As if by magic, Angelo and Devil managed to look polished and wide-awake by the time we needed to head downtown. I wondered if they would ever get too old to pull off that transition. At thirty-two, I already felt like I was. They were only two years younger than me but didn’t have the weight of running the family business on their shoulders.
The meeting with several of our allies was taking place at Distinguished Properties, the commercial real estate business we used as a cover for several of our other enterprises. We took the elevator up to my office. When the door slid open, I expected to see the little snake Jimmy sitting behind the reception desk, waiting to do my bidding. He’d once again failed to pay my family what he owed us. Out of respect for his late father’s loyalty to me, I’d given him the chance to work off his debt. While I doubted he’d make much of a receptionist, he at least knew how to be charming and put people at ease. And if he were in my office, he wouldn’t be getting himself in more trouble.
But Jimmy wasn’t there. Instead, a shockingly beautiful blond-haired twink sat at the reception desk. My brother didn’t look a thing like an angel, except maybe the fallen kind who would lead you straight to hell, but this boy looked like the sort of ethereal creature who would guide you to heaven after a hero’s death. He looked up at me with bright hazel eyes. “May I help you, sir?”
“You can sure as hell help me,” Devil said, propping a hip on the edge of the boy’s desk.
I didn’t even know the kid’s name, but jealousy sizzled through me. I kicked my cousin’s shin. “Get the fuck off the desk, and quit acting like some kind of animal.”
“Jesus,” Devil said rubbing his leg. “Those shoes you love are fucking lethal.”
Angelo held out his hand to my new receptionist. “I’m Angelo, and you’re very clearly not Jimmy.”
The boy tentatively lifted his hand. Instead of shaking it, Angelo brought it to his lips.
“Back off,” I growled. “Where the fuck is Jimmy, and who are you?”
The boy’s eyes widened, and color rose in his cheeks. “Jimmy got another offer, and he asked me if I wanted to come here in his place. Ms. Carla said it would be all right for me to have a trial day since there wasn’t anyone else here to do the job.”
Carla was my assistant, and I would be having words with her very soon. His voice shook so badly I was surprised he’d been able to get that many words out. He looked away as soon as he finished speaking and began to fidget with the pen on his desk.
“Jimmy got another offer?” I looked toward my brother.
Angelo shrugged. “I’ve not heard a thing.”
I looked back at the boy. I could see his pulse fluttering against the pale skin of his neck.
I wanted to run my tongue over it.
I wanted to see him quiver like that underneath me.
I wanted to make him beg.
But before I could consider any of that, I needed to know who he actually was and why Jimmy had sent him to me.
“In my office. Now.” I gestured toward my office door.
“Sir, I’m sorry. I asked Jimmy if—”
“First lesson. Don’t believe a fucking word out of Jimmy’s mouth. Now do what I said. I’m not a man who repeats himself.”
Slowly, the boy pushed his chair back, came around his desk, and—seeming to try to keep as much distance between us as possible—moved past me and headed toward my office. I turned to Angelo and Devil. “You two jackasses wait in the conference room. Don’t cause me any more trouble. I’ve got enough to deal with today.”
They must’ve realized I wasn’t going to put up with any more of their shit. Angelo shoved at Devil, and they got moving.
“Try not to make him piss himself. I don’t want to have to clean that up,” Carla said as I walked by her desk. I snarled at her, but she didn’t even flinch. Carla was possibly even less afraid of me than my brother and my cousin, but she’d earned it. No one was a better assistant than she was, despite her not calling to let me know Jimmy hadn’t shown up. She knew what I needed even before I did.
“I’ll be talking to you about this situation when I’m through with him.”
“He’s got experience as an office assistant,” she said. “And I liked him.”
I ignored her and followed the boy into my office, my gaze lingering on the perfectly round globes of his ass. I wished to hell I didn’t have pressing business. Taking him over my desk would be a much better way to start the day than a fucking meeting where I’d have to posture the whole fucking time.
I closed the door behind me with a firm click and watched my little twink jump. Knowing he was afraid of me turned me on even more.
“Turn around.”
He obeyed instantly. I liked that. A lot. “What is your name?”
“Pete. Peter.”
“Full name.”
“Peter Kelly.”
He shivered when I gave him a very obvious once-over. Fuck, I wanted him. “So Pete Kelly, how do you know Jimmy?”
“He’s my cousin, sir.”
“Do you work with Jimmy?”
He shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. “No, sir. I try to stay away from everything Jimmy is involved in.”
“Everything except showing up in my office.”
He sighed and looked down at his feet. “I’ve been out of work for a while. I’ve been trying to get jobs through a temp agency, but that’s not gone well. Jimmy said he had a job for me. I guess I was…”
I watched him for a moment, head bowed, hands clasped in front of him, the perfect picture of surrender. He would surrender to me, but I needed more information first.
“Were you desperate, Peter?”
He didn’t respond, but he looked up. The fear in his eyes made my cock begin to fill. I suspected he didn’t know much about me, but he knew I was dangerous. “Did Jimmy tell you who I am?”
“He said you were the owner of this business.”
I nodded. “That’s true, but I feel like that doesn’t give you the whole picture. My name is Lucien Marchesi.”
His eyes went wide, and he took a small step back. I’d been accused of murdering a young woman several months ago, and the case had gotten a lot of press. I had killed before, and I’ve ordered others to do it, but I didn’t kill that woman. I didn’t even know her. Some enemies of mine thought they could set me up. I’d tracked down most of them and made sure that wouldn’t be a problem again, but I had a suspicion Damian Ricci was in contact with the ones who had eluded me.
“Are you… I mean…”
“The head of a crime family? Yes. The man who killed that girl? No.”
Peter didn’t say anything else. He just watched me warily, not that I blamed him. “Did Jimmy tell you why he’d been offered this job?”
Peter licked his lips before he answered. I barely heard his words as I thought about how much better his lips would look wet with my cum. “He said someone owed him a favor.”
That fucking son of a bitch. “That was a lie. He owes me a debt. A debt he was paying off by working for me, but…” Peter’s hands were clasped so tightly his knuckles had gone white. As if that wasn’t enough to betray his nerves, he tapped his foot against the floor in a fast rhythm, though I wasn’t sure he even realized it. “Look at me, Peter.”
He glanced up, and I watched his throat work as he swallowed.
“I will allow you to work the debt off for him.”
3
Peter
I made the mistake of looking into Lucien’s eyes again. His gaze held me there. His blue eyes were as dark as the ocean at midnight, and they mesmerized me. He watched me like he wanted to devour me, and I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about working off Jimmy’s debt employed as his receptionist.
“No thank you. I’ll just go. I didn’t understand the situation. Jimmy never said anything about… He just said he wasn’t taking the job because he’d gotten a better offer.”
Mr. Marchesi didn’t say anything, so I took
a few steps toward the door.
“I didn’t dismiss you.” His harsh tone froze me in place.
I turned back to face him and tried to remember how to breathe. I had to stay calm if I was going to talk my way out of this. “I appreciate the opportunity, sir, but—”
“I’m not offering you an opportunity. I’m telling you you’re staying. A debt needs to be paid, and intentionally or not, you’ve agreed to take Jimmy’s place.”
“But he—”
“Lied to you. And he will be dealt with. Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure the work he does for me isn’t nearly as pleasant as the job I’m giving you.”
Why had I ever listened to Jimmy? I’d known something was wrong. Powerful men didn’t just offer assistant jobs to anyone. “Thank you, but I—”
“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, because until now, you didn’t know who I was. I don’t take no for an answer. When I want something, I get it, and I want you.”
“You want me, sir? Me?”
He glanced around the room making a show of checking under his desk and behind me. “I don’t see anyone else here, so yes, I must be talking to you.”
I squeezed my hands into fists, not wanting him to see they were shaking. I might not be the smartest guy, based on the fact that I listened to Jimmy, but I’d have to be a fool not to know Mr. Marchesi was a predator, and I was nothing but a frightened mouse. He spoke with such certainty. I had no doubt he was used to getting what he wanted, and while I didn’t know much about designer labels, I could tell his suit fit him like it was tailored for him. His shoes looked like someone had spent hours polishing them. His dark hair was expertly styled, his skin flawless. He had the money to make anything happen. And the way he held himself perfectly still echoed his power. He didn’t fidget. He didn’t blink. He sized me up, and when I shivered under his gaze, I saw the barest hint of a smile. He liked that I was afraid.
I needed to get away from him, yet it wasn’t just fear that had my heart racing, because while I knew he was scary as hell, I also knew he could protect me if he chose. The weight of his presence and his air of utter authority made me crave the chance to learn more about him, and God knows, the man was gorgeous. He’d been created to be as beautiful as he was dangerous, and he wanted me. As stupid as it was, knowing that made my heart flutter. Maybe I really was an idiot because there was no doubt this man could destroy me if he chose. “That’s… very flattering, sir, but—”
Mr. Marchesi took a step toward me, then another until he was so close I could reach out and touch him if I dared. I didn’t.
“Once you crossed that threshold”—he gestured toward the door to his office—“you became mine. The faster you accept that, the easier things will be for you.”
Had his voice really gotten lower and huskier, or was that my imagination? There was heat in his eyes. I was sure of that. They’d been cold before when he’d been angry that Jimmy had sent me, but now they seemed warm, almost comforting, though his words were not.
“You can’t own me, sir. No one can.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong about that.” He reached out and ran the backs of his fingers along my cheek. I sucked in my breath as I shivered again. “You’re new to my world. Innocent. So I’ll be lenient, but I do not permit defiance from anyone who works for me.”
“I don’t—” He laid a finger against my lips. I wanted to draw the digit into my mouth and suck on it. What was wrong with me? I needed to find a way out of there. Would he really hold me against my will? I knew something was off when Jimmy sent me here. I knew the job was too good to be true.
“Do you understand what it means when I say you’re mine?”
“I… I don’t know.” But I thought I actually did, and it made me want him when I should have been terrified. I’d hidden from danger and conflict ever since that night when… I pushed the memories away. They still had the power to make me sick, and I needed to focus so I could find a way out of this.
“Kneel.” Mr. Marchesi pointed to the floor in front of him.
No, this wasn’t happening. I glanced toward the door. It seemed much farther away than it had moments before. I doubted I could outrun him, and he had men outside the door anyway. I wouldn’t be able to get away from them, and while Mr. Marchesi wasn’t as big as they were, I was certain he was stronger than me. Fuck. He was watching me, like a cat waiting for a mouse to make a move before he pounced.
When I didn’t move, he cupped my chin. Heat raced through me as his fingers pressed into my skin, firm but not hard enough to hurt. “I don’t give commands a second time.”
He let go, and I went to my knees, heart racing. This was wrong, and yet, looking up and seeing his lips curve up in approval made my cock start to swell.
“See. That wasn’t so difficult.” He held out a hand, palm up.
“Wh-what do you want, sir?” I hated how my voice trembled, but at least my fear was justified this time. Mr. Marchesi was the kind of man who would scare almost anyone.
“Your hand.”
I frowned. “I don’t—”
“Your hand, Peter.” Why did my name sound so sexy on his lips?
I laid my trembling hand over his, and he pulled me to my feet. “Aren’t you going to make me…”
“Do you want me to make you?”
I shook my head. “No, sir.”
He ran a finger over my lower lip, pressing until I opened my mouth slightly. “Are you sure?”
It was one thing to be forced into taking this job, but to be… I didn’t want that, did I?
“I don’t need you to do anything else today. I simply needed to prove a point.”
“That you’re scary?”
He gave me a true smile then, and it made him even more beautiful. “I’ve proven that you will obey me.”
“You didn’t give me a choice.”
“Is that true, Peter? Did I threaten you?”
“Maybe not technically, but—”
“Did I hold a gun to your head?”
“There are guards outside the door.”
“Who are there to protect me. Did I say they would prevent you from leaving?”
He’d implied it. He’d said he always got what he wanted, and… he had. I’d done what he asked and part of me had fucking wanted to.
He smiled as if reading my thoughts. “So now I know you’ll do what I ask. As long as you remember what I expect from you, you and I will have a lot of fun together.”
“What do you mean exactly?”
He laughed, the sound unexpected. “You might be the most innocent man to ever enter this office, but I think even you can figure that out. You know what I want to do to you, and I don’t think you’re going to fight me.” His gaze ran over my body until he was looking at my erection pressing against the front of my pants. The room wavered. I needed to run, but I was too scared to move.
When our eyes met again, he held my gaze. I felt my rapid heartbeat pulsing in my ears, and the edges of my vision began to darken.
He clapped a hand on my shoulder, steadying me. “I’m a scary man, Peter, but you have no reason to fear me as long as you do what I ask.”
What he was asking was wrong. So very wrong. He stepped away suddenly, and I wavered.
“Easy. Take a breath.”
I did, obeying him without even thinking about it.
“That’s better. I want you to get some water in the lobby before you leave. Be back here at nine tomorrow morning. You’ll be here until six at least. I have a lot for you to do.”
“Wait. You really are hiring me as your receptionist?”
He gave a slight nod. “I already told you that.”
“But I thought…”
“Goodbye, Mr. Kelly. I have work to do.”
Somehow I managed to leave his office without tripping over something or passing out. When I passed by a water fountain in the lobby, I stopped and drank from it, just as I’d been commanded. Then I walked ou
t, grateful for once for the cold since the sting of it snapped me out of the spell Lucien Marchesi had me under. I wasn’t going to obey any more of his commands. I wasn’t going back there. I didn’t belong in his world. I wasn’t a plaything he could own, and I knew better than to think I would ever be anything more to him. Danger was something I ran from, not to. I’d learned to keep my head down and stay out of trouble, and that’s what I would continue to do.
I want you, and I always get what I want.
Would he come looking for me if I didn’t show up the next day?
No, surely not. He was a busy man. He’d enjoyed toying with me, but I couldn’t possibly be that important to him. When I didn’t show up, he’d find someone else to play with if he hadn’t already forgotten me by then.
The next day, I felt even more depressed than usual as I walked to yet another temporary work assignment. I should’ve been thankful the agency hadn’t listened to the asshole I’d worked for two days ago, but all I could think about was Lucien. Jimmy had called me several times the night before, but I’d erased the messages he’d left without listening to them. I wasn’t going to let him involve me in his problems any more than he already had. I didn’t know what kind of trouble he was in, but if it involved Lucien and his family, it was serious.
I was doing the right thing by not going back. I knew that, but I couldn’t help being a little disappointed I wouldn’t get to see Lucien again. I didn’t want to work for a man like him, and I would never intentionally take a risk like that. I should have been thankful I’d gotten away, but Lucien’s presence was so electrifying. I would never know what he might’ve done to me. The night before, I’d dreamed about him… more than once. In the dreams, he’d put his hands on me and hadn’t let me go. He’d expected exactly what I’d thought he would when he made me kneel in front of him. And I’d given him everything he’d asked for and begged for more, then woken up gasping for breath, sweaty, and hard as an iron bar.
Lucien Page 2