by LC Taylor
She followed me into the bathroom.
“Holy shit.” She stood there, mouth gaping as she took in the room.
“Yeah, it’s pretty sick, isn’t it?” I smiled. This was still my favorite room.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
I turned on the shower, setting the temperature to hot, “If it’s too hot, use this dial to adjust the temperature. Towels are in the cabinet there.” I pointed. “Feel free to use whatever you need. I’ll be in the living room.”
I left her alone and plopped down onto the couch. Hearing the water running, knowing she was getting undressed on the other side of the door, left me uncomfortable. My dick was growing hard with visions of her smooth naked skin under the water.
Slipping my phone out, I called down to the bar and asked Carlisle to send someone out for food. Disconnecting the call, I leaned my head back.
Why had I suggested she come here?
It was going to be nearly impossible to keep my hands off her. The rattling of my phone on the table caused me to jerk upright. “What?”
“Sorry, Boss, but we found Jose.”
“Where?”
“Outside his trailer. He’s dead.”
“Fuck.” I stood up and stared out the window of my apartment. “Do we know who did it?”
“Got some ideas. It looks like a professional hit, even though they tried to make it look otherwise.”
“The Sureños. Any leads on the merchandise?”
“Nope. Whoever did this intended to shut him up so we couldn’t get anything out of him.”
“Go through his trailer. See if there’s anything there that will help us find the missing cargo.”
I turned, finding Madison standing in the door with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. Her legs disappeared beneath the white cotton fabric she was clutching in her fingers.
“I need to take care of some things. Let me know what you find.” I hung up and slipped my phone in my pocket.
“Everything alright?”
“I left my bag out here.” She pointed to the duffle bag at my feet.
“Shit.” I picked it up and walked toward her. “Here.”
I thrusted the bag at her. She tried to grab it with one hand, but it slipped from her grasp and hit the floor. Bending down, I grabbed it. My eyes couldn’t stop staring at her toned legs peeking out from under the towel. I stepped closer and rose, holding the bag. Nearly pressing against her. “Let me help you with this.” I pushed around her and stepped into the space.
“Thank you,” Madison’s voice was barely a whisper.
Turning to look at her, I cupped her cheek in my palm, “Stop thanking me.”
She leaned her head into my hand and closed her eyes, “Why are you doing this for me? You barely know me.”
“I don’t know.”
Madison took a deep breath. Her eyes held my gaze in question.
Running my thumb across her bottom lip, I said, “Get dressed before I change my mind about being a gentleman.” Stepping around her, I shut the restroom door and strode to the kitchen. I needed more whiskey if I was going to survive the night.
I’d downed two more glasses by the time she stepped out. She was dressed in a pair of black leggings and an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was down, still wet from the shower.
“Do you need anything?”
“No, you’ve done more than enough.”
“Dinner will be here momentarily. I sent someone to my brother’s restaurant to get us food.”
“Restaurant?” Her forehead furrowed.
“Yes. My brother Vincenzo owns Bellissimo Amore.”
“Wow! Two successful brothers.”
“Three.”
“Three what?”
“Three successful brothers and three successful sisters. My youngest brother, Antonio, owns Anastasi Construction, and my sisters are pretty successful as well. One’s a nurse and the other two are in design school in Milan.”
“Gee, a whole band of siblings who have their shit together. That’s pretty impressive and intimidating all at once.”
“Come sit.” I motioned to the couch, wanting to get to know her a little better. Madison sat at the opposite end and drew her feet beneath her.
“Is the rest of your family here in Vegas?” she asked, twirling her hair in her hand.
“My mother, father, siblings, and a few cousins are here, but my grandparents, the twins, and the rest are still in Sicily.”
“I’ve never been out of Nevada. I bet it’s beautiful there. Do you ever visit?”
“Yes, often. Perhaps I’ll take you someday.”
“Me? Why would you do that?”
I smiled, but as I opened my mouth to answer, my phone buzzed. “Yes? Great. I’ll let you up.” Standing, I walked to the panel against the wall and entered a code. “Dinner’s here.” The elevator whirred to life, signaling the arrival of our food.
Holly stepped through, carrying several bags from my brother’s place. “Here you go, Mr. Anastasi.” She fluttered her eyes, grinning like a fool.
“Thank you, Holly. Madison, stay there and I’ll bring you your food.”
Holly glanced toward Madison sitting on the couch, her eyes widening with shock. It was the first time a woman had ever been in my place outside of delivering food to me, and Holly knew that. My employees knew I used the private rooms of the bar or Fantasia for entertaining women. I escorted Holly to the elevator and keyed in the code to take her back down to the bar. Once the doors shut, I grabbed the bags and carried them over to Madison.
“Let’s eat.”
Chapter 11
Madison
The food was beyond amazing. Every bite was like an explosion of flavors in my mouth. I couldn’t have stopped the moans coming out of my body if I wanted to.
“I take it you like it?” Massimo smiled, stifling a chuckle.
“Yea,” I wiped my mouth. “Sorry, I don’t think I’ve ever had anything this good. Please tell your brother it was divine.”
“I’ll take you there and you can tell him yourself.” I watched as he took the trash and carried it to the kitchen. “I’m going to go change, do you need anything before I do?”
“No. I’m going to grab my laptop and submit some work to my professors.”
I stood and found my bag on the floor and carried it to the couch. Hearing the click, I glanced toward the closed door. I could hear him moving around, making me fantasize about his naked physique.
Shaking my head, I pulled out my laptop and sat down. I had to send several assignments that were due on Monday. Luckily, I had already finished them, leaving my weekend open to figure out what I was going to do about my apartment. After firing off a few emails, I shut the lid and tucked it back in my bag. I leaned back onto the leather cushion. His couch was more comfortable than anything I’d ever owned in my life. The sound of the door opening made my eyes snap to the bathroom. Massimo stood shirtless in the entryway.
He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts, leaving little to the imagination as his manhood was outlined beneath the clingy fabric. Panning my eyes up, I studied the hard lines of his sculpted chest. He obviously worked out—and often.
When I reached his face, I realized he was watching me with amusement. “Um, I’m kind of tired. Can you get me a blanket?” I blurted, trying to avoid the fact I’d been caught drooling over his body.
“Get in the bed, Madison. I already told you I’d take the couch.”
“I feel bad. Seriously, this couch is way more comfortable than the one I sleep on in my apartment.”
Massimo stalked toward me; every part of my body tingled with awareness. This man sparked a need that frightened me to the core. Stopping in front of me, he leaned down, trapping me between his arms on the couch.
“You will take my bed. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.” My throat closed, causing the words to squeak out.
Massimo kept me caged in, his eyes roaming my body
. “Good. Let’s get you into my bed.” He slipped his arms beneath me and hauled me over his shoulder.
“Massimo!” I cried out as he walked me to his bed. I could hear the rustle of the covers just before he tossed me onto my back. Climbing onto the bed, he crawled up until he was leaning over my body. His arms were pressed into the bed on either side of my head. To someone walking in on us, it would look like we were in an intimate position.
“What are you doing to me?” he whispered as he stared down at me. I could see the internal battle raging behind his eyes. “Get some rest. We’ll talk about what to do about your place tomorrow.”
He crawled away, pulling the covers over me. I watched as he turned his back to me, snatched the comforter off the end of the bed, and walked to the couch. Grabbing a remote, he pressed a couple of buttons, bathing the room in darkness. The sound of his body brushing the leather as he got on the couch to sleep, it caused me to feel guilty. I was in his bed when it should’ve been me sleeping there.
My eyes stayed open, staring into the dark where he laid. I was scared to close my eyes, fearful someone would break-in while I slept. I waited, listening for his breathing to even out, but he was having just as much trouble falling asleep as I was.
“Massimo?” I whispered into the dark.
“Something wrong?” his deep voice grunted.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Do you need another blanket?”
“No... I...” I sighed into the room, “this place is foreign to me. Do you think you could come lay beside me?”
I could hear his sharp intake of air. “You want me to get in bed with you?”
“I know it’s silly because we don’t know each other, but you make me feel safe, and right now, I am scared to close my eyes.”
I heard the movement of his body as he stood. His feet made a slight thumping sound as he walked toward me. The bed dipped on the opposite side as he climbed in.
“Go to sleep.”
“Thank you, Massimo—for everything.”
My eyes began to get heavy as I listened to his breathing. It wasn’t long before sleep took over me, casting me into the dream realm. Dreams that were filled with the man lying in bed beside me.
Chapter 12
Massimo
I couldn’t believe I was lying in bed beside Madison. I never had a woman I wasn’t fucking in bed before, and never one in my personal space. Her breathing told me she’d finally gone to sleep. I closed my eyes, praying for my erection to go away, so I could get some sleep as well. Taking a couple of deep breaths and letting them out, I clenched my hands. As much as I wanted to touch her, I needed to give her time. I could tell she wanted me, but she needed to be ready for what I had to offer and right now she was too vulnerable.
Movement in the bed caught me off guard as an arm draped across my bare chest. Turning my head, I realized Madison had rolled over in her sleep, snuggling against my body. I debated whether to wake her, finally deciding to leave it alone. It wasn’t like I was hurting from the current position I was in, well not really. If she moved her arm any lower, she would notice the hard on I was sporting. She shifted again, pressing her head into the crook of my shoulder. Giving up on keeping my hands to myself, I wrapped my arm around her and tugged her against me. She wiggled, blowing out a breath of warm air against my skin. Nestling closer, I closed my eyes and gave in to the exhaustion I’d been fighting.
Even in sleep, my visions were filled with her. Everything about this woman called to my soul. I felt an innate need to show her she was worth more than she believed. Everything about her sucked me in. I wasn’t sure if she felt the same, but after tonight... she was mine.
♦♦♦
The sun warmed my skin as it peeked through the windows. Stretching, I remembered the warm body pressed against me was Madison. Glancing at her body melded to mine, I struggled to keep my hands off her skin. Even through the bulky t-shirt she wore to bed, I could feel the curves hidden beneath it.
“Massimo?” She stretched, her leg rubbing against my erection.
“Madison,” I ran my hand through her hair, “did you sleep well?”
Jerking away from me, she sat up. “Why are we in bed together?”
“You asked me to sleep here, remember?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Shit.” She pulled the sheet over her body, clutching it beneath her neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I rolled to my side and propped myself onto my elbow, “Why? I can be a gentleman.”
“I know. I just...” She shifted nervously. “We barely know each other and you're my boss.”
I rolled away from her and stood beside the bed. “It was innocent, Madison. You were still upset over what happened at your apartment and needed to feel safe.”
Even though I knew sleeping beside her changed everything for me, she needed time to accept the pull between us. Padding my way toward the bathroom, I glanced back at her. She was watching my every move, her knuckles white as she gripped the cotton fabric. “I’m going to shower, then we can discuss what to do from here.”
I pushed the door, leaving it slightly ajar in case she needed me. The protector in me needed to know she was always safe, even in my own home. Turning on the water, I stripped off my boxers and stepped beneath the hot stream. This woman had me all twisted up inside, and she probably didn’t even know it. Bracing my hands against the cool tile, I let my head drop. The heat of the spray washed over me as the stall filled with steam. My mind couldn’t stop thinking about Madison and the desire to keep her. She was going to fight me every step when she realizes I’m not letting her go back to that dump. She wasn’t going to have to struggle ever again. Starting today.
She just needed to see it my way, like everyone else did. No one argued with what I wanted. I asked, they made it happen. This was no different. My father raised me to be a leader. To take control and take what I wanted. Thinking about my father reminded me of the missing shipment. We knew it was the Sureños who’d intercepted the transport with the help of Jose Juarez, and he was now dead.
Turning my head to stare at the cracked door, I could just barely see Madison standing in front of my bed. She had her duffle bag in front of her and some clothes laid out on the mattress. I wondered if she realized I could see her standing there. My dick throbbed at the sight of her. I couldn’t help but reach down and fist myself.
I couldn’t see much of her, but what little I did see had me harder than I’d ever been before. Trapped in utter fascination, I watched as she pushed her leggings down, exposing her bare ass. The t-shirt hung at her hips, leaving her bare from the waist down. I nearly lost my load, realizing she’d not been wearing any panties. Closing my eyes, I tugged at my flesh. The desire to bury myself in her sweet pussy was overwhelming. Opening my eyes, I noticed she’d slipped on a thong. She was facing the door, but it appeared as though she didn’t realize it was partially open, or that I was currently jacking off.
My fingers gripped my shaft hard as I moved my hand up and down. My free hand braced me against the glass as I continued to watch her. Standing only in a pair of thongs and the t-shirt, she whipped her shirt off, exposing her perfect breasts. They were round with the most beautiful pink nipples. My balls tingled with desire as I pumped faster. My head spun as my back tightened, signaling my release was close. Squeezing my eyes closed, I let myself go. I groaned her name into the room. The force of my ejaculation was unlike anything I’d ever felt. My cum sprayed out of my cock, coating the glass partition as I let out a feral groan. My hand oozed with semen as I jerked the last of my orgasm from my body, nearly blacking out from the powerful force.
When I opened my eyes, I glanced through the crack in the door. My breath caught as I found the most beautiful blue eyes staring back.
She was standing at the door, watching the eruption of my desire as I stood beneath the shower masturbating to the sight of her.
Chapter 13
Madison
; Holy. Mother. Fucking. Shit.
His cock was a monster.
I shouldn’t have gone to the door.
I knew better.
But I thought I heard him call out to me. When I pulled open the door, I froze. He was currently hammering said cock with his hand as he leaned against the glass wall. I should have turned around, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He grunted as his release exploded. I’d never seen so much cum in my life.
Hell, who was I kidding? I’d never been close to a cock.
At barely twenty-one, my sexual experience was a heavy make-out session with a boy from college. He wanted more, but I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. So here I stood, two feet away from the most glorious cock in the world, a virgin.
I held my gaze until the last drop of semen dripped from his penis. Glancing up to his face, I couldn’t turn away. He was staring back at me, his eyebrow cocked in question.
“Um...” I stepped back. “Sorry, I thought you called my name. I’ll just go.”
Tugging the door closed, I ran to the kitchen. I was beyond mortified. I’d just see my boss beating his meat like there was no tomorrow, and I was fairly sure he was masturbating because of me.
“Shit,” I said out loud as I realized he probably saw me changing. Which meant he’d been turned on by me. That sent a thrill through my body, making me fill with desire. Grabbing a cup, I turned on the coffee maker and waited. Maybe we could just pretend that didn’t just happen. What the hell was I going to say? Oops, I didn’t mean to walk in on you masturbating. Or how about the fact I stayed and watched? God... this was fucked up.
“Madison.”
I jumped at his voice, looking up to meet his piercing dark eyes. “Massimo.” He was dressed in a pair of snug dark wash jeans that he paired with a red fitted t-shirt and black blazer.
“I need to handle some business.” He grabbed his cell phone from the charger and shoved it into his pocket.
“Ok, I should probably go back to my place and try to get a hold of the landlord.”