“You better watch your back,” he growls.
“That was a threat,” I remind him.
There’s a moment of silence. Then I hear him sigh. “She’s difficult, I know. Her mother is the same. Swear to me you won’t physically abuse her. I need her gone, she’s a goddamn drain,” he states.
“You’re just as bad as she is, you know that, right?”
“Whatever. I don’t care, just promise.”
“You signed a contract with our Consigliere, correct?” I ask.
“I did.”
I hum, knowing that Salvatore writes iron-clad agreements. I could tell McClain to fuck himself, and unless I breach that actual contract, there is nothing that could be done. I decide to cut him some slack. In fact, I decide to use him to my advantage, personally.
“I want something from you, Senator.”
“What do I get in return?”
I think about his words. About his question. It doesn’t take me long to come up with an answer and a half-baked fucking plan. It probably won’t work, it will definitely piss off Gavino, but I’ll let him in on it when it’s necessary. I’ll let everyone in on it when it’s necessary.
Just not yet.
Not until I have everything figured out.
Not until I’m fucking free.
ELENORA
I pack the last of my things. Not that I really have much, because I don’t, especially since Carlo told me to only bring my personal items, that he would buy everything else. I let out a sigh, running my fingers through my hair as I look around my now barren bedroom.
“Are you going to rent it out?” I ask, turning my head to look back at Chloe.
She’s standing with her shoulder leaning against the doorjamb. She looks around the room, then brings her gaze back to me.
“You know, I’m not sure. Luca and I were talking…” She lets her words trail off.
“You were talking?” I ask.
My mouth drops open slightly, considering that she met the man less than twenty-four hours ago, I don’t know what on earth she could mean. I wait, impatiently, for her to gather her thoughts. When she does, I see her eyes shine brightly, and that’s when I know that she’s in as deep as I am, though she’s fallen much faster than I did.
“I really like him, a lot. He asked me not to rent it out, doesn’t want the trouble of another roommate, then he wanted to know when my lease was up,” she whispers.
“Chloe,” I breathe.
She shakes her head, shrugging her shoulder as if it’s all the same to her. I know that it isn’t. Chloe doesn’t jump, she doesn’t leap. She’s cool, calm, and collected all of the time. What she isn’t, is impulsive.
“I have six months left on the lease. I can afford the rent on my own. I’m going to give it a shot with him. Maybe we’ll fizzle, but maybe we won’t.”
“The way he was looking at you last night and then again this morning, I think it’s going to take a lot for any part of him to fizzle out about any part of you.” I grin.
She winks, then walks over to where I’m sitting on the edge of the bed. I watch as she sinks down next to me. I hold my breath for a moment when she slides her arms around my shoulder. Her arms fall away, but she rests her head on my shoulder and we just sit there in silence.
“He hasn’t responded to my last text message asking him if he wanted me over there tonight. He doesn’t respond to me often and when he does, it’s usually one-word answers. He also never sees me during the day.”
“What are you telling me?” Chloe rasps.
I shake my head. “Nothing.” I inhale a deep breath, then exhale with a sigh. “Nothing. I’m going to be living with him, I mean he can’t really hide anything from me when we live together, can he?” I ask through trembling lips.
Chloe doesn’t say anything because just like me, she knows the truth. He could hide a hell of a lot from me living in the same house or not. The entire thing makes me feel a bit uneasy.
The way he leaves before six in the morning when I spend the night. The way he handed me a stack of cash to buy furniture and insisted that I spend it all, that he would give me more later for other things.
The way he doesn’t see me at all during the day, not even for dinner. The man has never taken me out to dinner, not even once, it’s weird.
These are all things that cause me unease, except when he appears in front of me, when those blue eyes meet mine, all questions fly out the window. My stupid hormones, my body, it takes control of my brain and I just need him.
I need his touch, his kisses, and his sweet words.
I have a feeling that all of this, it’s going to hurt me one day. I’m going to suffer and I’m not sure if it’s something I will survive. But, I’m also not sure if I can turn him away, if I can turn away from him.
“I think I’m going to go to bed, I have to get up early tomorrow and figure out how to move all of this stuff. Plus, I need to do some inventory at the shop early,” I say trying to shake the thoughts from my head.
Chloe squeezes my shoulder, then releases me as she stands. Her eyes find mine, but she doesn’t smile, she watches me instead. “I’ll have your bed available anytime you need it. Keep your key, okay?” she insists.
I nod. I don’t tell her that I won’t need it. I’m not confident enough to say that. Instead, I watch her walk out of the room. Standing, I lock the bedroom door behind her and make my way over to my phone that’s charging on my nightstand.
There are no new messages and no missed calls.
Something ugly slithers up my spine at the sight of my blank screen. Finding his phone number in my contacts, I decide to call him instead of text.
“Hello?” he shouts.
I hear something that sounds like big equipment in the background. I can’t quite make it out and that causes that something ugly to slither from my spine to my throat. Choking it down, I speak.
“Are you not making it tonight?” I ask.
He clears his throat, then I hear muffled talking in the background. “I’m working right now. Busy as shit, Lenora. Stay where you are tonight. You at Chloe’s?” he asks.
“I am.”
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow sometime. The next week or so I’m going to be slammed, putting that out there right now. May not be around much, but I want you settled into the new place, so I’ll send some guys to move your shit tomorrow. Just text me when you’ll be home so I can schedule them.”
“You’re not going to be around much?” I ask, wondering how you aren’t around at your own place.
“Yeah, I’m going to be at my old place, it’s a little closer to my office. Until it sells, I’ll just crash there while shit is so busy at work,” he explains, lamely. It’s a lame fucking excuse and I don’t like it. Not one single bit.
“Carlo?” I call.
“Tesoro, I can’t talk right now,” he announces just as I hear voices in the background. It doesn’t escape me that there are several female voices and my stomach turns. “Okay, yeah. Lenora?”
“Yes?”
“I’ll see you after next Monday. You’ll be okay?”
An entire week. He’s going to see me after an entire week. This doesn’t seem right. Not in the slightest. Stupidly, I swallow down all of my questions. I nod, as though he can see me.
“I’ll be okay,” I lie.
“Send you some money with the guys tomorrow. Make sure you get whatever you need for the place, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I choke out.
I hang up, unable to stay on the line for another minute longer. An entire week and he’ll see me. How does he think this is right? How am I just accepting this? Looking around the packed boxes, I wonder why I don’t immediately unpack.
Then, I remember those intense blue eyes.
I’ve fallen in love with him.
Placing my hand against my belly, I wonder how on earth it could have happened so easily, so quickly, but it has. Pinching my eyes closed, I lay back on my bed then reo
pen them to look at the ceiling.
Life’s questions stare back at me. I am fairly successful in business and have been completely unsuccessful in love until Carlo came around. But is it even real? How does a man just disappear for a week and expect the woman he’s living with to just be okay with that?
I mean, I guess I know of men that have apartments in the city with families upstate. Is this any different? I shake my head, it is. It’s really different. Arlo’s apartment isn’t several hours away, it’s less than an hour. In less than an hour, he could be home and sleeping next to me every night.
Unless.
No.
I refuse to conjure up any scenarios in my mind. I’m not going to do that. Next Monday, I’m going to make a nice dinner and we’re going to discuss what has just happened, and why he would think brushing me off that way would be okay.
We’re just new, I tell myself.
It will all work out, I convince myself.
It has to.
I love him.
Chapter Thirteen
ARLO
I’ve tried to keep my distance from Lenora at the same time, stay in contact with her. My wedding is tomorrow and I’ve done well for the past four days. Today, I cave.
My rehearsal dinner is in just a few hours, so what I shouldn’t be doing is standing outside Sugar Cookies, my eyes focused on the woman of my dreams as she wraps some lingerie for a customer.
Once the woman leaves, I slip into the shop, locking the door behind me. Lenora has her head down as she finishes up the transaction. Slowly, I stride toward her. She smiles widely, lifting her eyes to greet her next customer. When she sees that it’s me, her smile immediately dies.
“Carlo,” she breathes.
Closing the distance between us, walking around the counter, I silently extend my palm toward her. She looks down at my offered hand, then lifts her gaze up to mine, never making a move. We stand there in silence, me with my extended palm facing up and her with those big green hurt eyes.
“Why are you here?” she finally asks.
I watch as her tongue peeks out to taste her bottom lip. I can’t wait a second longer to feel her against me, to feel those lips on me or that tongue slide inside of my mouth. Wrapping my palm around her wrist, I gently tug her against my chest, forcing her body off balance.
She falls against me, placing her hands on my chest. Tilting her head back, I look deep into those eyes before I slam my mouth against her own. She moans the second my tongue touches the seam of her lips. Her mouth parts and my tongue invades, taking and owning her desperately.
She pushes against me. Lifting my head, I refuse to release her body from being pressed against my own. She’s breathing heavily, panting, and I feel the same fucking way.
“I can’t. The shop,” she murmurs.
Shaking my head once, I take a step back, keeping my fingers firmly around her wrist. “Locked the door. You can and we will,” I state as I walk toward the back of the shop where I know she has a closet-sized office and racks of lingerie.
“Where have you been?” she urges.
I close my eyes, letting her question wash over me as my guilt does the same. Pulling her against my body, I shift her around so that her back is against the wall.
Glancing down, I take in her sexy skirt and blue button-up silk blouse. Her blonde hair is down styled with soft curls. She looks every single bit of an all-American dream, my all-American dream.
Dipping my chin, my lips touch hers, again. This time she’s not as pliable, she wants answers and I fear she won’t like them if I’m anywhere near truthful.
“I’ve been working, tesoro, you know that,” I murmur as I nibble her bottom lip with my teeth.
She shakes her head, those green eyes filling with tears, I curse myself for the millionth time. Lifting my hand, I cup her cheek and use my thumb to wipe the tears that have begun to fall down.
“Don’t cry, you fucking kill me with these tears, Lenora.”
Inhaling a deep breath, she lets it out through trembling lips, never taking her gaze from mine. “Tell me, Arlo. Is there someone else?”
Her question surprises me. Blinking, I try to gather myself before I fuck this up. Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to hers, then kiss her nose before I lift my face from her own.
“Look at me, Elenora,” I demand gently.
Her eyes find mine, green and watery, her face flushed and so goddamn beautiful. I should tell her the truth. Confess that there is someone, someone that I fucking hate, but someone who is still a duty. I do neither. Instead, I give her a cocky smirk.
“You’re the only woman I care for, tesoro.” My words are the truth. The complete and total truth. Lenora is the only woman that I harbor any affectionate feelings for.
Shifting my hands from her face, I slide them down her waist and hips, then fist the fabric of her skirt at the tops of her thighs and wrench it up, exposing her panties for me.
Surprisingly, without a word, she reaches for my pants. I allow her to unbuckle, unbutton, and unzip my trousers. I shove them and my underwear down my hips and thighs while she unbuttons my shirt. Closing my eyes, I let out a hiss as her fingertips roam over my chest.
Lowering my face, I press my forehead against hers and just breathe. Her touch heals my fucking soul. I feel her breath fan my face, and then her fingers wrap around my hard cock and she begins to gently stroke me. It’s not enough, and yet, it’s everything.
My own fingers slide in her panties and tug them as far down as possible. I feel her wiggle until they’re at her ankles, then I open my eyes and watch her step out of them. It’s sexy as fuck, seeing that scrap of lace on the floor between us.
Reaching down, I wrap my hands around the backs of her thighs and lift her body off of the floor. Lenora’s hands find my shoulders and she holds on as I hoist her up and press her back against the wall. Her legs wrap around my waist and we both let out a hiss when my cock presses against her warm center.
“Fuck, but I missed you,” I breathe as I shift my hips and let my cock slide through her folds.
Lenora’s head falls back against the wall with a groan. Her hips roll as she rubs herself against my dick, coating me with her wetness, begging me to slide inside of her, slide home—home.
“Come home tonight,” she begs.
Tipping my head, I watch our bodies as I align the head of my dick with her center. Wordlessly, I sink inside of her slowly, unable to look away as I disappear into her warm body. She lets out a hiss, then a sigh, probably not completely ready for my intrusion.
“I’ll be home Monday, tesoro. I have some shit to handle this weekend,” I say, squeezing the back of her thigh as I lift my head and look into her eyes.
She looks hurt, unsure, and I fucking hate myself for causing the reaction. Pressing my mouth against hers, I decide we can’t talk any longer. Instead, I fuck her. I take her against the wall, letting her moans and soft sounds wash over me with each thrust of my hips.
Lenora’s nails dig into my shoulders and I welcome the pain. Wrapping one of my hands around her thigh, I hold her open a bit farther. Looking down, I watch as I fuck her. My forehead has sweat forming, my chest as well. But merda, watching her take me is sexy as shit.
“I’m close,” she warns.
I know that she is, I can feel her cunt flutter around me. Her wetness floods my cock as her breathing turns into whimpers between her pants.
Squeezing her thigh, I smile, knowing that I’m leaving fingertip bruising behind. I grind my pelvis against her clit with each downstroke, hoping it’s enough to send her over the edge. I’m so goddamn close, my back is tingling and my balls draw up in warning.
I need her to come.
Her head flies back and then she lets out a long sob as her entire body begins to shake, then that sweet pussy clamps down around me and that’s when I know that I can finally let go. I pump into her a few more times before I bury myself inside of her body and fill her with my release.
Her hands continue to hold me to her, her nails digging into my shoulders as we both attempt to catch our breath. Touching my mouth to the side of her neck, my lips travel up to the underside of her jaw, then over to her mouth.
I don’t kiss her immediately, instead, I breathe her in before I speak.
“You are my world, Lenora. Never doubt that.”
Lenora’s hands shift, her fingers slide up my neck and dive into my hair, gripping the strands tightly.
“I’ve fallen in love with you, Carlo,” she whispers against my mouth.
The emotion and guilt that fill me are far too great. So, instead of telling her the truth which she deserves to know, I kiss her, long hard and wet. Then, against everything inside of me, I leave her there. I leave her to go to my fiancée.
I fucking hate myself for every step that I take away from her.
ELENORA
Something was off when Carlo was here. I watch the door to my shop, the door that he just vacated only moments ago and I frown. I don’t know what was wrong, but it was something. He seemed off, solemn and almost lost.
Shaking off his mood, I decide that I’ll make us a nice dinner on Monday and we’ll talk. That’s something that we don’t really do a whole lot of, talking. Instead, we end up having sex and although that is wonderful therapy, we need to discuss some things. Like how this arrangement, with him working away the way he is, but only being an hour away, that doesn’t work for me.
My shop door opens and I jump as the bell above the door takes me away from my thoughts. Plastering on my fakest customer service smile, I lift my eyes to meet the woman walking through the door.
“Welcome to Sugar Cookies,” I call out brightly.
Her dark eyes find mine and her assessing gaze roams over my face. She smirks as if she holds some kind of secret that I couldn’t possibly know. She’s tall, rail-thin, with large breasts and long dark glossy hair. She’s beautiful and perfectly put together, in a dress that I know costs more than my entire wardrobe.
Becoming his Mistress: A Zanetti Famiglia Novel Page 10