Chapter Twelve
A cold hand squeezed his heart, and guilt gnawed at his insides. He'd been too damn rough, only paying attention to his own wants, and losing her in the process. Yes, he'd wanted to punish her, but this … this despair and fear … he did not want this. Giorgio swore again and caught her wildly flailing hands in his. He was no better than that Renzo, forcing himself on her, and taking his pleasure without any thought to her needs. He shut his eyes in disgust at himself and breathed a sigh of relief when her struggling ceased. Holding her in his arms, he waited for the storm to pass. Shudders racked her small frame, and he muttered words of nonsense intended to soothe, even as his wayward body responded to her proximity with unerring predictability.
When she finally stopped crying, he knew the minute she noticed his predicament. She froze in his arms, and her anguished whisper sliced right through him. "I'm sorry, I can't."
He willed his body back under control and continued to hold her close. Forcing himself to be gentle, he drew lazy circles on her back. He kissed her hair, her jaw, and breathed a sigh of relief, when she angled her head automatically to give him better access.
The wave of protectiveness hit him out of nowhere. His eyes locked with hers. He had to make it better for her, to help her forget.
"Sssshh, cara mia, you can. Trust me." Kissing the new tears away, he felt her sigh of surrender, when his mouth found hers. She opened tentatively, and he wasted no time to swoop in and taste her. The salt of her tears mixed in with the sweet scent that was all her. She tasted of chocolate and vanilla and strawberries all rolled into one, and he took his time exploring her. He nipped and suckled, savoring the taste of her exploding on his tongue, and he barely suppressed his grunt of triumph, when her tongue touched his. They danced together for a while, the kiss growing more urgent, and passionate, only breaking contact to draw much needed oxygen into their lungs, before they delved back into each other.
Giorgio couldn't even remember the last time he'd taken the time to simply make out. It had probably been with her. She had been the only woman he ever cared enough about to enjoy the simple things, to make love rather than have sex. He slid his hands into her hair and gave a small, experimental tug. She moaned and rubbed her breasts against his chest. Her little nipples hardened into bullet points, and he sucked in his breath when she trailed one of her small hands up his thigh. Her fingernails dug into his skin, and his cock surged upwards in response.
He wanted her so fucking badly he ached all over, but he had to take it slow this time. As if to confirm his thoughts, she withdrew, pulled the sheet up to her neck, and shook her head.
"No, you won't want me, not after I tell you what I did, and I have to tell you. You have to know."
"Know what, tesoro?" The ache to hold her, to make her his, threatened to overwhelm him, but he let her scoot away. In a halting voice she whispered what he already knew, her face obscured by the silky curtain of her hair.
"I was a fool, a goddamn fool, who thought I could do anything. These guys were charming and made me feel special, and turning tricks—well, lots of people did that back at Uni. When you're not sure where your next meal is coming from, because you've just spent all your allowance on fees, sucking off a guy for some cash is no big deal."
She glanced at him as if to judge his reaction, and when he simply nodded, she blew out the breath she'd been holding.
"I was trying to finish my assignment when I met him at one of their parties. He was French—that's all I remember, and he was filthy rich. He wined and dined me, and he was interested in my art. He said I had real talent and he could introduce me to some people who would help me at a price. I was flattered by the attention, and the sex was great at first. I didn't even mind him sharing me, because that was still fun, at first.
Only it wasn't just the once, and these new guys … they were rough, and they liked to talk with their fists, and he … anyway, we had a huge row, and I tried to get away. His henchmen beat me up so badly, I couldn't walk for a while."
She shrugged her shoulders at his sharp intake of breath.
"He was all remorseful and attentive, not that I believed him, not really, but he took me to Italy on holiday. A fresh start, he called it. Like the fool I was I went along with it, even though I didn't really believe him, and then I lost yet more money at the casino tables. He gave me a month to pay him off, and then I met you. And I thought I'd escaped it all, only I hadn't of course, because he found me again."
It seemed, now she started, she couldn't stop the frantic words tumbling out of her, and, fists balled at his sides, he made himself listen without interrupting her.
"I know I should have told you, but you were so angry when you found me at the safe. But I still owed him the money, and damn there's something else I can't remember."
She choked on a sob and swiped the tears off her cheeks.
"When I ran away from you, I suddenly had no choice left at all. He caught up with me, and I still had to repay him. He sold me on in a slave auction to regain his money. There were five of us in total, and if I didn’t do what they wanted, they punished us all; and some of the girls were so young, so very young. I couldn't let them take the rap, so I always did what they asked. I became Gemstone. It was easier as her. It wasn't me then. It was just my body, and I could pretend…"
Again her voice trailed off, and tears splashed onto the bed.
The hot ball of fury sat in his gut listening to the things she described. He wanted to rip every one of the bastards' heads off with his bare hands, for daring to touch her. This was his fault. If he had listened to her explanations back then, she would not have been driven into the life she'd tried to avoid. But he hadn't been able to see past his own disappointment. The envelope with the damning pictures had arrived that very morning he'd found her with her hands in his safe, the family's treasured wine recipes in her little hands.
All he had been able to see had been Luc Beauchamp's hands all over his wife. He'd been past listening to any explanations, and when she'd run away that night, his pride hadn't allowed him to go after her. If he had, he could have spared her the life she described.
A life of drugs and prostitution, of pain and degradation. It was a miracle she'd escaped at all. Too many girls didn't. It didn't matter what had let her to that place. The men involved in that shady world were persuasive and convincing, drawing the girls in until they'd had no choice at all. He should know. The Don ran a shelter for abused women, one of his own daughters having fallen afoul of the persuasive eastern European gang when she had just been fourteen, and on holiday with some of her school friends. Don Luigi had his hand in many pies, but prostitution and human trafficking had never been one of them.
"So, I understand, I really do. It's only what I deserve." Her whispered words focused his attention back on her. She looked up at him, her brown eyes huge and shimmering with tears. "You can't possibly want me, knowing all that."
Her eyes grew even wider at his growled response, and the hand he used to guide her to his rock-hard erection shook wildly. "Does this look as though I don't want you, tesoro?"
He touched his forehead to hers, his own heartbeat thundering in his ears. He had to make her understand, none of this mattered, not anymore.
"You did what you had to do, to survive. I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to be touched by a man ever again, but, angelo mio, I want you. I want to help you to forget, to learn to enjoy again. Will you let me? Prego? It's the least I can do."
All his blood shot south at her barely perceptible nod. His heart soared high at the soft feminine moan as her mouth opened to his tongue, exploring the moist heat of her mouth. Take it easy. You don't want to scare her. The kiss was meant to soothe, arouse, and her tentative response had his cock jerk in eagerness. He deepened the kiss, every stroke and tangle, fueling his own need to bury himself deep inside her, even as he pulled back, mindful of her fears. Take it easy, take it easy, a constant refrain in his head. The kiss turned
more and more erotic, and his hands wandered underneath her sheet of their own accord, finding one erect nipple with a small smile of male satisfaction. He swallowed her moan, allowing his movements to become more urgent. His mouth replaced his hand, playing homage to her curves, letting his actions explain what he couldn't put into words. He was going to take his own sweet time, like he should have done the first time. His tongue trailed over the faint bruises left over on her ribs. He tasted her skin, nipping and teasing as he went along, back up to the soft hollow of the throat, where her pulse beat as erratically as his own.
Reclaiming her sweet lips, one hand moved the sheet lower still over her hips. He caressed the soft skin of her tummy and dipped lower still, trailing just one finger across the top of her thighs. Propped up on one elbow, he searched her face for her reaction. As his hand trailed to the inside of her thigh, he felt the trembling tension.
"Ssshhh it's okay, cara. Trust me, open up." His mouth reclaimed hers, his lips nibbling, teasing her to open up to him, careful to keep his hips, and wildly bucking erection away from her. Her whole body trembled when he stilled his movements, and his tongue slowly licked the bruise on her face.
"Touch me, show me what you want, angelo mio." He barely heard her whisper.
"I … I want."
"What cara, this?" One hand moved back to her breasts, kneading, tickling, rolling one nipple, then the other gently in his fingers. Her brown eyes turned darker, and she moaned her consent."Yeeess, don't stop."
He yanked the last of the sheet off her body and drank in the sight of her slight curves. Her waist was so small; his hands could almost span it entirely, as he kissed his way down her quivering body, satisfied that this time she was trembling with need rather than fear.
She didn't stop him when he pulled her legs apart with his. His erection nudged against her thigh, but he could feel the sudden tension in the air again. His sigh of frustration brought her head up, her bottom lip trembling.
"Go ahead. I want you to, really."
He smiled and shook his head. "No, you don't, cara, not yet. Not until you need me as much as I want you."
He shouldered her legs apart wider until all of her pussy was there for him to admire. Slightly swollen her little nub was just visible peeking out from its fleshy hood, her labia slightly puffy and red. This would not do. He wanted her so wet and swollen that she had no choice but to come for him. He wanted to see her clit proud and available to his teeth and his lips, as he wrought every last shudder from her body. Her hips bucked off the bed when he used his thumb to part her pussy lips. He blew across the wet slit and watched as the pink deepened and more of her juices gathered at her entrance. She squirmed under him, and he did it again, drawing small circles around her clit, careful not to touch it. Her breathing sped up, and that little nub of pleasure swelled and grew in front of his eyes.
Throwing her a wicked smile that had her bite her lip, he dipped his head and replaced his fingers with his tongue. The taste of her exploded on his tongue, and he groaned his enjoyment as her cream filled his mouth. He licked her slowly, tunneling his tongue inside her quivering channel, her incoherent moans his reward. She screamed when he sucked her clit into his mouth and bit down, soothing the sting with his lips. He pushed two fingers inside of her, angling them until he found her sweet spot. Oh yes, he had her now. He had forgotten how sweet she tasted, how incredibly responsive she was to him, and the scent of her arousal soothed his guilt. Her hands pulled at his hair, holding him in place, and he slowed his pace. He chuckled at her sigh of protest, when he lifted his head to look up her body. She looked beautiful. Her breasts fell and rose in time with her labored breathing. The rosy blush of arousal spread across her skin, and her head thrashed around on the covers. His chest felt suspiciously tight, seeing her so caught up in her pleasure. The fact that she trusted him enough to let go, meant far too much, and he daren't examine his feelings too closely just then.
"Open your eyes, cara. I want to see you when you come for me."
"I … I can't."
"Really, well in that case…" His chuckle turned into a full laugh, tenderness at her outraged expression overwhelming him when he withdrew his fingers completely. "We will just have to stop then, won't we?" He let his knuckles graze over her tummy. Her gasp gave her away. A man could drown in the soft pool of her eyes, as desire changed them to the color of deep, dark molten chocolate.
"Don't you dare, Giorgio."
"Dare me now, do you, Jem? Have you forgotten what happens if you do?" He turned away from her, and rolled onto his back. Hands under his head he feigned a nonchalance he was far from feeling, as he whistled to himself.
Come on, Jem, show me you're still in there.
The tentative hand she ran over his chest had him curling his toes, in an effort to not let it show how much the simple gesture affected him. Blood roaring in his ears, he willed himself not to react. The pain in his groin became unbearable, as her hands trailed lower, twirling in his chest hair.
"Want something, cara?"
The growled question made her jump. Her cute nose wrinkled in concentration, and her eyes grew huge and pleading.
"I want you, Giorgio, please."
He flipped her over then, all teasing gone at what he saw in her eyes. His fingers found her clit, extracting a renewed gasp, as her juices flowed over his hand. Oh yes.
"Where do you want me, cara, here?" He inserted first one finger, then two deep into her cunt, while his thumb twirled her clit. Her hips bucked wildly, and he held them down with his free hand. Her silky internal muscles contracted around his fingers, when he increased the rhythm. He loved her incoherent moans and sighs, her body slick with sweat, hummed to his tune. Eyes shut, her head thrashed from side to side again, her haggard breathing matched his own, telling him how close she was.
"Look at me, cara, or I'll stop."
Her eyes flew open, her denial on her lips, before his whispered, "Come for me," sent her over the edge. Muscles contracting wildly around his fingers, her hands grabbed the bed sheet helplessly. Tears streaming down her face, her eyes big pools of chocolate locked with his. His fingers milked every last spasm, and he kissed the tears away. The tight feeling in his own chest made him swallow as he positioned himself at her moist, warm entrance, and his eyes searched hers.
"Where do you want me?"
His biceps strained to hold his weight off her, the pain in in his cock unbearable by now, yet he held himself perfectly still. He had to be sure she wanted it this time.
Her sigh of satisfaction made his cock twitch closer, itching to loose himself inside her, and still he waited.
"Cara, speak to me, or this ends now."
The wide smile she gave him undid him completely. She pulled him down for a mind-shattering kiss, and when she released him she whispered in his ear. "I want all of you inside me now."
With a groan he slid home, slowly, carefully, giving her room to adjust. His eyes still searched hers, and it was she who moved to take him in deeper still. Her ankles locked behind his butt, holding him in, and her needy whisper was music to his ears. "Giorgio, please."
He thrust then slowly at first, her sighs in his ears urging him to move faster. Together they set a relentless rhythm, faster, deeper. Her muscles pulled him in until they were fused together as deeply as humanly possible. He kissed any bit of skin he could find, and her fingernails scored his back, as she met him thrust for thrust. The sweet pressure built for both of them. He pulled all the way out and lifted one her legs over his shoulder, before he thrust in again. The tell-tale quivers of the silky walls clasping his cock told him how close she was. One flick of his thumb over her distended clit was all it took to send her hurtling over the edge. He murmured endearments into her neck, until her muscles contracting around him, milking his length sent him right over after her. Each pump more powerful than the last, the full force of the most incredible orgasm he ever had, made him growl her name as he emptied himself deep inside her.
Chapter Thirteen
He. Was. Going. To. Beat. This. Every thought underlined by another vicious hit to the punch bag, the pain shooting up his bruised knuckles proved a distraction from his dark thoughts. Guilt gnawed at his insides, fury at the injustice of it all. He didn't want to think, to feel. He was in control of this, damn it. He was not falling for her again, no fucking way. Giorgio dodged the rebounding punch bag, wiped the sweat off his brow, and forced himself to breathe evenly. She would be waking up soon. He had to get back to her, and he had to have himself under control when he did.
He never should have agreed to this, family be damned. His cousin had no right to ask him to look out for her. And what had he been thinking agreeing to it? He had wanted his revenge, but the frail woman he'd left sleeping wasn't the Jemima he'd known back then. She would have given him merry hell after what he did last night, not curled into a ball, silent tears racking her frail body. Another wave of guilt so raw he could taste the bile on his tongue, brought him to his knees with a string of Italian curses. They echoed around the early morning stillness of the Don's gym room. He'd been no better than that animal Renzo, taking her like that, fury and misery at the hand fate had dealt them obliterating any common sense. Giada would have his balls served up for breakfast if she knew. Another string of curses and one last punch sent the bag flying. The thud masked the noise of the opening and shutting door. The man who entered melted into the shadows, watching Giorgio with a frown.
Too Devious to Tame (The Giovanni Clan) Page 9