“Stop.” I slapped his arm. “You will kill no one. There’s a lot of men here and besides Emma, Dot and I, there are maybe 2 other females. Of course, the men would joke.”
He grunted his response as he glared at the offender’s back. “I would rather kill them. It’s more enjoyable.”
“If you kill them with all these witnesses, you will never get the full fledged vacation instead of just the mini one. It would be a shame because I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.” I brought a finger up and tapped my chin. “Or maybe Jamaica. How do you feel about the Bahamas?”
He spun me in his arm so that my chest was flush with his, and I had to look up to see his eyes. “You would go on vacation with me?”
I rolled my eyes dramatically enough that he couldn’t miss it. “Who else would I go with? That big guy in the corner?”
He growled. The predatory sound vibrating in his chest while spiking my heartbeat. “I wouldn’t joke on such a serious matter, Amore. Not when it comes to you. No other man will touch you. You name the place and time, and we will be there. Anywhere you want to go.”
“But where do you want to go?” I asked, actually interested in learning about him for once.
He thought for a second before replying. “I’ve always wanted to see the northern lights, but then I suspect you would be bundled up with so many layers that I would wish I chose a sunny island somewhere.”
“We can do both,” I pointed out before I realized that I was planning a vacation, more than one vacation, like this relationship was meant to last that long.
A smile lit his face at the suggestion. Royal Russo was handsome. His dark hair and dark eyes the definition of dark and dangerous. But when he smiled—a gesture so rare I had to wrack my mind trying to figure out if I had indeed even glimpsed it before—well . . . he was breathtaking. Stunning. A piece of fine art.
He was mine.
My heart skipped at the thought as my mind gave a halfhearted scowl. Royal nodded his agreement. “We could do both.”
I swallowed hard, trying to hide the emotions that no doubt were crossing my face. Instead, I pulled back and offered my hand to shake. “I think you have yourself a deal.”
His eyes flitted to my hand before he tentatively took it and gave it a gentle but firm shake. “You know, sealing a deal with a handshake seems so masculine, which is hard to accept while you wear lace and heels.”
I licked my lips before reaching up and wrapping my hand around his neck to pull him to me. When his lips were close enough to mine, I whispered, “It’s a deal.”
Then, I kissed him. I fucking kissed Royal Russo, and I did it like the world was ending, and his lips, his body, were my only saving grace. Right there in the middle of a room full of men with their cat calls and crude remarks, I aligned my body with his and held his lips to mine.
When we parted, both struggling to take air into our lungs, he leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Was that the next move?”
I licked my lips, more out of nervousness than actual need. His taste still fresh, his intoxicating smell surrounded me and made me dizzy. I blinked, trying to bring my thoughts into coherent phrases to voice, but nothing was coming out. Was kissing him the next move? I cleared my throat. “I—I don’t know.”
I felt his chest rumble in amusement as he brought his lips to my ears again. “It’s a yes or no question, love. No, you don’t want to have a soul-searing kiss with me again, or yes . . . you’re ready to move up one level.” I started to answer, and he bit my ear to stop me. “But Bianca, think really hard on that answer because there is no going back.”
I didn’t get a chance to think or decipher what was happening before he was pulling away, his body leaving mine as he walked away and disappeared into the crowd of people.
CHAPTER 31
ROYAL
That was the first move. That was a fucking first move. Bianca could deny it all she wanted, but I didn’t force her tiny little fingers to the back of my neck to pull my head to hers, and I sure as hell didn’t place my lips on hers. But, once those lips touched mine, I wasn’t going to be the one to stop it. Cat calls be damned, I was in heaven. Well, as close to heaven as a guy like me could get.
I left her thinking about what answer she wanted to give me, but I knew. I knew damn well that she kissed me, completely uncoerced and now . . . well, now all moves were fair game. Images flashed in my mind as I walked away, images of all the things I could do to her. Ways I could touch her and prove to her just who she belonged to. And if she had any questions before, she would have absolutely no doubt in her mind who owned her body, heart, and soul.
Heart? Nah, that’s probably too soon for conquering. But if I could get her quivering underneath me, panting my name and declaring she’s mine, I would be the most satisfied man in the world.
“I have to admit that kiss was hot. I think I just lost half my men to the shared restroom,” Roman smirked.
I blinked, remembering why I walked over here. “Have you talked over the deal with the few men you trust?”
He nodded. “It’s all set.”
That was reassuring. I pulled out my phone, shooting Troy a message instructing him to talk to my available men and gather a group of volunteers to come to the compound. I started to put my phone away before sending him another, making sure the men I trusted with Bianca were not part of the volunteers.
“Want to send our females back to the main house and grab a few beers? Seal the deal?”
My eyes searched for Bianca on the other side of the room. She had a glass of wine in her hand as she talked to Shaw and Emma. It was cute, really; those girls drinking from dainty glasses of wine in a sea of burly men sucking down beer. “Let me tell my lady.”
I turned back to the woman I left only a few moments ago, walked the length of the room, and leaned into her ear, not caring that I was rude. “Do you want to go back to the main house with Emma? I’m going to have a few beers with Roman to close out the night.”
She looked at the little watch on her wrist. “It’s late.”
“I won’t be long.” I turned toward Shaw. “Are you coming, man?”
His eyes grazed over Emma, and I felt the smolder he was giving her. “Let me walk the females to the house, then I’ll meet you guys at the barn.” An amused look crossed his face, “The new barn.”
“You didn’t even like the old barn,” I defended. “And I didn’t burn it down.”
“No, you didn’t. But you burned down the building next to it, which we then had to rebuild. The backhoe backed up into the barn, weakening the foundation and beams, which then caused a collapse.”
“Who was driving the backhoe?” I questioned.
“I was, but that’s beside the point.” Both the women looked at him in shock.
“You can’t blame me because you can’t drive machinery.”
He raised one eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I just did.”
“I have so many questions,” Emma whispered to Bianca as she leaned toward her.
Bianca nodded slowly, looking between us. “Me too. Me. Too.”
Ten minutes later, I found myself inside the old barn, sitting on bales of hay with a cold beer in my hand. Sure, we could have stayed at the party, but the barn was so much more personal, and sometimes a small crowd was better than a massive one.
We’d come a long way since we were kids, and I didn’t just mean with our success. Looking at Roman and Shaw now, it was mind-boggling to even believe they were the same people. Shaw, who towered over all of us with his compact muscles and lean, muscular build, was once the smallest runt of the litter. A punching bag for his abusive father, he always sported black eyes and bruises. But now? He was probably the deadliest of the bunch if given the proper opportunity. He was quiet and thoughtful, and looking at him now, just as when we were kids, he still watched Roman like he was a fucking god.
Does Roman know?
Does he know that Shaw shares a love for him as equal as he does f
or the woman who lay between them? That with each drink Shaw tossed back, his lustful gaze kept finding Roman like he was a light in a tunnel of darkness? Roman didn’t notice, and I decided that the man was blinded by their friendship.
Roman stood, stretching his arms over his head, and Shaw’s eyes followed the movement. He brought his hands down, his broad, solid frame blocking out most of the light that shone behind him. His hand came up, rubbing his palm over the short sheer of black hair before settling on his neck. “Want another?”
He gestured to my beer, and I shook my head. “I’m getting too old to drink you under the table. I can’t be climbing trees anymore, either.”
He laughed, his big hand coming to my shoulder in a friendly offering. “It’s that wife of yours, she’s taming you.”
“Hardly.” But in truth, I wouldn’t argue or mind one single bit if Bianca wanted to tame me. Images of her in the green lace dress flooded my mind. Would she still have it on when I made it back to the main house, when we made it up to our room? I wondered, and I hoped. I prayed I would be the one who got to slip my palms onto her thigh and work the material up her waist.
“You got lost there for a second,” Roman pointed out.
“It’s the dress,” I admitted, and he laughed, knowing full well what a fucking dress can do to a man.
He looked at his watch, and I mirrored the action, shocked that an hour had already gone by. “Do you want to go back to the dress?”
More than fucking anything, but banking on actually removing it was only a dream. “It can wait. You know what, maybe I will take another.”
Shaw reached for the case next to him and came up empty handed. “Let me run back for some refills.”
I wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary; I was only killing time, but what would be the point? If he didn’t go for a drink for me, he would be going for a drink for someone at some point. Shaw stood, mimicking the same stretch Roman had done a minute or two before and headed for the barn exit.
Grabbing hold of the heavy door, he pulled on the iron handle, sliding the door open, when suddenly the ground shook. Lights exploded, sound pulsed, and everyone fell backward, pushed by invisible fingers to the ground. Heat engulfed the structure as fire rapidly licked up the walls, and the whole time the only thing I could think of was Bianca.
CHAPTER 32
BIANCA
“Answer your damn phone,” I groaned, feeling my heart beat fast with each ring I heard. Voicemail picked up, again and my anxiety only skyrocketed.
I heard the explosion out in the distance, felt the ground rumble under my feet and when I looked out the window and glanced toward the left, toward the barn . . . all I saw were flames licking the dark sky and smoke billowing in the air.
I had just hung up the phone when there was a knock at our door. I crossed the room in seconds, pulling open the door expecting to find Royal only to see Emma. “They are fine.”
It was the first thing that left her mouth, but it didn’t reassure me. “Did you talk to them?”
She wrung her hands in front of her. “Well, no. But if they weren’t, someone would have said something by now, don’t you think?”
I looked down at the time on my phone. “It’s been eight minutes.”
She stepped past me and flopped down on my bed. “I know. They won’t answer.”
I threw my useless phone onto the bed next to her. “I keep getting voicemail.”
“I’m not worried about them,” she finally said. “It’s not like they mean that much to me. I hardly know them after all. But, I don’t want them hurt either.”
The look on her face told me she didn’t honestly believe the words she was speaking. But I was feeling the opposite. I was worried about Royal. Every stubborn, hard inch of him better come out of whatever disaster had happened unharmed. I had to admit I was becoming attached to him. A fact I wasn’t all too comfortable sharing with him. If he was harmed? Well . . .
I turned my face away from Emma to try to hide the emotions I was feeling. “Has this happened before?”
“An explosion on their property? God, no. But, there have been little things,” she confessed.
She tucked a piece of thick brown hair behind her ears as she fidgeted, and I couldn’t help but think she was such a mousey little thing next to Roman and Shaw’s sheer size. She was petite with what I suspected were amazing curves if she let herself out of the over-sized clothing she seemed to wear. She was a natural beauty, without a stitch of makeup on her, and in a way, I envied her. She put little look or care into her appearance and yet she still managed to be flawless.
“What’s your deal?” I blurted out then instantly covered my mouth.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her head tilted to the side slightly as she nervously rubbed her fingers together.
I walked over to the window again, glancing out at the flames. I wish Royal would call, my stomach was in knots waiting for word. “I mean, those boys watch you like they are the big, bad wolf ready to eat you up.”
She giggled. “Really? I don’t think so.”
“I’m positive.” I picked up my phone and hit dial, waiting until the voicemail picked up before hanging up again. “I think they both worship you.”
She shook her head vigorously. “No. You’ve got it wrong. I just work for them. Here. I help out when I’m not at my father’s bakery.”
“And live here?” I asked.
“It makes it easier. That way, I can work until late evening and not have to worry about the drive back to town. It’s for my safety, really.”
I was a bit skeptical of her explanation, but she seemed to believe it. So, I changed the subject. “How is it you came to work here?”
She bit her lip as if deciding if she should tell me or not, then caved. “My father owed some money to the boys and another man in town. He paid the other man who is admittedly scarier, but then he didn’t have the funds to pay Roman. Roman decided his mom needed some help around here, so a deal was made.”
I laughed before exclaiming, “That sounds familiar.”
“What?”
“Nothing. So just like that, you’re working off your father’s debt?”
“I mean not exactly just like that, but short summary, yes.” She chewed on her bottom lip a bit.
“Relatable.”
‘Huh?” Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
I avoided answering by picking up my phone and hitting dial. Voicemail. I shot off another text.
“I told you he is fine.” She stood and stretched, trying to play it cool, but I could sense her worry as well.
“I understand that you may feel that way, but that’s my husband out there. I can’t help but worry.”
Why? That was the real question. Because you’re falling for him. But, damn it, my internal voice was spot on. I was falling for my damn husband, and the whole idea no longer repelled me. Hell, it even excited me just a bit.
Shit. I needed help. Therapy. Intervention. Something to stop me from this downward spiral that Royal had pushed me into. If I wanted to stop and I wasn’t positive I did, then I most definitely needed an outside force to halt this descent.
“What’s it like?” I blinked a few times, forgetting for a second that the shy girl sitting on the bed in front of me existed.
“Excuse me?”
“What’s it like to have a man like Royal worshipping the ground you walk on?” She elaborated on her original question as I glanced at my phone for the hundredth time this minute alone. One more text wouldn’t hurt? Right?
I looked up from my phone toward her. “I wouldn’t say worship.”
“Oh, he does.” She nodded her head enthusiastically. “Even when you aren’t looking at him, he watches you like you’re a fresh cannoli ready to eat.” I wondered if she even realized she had two men watching her in the exact same way.
“It can be a bit . . .” I struggled for the right word, “exhausting,” I finally finished. Having a man w
orship you was exhausting, especially when you weren’t positive you actually wanted the worshipping.
“Well, I think it’s fantastic,” she added, a dreamy look in her eyes. “I’ve always dreamed of having a man look at me like that.” I could facepalm right now, the poor sweet, naïve girl didn’t realize she had not one, but two men looking to devour her innocence.
I walked to the window and cursed. Now there was a whole dramatic production of people over there and a crew working on the fire. “I can’t stand just sitting here and waiting.”
“Before I came here, I talked to Dot. She told me no news is good news when it comes to her boys,” she confessed.
“So, you are worried?” I probed.
She finally released tension she apparently was holding and flopped back to lay on our bed. “God, I’m terrified.”
I did an internal laugh. I knew there was no way she could be immune to men that look that delicious. Not that I was attracted to them, but one didn’t fail to notice attractive men, even when they had one of their own. The thought that I actually owned Royal made my heart beat faster.
She sat up again, her hair falling in a curtain over her face. “Honestly, I don’t want to worry about them. They own me. But I can’t help but worry about those big oafs anyway.”
Girl. Same. “Have you called them?”
She rolled her eyes. “Like twenty times. Each.”
“Do you believe they are fine?” I asked as her big eyes watched me.
“I do believe one won’t go down without the other following.” She shrugged.
“That wasn’t what I asked.” I sat down next to her, my fingers playing with her long hair.
She groaned. “Fine. I think they are fine. They are too damn stubborn not to be. But I would appreciate confirmation that all body parts are intact so then I could continue on not caring.”
Yeah. Right. Not caring. I couldn’t even hide the smirk I felt forming. “Good Luck with that.”
Resisting Royal (The Repayment Series) Page 16