“Ugh!” I step away. “Don’t tell me what to do Thaddaeus, I mean it. I can go to lunch with a coworker if I please. I’m my own person and I make my own money. I’m not one of your toys; you can’t boss me around whenever the feeling hits you. You try to tether me down, and trust me, I won’t stay with you.”
I don’t know where it all comes from, but I’m angry. Would I leave? Probably not, but he needs to know that there are boundaries. He can’t come in here and just steamroll me to bend my will; it doesn’t work that way.
“Fine, I won’t tie you then.” His cheeks are red as the words leave his mouth, “But you need to remember that you’ve never met another man like me, cara. I’m not joe-fucking-schmo from down the way. I expect things, and one thing I won’t tolerate is another man hitting on you. Independent woman and all, then you won’t mind if I stay and have lunch with you and your boss, especially if it’s as innocent as you claim.”
I can tell he’s pissed, and it’s taking everything in him to hold back from exploding and getting into a full-blown argument. I have an inkling that if it were anyone other than me asking him for patience, that David would already be eating his teeth right now.
“Fine. But be nice to my boss,” I mutter and make my way back to the table with Thaddaeus hot on my heels. I can feel the heat pouring from him. He doesn’t have to be right beside me for me to sense his overheated body, not setting me straight for essentially ordering him to do something.
“Everything okay?” David asks as we sit back down, curiously watching Thaddaeus fill the seat beside me, uninvited.
“Yes, thank you,” I nod and take a drink of my water with lemon slice.
“So, how do you two know each other?” He gazes nosily between us, and Thaddaeus answers immediately.
“She’s my wife.”
“I am not!” I turn to him, shocked that it came from him and sounded so natural.
“Fine,” he growls, “but you will be one day.”
Stubborn isn’t a strong enough word I’d use for him today, maybe jerk or hardheaded. He’s so sure of himself, and, honestly, it’s hot as hell. My panties are soaked witnessing him act so possessive and confident.
“She’s my girlfriend or significant other,” he begins again. “Or my favorite term I prefer to use … mine.”
Rolling my eyes, I just shake my head. There’s no use in arguing about it; I know he won’t stop. He’s way too used to getting whatever he wants. He said it himself. It’s been a month of us ‘seeing’ each other. I can only imagine how he’ll act further down the road. I can envision him attempting to lock me in a tower away from anyone male within a hundred feet.
“I had no idea you were seeing someone.” David swallows, his face scrunching up, not fond of the turn of events.
“It’s new.” I smile pleasantly and hope it smooths away some of our earlier display.
Surely, he’s married and understands the bumps of a fresh relationship. Heh, I didn’t even know that’s what we have until a few seconds ago. Sure I had hoped that Thaddaeus wouldn’t just screw with my heart and mind, but I wasn’t certain if that would happen or not.
“Why did you ask my Grace out to lunch?”
Really, his Grace? This is going to be a long hour.
“I thought it’d be a good chance for us to catch up,” David responds, a bit uneasy, nervously tapping his fingers against the table.
“I suspect it’s really because you have a thing for my woman. Just admit it; you were bringing her to lunch to ask her out again. I walked right into that moment though, didn’t I?”
Embarrassed, I squeeze his thigh and mumble, “Thaddaeus, please!” This is my career he’s messing with at this point and he needs to stop before I’m fired.
“Just admit it, David.” He keeps pressuring. “Tell Grace your real motivation for today.”
A few intense moments pass before he blurts, “All right, I-I’ll say it.” David stutters, frustrated. “I was going to see if you want to have dinner and maybe see the opera next weekend.” He directs his questions toward me, while also wearily watching Thaddaeus. I know then that he’s realized who the man sitting next to me really is, his real name, and what he’s known for and capable of doing to people.
I can’t believe my ears. My boss does want to date me! And that’s terrible for my future with the company, especially now, after Thaddaeus has badgered him into admitting his true intentions. Why did this have to happen today? I just wanted to eat a sandwich and text this hardheaded man later tonight.
“See. That wasn’t so hard.” Thaddaeus responds nearly in a taunt, growing more intimidating with each fleeting minute, and I feel heat at my back. David swallows and looks at the table as our food’s placed in front of us. “You won’t mind if a few of my friends join us, I hope?”
Thaddaeus’s boys surround the table; hence the body heat I felt coming from behind me.
It’s a loaded question. If David says they can’t sit with us, he’ll be in deep shit, but if he agrees then he’ll have even more guys around to mess with him. Throwing a quick look over my shoulder, I discover that I’m feeling warmer because Max and Cage are standing directly behind me. They both glare menacingly at my boss.
“The more the merrier,” he replies and I nearly choke on my bite of sandwich as the guys take the remaining three seats.
Cage sits beside me and Max takes the spot next to David, with Dillion on the other side of Thaddaeus. The tension’s grown so thick with the intimidating, powerful men sitting around us, and thank God I wasn’t too hungry because I don’t know if I can eat much of anything now.
“Bring us what they’re having,” Thaddaeus orders and the server scampers away, no doubt to have the cook make their food right this very minute. No waiting for the infamous Joker and his crew.
“You don’t work?” I turn to my annoying lunch date and question.
He gets a goofy look on his face as if he’s never been asked that before. “Of course, I work. But once I heard you were going out to eat, I figured this was way more important. It’s not every day that I get to eat a meal with my Bella.” He rubs the word in again, and so what if I like the way it sounds. This is not the time and place for him to whip out his dick in a pissing contest.
“And your boss was okay with that excuse?” Everyone at the table stares at us in silence, his friends all thoroughly entertained that he’s letting me speak to him like this.
“Your consideration is heartwarming Grace, but don’t worry about me. How about instead, you enlighten your boss here that you won’t be seeing him again outside of work or else I won’t be so welcoming next time. This goes for all men. I can come with you when it’s necessary, or I can hunt them down.”
I think David wheezes, but I ignore him and everyone else for the moment to pass and to get my bearings.
He’s so bossy and entitled and freaking arrogant. Instead of replying, I take another bite, chewing and swallowing the delicious sandwich. “I’m full. Ready to head back to work?” I can order something later if I get too hungry.
Good food or not, this situation is entirely too stressful. I’ll end up either losing my job or David will get shot or whatever it is that my self-proclaimed significant other does. All because Thaddaeus wants to play games and measure his dick size in front of other males.
David easily nods, obviously ready to get away from my recently declared boyfriend and his well-dressed group of roguish thugs.
A warm hand lands on my thigh, gaining my attention. I meet Thaddaeus’ golden irises. “Grace, you won’t stay? I would enjoy it if we had lunch together.” I swear he’s like an entirely different person when he speaks to me. He’s rude, yet well-spoken to others but makes them seem like juveniles compared to him.
“We can on another day. We need to get back to the office. We have clients to discuss and we’re under contract to keep their accounts private.”
He sits back in his chair, his hand pulling away from my thigh in disa
ppointment. “By all means then, I understand.” He nods to me, and then turns to David, “I don’t have to suggest you remain professional with Grace, do I?”
“Of course not,” my boss mumbles and stands, signaling for the check.
“Feel free to take care of our meals as well.”
“Thaddaeus!” I scold, embarrassed at his demand, my eyes wide.
“No, no, it’s okay,” David consoles. “He’s right, they are guests and I’ll happily get the bill.”
“David, really, you don’t have to. Let me pay for mine and theirs, please.”
“Don’t worry, Grace. As your boss, I can just put it on the company account as a working lunch.”
“Good idea, fella,” Maximillian throws in with a wolfish grin, gaining an annoyed look from me.
David walks toward the server to cash out, and I start to follow behind, but Thaddaeus is quick to snatch my arm.
“Kiss me,” he orders.
“Excuse me?” I whisper.
“I said, kiss me.”
Not letting him win over the entire situation, I smirk and kiss his cheek quickly, pulling away. It’s not enough for him and he propels me toward him again with enough force for me to fall on his lap.
“What are you?” I’m cut off as his lips powerfully land on mine, going for a kiss that’s full of ownership and desire.
His mouth gets me so swept up in him, I find myself holding onto his shoulders desperately, following his tongue as my heart begs for him to give me more. It’s merely seconds before he’s pulling away, his eyes full of pent-up need as they blaze up at me.
“Have a good day at work,” he rasps. I can feel his hardness against my bottom as his lips move.
“Thank you,” I utter. My senses are on overload as he helps me stand back up.
In a daze, I fix my clothes, completely ignoring his friends and make my way to the front of the restaurant. If anyone says anything, I don’t hear them or even notice them for that matter, too consumed by the scotch flavor that Thaddaeus left behind on my tongue.
How that man gets sexier each time we meet is beyond me, but, somehow, he pulls it off. I should’ve known that a few nights with him could never possibly be enough. In a way, I think he had me hooked from the moment that he touched my chin in that little restaurant the first time we saw each other. Was it the first time? I know it was for me; I never thought to ask him if he’d seen me before then.
Work passes by quickly without David mentioning lunch and completely avoiding me. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad, but there’s a chance I may need to start looking for another place to work now. Part of me wants to be pissed at Thaddaeus for pulling the stunt at lunch and possibly jeopardizing my career, but the other side kind of likes it that he was protective and showed up. I should’ve expected it though; he seems to always know where I am.
Once I’m finally home, all I can think about is calling him and hearing his voice. I shouldn’t want to speak to him so badly. Playing with my new phone, the light sparkles off the diamonds around my wrist, pulling my attention to my new bracelet.
It’s the first diamond a man’s given me. I’ve bought myself diamond earrings before, but these look different. They somehow seem old, yet in pristine condition. Could they have belonged to a family member or someone else I wonder?
Me: I can’t stop thinking about you.
It sounds desperate, but it’s the truth. I want to see him sooner rather than later. Staring at the phone for what feels like forever, I get no response. Maybe I should’ve said something about lunch instead; he’d have probably replied to that one. I guess I could make myself something to eat and watch some TV.
Getting off my bed, I throw on some sweat pants with a plain tank top and make my way to the kitchen. Opening my refrigerator, I bend down to see what I have to eat when there’s a knock at the front door.
Weird. I didn’t invite anyone over and I didn’t get a buzz to let anyone in from the front. Could be a neighbor, but we aren’t really the visiting types around here. Closing the fridge, I head over to the door and check the peephole.
Insured by Mafia.You hit me, we hit you.
- Funny Meme
It’s him.
What is Thaddaeus doing here? He wouldn’t even text me back; now he just shows up on my doorstep out of the blue? I wonder if this is normal for him. And I’m in sweats with my hair up, not at all how I want him to see me. Shit.
“Open the door.” It’s not a request and for some reason, I immediately comply.
His body fills up my doorframe, not big and bulky, but tall and solid. No matter how infuriating he can be at times, overall he’s beautiful. His face resembles one of a model, so proud and gorgeous. It’s his stern gaze and biting tongue that lets you know quickly that he’s not a man to be crossed or taken lightly. He commands respect.
He’s in the leather jacket from the photo—the one that’s my favorite. It makes him appear a little more human than his suits do, but still like a complete badass.
“Hi?” My eyebrow quirks with my silent question of what the hell are you doing here.
“You said you miss me.” He answers my unspoken question, stepping close enough that my breasts brush against his jacket.
“No, I said that I was thinking of you.”
“That you couldn’t stop.”
“Okay?”
“So, I figured the best way to cure that would be to come over.”
“And you don’t wait for an invite?”
At my response, he licks his lips, staring at mine. “If I waited, we’d never get anywhere.”
“Where do you want to go?” My gaze trains on his mouth also. His lips are sexy, his teeth perfect and white, with the canines a little more pronounced than his others. Each time he speaks and I see them, I imagine him biting me with them.
So fucking hot.
“Here, with you.” He replies, using his right hand to shove the door closed behind me, while leaning in and taking my mouth with his.
The door clicks and our kiss deepens. His mouth’s an inferno, drawing me in and setting my entire body alight with fire. Each swipe of his tongue is an erotic torment, beckoning me to play. One hand pulls me closer while the other lightly cups my cheek. The only time he breaks contact is to mumble against my mouth, “I want you.”
I want him too, more than I’d like to admit. His thumb runs down, over my neck until his hand stops, holding my throat. I don’t know if it’s the sheer control of his hand holding such a vulnerable part on my body, but the feeling of his large palm against my skin has my body humming all over. This man knows exactly how I need to be touched and does so without haste.
“More,” I’m able to utter, barely breaking my lips from his but it’s enough to do the trick. His other hand runs underneath my shirt, working it up, over my torso until we have to separate to get me free from the obstructive material.
Once again, I’m pressed against him, his mouth devouring me as he works my sweat pants down, leaving me in my bra and cheeky panties. You’d think I was made for him, how well he knows my body after only being together for a short time.
He pulls back to gaze down at my body, his eyes hooded with lust. “Mmmm Bella, you’re breathtaking. I’m truly a lucky man.” His words make me blush. I’m not shy of my body in the least bit, but his intense stare, makes me want to burst with pride that he enjoys what he sees in me.
“You still have your clothes on.” I state the obvious and he nods, not taking his gaze away from me and not wanting to remove his hands either.
In a few movements, Thaddaeus’ black leather jacket falls to the floor. I almost want to chase after it and put it on. It must smell delicious after being wrapped around him. Next, his white T-shirt is yanked over his head and tossed to my couch. He doesn’t waste time in taking his black jeans off, but just unbuttons them, before pulling me into his frame again. His clothes are entirely under classed compared to his usual; he sort of reminds me of James De
an in that outfit. He’s a total bad boy with a sinful touch when it comes to my body.
“The bedroom or the couch?” he asks, unlike last week when he brought me pleasure with his mouth right where I was standing.
“Umm…the bedroom?” Silently, he obeys, walking me backward to my room.
Shoving me gently, I land on my back on my bed and he wastes no time, diving in and pulling me free of my underwear. Tossing them somewhere behind him, he leans in, immediately swiping his tongue against my aching sex.
Thaddaeus’ exposed back, clad in nothing but his jeans is beyond sexy. The man has muscles there that I didn’t know even existed. His only tattoo stands out in stark contrast to his lightly tanned skin, the large, laughing Archangel standing over a pile of dead bodies, seemingly more menacing than the last time I saw it. I questioned him about it before and he told me it’s to remind him to be careful when he turns his back. According to him, someone’s always there, laughing, waiting and plotting to take his place. It must be a lonely life to live.
Pulling my tender flesh into his mouth, he lightly bites and sucks on my clit, making my hips shoot off the bed, “God!” I moan as he draws on it harder and makes me see stars.
In a flash, the erotic moment is over and he’s climbing over my body, pushing his jeans down his thighs, exposing himself. He’s long and demands attention just like the rest of him. I only catch a brief glance before his lips are on mine again, my taste still on his tongue.
Thaddaeus has me practically purring. My body vibrates inside with excitement, knowing that thick cock between his thighs will be bringing me even more pleasure. Climbing over me, he pauses on his way up to nibble on each nipple, the tops of my breasts, and then right below my ear.
“You have me so turned on. Your mouth is amazing.”
“Tell me, Grace, are you on birth control?” Its growled as his breath comes in quick bursts as his dick caresses my thigh, anxious.
“Yes.” Whispering, I nod, gyrating my hips, searching him out.
Gangster Page 12