As if Stella’s comfort had anything to do with my need to cover her with one of my T-shirts.
Hurt flickered in her expression, catching my half-functioning brain by surprise. I didn’t get the chance to analyze the look because she whirled around and returned to the bathroom.
Stella
I clutched the clothes to my chest, stunned by the wave of disappointment I felt. At first, when I’d realized I’d have to wear my mother’s ridiculous negligee I had been embarrassed, but after putting it on, I’d secretly been excited about Mauro’s reaction.
I hadn’t expected him to look almost appalled. Trying not to take this to heart was difficult, even when I should have been relieved. Mauro’s reaction was normal. Mine wasn’t. He acted like a stepbrother should.
I peeled out of the negligee and got into Mauro’s clothes. The shorts hung very low on my hips and the T-shirt reached mid-thigh. Taking a deep breath, I emerged again, determined to get a grip and stop seeing anything more than family in Mauro.
I couldn’t read the look Mauro gave me. It was only a few minutes past seven, but I felt tired. I’d barely slept last night, and I wasn’t sure if I’d get any sleep tonight. It had been silent above our heads for a while now.
“Do you think they are gone?” I asked as I headed over to Mauro’s bunk where he sat hunched over a semi-automatic from the rifle cabinet behind the ladder, putting it back together after dismantling it.
He glanced up, his eyes dragging over my body in a way that sent a little shiver down my spine. Did his gaze linger on my bare legs?
Do not go there…
“I doubt it. They could be taking apart room after room in search of something useful. Like the code to this room.”
My eyes widened.
Mauro shook his head. “It’s not written down anywhere. Only Father and I know it, as well as a few trustworthy men.”
I sank down beside Mauro and his body became taut. I mourned the fact that he’d put on a shirt. Our eyes met, and I held my breath, not even sure why. Something in Mauro’s brown eyes sent a spear of longing through my body.
“Aren’t you tired?” he asked. His voice held a strange note.
“I am,” I admitted. My eyes burned from lack of sleep and the dry air down here.
“Why don’t you take the bed over there?” He nodded toward the bunk across from his.
“Do you want to get rid of me?” My joke backfired because Mauro didn’t laugh.
He focused on the gun, and his lack of a reply was all the answer I needed. “I need to check the remaining guns to make sure we have enough firepower.”
I stood. I didn’t want to push myself on Mauro when he obviously wanted to be alone. Hiding my disappointment, I slipped under the blanket in the narrow bunk. The coarse material was cold and smelled faintly of disuse. I rolled over, away from Mauro, needing privacy.
The click of him working on the guns rang in the panic room. It wasn’t what kept me awake, not even the light—which he dimmed a bit later. My thoughts whirred in my head. Thoughts about Mauro, about my feelings for him, about the men in the house, about their horrible motives. And worry if Mauro’s and my relationship would be even worse off after this. It felt as if something was shifting between us—again.
I stared at the gray concrete, listening to Mauro until he, too, seemed to have lain down. He turned the lights off except for a faint glow, probably the lamp he’d prepared for use in the afternoon.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been lying motionless in the bunk before I couldn’t take it anymore. “I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about them upstairs, waiting for a chance to get to us. And it’s freezing down here.” The blanket wasn’t very thick.
Mauro sighed. “I can’t turn the heat up. I don’t know how long the generators can keep up all the essential facilities and we need to stay for three days unless someone checks on the mansion sooner.”
I shivered again and turned around, peering over to Mauro in the bed across from mine. He was facing my way as well. The dim gas lantern on the floor between us threw shadows on his face that made it impossible to read his expression from where I lay. “Can I come under your blanket? I’m shaking so bad.”
Even as I said the words, alarm bells rang in my head. Considering my feelings for Mauro, sharing a narrow bed with him seemed like a dangerous option.
Don’t be stupid.
Mauro only saw me as his little stepsister. I wasn’t a woman to him. He probably didn’t even realize I had breasts and a vagina.
Mauro tensed. Not only did he have to babysit me and was now stuck in a panic room with me, now I wanted to intrude on his personal space.
My cheeks burned at the resulting silence. I was glad for the dark that hid my mortification from his vigilant eyes. Why couldn’t I stop acting like a stupid kid around him?
When I’d given up hope that he’d reply, his low voice sounded. “Sure.”
I scrambled out of my bunk, shivering when my bare feet touched the cold stone floor, and hurried the few steps over to Mauro. He lifted the covers, and I crept under them. The bunk was small, and our bodies brushed despite my butt dangling over the edge. Mauro shifted back until he bumped against the wall, allowing me to lie down more comfortably.
Suddenly I was caught in the reality of the situation. Mauro looked down at me with a tight expression. He was lying ramrod straight, his arm resting awkwardly on his side. Our faces were close enough to kiss, and I wanted nothing more, but I wasn’t insane. I wouldn’t make a fool out of myself again.
I cleared my throat, which was the equivalent of an explosion in the silence of the room. “I’m going to turn around.” Mauro didn’t say anything. I quickly rolled over and my ass bumped against his crotch.
His low exhale made me swallow. God, this bunk was too narrow for two people who weren’t intimate. “You can wrap your arm around me.”
What was wrong with me?
But I wanted him to wrap his arm around me.
He shifted again and hesitantly touched his palm to my hip. It was warm and big, and more distracting than I thought a touch like that could be.
Mauro was almost… shy? Though maybe shy was the wrong word. He was careful. Maybe he was worried to scare me? He knew I’d never been in bed with someone. Heat washed over me.
He finally wrapped his arm around me, his heat singeing my back and stopping my trembling. I released a soft sigh, snuggling closely against him. His palm against my belly felt perfect.
“You’re so warm and strong.”
Had I just really said that?
Mauro let out a strangled sound that might have been a laugh.
Of course, I couldn’t shut up because when I was nervous, and for some reason, Mauro suddenly made me very nervous, my mouth always ran free. “I’m glad we’re family so nobody can construe any crazy rumors when we share a bed. It’s not like something could happen between us. I mean, we’re practically sister and brother.” But damn it, my feelings weren’t sisterly in the slightest.
“But we’re not,” Mauro said in a low rumble that made me melt.
“No, we’re not,” I agreed quietly.
Mauro’s scent engulfed me, his warmth was everywhere. And the feel of his body shielding mine, it was better than anything I’d ever felt. Despite my worry about what was going on in the house, I drifted off, knowing Mauro would keep me safe.
Chapter Four
Mauro
Stella fell asleep, her body softening against mine. Sleep was out of the question for me. My body thrummed with adrenaline and worse, desire. Feeling Stella’s body so close to mine, her firm, little butt pressed against my crotch, my dick was getting ready to rumble.
I tried to bring at least a few inches between my hardening cock and Stella’s ass, but the wall behind me made that impossible.
With a sigh, I tried to get some rest. Stella was oblivious to my body’s reaction to her closeness. She released a small sigh and moved closer to me once more, bumping i
nto my cock. Knowing it was a losing battle, I wrapped my arm more tightly around her middle and settled comfortably against her.
I must have fallen asleep because sometime later I startled awake. Stella too stirred at my sudden move. She had turned around while we were both asleep and now faced my way. She blinked up at me, disoriented, her face so close to mine our lips were almost touching. I’d never woken beside a woman. It was too intimate and too risky for someone as distrustful as me.
“What’s wrong?” Stella mumbled, yawning before flashing me an embarrassed smile. She shifted and dug my morning erection into her lower belly, causing me to groan. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. Even in the dim light of the gas lantern, her embarrassment was unmistakable.
I had no way of pulling back with the wall against my back. Gritting my teeth, I pushed up on my elbow. “Can you sit up? I need to check on the door. A noise woke me.”
It was a fucking lie. I wasn’t sure what had woken me from my dream—a dream with Stella in a leading role. Stella scrambled back and sat up, slanting me a quizzical look. I slipped out of the bunk and stood, glad to be rid of her tantalizing warmth. Her gaze darted to my sweatpants then jerked back up and she got even redder, which seemed hardly possible. I stifled a laugh. She pointedly avoided looking at me after that and I went over to the door, peering up. It was still safely locked. I didn’t hear a sound above our heads.
“You’re not thinking about opening it, right?”
Stella stood and came over to me, her arms wrapped around her chest.
“No,” I said. The silence above could be a trap. The attackers could be lying in wake. Even though I was a good shot, it would be near impossible to win against several opponents.
Stella yawned again.
“Why don’t you try to sleep again? It’s still early.”
“Won’t you join me?”
I shook my head. “I’m not tired.” In truth, I just needed some distance between us.
Nodding, she returned to the bed and closed her eyes.
I watched her for a few seconds. We’d have to spend at least two more nights down here. Two nights in which I needed to get a grip on myself.
Stella
When I asked Mauro the next evening if we could share a bunk again because I couldn’t fall asleep alone in my cold bed, he hesitated. Maybe he was embarrassed because of what had happened this morning? It surprised me. Mauro didn’t strike me as someone who was easily embarrassed. And a morning erection was pretty common from what I knew.
Still, a silly part of me hoped he’d been hard because of me and not a dream of another woman.
Eventually he nodded and lifted the blankets. With a smile, I slipped under them and settled with my back against his chest. I wasn’t tired. Locked in the panic room, we hadn’t done much all day, except to eat and talk about Mauro’s past missions or funny childhood memories. Mauro wasn’t asleep either. Sometimes I wondered how he’d react if I told him about my feelings. If he’d laugh at me, it would maybe end my crush, but I was too scared of it.
Mauro’s hand on my hip shifted, and I realized his thumb was lightly tracing my skin over my shirt. The touch sent a tingling straight to my core. I bet he didn’t even realize what he was doing, probably lost in thought.
I wanted him even closer. I shifted until our bodies were completely flush, and then something hard pressed into my butt.
I’d never been with a man, not even been allowed to be alone with anyone who wasn’t family or an elderly bodyguard, but I wasn’t oblivious or completely unworldly.
Did I… did I actually turn him on?
The thought was exhilarating and delusional at once. Mauro wasn’t into me. But the firm pressure against my lower back told a different story.
I should have ignored it, but I simply could not. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I rolled over until his bulge bumped into my lower belly. Mauro gritted his teeth and I let out a surprised gasp at the harsh look on his face. “Mauro?”
My voice shook with… nerves? Triumph? Excitement? Too much was happening in my body all at once to figure it out. His mouth was set in a tight line, his brows furrowed as he glared down at me. He looked angry, not aroused, but somehow that made him look even hotter.
Mauro
Stella sounded terrified, and what else would she be? She was stuck down here in this windowless prison with me and I was sporting the fucking king of all erections. Feeling Stella’s firm butt rubbing all over my dick had fired up all of my fantasies. First this morning and now.
Now she peered up at my face curiously, as if she was trying to figure me out. Fuck. I swallowed hard and shifted, trying to bring at least a bit of space between our bodies. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Why did it happen?”
If she hadn’t figured it out by herself, I wouldn’t tell her. As long as she remained in her oblivious bubble, the better for us.
“Try to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” I probably wouldn’t catch any sleep tonight anyway, not with Stella’s body so close to mine and my dick eager to claim her.
She pursed her lips. “Mauro, why—”
“Sleep,” I growled.
Stella settled against the pillow but kept her eyes open. I needed her to stop thinking about my fucking erection and why I’d gotten it.
“If the attackers get down here, they’re going to rape me, and torture and kill you.”
Tension shot through my body at her sudden topic change. The thought of anyone hurting Stella like that turned my stomach to stone. I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her. I wrapped an arm around her. “No. They can’t get down here.”
But they had managed to shut off our entire security system. What if they hacked the panic room system as well? It was a closed system, but what did I know? Fuck.
“Do you think it’s the Russians?”
“It could be the Outfit.” It was telling that I wished it was them. They never touched women. Stella would be safe even if they got down here. Their boss, Cavallaro, had a strict policy regarding harming innocent women. Me, they’d dismember and kill, of course.
“It’s sad that yesterday wasn’t even my worst birthday.”
My hold on her tightened, knowing what she was referring to. Her dad had died a day before her sixth birthday. “You’ll get your present once we’re out here.”
“What did you get for me?”
“That’s a secret.”
She cast her eyes up and something in them went straight to my dick. Maybe it was the dim light, but desire and need reflected on her beautiful face. “If we never get out of here alive, I won’t get a birthday present from you.”
“We’re not going to die,” I said firmly.
“But we could.”
She inched closer, her breasts brushing my chest. What was she doing?
She lifted her face, her lips coming closer to mine. I needed to stop her, but I didn’t move a single muscle. “There’s one thing I’ve wanted to do for a long time…”
She took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to my mouth. Her eyes widened. Her lips were satin-soft and she smelled absolutely delicious. I lost it. My arm tightened around her and I pulled her against me, then really kissed her. My tongue plunged into her mouth, discovering her, tasting her, losing myself in the sensation. I slipped my hand under her T-shirt and stroked her back. She shivered, her eyes fluttering shut, her body completely motionless in my embrace. Her tongue met mine and she moaned into my mouth, an eager sound straight out of my dreams. My brain short-circuited. I rolled on top of her, settling between her thighs, feeling the heat of her center through our clothes. My dick twitched and I kissed her even harder, cupping her head.
I jerked back when I realized what I was doing.
She’d given me a shy, innocent kiss, and I’d taken it up another level. Fuck, I’d dragged her from the ground floor to the fucking top level of the Empire State Building with me.
Stella was innocent. I was supposed to protect her
, not manhandle her when she was at my mercy.
Maybe it was cabin fever. I shoved myself off her and stood, trying to rearrange my dick so it was less obvious. As if that still mattered. I’d dry-humped her like a fucking dog. Turning my back on her, I took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry,” I got out.
“Don’t go,” she whispered.
“There’s nowhere I could go.”
“I mean, come back.”
I slanted her a look. She was propped up on her forearm, her hair all over the place and her lips swollen from our kiss. Fuck, she looked absolutely irresistible. Better than in my fantasy.
“Stella—”
“I don’t want to stop kissing you.”
I blinked, not sure if this, too, was part of my overeager mind.
I stepped up to the bed and leaned over her, my arm braced beside her head. Narrowing my eyes, I said, “You know the rules. You know what it means to break them.”
“I don’t care.”
Neither did I. But I should. I damn well should.
She curled her hand around my neck, trying to pull me back down. I resisted. My eyes trailed down her body, lingering on my boxers, which looked fucking perfect on her. “If you knew what I’ve done to you in my fantasies…”
She took a deep breath, then licked her lips in the most tantalizing way possible. “What did you do?”
Nerves and excitement rang in her voice.
“I could show you,” I said. What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t. That was the problem.
She gave a tiny nod. I still didn’t trust my eyes. I leaned down, claiming her lips again, and like last time, she kissed me back. I slid my palm up her thigh, needing to feel proof of her desire for me. Stella didn’t wear underwear beneath my shorts and my fingertips brushed her pussy lips.
She was completely soaked. My fingers glided smoothly over her folds and I groaned, completely lost in the sensation. I’d imagined this moment so often.
“Are you wet for me?” I growled.
LOVE IN LOCKDOWN: A Charity Anthology Page 7