by Tessa Thorne
His face goes blank, as if he suddenly remembers his orders. He isn’t supposed to be my friend. He's supposed to be keeping me safe, and keeping a respectable distance.
“You don’t have to worry about any of that.” He puts his hand on the doorknob and takes another step back. “Your father will make sure everything is taken care of.”
“Sorry, Marco.” His refusal to even give me a little bit of information makes me want to dig in my heels. “It’s just…I’ve never lost a…what I’m trying to say is that Rizzo was my friend, and I want to make sure whoever is responsible pays the price.”
He looks at me for a moment before he speaks. “Have no doubt in your mind. The people responsible will pay the price.”
He nods and closes the door behind him. I wait a moment before pulling my blankets off me and jumping out of bed in my jean shorts and chambray top. The door to my closet swings open silently and Gio steps out with a quizzical look on his face.
He walks over to the table with the takeout. I wonder what he thinks about the family business I brought up. If this gets any more serious, he’s going to have to come to terms with who my family is and what that will mean. At least I know he won’t be intimidated by my father’s men easily.
He ties the takeout bag back up and slips it into his backpack. “This will make great food for our evening picnic.”
He wraps his arms around my waist, hooking his thumbs into my belt loops. “Are you ready to break out of prison?”
“I’m as ready as I’ve ever been.” I reach up on my toes and press my lips against his. “Show me your moves.”
“First, you’re going to need to put on a pair of boots.” He grins looking down at my slippers.
I laugh, my cheeks flushing and change into a pair of hiking boots. He presses the buttons on the edge of the window frame to deactivate the alarm and swings the windows wide open. He throws his backpack on and sits on the windowsill, motioning for me to join him.
“Just watch where I put my hands and feet and follow me down after I hit the ground.”
I can barely hear him over the rush of blood in my ears. “Okay.”
“I’m going to time the climb down based on the motions of the camera.” He puts his hands on my arms, helping calm me down. “It’s important that you don’t hesitate. If you do, the cameras will swing back and you’ll be spotted if anyone is watching the feeds.”
I nod again, fighting the acid churning in my stomach.
“When we hit the ground,” his arms slide down and he holds my clammy hands in his, squeezing them gently, “I’ll take your hand and you have to follow me without hesitation.”
I nod again. My heart is crashing against my chest like a jackhammer.
“Trust me, and we’ll get to the other side of that tree line with no one the wiser.”
He puts one hand behind my neck and pulls me into a kiss. My lips tremble against his, until the touch of his lips soothes me. He presses his forehead against mine as our lips part. “You trust me, right?”
“I do.” I don’t know why. I hardly know anything about him. But I do.
“Let’s do this.”
He smacks me playfully on my ass, swings his legs over the windowsill and begins his climb down.
I lean out the window and watch him as he descends the side of our house from the second floor. His eyes are on me, his hands and feet finding their holds through memory or instinct.
He makes it look easy. But I know it won’t be for me. These two floors look a lot higher than I remember them being.
I sit on the edge of the windowsill and swing my legs out. My heart is beating wildly, my hands are still sweaty, and my tongue feels swollen enough to stop my breathing. I really don’t want to do this, but I know if I don’t do this right, I’ll probably get him caught. And God knows what my dad’s men will do if they catch him in our house at a time like this.
I still don’t know if I’m going to go through with this, but something happens the moment his feet touch the ground. It’s like one of those do-or-die moments you hear about. When he lands on the ground and gestures for me to follow, something clicks inside of me and I drop down from the windowsill, catching my first foothold. I follow the rest of the motions automatically, all worries set aside. The rush of adrenaline takes over my body, and guides me down the side of the building.
Before I know it, I’ve landed on the soft grass in front of Gio, supported by his strong arms. He smiles at me, and takes my hand in his before looking at a camera swiveling on a pole in the distance.
“One, two, three, go.” He tugs on my hand and I follow him in a straight dash to a sculpture in the middle of our yard. We crouch behind it momentarily and I try to catch my breath. Before I know it, he's counting again.
“One, two, three, go.” He pulls at my hand and we sprint across the yard until we stop behind the wrought-iron fence surrounding the pool.
He points to the last camera standing in our way. “One, two, three, go.”
This time we run, and head directly for the trees that line the edge of our property. We make it to the tree line, and I’m laughing even as I’m trying to catch my breath.
He looks back at me, his eyes glowing and he presses me against a tree and his lips crash against mine. Every part of me wants to strip him bare right here and fuck him under the trees.
I sigh into his mouth as he pulls his lips from mine. “That was amazing, Gio.”
I look around for any sign that we’ve been spotted, but there’s nothing. No alarms, no men in suits running to catch us.
“You're amazing.” He kisses me again and squeezes my hips. “On the way back, I’ll show you the timing so you can do it even when you don’t see the cameras.”
He takes my hand and takes me toward a spot in the chain-link fence surrounding our tree line. Some links have been cut, but they're held together by metal clips. The gap wouldn't be noticeable unless you were right up on it. He pulls the links apart for me so I can slip through.
I feel like a new person on the other side of the fence. Free to do what I want, and be with who I want to be with.
He takes my hand again and leads me out of the tree line toward our private road. “My car’s hidden not too far from here.”
Gio takes the keys out of the ignition at the end of the path. I step out of the car, and close the door softly behind me. He looks so incredible stepping out of a classic muscle car.
His rolled-up shirt shows off the corded muscles on his forearms rippling underneath his tattooed skin as he slams the door on the black Camaro. He takes his sunglasses off and tosses them on his seat through the open window, then looks at me across the car. His eyes are shaded by the slowly descending sun. I wish I knew more about what was going on inside his head.
He comes around the car and takes my hand and leads me silently up a hiking path. The sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves are our background music.
I enjoy Gio’s silent company as we hike through the woods for a quarter of an hour until we break into a clearing in the trees. It’s exactly as he described. A tall hill, ringed by trees, secluded from the rest of the world. At a glance you’d find it hard to believe that this spot is just a thirty-minute drive to Brooklyn.
He leads me up to the top of the hill and we drop down on the short grass and look off into the glowing orange sunset.
Gio wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him, and I lean my knees against his strong thighs.
“It’s hard to imagine this place is so close to my house, and I didn’t even know it exists.” I look up over head as I hear the screech of a hawk circling above us. “How did you know about this place?”
“It was the best make-out spot back in high school.” He grins at me.
“You went to school here?”
“Yeah.” He nods. “It’s not just mansions in this district,” he teases.
“I wouldn’t know.” I drop my head and put my hand into the grass, fe
eling the blades between my fingers. “I went to private school.” He nods.
“About ten years back,” he gestures back to where we parked the car, “we’d come up here Fridays after football games, start a fire, drink beers…make out.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“It was.” He looks off into the sunset with a look of sadness in his eyes.
“I wonder what it would have been like to go to a school like yours.”
He turns to me and runs his fingers through the back of my hair. “I'd have made you my girl.”
“Even if one of my dad’s men threatened to cut your…” I trail off as I point between his legs.
“What’s the point of having a cock if you can’t use it with the woman of your dreams?”
“No way.” I push on his shoulder playfully. “There’s no way you mean that.”
He turns toward me, and my heart beats wildly at seeing the intensity in his eyes. “It wouldn’t have mattered when I met you. I know that the moment I laid eyes on you, I wouldn't stop until I had you.”
“What if I said no?” I challenge.
He wraps his arm around my waist and falls on top of me, pressing me against the grass. “You wouldn’t have.”
He looks down on me, his powerful shoulders framed against the sky, hair tousled, an arrogant grin curved onto his lips, and I know I wouldn’t. I couldn’t resist him then, just as I can’t resist him now.
He lowers his head slowly, teasing me, until his lips barely brush against mine. I can feel the heat rising in my core, and my lips swelling as my body begs for his cock. I spread my legs, making room for his hips, but he rolls over to the side and reaches for his bag.
“I’m starved.” He opens up the stapled bag and passes out the containers of Chinese food.
I sit up on my elbows and take one of the containers he passes me. “Are you teasing me?”
“Not exactly.” He looks at me through shaded eyes, and his grin widens. “I want to have you in your bed.”
My heart jumps in my throat and my eyes go wide. “No, not in my house.”
“Why not?”
I slap him on the shoulder. “You know exactly why. My mom’s in the Hamptons, but my dad’s going to be home tonight.”
He stuffs a dumpling into his mouth and swallows. “Then it’ll just be that much more exciting.”
I open up my container of noodles and nibble on a bit of it. My stomach is roiling again, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold the food down. I look up at him. “If he caught you, he’d literally kill you.”
I can’t believe I just said that, but I don’t think he quite realizes who my dad is. It’s been hard to even admit it to myself my whole life, but I’ve come to terms with who he is. I don’t know exactly what it is I feel for Gio, but I know I couldn’t forgive myself if he was killed because of me.
Gio puts down his container of dumplings and leans in toward me. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
“Yes.”
“Did you think you’d see me again after I left?” He inches his body closer to me. I can feel the heat radiating off his skin.
“No.”
He’s closer now, his hand on my thigh, his fingers lightly brushing against my skin. “Do you remember what we did at Marcello’s? Have you ever done anything like that before?”
“No.” My voice is a hoarse whisper. I spread my knees and lift my hips as his hand brushes closer to the edge of my shorts.
“Do you remember what it felt like to be pressed against the glass, with your tits swinging above your club as I fucked you with my cock?”
My eyes are locked onto his fingers as they move past the hem of my shorts, and I lift my hips as his thumb presses between my legs. I gasp out a breath as his lips press against mine and his tongue slips inside to dance with mine.
He pulls away, his eyes drawing mine. “What did it feel like when you walked back downstairs that night?”
“I was so embarrassed.” My lips part as his thumb presses again, and I can feel my wetness pooling in my panties. It’s so hard to form a coherent thought. I just want him to fuck me. Why is he making it so hard? “I thought everyone was giving me looks like they’d seen me.”
He takes my hair in his free hand and tilts my neck back so he can press his soft lips under my ears. “And what about after that?”
He lowers my head until I’m flat on the grass and moves his hand to my belly, letting his fingers hover just above the waist of my shorts. I breathe in, sucking in my belly, giving him room to slip his hand in, but he lingers there, teasing me.
“I felt…” I gasp again as he slips the tips of his fingers inside my shorts, brushing against my panties. He kisses my neck and trails the tip of his tongue lightly against my skin. “I felt confident.”
“What else?” My eyes roll into the back of my head as he dips his fingers into my panties and pushes the tip of one finger into my entrance.
“I don’t…” I groan as he slips his wet finger up between my lips and brushes it lightly against my clit. I just want him to tear my panties off and stick his dick in me right now. “I felt powerful.”
He circles my clit with his finger and slips it back down and plunges it deep into my pussy. I arch my back as he curls his finger inside me, rubbing against my G-spot. “I felt unstoppable.”
He unbuttons my shorts and pulls down the zipper as he plunges another finger inside my pussy and thrusts inside me. I open my legs wide and moan into the open air as I hear his fingers working my wetness. “I felt like I could do anything.”
His lips rain kisses on my neck as he squeezes my breast inside my shirt, pinching my nipple, and he pounds me furiously. I curl my toes inside my boots, lift my ass off the grass to press against his hand and open my mouth in a loud groan as my pussy clenches against his fingers in the throes of an orgasm.
He takes his fingers, presses them against his lips and licks my juices clean. “I love the way you taste.”
I look at him through hazy eyes, and all I want is to push his face between my legs and let him taste me again and again.
He’s right. Everything we’ve done has been something new. Something I never thought I’d do. Something forbidden and empowering. What’s another risk in light of all we’ve already done?
I put my hand around his bicep and pull myself up against him, and press my lips against his. I lean in and press my lips against his ears. I know him enough to know what it’ll take to get what I want. And I want him badly enough that I’m no longer willing to hesitate. “I want you to take me home and fuck me in my bed.”
He takes my arm in his and lifts me up through my window. I can’t believe I managed to get back in my room in the dark without being caught.
“You’re a natural.” Gio’s got me convinced I could actually do this on my own.
“Keep your voice down,” I whisper as I put my finger up against his lips and he gives it a kiss.
I sit down on my bed and try to take my boots off. I really regret picking out shoes with so many laces.
Gio sits on the windowsill doing the same thing. He kicks his shoes off before me, stands up in front of me opening his shirt, and throws it to the floor.
This is the first time I've seen him shirtless in bright light. His tattoos extend from his arms over his shoulders and his pecs. What I hadn’t noticed before are the long scars covering his body. These scars remind me of the bruises over his knuckles and the unanswered question of who he was looking for at Hush that first night. But those thoughts quickly fade as his pants drop to the floor, and his underwear is all that's left containing his bulging cock.
“Stand up.” He motions to me with a crooked finger.
I stand up from the bed and kick off my boots, failing to peel my eyes off his crotch.
He steps in front of me, and undoes the buttons on my shirt, letting it fall on the floor on top of his. Then he unbuttons my shorts and tugs them past my hips and lets them fall around my feet.
I watch him in my mirror with quickened breath as he puts his arms around me and unhooks my bra, letting it fall in front of me. Then he lowers himself to a squat in front of me, hooks his thumbs into the sides of my panties and slowly pulls them down my hips.
He stands up in front of me, his cock twitching in his underwear, and his eyes drinking up every inch of me. I’ve never felt so exposed…and so aroused. I can feel my lips swelling, and my pussy starting to drip.
“If the sight of you could be the last I ever lay eyes on, I’d give up my eyes happily.” He puts a hand into my hair and grips it tight in his fist. “Tonight, I will own you.”
I moan softly in his mouth as he crushes his lips against mine, his tongue rushing between my lips to devour me.
He pulls me back from the kiss by my hair, nipping at my tongue. “Say ‘red’ if you want me to stop.” He grabs my breast with a free hand and pinches my nipple, pulling it roughly. I yelp as I feel myself swaying between pain and pleasure.
“Do you understand?” Before I can answer, his mouth falls on my hard nipple and he devours it, soothing it with a wet stroke of his tongue. I’m afraid, but I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything before. I want him to own me, so I can be free.
“Yes,” I gasp out as he bites and tugs on my nipple. “I want you to own me.”
He smiles, and his eyes bore into mine. “Bend over against the bed.”
I hesitate for a moment, then turn around and bend over, bracing myself on my elbows on the edge of the bed. I can feel the heat of his body behind me, inches from mine. I look behind me as he pulls down his underwear, letting his massive cock bounce free.
“Put your arms behind your back.”
I look behind me at his cock just above my ass, as I lower my front half to the bed and hold my hands behind my back. He takes a scarf from the top of my dresser, and ties my wrists tightly together as his cock presses against my ass.
He steps up behind me, spreads my legs apart, and lets his cock press up between my cheeks. Then he drops down to his knees between my legs, squeezes my ass cheeks, and presses his lips against them. He kisses his way down my cheek, to my inner thigh, and drags his wet tongue on the edge of my pussy. I try to shove my pussy into his mouth but he presses me back with a loud slap on my ass.