Man of the House: A Dark Bad Boy Romance

by B. B. Hamel

  “I’m not sure he’s my son,” I said. “And I have to answer to other people.”

  “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “Names. Addresses. Dates. Shit like that. You give us something, we’ll help you out.”

  I could see the anger rising on her face. That had finally pissed her off, pushed her over the edge.

  “Fuck you, dick,” she snapped. “I’m not betraying my family.”

  I sat back and shrugged. “Okay. Suit yourself.” I stood up.

  “That’s it? You’re just going to kick me out?”

  “No, not yet.” I moved closer to her, and she took a half step back. I could see the excitement on her face mingled in with the anger.

  “I want to keep you nice and close,” I said. “Very, very nice.” I stopped, inches away from her, and reached around to grab her ass nice and hard.

  She shoved me away and I laughed. My cock was so fucking hard.

  “Don’t touch me,” she said.

  “Don’t pretend like you’re not soaking wet right now,” I said, laughing. “You want to feel the way you felt that night again, don’t you? When was the last time you had some good cock between your legs?”

  “It’s none of your business,” she said, blushing.

  I could fucking tell she wanted me. I knew she wanted it badly, could practically smell it on her. I knew grabbing her ass was going too far, maybe pushing her a little hard, but I needed her to know who was in charge. She was so defiant and angry, and plus, I’d wanted to touch her. I wanted her to know that I wanted to fuck her sweet body again, even if she was pretending like she didn’t want it.

  So I had to push her, tease her. Maybe then we could both get what we wanted.

  Before I could say anything more, there was the sound of a crying baby. Kaley’s head snapped over to the baby monitor. “I have to check on him,” she said.

  “Go,” I replied. “I’ll be back later. Let the nanny take care of the brat then.”

  She glared at me but said nothing, just walked quickly out of the room and into her bedroom.

  I stared after her for a second. I wanted to follow her in there, tear her shorts off, fuck her nice and rough.

  But I wasn’t going to. I wanted her to beg for it first. I needed to get under her skin and find out the truth about her.

  I walked out of her room, smiling to myself.

  9

  Kaley

  He was so frustrating.

  I’d never met a man who felt like he could just come up to me and grab my ass. Maybe that was because I had a reputation as the protected daughter of a scary Russian mobster, but still. Vince was totally unlike anyone I’d ever known.

  He’d made it clear what he wanted form me, and every dirty word sent thrills through my soaked pussy. Even when he touched me, I couldn’t help but feel excited. I liked that he simply walked up to me and grabbed my ass while looking in my eyes. It drove me wild that he was pushing me that way, pressing my buttons, seeing what my limits were.

  That man was a total mystery to me. One second he was bringing me in under his protection and the next he was denying that Alex was even his son. It was so obvious that Vince was the father, and yet he insisted on the paternity test.

  That was fine. I had no problem with it. I understood his hesitation; we had used a condom, after all, but condoms sometimes break. Especially when you fuck as rough and dirty as Vince did.

  I sighed to myself, rocking Alexei, when there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” I called out.

  Sonya opened the door and smiled in at me. “How is everything?” she asked me.

  “We’re good,” I said. “He was a little fussy earlier.”

  She walked over and sat down beside me. “Fed him already?”

  I nodded. “And burped and changed him already.”

  She laughed. “Healthy little guy. And so good, too.”

  “He wasn’t good last night,” I mumbled. “Kept me up all night.”

  “Do you want a break? I can take him while you nap.”

  I bit my lip. “No. That’s okay.”

  She smiled at me. “Give in, dear. Not many single mommies get this sort of help in the beginning.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s just, I don’t really know you. And this is all so strange and new.”

  She nodded. “I understand. Would it help if you got to know me a bit?”

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  She smiled, looking down at Alex. “Well, I’m fifty-five years old. My father was a Russian immigrant and my mother was a second-generation Polish woman. I grew up here in the city. My dad was a meatpacker and my mom worked as a seamstress.”

  “Classic immigrant story,” I said, laughing.

  She smiled. “It really was. I had a good childhood, got married when I was twenty-two, and had three kids.”

  “Where are they now?”

  “Well, two are off living in different cities. Jason, my oldest, is a cook in Los Angeles. Russ, my youngest, is a financial advisor in Philadelphia.”

  I laughed. “Wow. You must be proud. But you said you had three?”

  She nodded, still smiling, but there was a sadness in it. “I had a little girl, Missy. She died when she was just a baby.”

  “I’m so, so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. When Missy died, I went into the childcare industry full time. I’d been working part time, but I decided to dedicate myself to helping parents, because I didn’t want anyone to feel the way that I did.”

  “How did you end up here?”

  She laughed. “Working for mobsters? Well, I was taking care of Lucas, actually. I didn’t know who the Barones were back then, of course. But when they built this place, they asked me to come and work for them.” She smiled and shrugged. “They offered a lot of money. I couldn’t say no at the time, and here I am today.”

  “How did you end up taking care of Lucas?”

  “Word of mouth,” she said. “Clients recommended the Barones hire me, and the rest is history.”

  I nodded. I liked that she was a mother, and although I hated that she’d lost a child, it did make me like her a bit more. I couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a baby, and it was really amazing of her to dedicate her life to being around children.

  “Want to hold him?” I asked.

  “Of course,” she said, smiling.

  I handed Alex over and she rocked him slightly, cooing down at him.

  “Such a pretty boy,” she said softly in Russian.

  “Thank you,” I said to her in Russian.

  “It’s my pleasure,” she responded in Russian.

  I looked up as there was another knock at the door. Sonya smiled. “You’re popular today.”

  “I have a feeling I know who this is.” I stood up and walked over, opening the door.

  Vince grinned in at me. “Ready?” he asked.

  “For what?”

  “Your tour.”

  I looked in at Sonya and she smiled at me. “Go,” she said. “Enjoy yourself. I’ll be fine with him.”

  “What if something happens?” I asked her.

  “Nothing will happen.”

  “If it does? Can you call me?”

  “I’ll send the staff to get you immediately. But don’t worry.”

  I sighed and turned back to Vince. “Okay, you wore me down. Let’s go.”

  “Excellent. Sonya.” He smiled and nodded at her.

  “Have fun.”

  He turned and walked away, and I hurried to follow him, the door clicking shut behind us.

  I felt terrible leaving Alex like that. I hadn’t been away from him for more than a few minutes since he was born. Nobody had wanted to help raise him back home, and so it was left entirely up to me.

  I had never thought I’d be apart from him. It felt so strange to walk away, just leave him in the care of someone I barely knew. But I trusted Sonya, and I liked that she spoke to him in Russian even though I barely spoke the language.<
br />
  I was sure that the Barones chose her because she would put me at ease, and although that probably should have made me a little paranoid, somehow it didn’t bother me. Because I liked her and trusted her.

  Vince looked back at me. “Feel good?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Feel good to be away from your burden?”

  I sighed, shaking my head. “No, actually. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

  “Come on, you’ll like this. Try and relax, princess.”

  “Quit calling me that.”

  He laughed and looked at me again. There was something in his gaze, something I didn’t want to admit.

  It was pure lust.

  I looked quickly away, down at my feet.

  “Why don’t you like being called princess?” he asked. “That’s what you are, isn’t it?”

  “No, not at all. My father wasn’t the doting type.”

  “I know your father. He’s a hard man.”

  “You’ve heard of my father, but you don’t know him.”

  He laughed. “True. So, I’ve heard your father is a hard man. Must be, if he’s willing to tear your kid away.”

  I looked back at him. We walked through the main hall and out a back door, heading along a paved path. Ahead of us was a pool, and beyond that were stables and fields stretching far toward a wooded area.

  “Like I said, he’s stuck in the old world.”

  “Well,” Vince said, “there’s some of that here, too. But as you can see, we know how to take care of our people.”

  I laughed, looking around. “I have to admit, it is pretty nice.”

  “Pool there, stables over there. Plenty of fields and paths to walk around. Woods are all safe. There’s a stream and a pond back there, too.”

  “You go for long walks around the woods?”

  He grinned at me. “Yeah, you caught me. Never been back there before.”

  “And I bet you ride the horses all the time.”

  He stopped next to the pool and laughed. “Got me again. I don’t ride horses.”

  “What do you ride, then?”

  Instantly, I regretted that comment. That look in his eyes returned, pure desire. “I don’t ride anything, but you’ll ride my thick cock by the end of this.”

  I blushed, looking away. “I doubt that very much.”

  “Why are you so afraid of getting fucked by me?” he asked softly.

  “I’m not afraid. I’m just not interested.”

  “You’re interested, all right. I can see it on your face, the way you look at me. Say the word, princess, and I’ll have your back arching, my name on your lips, in one second flat.”

  “Is this why you brought me out here, to talk dirty to me?” I asked. “Because it’s not working.”

  He laughed and sat down on a chair next to the pool. “No. I brought you out here because I’m trying to figure you out.”

  “There’s nothing to figure out.”

  “Sure there is. Why would a Russian mob girl come running to the Italians?”

  “Because you’re the father of my baby,” I said, exasperated.

  He leaned back and grinned at me. I couldn’t help but look at his delicious lips, his piercing eyes. He was wearing a slim button-down shirt and perfectly fitting jeans, almost like the stuff was made just for him.

  “You keep saying that. And even if it is true, I still don’t get it.”

  “I had nowhere else to run,” I said. “And I’m not losing my baby.”

  “Ah, there it is again,” he said, smiling. “That fire. God, it makes me so fucking hard.”

  “You think it’s sexy that I’d do anything for my son?”

  “I think that strength is sexy. Fuck, I think you are sexy, for so many reasons.”

  “What about you?” I asked him. “Why did you let me in if you don’t believe Alexei is your son?”

  “I can’t leave a damsel in distress.”

  “I’m not a damsel.”

  He laughed. “You are and you aren’t. You’re definitely not helpless.”

  “So why let me in?”

  He cocked his head. “You know why.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Come on, Kaley. Don’t pretend. Say it.”

  I bit my lip, taking a deep breath. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  But I did. I’d known it as soon as he had looked at me yesterday, and I could see it in every single glance. The way he looked at my body, the way he grinned at me, so cocky, so confident. The way he grabbed my ass and whispered dirty things in my ear.

  “Say it,” he commanded, more forcefully. I shook my head no, and he just kept staring at me. “Say it, Kaley. Say it out loud. Why do I want you to stay?”

  My heart was hammering in my chest, excitement running up through my pussy. I was dripping wet just from his look, which was driving me insane. I could barely think with that intense gaze.

  “You want to fuck me.”

  I couldn’t believe I said it out loud.

  “That’s right,” he said. “I want another taste of that pussy. I’ve been thinking about you for months, ever since that night.”

  “Seems like a bad reason to risk yourself,” I said.

  “Maybe.” He stood up and smiled at me. “Shall we continue our little tour?”

  “No,” I said. “No. I should get back to Alex.”

  “Okay. Whatever your want, princess.”

  I bit my lip, staring at him. “Is that really the only reason?”

  He stepped toward me. “Does that excite you?”

  “No,” I lied.

  “It does. It makes you dripping wet. You love that I’d risk myself just to get another taste of your perfect fucking pussy. Right now you’re imagining how my thick cock can make you feel, and you want it badly.”

  “Not true,” I lied again.

  “Very true. You want me to make your body sweat. You want to moan my name. Admit it, Kaley. That’s the reason you’re here, too.”

  “I’m here for my son,” I said.

  Though I was becoming less and less sure of that.

  Of course I was there to protect Alex. But I wasn’t positive that was the only reason anymore.

  “Go. Run off to your baby,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Asshole,” I whispered, but I turned and walked away.

  My whole body was vibrating from the encounter. The way he spoke to me, the commanding and powerful tone, the intense looks, it was all so overwhelming. I’d never met someone like him, not even close.

  And it did turn me on like crazy knowing that he wanted me. It made me dripping wet and stupid for him thinking that he might have risked himself just to fuck me again.

  But I had to be careful. Vince was dangerous, and so were the Italians. I was still very much an outsider, maybe even an enemy.

  I hurried back inside, heading toward Alexei. I had to remember that he was the reason I was in the mansion at all. I couldn’t let myself give in to what my body wanted.

  I was there for my son.

  And not to fuck my son’s delicious father.

  10

  Vince

  I slept pretty damn good that night.

  I couldn’t get the girl’s looks out of my head. Kaley was fucking fiery, and I could tell she wasn’t going to just give in to me. As much as she clearly wanted to.

  Which I liked. I wanted her to make me chase her a bit, make me fucking claim her. But I was going to take her, one way or the other.

  The kid was an issue, of course. But only time would tell with that. We’d find out sooner or later if he was mine, and then I’d go from there.

  But in the meantime, I wanted his mom. I wanted Kaley bad, so bad that I woke up the next morning with a fucking hard cock and a dream of her still lingering in my head.

  I grunted, rolling out of bed.

  Kaley was firmly lodged in my mind. I’d been telling her the truth when I said
that the reason I let her in was to fuck her again. It wasn’t the whole reason, of course, but it was an enormous one.

  She could be useful to the family. But she could also be useful to me.

  As I stood up, the phone next to the bed started ringing. I grabbed it. “What?” I grunted.

  “Vincent Mori?”

  “Yeah.”

  “This is Jefferson. Arturo wants to see you.”

  “Fine,” I said. “When?”

  “Now, in his study.”

  I hung up the phone. Jefferson was like the house’s phone operator, and it wasn’t often that he was used to send messages like that.

  Must be urgent. I quickly got dressed, throwing on what clothes I had there, and walked out into the hall.

  I moved through the twisting passages, heading toward Arturo’s study. I had a feeling about what this was about. It wasn’t often I got invited into the big boss’s inner room, and it was almost never a good thing when I was.

  I made it to his study and knocked on the door. “Come,” I heard him call out.

  I walked inside. Lucas was already there, leaning up against a bureau. Two other captains, Ernesto and Gian, were also there. Gian was a younger guy, loyal to Lucas, while Ernesto was one of the old guard. He was loyal to Arturo, but mostly to himself.

  “Sit,” Arturo said, gesturing at the last remaining chair. I sat down. “Coffee?”

  “Please,” I said.

  Lucas poured me a cup and handed it to me. “Thanks,” I said.

  I sipped the hot black liquid.

  “You know why you’re here,” Arturo said. “We heard from the Russians.”

  “I take it they’re unhappy.”

  “They think we kidnapped the girl.”

  I nodded, not surprised. “I figured they’d play it that way. Blame us instead of admitting to their own embarrassment.”

  “Yes, well, they’re threatening war.”

  “More than threatening,” Ernesto cut in. “They’re pushing for it.”

  Arturo held up a hand. “They say if we don’t return the girl by tonight, then they will consider our families in a state of war.”

  I laughed. “By tonight? Who said this?”

  “It came from Ivan himself,” Lucas said.