Cruel King: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Jillian Quinn

  She fisted her fingers around the neck of the bottle and tugged, but I didn’t let go. Her skin was warm and soft, and I thought of how smooth the rest of her body would be pressed against mine.

  “My family is upstairs,” she said, holding her ground. “My dad will kill both of us if he finds us together.”

  “I don’t care,” I shot back, our mouths only inches apart. “I’ve waited years to get you alone again.”

  She blew out of puff of air. “We can’t… we shouldn’t…”

  Her hand was still on the bottle with mine, the desire in her eyes intensifying my need to quench the hunger brewing inside me. I was a beast around her, wild and desperate to taste every inch of her. I’d been with plenty of beautiful women, but I craved Isabella most of all.

  Claiming Isabella would have been the beginning of the end, and I was ready to watch my world implode for one night with her. One night was all I wanted.

  When she attempted to steal the bottle from me, I fought her again, this time my actions earning me a slap across the face. My head turned to the side from how hard she hit me. This crazy girl had no idea what she’d done. Her anger was a turn on. The burning sensation spread from my cheek and throughout my body, my cock now even harder and ready to tame her.

  “You had no right to follow me down here. I didn’t invite you, and I would like to drink my bottle of wine in peace.”

  What happened to her?

  She was nothing like the girl I once knew.

  I didn’t move or speak, still stunned by the brass balls on this woman. The fire inside her ignited mine, the red-hot flames licking my skin.

  “I want to fuck you,” I confessed. “And I think you want me, too.”

  Her eyes widened, her lips slowly parting for me. She was about to speak and stopped herself. We stood there in silence for a short while, before she muttered, “I’m not fucking the son of my father’s enemy in a wine cellar, so you might as well leave now while your dick is still attached.”

  I almost laughed at her last comment and released my grip on the bottle. Her eyes pointed down at the wine, and she let out the breath she’d been holding.

  “Have you ever been fucked, princess?” I whispered the words against her neck, slowly moving up to her ear. “Really fucked, I mean.”

  When I took a step back to gauge her reaction, her cheeks and chest were bright red. It took her a minute before she finally said, “No. Never.”

  “Did you wait for me?” I brushed the back of my hand against her cheek. “Are you still a virgin?”

  She stared at me and bit the inside of her cheek, giving me a silent answer. The wine cellar was cold. Isabella shivered and held the bottle tighter. I thought about hugging her against my chest to take away the chill with my warmth. But I wasn’t ready for another slap to the face.

  My cell phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking up the silence. I removed it from my pocket and held it to my ear. It was my father summoning me upstairs. He had a few people he wanted me to meet, men who could make our lives easier. When it came to the law, we needed all the help we could get. Keeping politicians in our pocket was a means of survival. They were just as corrupt, only they used lobbyists to do their bidding.

  “Until next time, princess.”

  She sighed, and then drank a big gulp of wine.

  I stuffed the phone in my pocket and walked away from her.

  One day, she would be mine. She just didn’t know it yet.

  Chapter Nine

  Isabella

  After Stephan left the wine cellar, my entire body trembled, and not because I was afraid of him. He was wrong for me on so many levels. Yet, I couldn’t control how my body responded to him. There was the subtle change in my heartbeat when he was around. The sudden rush of heat that penetrated my skin. My pulse pounded for Stephan, every inch of my being high from the adrenaline rush he gave me.

  I took a sip from the bottle in my hand, still thinking over Stephan’s last words to me. He wanted me to wait for him, and I did. After giving Stephan up once, I felt the need to do something to defy my father. Most of my life was a sheltered one, with very few friends and no boyfriends. Stephan was the closest I’d ever come. My dad exercised his political power in every way possible, constantly interfering with my life.

  No one was good enough for the daughter of Senator Robert Parisi, making Stephan DeLuca a perfect mark. What I was about to do was wrong. I didn’t care and made a decision as I set the bottle on top of a wooden cask and left the basement.

  When I entered the ballroom, Stephan was standing next to his father and twin brother. All of them were tall and good-looking, their dark wavy hair long enough to brush their foreheads. Paired with their olive skin and striking blue eyes they were pure perfection, the kind of men who could make women drop to their knees.

  Mark stopped me before I could get to our table and pulled me to the side. He rubbed beneath his nose, his eyes wide and fixed on me. “Is it all gone?”

  I sighed, inspecting his face for white powder. “You said you were going to stop, Mark.”

  “I will,” he shot back. “Right after Dad’s re-election. I’ve got a lot of shit I have to get done.”

  “That’s just an excuse to do more drugs.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. And where did you get them?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” He rolled his tongue over his gums and glanced around the room for our father, who would be looking for him any minute. Mark was his right-hand man and his current campaign manager. “Am I good?”

  Furious with him, I nodded.

  Mark walked away from me, leaving me in the corner of the room to stew over the fact he still couldn’t get his act together. No matter how many times my father paid for his treatment programs, which were disguised as vacations, my brother was still a giant fuck-up. Of all the stupid things he did, what I was about to do was even dumber. It was my turn to live, instead of being held captive by my family’s constant demands.

  When I caught Stephan’s attention, I tipped my head toward the open doors of the ballroom. He understood the meaning of my gesture, his gaze fixed on me as I grabbed a bottle of champagne from a table and exited the room. I needed some liquid courage to do this. My virginity wasn’t something I held near and dear to me, even though my father would have wanted me to value it.

  He sure as hell made sure I’d never lost it, and now I was about to hand it over to the son of his enemy. The only man I’d ever wanted. This was nothing more than an act of defiance, my silent retaliation for being told what to do all of my life. I was so angry with my father for everything he’d done to me.

  A wicked grin crossed my lips, the corners of my mouth widening when Stephan followed me upstairs. We were in an old mansion on Long Island that was used for weddings and local events. From the balcony of my oversized suite, I had the perfect view of the Long Island Sound.

  I left the door unlocked, knowing Stephan was right behind me, and stood in front of the glass doors, staring out at the water. Stephen locked the door behind him, and I still didn’t turn around. Now that Stephan was here, in my room, I was a little nervous. But I didn’t want him to know.

  Stephan came up from behind me and placed his palms on my shoulders, his rough grip awakening the deep-seated hunger inside me. “I see you’ve changed your mind.” He dipped his head down to say the words against my ear, his breath on my lobe causing me to tremble.

  “You were right,” I told him, with my back still facing him.

  His hands moved down my arms, his fingers creating a brush of heat in their wake. Our connection was intense, the sparks between us like a static charge.

  “Right about what?”

  “I want you, too. I’ve always wanted you, Stephan.”

  He slid my curls away from my neck, and his mouth hovered over my skin. “Are you sure this is how you want to lose your virginity?”

  I hesitated for a second, but when his teeth grazed my neck, I
let out a soft moan. “Yes. But I have one condition.”

  He stopped kissing my skin. “What’s your condition?”

  “Don’t hurt me.”

  He stilled behind me, as if pondering my words, and then turned me around so that we were facing. “I think I can do that.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at him. “You think?”

  Stephan cupped the side of my face in his big hand, his eyes so blue they reminded me of the water I’d just been staring at. “It’s going to hurt. I can’t make any promises it won’t.”

  “Yeah, I know. Take it slow is all I mean. I’d like to be able to walk out of this room, not hobble back downstairs.”

  He laughed, stroking his thumb along my jaw. Before I could get out another word, Stephan’s lips crashed against mine. He tasted of wine and bad decisions, one I was more than happy to make with him. His fingers found my curls, and he tugged on them hard enough to rip another moan from my lips.

  Stephan kissed me like he wanted to claim me. Like he was fucking my mouth and taking what had always belonged to him. In that moment, I felt it, every bit of his adoration as he worshiped me.

  Without breaking the kiss, Stephan picked me up and lowered me to the bed, covering my body with his. He kneed my legs open wider until I granted him full access, his long, hard cock growing thick against my inner thigh. I knew I was in trouble when I could feel this much of him through his trousers. It would hurt, and judging by his size, I was guessing it would hurt a lot. But I was okay with it. Ripping off the Band-Aid that was my virginity was necessary, or at least that was what I’d thought.

  Stephan consumed me, made me blind with lust. I was practically begging him to fuck me when I reached between us to unbutton his pants.

  He took my hand in his, our lips separating long enough for him to say, “Patience, princess. You’ll be begging me to come by the time I’m through with you.”

  I was bursting for him to touch me, my core throbbing with need. But Stephan took his time, moving my dress up over my hips, his hand caressing my thigh as he kissed me. This was the opposite of what I’d expected from him. I wasn’t sure Stephan knew how to do anything other than fuck a woman, but he was proving me wrong.

  He reached behind me to unzip my dress and then lifted it above my head, draping it on the edge of the bed. The gown was one of the latest fashions, a present from one of the designers who dressed my father for special occasions. My breasts were bare, a bra not part of the outfit. Stephan’s gaze fell over my body, and as he did so, he licked his lips.

  “You’re beautiful.” He whispered the words as he removed his suit jacket. “Still my perfect raven.”

  Next was his shirt. I was in awe of his body, his tanned chest ripped with muscle and his shoulders strong like he’d spent hours each day in the gym. Now, it was my turn to salivate over him.

  He leaned forward, his hand traveling up my stomach to my breasts. He massaged them in his big hands, the pads of his thumbs rolling over my nipples. They were like rocks, the skin stretched so tight I thought I would explode when he closed his mouth over one.

  Tiny bumps dotted my skin, spreading down my arms and legs. Stephan was trying to kill me, or at least that was my best guess. I couldn’t stand to be touched like this without any form of release. So, I thrust my hips, wanting to feel him, greedy to have him inside me.

  Staring up at me, Stephan took my other nipple between his teeth and tugged. Each time I felt his breath, tongue, or teeth, my body jerked from the overwhelming sensation ripping through me.

  “Stephan, please,” I pleaded. “Stop messing with me.”

  “Beg me,” he growled. “I don’t think you want it bad enough.” He looked at me long enough to wink, and then made his way down the length of my body until he was pulling off my thong.

  “Please,” I whined. “I want to come already.”

  He shook his head, a devilish smirk on his lips, and then he sucked on my clit.

  “Ohhh…” I couldn’t even get out the words.

  His tongue was like heaven when it made contact with the tiny bundle of nerves. I gripped his hair between my fingers and pulled him closer, smothering his head between my thighs. He slipped his tongue between my slick folds and lapped up my juices, his eyes meeting mine each time he darted his tongue in and out of me.

  Stephan had a firm hold on my thighs, and when he lifted my ass up from the mattress and devoured me, his tongue like a skilled weapon being used against me, I came undone from the intensity of my orgasm.

  I screamed his name repeatedly until it was only a whisper on my lips and my hunger was satiated. My body burned everywhere he touched. Stephan made me come so hard it made begging him worth it. And I would have gladly done it all over again.

  Allowing Stephan to take my virginity was supposed to be a silent act of defiance, but it became so much more. I began melting into him, craving him more with each second that passed. And once he removed his pants and boxers, my mouth opened in shock at the sight of his cock. He was long and thick, with a little pre-cum which I wanted to lick from the crown.

  Stephan rolled on a condom and pushed me back to the mattress, pinning me down with his muscular body. He was in control in the bedroom that much was clear. I was so sick of everyone in my life telling me what to do, but I wanted Stephan to take the lead, show me how much he wanted this, too.

  Stephan lined himself up at my entrance and inched inside me. The initial pinch was painful, so much so that I almost screamed from the intense pressure. With each inch, he broke through my walls, careful as he rocked into me, slowly filling me.

  A few errant tears fell from my eyes, even though I tried to keep them at bay. To my surprise, Stephan stilled inside me and bent forward to lick the tears from my cheeks, making me feel cared for in a way I didn’t understand. It was a weird gesture but also kind of sweet. In that moment, I knew I was completely fucked, and not in the rode hard kind of way.

  The man I’d been trained to believe was my enemy was anything but that right now. And I wanted him to be more, even if that would never be possible.

  “Are you okay?” Stephan whispered the words against my ear as he raised my hand above my head to thread our fingers together.

  I nodded, the waterworks finally gone, and he continued to rock his hips, his cock burying deeper and deeper inside me. My body adapted to his size, and it wasn’t long before I encouraged him to stop being so cautious. The pain I’d once felt quickly turned to pure pleasure.

  I was so drunk on Stephan, my body hijacked by the sheer force of the orgasm that owned me. He was an addiction I couldn’t kick, no matter how hard I tried to stay away from him.

  It wasn’t long before I came again, followed by Stephan. He collapsed on top of me, making sure to kiss each of my breasts before he rolled onto the other side of the mattress. We didn’t speak for a few minutes, both of us still trying to catch our breath.

  I couldn’t believe what I’d just done with Stephan.

  Did I regret it? No, not at all.

  Stephan ran his hand through his dark, sweat-slick hair and glanced over at me. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I want more,” I muttered.

  He smirked, about to say something when his cell phone rang, cutting through the tension. Stephan let out a low groan and slid off the bed to retrieve his phone from the pocket of his pants.

  Rolling his eyes at the screen, he raised the phone to his ear and said, “Yeah.”

  His eyes found mine as he listened to the caller on the other end, and then he turned his back to me, giving me a nice view of his perfect ass. I was too busy admiring his backside when he walked into the bathroom, now yelling at the person in Italian.

  The DeLucas were from Italy. Stephan and his brothers were first generation Italian-Americans. From what I’d heard, his grandfather still headed the operation in Calabria, while Stephan’s father was in charge of one of the largest families in New York.

  I was Italian, though I didn’t spea
k much of it. My father never learned the language, even though my grandmother, his mother, was fluent. Carmella had taught me a few words and phrases when I was a child, but not enough to understand Stephan’s conversation.

  A few minutes passed before Stephan exited the bathroom with his phone clutched in his hand, his grip so tight I thought he would break it.

  “Everything okay?”

  He shot me a pained look. “Yeah. I have to go.”

  “Oh… okay.”

  To say I was disappointed would have been an understatement. He was leaving me as if this was nothing more than a business transaction. My chest hurt when the realization of everything hit me.

  What did I expect? That we would start dating? I went into this knowing it was all about sex and nothing more. So why did I want more?

  I sat up and covered myself with the comforter. Not like it made a difference after Stephan had seen and touched every part of me.

  Stephan got dressed in a hurry, and then stood in front of me, staring down at me with those deep blue irises I so easily got lost in. He clicked a few buttons on his phone and handed it to me.

  “Give me your number.”

  “Who says I want you to call me?”

  He rubbed the stubble along his jaw, eying me up, and then laughed. “Don’t play games with me.”

  Because I had no willpower, I added my number to his phone and handed it back to him. No matter how much I went into this thinking it would be a one-time thing I didn’t want it to end there.

  I was hoping for a kiss or something more meaningful after giving so much of myself to him. Instead, he touched my head with his big hand and said, “You’re a good girl. Too bad I’m going to ruin you.”

  You already did, I wanted to scream.

  And then he was gone.

  I was alone with nothing to hold onto but the memory of Stephan and the reminder of what I’d done.

  Chapter Ten

  Stephan

  “Get in the car,” Alessio growled at me through the open window of the BMW SUV.