all-consuming explosion, incinerating every cell.

  My legs wobble against him, my breaths short and sharp as his thumb continues to rub against my clit. “You’re so wet,” he moans. “Fuck, I can’t take it anymore. I need to feel you now.”

  His mouth covers mine, our bodies molding together as he sinks into me, stretching me wide with slow and deliberate motions…such delicious torture.

  Oh God, it burns. But it’s a delicious pain, a thrilling pain, one that makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever dreamed I could be. His strong hands massage my curves as our bodies rock against each other. They slide down over my hips, gripping my ass. “Beautiful,” he breathes, his eyes heavy with lust. “You’re fucking beautiful.”

  That same lust swirls through me, consuming my body and soul.

  And it’s all for him.

  I swallow hard, my breaths coming in tiny pants as he moves faster. Flashes of white light pop behind my eyes, the flames of passion springing to life deep in my belly. They shoot higher and higher as the eruption builds, sparks shooting out to my fingers and toes. I lock my legs around him, keeping him buried deep inside of me.

  His lips assault my mouth, teeth nipping at my bottom lip. “I can’t do this.”

  I recoil, my eyes wide. “What are you talking about?” I gasp.

  With a sexy grin, he winks at me. “I mean, I want you on your back.”

  I let out a breathless giggle as he lifts me into his arms and carries me out of the shower. Oh God, he can’t get me out of that bathroom fast enough!

  But instead he lowers me to the floor and uses a towel to dry me off, his lips quirking upward. “It’d be a pretty wet bed if I didn’t do this,” he whispers, quickly dragging the towel over his own dripping skin afterward.

  Once we’re finally dry, he lifts me into his arms again and carries me back to the bedroom, lowering me onto the bed, his legs straddling me. I lock my legs around him, pulling him deep as he pushes into me.

  I buck my hips forward, beckoning him, begging him with my body and heart to fill me, to fill the void I never knew was there.

  I dig my fingers into his back, lancing the skin as he thrusts into me with long, deep strokes. I clench my muscles tight around him, pulling him deeper until the euphoric fog once again consumes my mind. I rock my hips into him, writhing wildly as his strokes become harder and faster. He slides in and out, the length of his dick rubbing against my clit and driving me damn-near crazy. Sweat pearls across my chest, my short, sharp breaths coming fast and furious. I couldn’t speak if I tried. My brain is on a very salacious vacation right now and cannot be disturbed. Our frenzied bodies shift against each other, slick with sweat and drenched with longing.

  Antonio lifts my hips, holding me in the air as he plunges into me. I grip the comforter in my fists, gritting my teeth to keep the screams from shattering the windows. A fierce rumbling erupts in my core as the sensations flood me with an electrifying bliss so intense, it nearly paralyzes me. He crushes his lips against mine, teeth cracking and tongues coiling. We devour each other with a deep-rooted hunger that cannot possibly be sated.

  Ever.

  He thrusts a few more times, his thick cock throbbing inside of me until he collapses next to me. “That was incredible,” he murmurs, rolling me over so that my head lays on his chest. I trace the lines and swirls of ink that adorn the cuts of muscle and let out a deep sigh, a smile plastered across my lips.

  “Otherworldly,” I say.

  “Are you saying I’m an alien?” he asks with a goofy smirk, nuzzling my neck.

  “No, I’m saying you’re perfect.”

  “So perfection isn’t an ‘of this Earth’ type thing?”

  “Not in my experience.” I snicker, our legs and arms entwined. We lay there for what feels like hours, simmering in our post-coital bliss, tangled together like we can never fathom being torn apart.

  That connection. It’s more powerful than I could have imagined.

  I’ve never felt more amazing than I have in this moment. I want to laugh, scream, and cry because the emotional overload is just too much to process.

  I wanted it all…to feel everything, to experience everything, and that’s exactly what he gave me.

  Everything.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Antonio

  My eyes open a crack as the scent of bacon floats into the air around us. Even down here, away from the kitchen, breakfast beckons us.

  And after hours of being tangled in the sheets with Julia, I need to replenish my energy.

  What better way to do that than with deliciously greasy bacon and Doc’s famous vegetable frittata?

  “Mm,” Julia moans. “What is that?”

  “Breakfast,” I murmur, dropping my lips onto the top of her sweet-smelling head. “Are you hungry?”

  “For more than just food?” She flashes a sleepy grin. “Yes.”

  I keep the smile plastered on my face as she lets out a deep, contented sigh. I don’t need to say the words. She knows what we’re up against...who we’re up against…and the threats lurking. Threats that will soon become a reality, a dangerous one we need to battle.

  And defeat.

  I keep all of that to myself, though. There’s no reason to crush her spirits before she gets to enjoy Doc’s cooking.

  We dress slowly, unable to detach our hands and lips from one another.

  It startles me how in tune we are, how my body craves her presence and immediately feels the emptiness when she so much as steps away, and just how out of sync I’ve been with every other female who’s fallen into my bed.

  “Julia,” I say, catching her by the arms.

  She looks up at me, a question in her clear eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “So much,” I say with a shake of my head. “But that’s not what I need to tell you.”

>   “Okay…” She furrows her brow. “So what is it?”

  I expel a breath, sweeping a hand through my hair. “Look, I know the timing is bad, and there’s a lot we need to deal with right now, but I—"

  A loud chime rings out, jolting me from my thoughts. It blares again. And again. And again.

  ‘What is that?” Julia asks, walking over to the door and pulling it open.

  Loud, booming voices fill the upstairs hallway.

  Male voices.

  I know those voices.

  I grasp Julia’s hand and we walk up to the first floor. Julia hangs behind me until she gets to the top of the stairs and sees the new arrivals.

  Alek and Diego.

  “What the hell are you guys doing here?” I say.

  Diego’s mouth twists into a grimace. “You didn’t think we were gonna let you have all the fun, did you? We’re in this, too, with plenty of reasons to slaughter the Fortunato family.”

  She drops my hand and runs into Alek’s waiting arms. “Alek! Oh my God! It’s so good to see you!”

  He gives her a big squeeze. “Everyone sends their regards.”

  “Thank you,” she murmurs. “For everything you’ve done for us.” Her eyes flit in my direction. “And for sending your brothers to me. They saved my life.”

  “I respect your father. He’s like family. And we take care of family.” Alek looks at me. “That’s why we’re here. To protect our own.”

  “And to destroy those motherfucking Fortunatos,” Diego growls. “I’ve got dibs on the old man, just so everyone knows. I’ve got big plans for that sonaofabitch after what he did to Serena and her family. He’s gonna pay in blood and body parts.”

  “We’ve got plenty of reasons to tear Fortunato apart, limb by limb,” Alek says. “But we can’t do anything unless we get a location on him.”

  Doc herds us into the kitchen. “Well, in that case, sit down and eat. There’s plenty of food, and you don’t want to go on a killing spree with empty stomachs.”