Barresi: Emily Trilogy: A New Orleans Mafia Romance

by Lux Miller

  It takes me less than ten minutes to scramble upstairs and change into the bikini Royce delivered yesterday afternoon along with the dress I wore last night and several other clothing options. It’s not something I normally would have chosen, but it’s been years since I’ve worn a bikini. In fact, the last time I wore a bathing suit was more than a decade ago. Before the cancer took my mom. Before the gambling took my dad. Before the mean streets of New Orleans took my innocence. Before Piacere. Before Andre. Before a stunning man of mystery stormed into my life with guns blazing and changed everything.

  I shake my head to clear the past from my mind and check myself over in the mirror one more time. This shows far more skin than the surfing bikinis I wore back in Hawaii. Of course, back then I didn’t have much more than bee stings for breasts and my butt still fit in little girl’s pants. Now, the stretchy fabric pulls against my meager chest and extra back end, but true to Royce’s style, the fit is damn near perfect. And the fabric is exquisite.

  I gather up what’s left of my once-long locks and throw them up into a high ponytail. Before I leave the room, I double-check the ties of the turquoise bikini bottoms to ensure I stay decent. There’s no ties on the top and I decide it’s staying up by some miracle that Royce has worked over the fabric. The scalloped fabric is incredibly soft and unlike any kind of swimsuit I’ve ever seen. I’m just hoping the white top doesn’t become sheer the moment it gets wet. The baubles that adorn the center of the top accentuate curves that are most definitely conjured by witchcraft. Sure, I’ve got an okay sets of boobs and my ass gets stared at all the time, but this bikini gives me the appearance that I have a killer figure. I’ll take any help I can get, that’s for sure.

  It’s almost with sadness that I dive headfirst into the crystal water. The lanai that wraps around the back side of Luca’s house is incredible. Rocks create a secluded grotto along the back edge of the infinity pool that overlooks Lake Pontchartrain. A small waterfall trickles along the outcrop of stones, splashing below into the serene surface of the chilly water. In the suffocating heat, the water is a welcome reprieve and for the first time in months, I’m able to fully relax and set aside my worries and fears about the complicated status of my life.

  My serenity is interrupted by a heathen yell, followed by a torrent of water that sloshes over me. Gasping and sputtering water, I turn my attention to the dark head that surfaces in the middle of the pool. Green eyes meet mine across the choppy surface of the water and a wide grin breaks across his face.

  Gliding through the serene water is like a shot of caffeine to my soul. It’s soothing and calms my nerves enough that I’m able to wrap my head around a plan of revenge. As I get closer to him, I holler, “Dante!” The moment he looks my direction, I ball my fists together to my side and send a wave of water in his direction that wallops him right in the face.

  He coughs in surprise as the water washes over him. What’s left of his tough-guy facade drips off his face with the pool water. He eyes me dangerously and lunges at me, his broad arms easily snagging me before I can swim out of the way. I’m dragged under by his brute strength before he lets go of me. I surface and cough hoarsely as I attempt to expel the water from my nose and throat.

  I twist around and launch myself onto his back, wrapping my arms around his neck. The pool isn’t deep and Dante is standing up straight, but even with the leverage his contact with the bottom provides, he’s not able to buck me off. He tries though. He growls as he can’t seem to get me off. With a laugh, I wrap my legs around his chest, locking my ankles.

  He grunts with the effort to throw me. I don’t weight that much, but I’ve got a solid grip on him between my legs and my arms that are wrapped under his armpits, with my fingers interwoven on the back of his neck. Leaning down, I whisper in his ear, “Surrender.”

  He barks with laughter. “I am a son of the mafia, Emily… do you not remember I will do anything for preservation? Including this…” Without warning, he ducks under the water again. I have seconds to hold my breath and I’m unable to hang onto him as I get lightheaded. With a smack of defeat against his head with my hand, I let go and surface.

  He emerges from the water seconds later. He slings his head around to shake his unruly hair out of his face. Turning around, he grins at me like he’s just seen the funniest thing ever. “I win.”

  I narrow my eyes and swim past him to the side of the pool. Crossing my arms over my chest, I point at him incriminatingly. “You cheated!” Dante smirks and shrugs his shoulders, then points at himself, “Mobster. I found your weakness and exploited it. I didn’t cheat… I just bent the rules. Besides, you weren’t exactly playing fair either.”

  Scoffing, I point out the obvious, “Dante… you are well over a foot taller than me, you probably outweigh me by a hundred pounds and you’re mean. How is me taking what little advantage I could, not playing fair?”

  He shrugs and walks to the edge of the pool, pushing himself up onto the concrete surface and slapping his hand at one of the chaise lounge chairs that surround the water. I’m irritated with him for ignoring my retort, but curious what he’s doing. I nudge him in the ribs and he squirms, casting his look back at me, “Hey now…”

  Smirking, I do it again and he struggle to hold in a laugh, “You better watch what you start blondie. Barresi men might be ticklish, but we won’t go down without a fight…” I bite my bottom lip thoughtfully and let him know I heard him loud and clear.

  “So Luca is ticklish too, I assume. Thank you for the wise nugget of wisdom of how to get him to quit acting like he’s got a stick up his ass all the time. I get the public persona. He has to be tough and he has to be commanding, but damn… behind the scenes, he could stand to loosen up sometimes.”

  Dante nods and continues with his effort, grinning when his fingers manage to wrap around the aluminum frame of the chaise lounge. He gives it a forceful tug and it tumbles into the pool. I probably look like Dante just tried to swallow a flaming sword. I look at the chaise lounger that sits precariously atop the water, then back at him. “What the heck?”

  He grins and points at it. “I always wondered if those things float. But the old man doesn’t ever just enjoy himself out here. He’s always business, all the time.”

  I give Dante a ‘duh’ look. “That’s what I’m saying. It wouldn’t kill him to let his guard down once in a while. What’s he so afraid of? He’s an intimidating bastard. There isn’t a criminal is New Orleans who doesn’t shudder at his name.”

  He chuckles. “It’s not that simple. He has big shoes to fill… a family legacy that has lasted for generations. The underground of New Orleans has been in Barresi hands for well over a hundred years. Before long, it will be his responsibility to ensure it remains ours…”

  I swim over to the chair as it floats just below the surface of the water. I pull myself up onto it and giggle as I wiggle my way to my feet, my balance iffy as I topple about. Dante’s eyes widen as I put my arms out to steady myself and I don’t even care that he’s ogling me. I’m out here wearing scraps of fabric that for all I know could be sheer by now, but I don’t even care anymore. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to let loose and just have fun…

  As I shift my weight from leg to leg to keep myself from slipping off the semi-submerged chair, Dante lobs an unexpected question at me that nearly has me falling off into the water. “So what do you really think of my brother? Outside of the contract…?”

  I shrug and straighten my knees so that the top half of my body is above the water. “I don’t know. He’s dangerous. He’s extremely disarming. There’s just something about him that obliterates all of my defenses, especially when he kisses me. It’s stupid that he gets me all hot and bothered, but he’s hot as sin.”

  A flicker on Dante’s face alerts me immediately that something is off. I stare him down, then accuse, “And he’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?” Dante bites down on his lip to conceal the enormous grin that threatens to break
through. He nods slowly and I turn around so fast that I lose my balance and land with an awful splash into the water.

  When I poke my head above the water, I find Luca standing at the edge of the pool, a look of thunder on his face. We are each frozen in place for several moments as our gazes meet and nobody dares to move. He’s the one who breaks the silence as he scoffs, “Well, you’ll be thrilled to know that I’ve convinced the Boss that you’re still useful to me even though last night was a press disaster. Glad to see you’re here enjoying yourself while I’m fighting for your life. If you put half the effort into convincing the public that you’re happily involved with me as you put into goofing off with my brother, we’d be unstoppable... ”

  I gulp and glance over my shoulder at Dante. He shakes his head quickly, his gaze locked on his brother. He mouths a warning to me, but my big mouth gets the best of me anyway. “Luca… if you put half the effort into treating me like the girlfriend you want the public to believe I am as you put into keeping Whores R Us in business, not one person in New Orleans would doubt us…”

  Dante’s eyes grow to the size of saucers as Luca storms off, slamming the door to the house on his way inside. “What have you done? He just spent hours convincing the Boss to keep you alive!”

  I swallow, nodding slowly. “I know. I fucked up, okay? But he pushes my buttons and my filter malfunctions.”

  Dante sighs. “He’ll cool off, Emily. He doesn’t like his flaws being pointed out to him, but I thought you should know… He’s definitely an ass and a manwhore, but after Amber stormed out that morning, he hasn’t had sex with anyone. Or if he has, he hasn't done it here. I can’t imagine that it’s out of respect for a fake relationship… my guess is he’s eyeing something more…”

  TWELVE

  Despite Dante’s hollered warnings at my back, I pull myself out of the pool and wrap a large, fluffy towel around my body. I march into the kitchen, dripping on the floor as I follow the direction Luca went when I wounded his pride. Upstairs. Of course, he went upstairs. He probably called one of his floozies that he keeps on speed dial because that seems to be the way Luca works through his frustrations. He fucks it out.

  Groaning, I climb the stairs and walk into the hallway cautiously. I stop dead in my track when I hear muffled moaning coming from Luca’s room. Of course, just as I suspected. Despite my utter disgust with the situation, my curiosity is bubbling up inside me.

  I can’t deny the magnetic draw I feel to go see exactly what he’s doing. If he’s going to berate me for not being committed enough to this fake relationship, then damnit I’m going to return the favor.

  Edging closer to his room, I realize his door is not shut all the way. The moaning gets louder as I approach. I put my hand on his door, bracing myself for the inevitable show of tits and ass that I’m about to encounter. As I give the door a gentle push, a feral growl floats across the air. His guttural sounds of pleasure strike me right at my core, and I clench my legs to stop my body from betraying me. This isn’t hot at all. He’s in here fucking some random woman.

  I step through the door, trying to act casual. Pushing away the suspicions in my voice, I clear my throat and ask, “Luca… what are we having for…?” My words die in my throat as my heart lurches into it. I realize with a start that Luca is alone and though his back is turned to the door, it’s immediately obvious what he was doing… and it wasn’t a woman.

  His suit trousers are puddled around his ankles and neither of his hands are visible from my angle. My eyes immediately drop to the floor, but I can’t stop them from slowly trailing up the back of his naked legs to where his suit jacket and starched white shirt barely cover his ass. His thighs are thick and muscular and they clench every few seconds.

  He glances over his shoulder as his right arm continues to move hastily. I can’t see what he’s doing, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Luca Barresi is jerking himself off and I’m bearing witness to it. Well, sorta. I can’t see anything. But it’s got me hot and bothered anyway.

  “I, uh… I’ll just go out here and wait… for you to, uh, finish…”

  Luca sighs and shakes his head. He turns around to face me and I gasp with relief when I realize that his shirt mostly covers him, though the shirt does nothing to hide the fact that he has a massive erection bobbing underneath. I slap my hand over my face and begin to back away. Gasping as my back hits the wall, I curse myself for missing the doorway.

  He stares me down, his eyes locked on mine as he strides across the room. With a snarl on his lips, he closes the distance between us in seconds, leaving me pinned between the wall and his half-naked body. He leans his face down to mine, his lips inches from mine. “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

  I whimper softly, squirming around until my hip brushes up against an unmistakable swollen firmness. With a gasp, I glance down, but he quickly slides his hand under my chin and redirects my gaze back to his face.

  Tripping over the words that are trying to form in my mouth, the only thing I can think of to say plops out of my mouth before I can think better of it, “Haven’t you ever heard of shutting your door?”

  His eyes flash and before I can say anything else, his lips are on mine. His body presses me against the wall as he takes his fill of my mouth, invading with his tongue the moment I gasp in surprise. I moan as he threads one hand through my wet hair and tilts my head back, giving him better access to assault my mouth. Our teeth clash together as our mouths fervently fight for dominance in this heady tango of tongues.

  I push my hands onto his chest then slide them over his broad shoulders, digging my fingers into him. He groans and shrugs out of the suit jacket, his hand tightening in my hair to a point that it stings. But it doesn’t deter me. Instead, it pushes my hormones into overdrive as I pull my hands back to the center of his chest, flicking open each button as they trail south. He pulls his lips from mine suddenly, gasping for air.

  Pressing his forehead to mine, he whispers hoarsely, “Please don’t tease me, Emily. I’m already horny as fuck and I need to release the pressure in my balls before they explode. Please…don’t...”

  His hand disappears between his legs and the sudden movements of his body against mine are painfully telling that he resumed his frenzied stroking of his erection. It’s oddly hot to know that he’s bringing himself pleasure while kissing me, but also sends a nervous shiver down my body. He notices and leans his face down to my neck, nipping softly at the exposed flesh as he pulls his hand free of my hair and slides it slowly along the side of my neck that he isn’t sucking on right now.

  The gasping moan that he elicits from me gives him all the invitation he needs to drop his hand lower, his fingertips brushing over the flimsy, damp fabric that’s the only layer between his hands and my breast. He nips the side of my neck and pushes the fabric aside at the same time. The cold air of the room instantly pebbles my nipple as he gently rolls it between his thumb and index finger.

  My eyes snap shut at the onslaught of pleasure that races straight to my core. I know the valley between my legs is slick and it’s not due to the wetness of my bathing suit. What Luca is doing to me right now has me aching with need as he continues to pleasure himself. My name is on his lips as he alternates between nipping and licking along my collarbone. He drops to his knees in front of me and replaces his fingers with his mouth, lavishing the swollen bud between his lips.

  He grunts as the speed of his hand picks up. He must be getting close to orgasm since he has become frenzied with his movements. As he sucks my nipple between his lips, he swirls his tongue around it. My eyes are squeezed shut as I squirm against the wall. His hand wanders down over my stomach. He mouth pops off of my breast and he looks up at me, “Give me permission, Emily. Give me permission, and I will bring you to the edge with me…”

  I open and close my mouth, but no sound comes out as he stares at me with a lascivious grin on his face. He trails his fingers underneath the edge of the skimpy bikini
bottoms and I feel my breath catch in my throat. Nodding hastily, I stare down at him as he smirks and pushes them aside.

  He runs one finger along my opening, an enormous smirk twisting his lips as he feels how wet I am. He leans forward and grips the undisturbed side of my bikini top between his teeth and yanks it down so that both of my breasts are exposed. Biting down on my bottom lip hard, I watch him as he flicks his tongue across the nub, the cold air startlingly pleasurable in the absence of his tongue.

  I thread both of my hands into the wavy thickness of his hair and pull him up to me, kissing him with wanton need. He smirks into the kiss and mumbles, “Get ready…”

  Panting against his lips, I ask, “Get ready for what?” He grins as he thrusts his tongue back into my mouth. As I focus on the intrusion into my mouth, he cups my sex in his hand, then slips a finger inside of me.

  I clench down hard on his finger and he yanks it back out, then plunges it back inside, deeper this time. I growl into the kiss and capture his bottom lip between my teeth, biting down as pleasure courses through my body. He continues to ply my body, edging his thumb onto my swollen clit as he adds a second finger inside of me.