by Tessa Thorne
“I own you right now.” He smacks me on the other cheek hard enough to draw a soft yelp. I’m trying to keep my voice down, but it’s so hard.
He rubs his strong hands over the sting, soothing my skin, and I feel his tongue again on the edge of my pussy. Running long wet trails back and forth, teasing me. I put my face into my bed and let it muffle my moan as his tongue drifts over my entrance, tasting my wetness. He pushes his tongue between my folds, licks me down to my clit making my body jump from the sensation.
I can feel him drawing himself closer to me, my legs pressed up against his chest, as he presses his face into my pussy, reaches around and squeezes my breasts roughly, as his tongue begins to work my entrance furiously.
I’m panting from the sensation, and my moans grow louder as he pulls his tongue from my entrance, runs it down to my clit, locks his lips around it and sucks on it hard. I lock my knees, afraid I’ll collapse from the feeling pulsing through my body. He tugs on my nipples as his tongue flicks my swollen nub. My whole body tenses, the feeling of pleasure so intense it’s nearly unbearable, and then it breaks, and I convulse into an orgasm.
I can’t brace myself with my arms tied behind my back, so I press my face against my bed, and moan into it as my body spasms against his relentless sucking. He still hasn’t let go of my clit, as I feel the pleasure swelling again. He lets go of my tortured nipples, and the blood rushing into them unleashes a second wave through my body.
My body goes limp, and my knees drop to the floor. I look up at him through the haze of pleasure still crashing through my body. He owns me now. I’d let him do anything with me he wants.
My eyes are locked onto his massive cock, its tip glistening with his precum. I part my lips and wet them with my tongue, wishing he’d let me return the favor.
He kneels behind me, takes his cock in his hand, and presses it against my swollen pussy lips. I moan as he rubs his tip against my entrance, wishing I could buck back to take his whole length into me, but I want to obey him. Show him I’m strong enough to let him take control of me.
He smiles at me, leans on top of me, and I gasp as he slips a bit farther inside my dripping pussy. He brushes the hair plastered to my forehead with my sweat. “You’re being a good girl, so I’m going to give you exactly what you asked for.”
He grabs me by my forearms, pulls my shoulders back and thrusts his entire length inside me. I offer him no resistance, and my pussy walls are wet and part easily to take his girth. He waits for a moment, watching me looking back at him with his cock buried deep inside me before he pulls back and slams his cock back inside. I grunt with the force of his thrust, and shake with the feeling of his cock rubbing against my clit. He slides in and out repeatedly, fucking me harder and faster. My breathing becomes ragged and loud, until I’m afraid the whole house can hear. I’m afraid I’ll begin to scream at any moment, but I don’t want to say the word and make him stop. I give myself to his pleasure and trust that he'll do what needs to be done.
I look back suddenly as he stops. He lifts me up off the bed by my upper arms, turns me to face him, and kisses my lips. He lifts a bunched cloth to my mouth and shoves it inside. Oh my God. It must be my panties. I can taste my own musk on the damp cloth.
“You don’t want to wake the whole house.”
I close my mouth around the panties as he shoves me back on the bed and ruts me like a wild animal.
I groan into my panties as my pussy begins to clench around his cock. He lets go of my arms and grabs onto my hips instead as he slams his cock deep inside me. I arch my back, curl my toes, and clutch with my hands at empty air, as an orgasm tears through me. Black dots cloud my vision as he fucks my convulsing body, holding me on the bed with his raw strength until I feel his cock pulse inside me, and unleash his cum deep in my belly.
He collapses beside me, his sweaty body pressed against mine. He pulls the soaked panties out of my mouth, and smashes his lips against mine.
I lie there on the bed, my breasts heaving against him, my arms sore from being tied behind my back. He lies next to me for a moment, his chest rising rapidly, his cock slowly going soft against my leg. He rises, reaches behind me and unties my hands.
He cups my face in his big hand, rubs his thumb against my cheek and kisses me softly. “I don’t think I can ever let you go.”
I let out a long sigh, as my body shakes from another wave of pleasure that washes through me. “Then don’t.”
“I won’t accept being your secret lover.” He cups my breast and squeezes it softly as he gently nuzzles on my nipple, sending another wave of pleasure through me.
I lie there next to him, feeling his soft tongue swirling around my nipples. My skin tingles from my scalp to the tips of my toes.
“We can find a way.” I brush my hands through his hair as he pulls his lips from my breast. “You’ve shown me that much.”
It may be the sex that’s clouding my mind, or the rush of having been fucked in the most forbidden place imaginable. But I think I’m going to tell my dad. I want to be like that hawk at the clearing. Proud, fierce and free. And if my dad cares for me, he’ll just have to accept my choice.
Chapter Eight
Giovanni
I lie awake under the sheets next to the woman I shouldn't be falling in love with. I didn’t come here intending for this to happen. I didn’t want to fuck her. Well, I wanted to fuck her, but I didn't want to lead her on more, given what I have to do.
Her breathing is gentle now, and her eyes have stopped flickering. She’s in a deep sleep, exhausted after her wild night. I don’t want her to feel like I’ve used her, but how could I have denied her after she told me she wanted me to own her?
I carefully get out from under the sheets and start putting my clothes on. Maybe this doesn’t have to be the end of it. There has to be a way for her to want to stay with me after I do what I must. It won’t be easy, but nothing good in life comes easy.
I reach into my backpack and pull out the small leather case of equipment I brought with me. Could she possibly forgive me if I kill her father? Even after I show her what he did to my family? Would I even have the right to ask for her forgiveness?
I exit her room carefully, thankful for the plush carpeting throughout the house. There are no cameras inside. The only lights and sound in the house are from the television in the living room downstairs. I head down the stairs and into the basement, where I know my first target is. Using a small flashlight, I locate the security panel and get to work.
I smile as I begin to open the panel. This is a good system. Don Pavoni didn’t cheap out on protecting his family. But it’s no match for my equipment and training. Before long, I’ve secured a backdoor into their security system, and I’ll be able to get in and out without anyone being the wiser.
Next I tap his phone, and plug a transmitter into his internet. Now all that's left is to plant my listening devices in places where he’s likely to talk business. So far, all I have are suspicions. My contact at the FBI sent me the file on the Pavonis, but he had no solid information on the rumors that the Don was the one who ordered the hit on my family. They're just rumors, as unreliable as the dying words of two Mafiosi who ratted him out in the end. I don’t want to take Alessandra’s father from her on the weight of rumors and the words of rats. I need proof. Something I can bring to her to justify what I have to do.
It doesn’t take long before I find the room. It's the one room in the entire house with a lock, and it's a fairly complex one. It’s a pretty classy office. An old school wooden executive desk. Walls of shelving for a private library. Not a decorative one either. One that belongs to someone who genuinely reads. Modern books, too.
Makes me think we could have actually gotten along if we’d been introduced into each other’s lives under different circumstances.
I bug the room and check the connection to make sure I’m receiving. Everything checks out.
My footsteps are silent on the stairs as I head back
up. I’m thankful the Don spent so much on his construction.
I head back upstairs and leave the remaining bugs in a few key places. In the kitchen, the foyer, the dining room. I have to avoid the living room. Marco is lying awake watching an old war movie on the television. It’s not worth the risk to try to plant a bug in the living room. Besides, it’s doubtful Don Pavoni would be stupid enough to have an important conversation in a room that visible. I slip out the front door, testing my ability to deactivate the alarm system, and plant a GPS tracker on Marco’s car. Never know when something like that will come in handy since he has such a close connection with the Don.
I head back upstairs and into her bedroom. She’s still sleeping, looking as beautiful as an angel. A part of me wants to just get back under the sheets and wake up with her. But that's weakness. I can’t abandon my family. They deserve justice so that they can rest in peace. And I can't rest until I've delivered on my promise to them.
I kiss her softly on the forehead and open her window before I slip outside. I look at her one more time, hoping this isn't the last time I'll see her without hate in her eyes.
Chapter Nine
Alessandra
I rub my eyes open and turn under my sheets to look at Gio. But I wake up alone, and my heart aches. I guess I should have expected it. It would have been too risky for him to stay here.
It’s a slow day waking up. I’m going stir crazy being cooped up in the house. Marco tells me that Hush is doing fine, but I want to be there to feel the vibe. No one can tell you a club is doing well by just looking at the spreadsheets and crunching numbers. You have to feel the crowd. You have to step in line and see how long people are willing to stay for a chance to get in. If you lose that cool for even a few days, you risk your club never recovering. Hush is all I have, and I can’t afford to have it fail.
I open the window and look to the tree line to where I know there’s a cut in the fence. There’s no sign that anything is amiss from here. No one would know my boyfriend sneaked in through that path.
I smile as I turn to the bathroom, thinking about Gio. I'm already thinking of him as my boyfriend, but can I really call him that if I have to sneak around my family to see him?
I study myself intensely in the mirror as I brush my teeth and prepare myself for another day of being babysat and unable to leave the house. I look the same as I always have, but I'm different now. I finally feel like a woman who's not afraid to be who she wants. But I'll still have to face my dad, and I hope that his ideal image of me as his little princess can be reconciled with the reality of the woman that I am.
I wash my face, throw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and head downstairs to get some breakfast. I can smell some eggs sizzling on the stove, and the smell of coffee is thick in the air.
“Good morning, princess.” It’s my dad. He looks more tired than usual, with dark bags under his eyes, but he’s trying to put on a good face.
“Morning, Dad.” I step into the kitchen and lean my elbows on the kitchen island. “Are you making breakfast?”
He chuckles softly as he takes the pan of eggs off the burner and slides the eggs onto two plates. “Trying. Your mother won’t be back until tomorrow, so we’ll have to make do with what I can manage.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I take the cup of espresso he passes to me and put my nose in the cup to take a deep pull of its scent.
“I was going to come upstairs to give you a cup to wake up to.” He smiles up at me as he takes the bacon off the stove and spreads them out on a paper towel-covered plate. “You slept in late today.”
My heart jumps into my throat, and I cover my reaction by taking a sip of the espresso. There’s no way he heard any of what happened last night. He wouldn’t be acting so calm if he was, but there’s still something strange about him.
“It’s hard getting up when I don’t have anything to do.” I shrug and grab utensils for us both. “I really want to get back to Hush.”
He looks at me and his lips lose their smile. “You know I’m only doing this for your own safety.”
“I know.” I grab our plates and set them on the kitchen table.
“You know, but you aren’t happy about it,” he says flatly as he sits down across from me.
My knife punctures the yolk in the fried eggs and swirls it around the egg whites. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but it’s too late to back off now.
“No, I’m not.” My dad’s face is tense. He already has a lot on his mind with Tommy and Rizzo’s wakes tomorrow. Not to mention their funerals.
“You know what my answer is going to be.” He puts his fork down on the table and dabs the corners of his mouth with a napkin.
“I’m not going to accept that answer.” My voice comes out firm and confident. I expected it to squeak. Holy shit. I’m really doing this.
He narrows his eyes and locks eyes with me. “I’m just doing what’s best for you.”
“No.” I put down my own fork and stare right back at him. “You're doing what you think is best for me, but it’s not.”
My heart's pounding in my chest and my stomach feels like it’s bouncing on a trampoline, but I keep going after a short pause.
“I've lived my life up to this point trying to live up to some idealized version in your head of the woman you wanted me to grow into.” I pause again so I can swallow the bile I feel swelling up in the back of my throat. “But I’ve come to realize that I can never grow into that woman, because you don’t see me as one. You can’t see me as anything but your little girl.”
His jaw clenches as he hears that last sentence. “Is it so wrong for a father to see his daughter as his little princess?”
“It’s only wrong if you try to keep me as your little princess instead of letting me grow into a woman.” I look at my hand. My fingernails are digging into the lace tablecloth. “You can’t keep me locked in this house for the rest of my life.”
His chair scrapes against the marble tile as he pushes himself back from the table and stands up to his towering height. “You think this is a prison? You live in the lap of luxury.” He gestures around as he continues. “You could have anything you want. I paid your way through school. I gave you the loan to buy the club you miss so much!”
Just a few weeks ago I’d have been so intimidated by him. I look up at him, keeping my back straight, not letting him rattle me. “I only moved back here because mom begged me to. And I only accepted the loan to start up Hush because you didn’t want me to move to California to work in Silicon Valley.”
He works his jaw as he stares at me, his fists clenched on the back of his chair. He takes in a deep breath and sits back down. “You know I’m only asking you to stay here because I want you to be safe.”
I relax my face and give him a small smile. This is why I can’t hate him despite how he’s always tried to tell me how to live my life. “I know you're just doing what you think is best for me.”
I reach my hand across the table and place it on his. “But a sheltered life isn’t really a life worth living. I want to go out there. Out in the real world. I want to fall down, and figure out how to get back up on my own.”
He turns his hand and takes my hand in his. His hands are about the same size as Gio’s. I think my dad would actually like him if he gave him a chance.
“I’m worried for you.” He puts his other hand on top of mine. “Rizzo spent a lot of time at Hush…”
“Nothing's ever gone down at Hush.” I soften my voice. “You promised me that, and I know you always keep your word.”
He nods and looks me over. I can see his mind working, trying to figure out what’s happened to his little princess. I wonder that, too. I didn’t come downstairs expecting to have this confrontation, but here I am.
“I’ll have Marco take you to work and bring you back.”
“No.” His eyes widen at my response. I know he’s used to getting his way, but I’m not willing to back down today. “That’s not good enough. I
have to be able to live my life.”
“It’s not as simple as that.” He breaks eye contact and his voice stars to grow louder again. “I won't allow any harm to come to you.”
I find his eyes again. “But you're hurting me with that.” I press my hand to my chest. “What I feel here hurts me so much more than any injury to my body.”
His eyes flicker to the sides, trying to avoid my stare. “You don’t mean that. You're just trying to win this argument.”
“Dad, please.” I put all my resolve into my voice. “This may be just an argument to you. But to me, it’s my life. It’s all I have.”
He sits there, looking at me. Minutes pass in silence before he speaks again. “Okay,” he finally relents.
My heart swells with joy at that simple word. I jump up from my chair, wrap my arms around his shoulders, and press my head against his. “Thank you, Dad.”
He puts an arm around me and pats my shoulder. “Be careful out there.” His voice is hoarse with emotion. I know this must be so hard for him. “The world is a harsh place when you aren’t protected. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
I blink away the tears welling up in my eyes. I feel like everything is coming together for me. I can have everything. My life, my family, and…Gio.
“Dad, there’s something else.” I feel him stiffen.
He looks up at me. “What is it? Don’t tell me you want to move to California. My heart can only take so much in one day.”
Am I really doing this, too? All at once? “I’ve met someone.”
I might as well. I don’t know what’s gotten into me this morning, but I have to do this before my courage escapes me.