by Angie Derek
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket to wake Silvio. Time to start the hunt for Sam.
Despite the sun, a light breeze coming off the coast kept it cool in the picnic place Nina had chosen. Lessa barely noticed the two guards. Barely. They didn't loom off on the sidelines. Nina's children wouldn't allow that. Obviously comfortable with the two men, they kept at least one involved in their game of tag as the other stood watchfully by. She marveled at the men's ability to switch off every few minutes without so much as a visual or verbal signal.
Nina had kept up a running chatter when they'd first gotten to the grassy knoll with the picnic table and plastic play structure. The play structure looked so out of place within the acres of vines and grapes that Lessa laughed when she first saw it.
The food was spread across the table, but Nina lay in the grass. Lessa grabbed half a sandwich before sitting down next to her to enjoy the sun. Nina was quiet now that her children were distracted by the game.
Lessa went through several topics of conversation and discarded all of them. They seemed trivial, yet everything important seemed off limits. She frowned as she bit into the peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich. She'd felt more at ease with Nina before, but she kept flashing on the doctor and the way Jio had touched her back as he led her out.
"You took the DNA test." Nina interrupted her silence, but didn't open her eyes.
"Yesterday." She wondered if Nina also knew who had administered the test. "The results came in confirming I'm Jiovanni's daughter"
"Good, it'll shut Tony up."
She didn't want to think about Tony. "It didn't yesterday."
Nina shrugged. "The results will. He isn't nice to anyone. I'm sure a shrink would have a field day with all the resentment he feels toward his brothers and sister." She opened her eyes, turned her head to look at Lessa. "Sisters."
"Sister-in-law?"
Nina had probably taken her share of his venom.
She smiled a little. "You should have seen his face when Jay was born. We put a round- the-clock bodyguard on the baby."
Lessa couldn't smile back. "You're serious? You thought Tony would do something to your baby?"
"Jio thought he might. Jio having a son effectively cut Tony out of being next in line." Nina opened her eyes and patted Lessa's hand. Lessa could only assume the horror she was feeling showed all over her face. "Jio sent him away to keep him from you, but he'll be back eventually. He actually seemed to be…maturing the last couple of years, but then Jiovanni died and left it all to Jio. Tony's behaving like he used to. I just want you to know it has nothing to do with you. Don't let Tony's words speak for the family. They don't."
Lessa nodded because it was what Nina wanted, but she wasn't reassured. Her words reminded her too much of what Marc had said yesterday about Tony. They both warned her to be careful, but also wanted her to stay here, where Tony might cause her physical harm. Just because he was gone just then didn't mean he'd be gone forever.
She glanced at the guard who wasn't playing tag and considered what it really meant to have someone with a gun nearby all the time. Nina couldn't even walk her own property without fear of someone trying to harm her or her children. Was the fear from an outside source, or was she afraid of Tony or someone else who should have been safe?
"Do you always have guards with you?"
Nina sat up and cocked her head, watching the game. "Since we came here."
"I thought you lived here."
"We will now, but we had a nice little house near the ocean. If I went out, the guards came with me, of course, but they weren't there all the time. Jio says once things calm down, we'll get back to normal." Nina brushed her hair out of her eyes as a breeze lifted it and glanced at Lessa as if considering her next words. "You get used to it after a while, but then I grew up with guards always around. It must be different for you. It makes you nervous?"
"A little." She gave her own shrug. "When I think about it, a lot."
"Do you notice Marc?" Nina's expression didn't change, but Lessa wondered if she somehow knew about the kiss they'd shared. "He stays in your room. Does it make you uneasy knowing he's just a few feet away, or does it make you feel safe?"
Lessa hadn't considered that. She seemed to be aware of him and always looking for him. She'd looked for him when she'd set out on the small hike with Nina. She felt braver with him near. "I guess I'd have to say safe."
Nina nodded. "That's how it should be. You no longer see the guards as a symbol there's something to be afraid of, but as a wall standing between you and anything bad that may happen."
"Momma, Auntie, come and play!" Belinda called with a squeal as she dodged around the guard.
It took Lessa a moment to realize Belinda referred to her. She smiled at the idea. Nina groaned as Belinda tugged her up to her feet, but she jumped into the game of tag.
The door shutting in the sitting room of her suite sent a small thrill through Lessa. She shot a quick glance at the digital clock by her bed. Ten-o-four. Marc was the only one who didn't knock. She hadn't seen him since she'd tip-toed out that morning.
With Tony gone, would Marc need to guard her any longer?
He didn't step into her bedroom, but she could hear his heavy footsteps as he seemed to pace the sitting room.
Walking softly to the open door, she peered out. He circled the couch to look out the window. His scowl didn't bode well, and she wondered briefly what was bothering him. But since she had no idea what he'd been doing all day, she couldn't very well guess at its cause.
She bit her lip in indecision before mentally squaring her shoulders. This was her room. She didn't have to stay quiet just because of his bad mood. If he didn't want to deal with her, he could always leave.
"I was thinking—" Marc spun around, and she paused at his quick movement. "You probably don't need to stay with me now. You have things you need to be doing right now instead of babysitting. Jio sent Tony off, so you don't need to worry about that. I think I've got the house rules." She ticked each rule off on her fingers. "Stay out of Lucia's way, don't go anywhere without permission, don't leave the estate without a guard, don't walk into rooms without knocking, don't stray too close to the property boundaries." Marc's frown turned into a smile. "What's wrong? I'm just saying if you need to be somewhere else . . ."
"I do need to be somewhere else."
The stab of disappointment took her by surprise. She'd just told him she didn't need him to hang around and so shouldn't be hurt he was no longer going to be her babysitter.
"But," he continued as he walked over to her, "I don't want to leave you either."
Her heart thudded under his intense gaze. "I'll be fine."
"I'm not." He reached out and pulled her into his arms without a second's hesitation.
She sucked in her breath. Her entire body flashed hot at his touch. They'd only known each other a couple days, and had kissed once. She shouldn't respond to him as if they were lovers. And she most assuredly shouldn't be fantasizing about being naked on the floor with him.
"I think about you when I shouldn't." He tangled his fingers in her hair.
She held her breath, waiting for him to kiss her like he had the day before.
He slid one of his hands down to cup her butt and squeezed. "If you don't want this, you need to say so."
She couldn't imagine sending him away. Pushing up on her toes, she tried to complete the kiss. His lips were still too far away. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled. He resisted, eyes trained on hers. She tugged again, and he briefly smiled before scooping her up so his lips met hers.
He slid his tongue in and tasted all she was. Her heart hammered, and everything within her heated. He pulled away and she moaned in protest.
"I'll take that as a yes." Marc toppled her down onto the huge, overstuffed couch.
The feel of his weight pressing her down into the cushions made her a little woozy, and she wrapped a leg around his. He feathered a kiss across her
forehead before tracing light kisses down her face to her neck. After swift bite, he braced himself with one arm. His heated gaze moved down to her breasts as he slid a finger inside her tank top to trace their swells. He dipped further and flicked one of her nipples.
A delicious shock darted straight from her breast to her groin, and she shifted. To relieve or increase the ache, she wasn't sure. She tried to pull him down more firmly against her to kiss him again, but he shook his head in denial. His gaze went back to hers, and he pulled the stretchy tank down off her shoulders. She dropped her hands to help, but he stopped halfway to her elbows, revealing her breasts and affectively pinning her arms by her sides.
She wiggled a moment, before stopping in anticipation as he lowered his head to take one of her hard nipples into his mouth. She moaned as his tongue swirled around, then he was sucking, drawing her deep into his mouth. Intense need built between her legs, and she shifted again, trying to press up against his thigh as he leaned over her.
He gently bit her nipple, and equal parts pain and pleasure slashed through her. She gasped and moaned with one breath. Lowering himself down, he kissed his way back up her neck. She could hear his breath raging, betraying his unreleased eagerness. She slid her leg along his, feeling the silkiness of his slacks. Shifting her weight allowed her to feel the large bulge he positioned away from her. She pushed up against him.
"Shit," Marc breathed in her ear and fastened his mouth to hers. His hands cupped her breasts and weighed them. "Jeez, you're stacked."
Incredibly she could laugh through the moans. "Just your average cheerleader."
He looked at her. "There's nothing average about you."
She tried to touch him, found herself still effectively pinned by her tank top, and wiggled, trying to pull her hands out.
"I like you this way." His fingers traced fire across her belly to the waistband of her pajama pants.
"What way?"
He kissed her lips. "At my mercy."
Incredibly, her body began to tingle at the prospect of being his naked prisoner. He smiled at her, gauging her reaction before making his next move. She relaxed into the cushions and smiled back at him.
Marc ran his tongue across his lower lip as he straddled her. He undid his belt and pulled it from the loops of his slacks. Laying it on her stomach, he pulled the tank top off, twisting the soft cotton material around her wrists. Lessa watched uneasily, but with increasing excitement. He leaned forward, pinning her hands above her head and swept his tongue into her mouth. She met him kiss for kiss and moaned as he pressed his full weight onto her and rocked. The cotton material of the tank top tightened. She pulled her wrists instinctively and found they wouldn't budge. She looked up and saw he'd wrapped the belt around her cloth handcuffs and looped it over the elaborate wooden filigree at the end of the couch.
Her eyes widened and she looked back at him, but he was looking at her chest. His hands caressed her breasts gently as he lowered his head. His lips connected, and again each tug caused an answering tug between her legs as she shifted in an effort to find relief.
The pleasure was so intense it took her a few seconds to realize he was using his teeth again. This time the pain was barely noticeable as the pleasure whirled through her. She whimpered, trying to reach for him. The belt held her fast. His teeth nipped down the globe of her breast as his hands moved to the waistband of her pajama pants. He sat up and hooking his fingers into the pants and panties, stripped her down to nothing.
She squirmed under his unblinking stare and tugged her hands again. A blush crept up her chest to her face. He smiled, flicking his gaze up to meet hers, then leaned down again to capture her mouth as one hand slid leisurely over her stomach and around to her butt. His hand flexed to pull her closer as he shifted to cover her. His clothes slid over her nakedness.
Everything within her burned, and she fisted her hands to strain up against him as his tongue tangled with hers. Just as suddenly he ended the kiss and licked his way down her throat back to her breasts.
Her heart pounded in her ears and she tried to shift again, to clench her thighs against the ache. He continued his path downward, and his hot breath blew against her core. She gasped as he kissed her inner thigh and drew her legs apart.
He kissed her intimately, slowly, tongue probing and lips tugging. She squirmed and moaned as everything within her tightened. His hands cupped her buttocks to pull her more fully against his mouth. The climax hit her in a rush, and she cried out, straining against her bonds. Liquid heat spread throughout her limbs as she gasped his name.
Standing, Marc quickly disrobed, retrieved a foil package from his pants, and ripped it open to sheath himself. Leaning over her, he captured her lips aggressively.
The languid feeling from her orgasm was replaced by rising desire as he broke the kiss and nipped at her chin before again standing. With a smile and quick hands, he flipped her to her stomach and pressed against her back. When she tried to rise up onto her knees, he held her pinned, his knee leveraged for better access. He leaned in, planting his hands next to her head.
His hips flexed once and the head of his penis entered her. He surged forward, driving himself all the way to the hilt. She moaned into the cushion, unable to move into or away from the invasion. Renewed heat spiraled within her. She could barely catch her breath as he rocked on her. Her body was at his mercy, and each stroke made her tremble.
His breath, hot on her neck, kept rhythm with his steady thrusts. She couldn't stop another deep moan from rising within her. Moist lips moved over her neck. Gentle teeth teased the crook of her and a spurt of pleasure shot down her body. Her breath caught as the orgasmic wave rose. His mouth moved and he sucked and then bit again, hard. The second wave hit her and, trembling, she cried into the cushion.
His thrusting continued, slow and steady, through her orgasm until she lay limp under him, still struggling to catch her breath. He withdrew, and she groaned at the movement, too spent to open her eyes or care what he was doing. He rolled her to her back again and settled once more between her legs. At his entry, her sensitized flesh protested a moment before welcoming him.
"Don't fall asleep on me," he whispered.
She opened her eyes to meet his heated gaze. Responding to his demand, she arched her back to meet his thrust, and he pulled her legs up around his hips so he could sink completely into her.
He moaned. "I'm almost tempted."
"What?" she whispered.
"Nothing." He shook his head and moved to stretch out fully over her body and bit her ear.
Her body was again under his control as he surged deeply within her. Her head was clearing, and she hummed lightly as his thrusting filled her with a sense of rightness. The rightness quickly morphed to heat, and she couldn't believe she was beginning to climb again.
Marc laughed roughly before claiming her lips. His thrusting pushed her deeper and deeper into the couch cushion, and her mouth muffled his moan as he pounded into her. His hand snaked down to grab her butt to anchor her to him as he surged within her a final time before collapsing.
She instinctively tried to wrap her arms around him but they wouldn't move. She looked up in surprise, forgetting she was still tied. His breath blew against her temple and his lips pressed against her in a gentle kiss.
The sweet kiss was her undoing. Lessa closed her eyes as she tried to block out the intense feelings washing through her. Yes, it had been great sex, but she knew not to confuse sex with love. She'd only known him a few days. Having great sex was about chemistry, not love.
He levered up and she felt his hands at her wrist. The stretchy cotton released her, and he kissed each wrist as he brought them down. He brushed the hair off her face. "You all right?"
"What do you think?" Lessa asked, trying to sound as if her heart hadn't been stolen.
"I think you're more than all right." He grinned, cupping her breast in his hand and caressing it.
She slid her fingers into his hair as she ar
ched up into his mouth. He suckled for a moment and let go with a pop. He looked at her glistening nipple and then up at her.
"Hold that thought," he said as he withdrew. He climbed off and headed into the adjoining bedroom.
Lessa rolled onto her side for a moment. Sitting up, she decided to follow him to the bathroom. He was stepping out when she stepped into the bedroom.
"I told you to stay put," he said.
"No," she said with a raised eyebrow. "You told me to hold that thought."
"So, I did." Grinning, he walked up to her and cupped her breast. He then cupped her chin and tilted it up for a deep, soul-searing kiss. She leaned into it and moaned as he pulled away.
"Get in bed," Marc growled, scooping her up and plopping her down on the large mattress.
She obediently climbed over the covers as he pulled them back and laid on her back to look up at him.
"God, you're gorgeous." He laughed under his breath.
"What?"
"When I first saw you, I thought you looked like a typical all-American white-bread…cheerleader." He chuckled when she smacked his roving hand.
"Thanks," Lessa said in a huff grabbing his wrist.
"Who would have thought I'd fall this hard for a cheerleader?" He crawled onto the bed and leaned over her.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she met his serious eyes.
"You still are the all-American white-bread cheerleader."
"Only half all-American white-bread. What the heck is the other half?"
A cell phone ring blasted through the room.
"Fuck." He maintained eye contact for a moment, then rolled off to answer his phone in the other room.
Lessa reached down and pulled the comforter up, shivering from the loss of his body heat. She could hear his low tones but couldn't make out his words. A minute passed before he came back in fully dressed, his face in its careful blank mask. She sat up uneasily.
"I have to go." Marc hesitated. "I don't want to, but I gotta go and deal with something." He swiftly crossed the room to firmly kiss her lips. "We'll talk more when I get back," he promised. She smiled at his sincere tone and he kissed her again. "Get some sleep."