“Not for much longer.” Her connection to the mafia was so low she wouldn’t be worth finding once she graduated and turned eighteen. She would move out and then go to college, leaving it all behind.
She would have sworn she saw disappointment on his face, but his next words told her she had imagined it.
“By the way, our fathers are in the mafia; we’re not. At least, not yet.” He had no doubts to what his future held for him.
Lake had always known Vincent would follow in his father’s footsteps. His father was too far up in the mob for him not to be. She knew Nero and Amo would, too. Just by the way they fought, you could tell it was in their blood. They were simply born to be made.
The rest of the way home was silent and could be summed up in one word: awkward.
Vincent only broke the silence when he pulled into their driveway “You two stay behind me and go into my room while I check to see if the coast is clear. If Mom and Sam catch you two looking like that, I won’t be able to help you.”
Lake and Adalyn agreed as they got out of the car, staying close behind him. Lake was thankful Vincent’s bedroom, which was mostly just a guest bedroom, was on the first floor by the front door.
A sigh of relief came over Lake when they closed his door. All they had to do was silently wait in the darkness until Vincent came back to tell them the coast was clear.
Lake had definitely had an eventful day filled with way too much drama for her liking.
Thank God tonight is finally over.
Chapter Five
A Hard-On of Epic Proportions
Vincent slowly walked through the house, unable to concentrate. He desperately needed to get himself under control. Every day was a constant battle for him and right then, his mind and body were at war.
His body was in a serious state of need from being a hundred percent positive he was going to fuck his date and ninety-nine point nine percent positive he was going to fuck Nero’s date, as well. Hell, his date had already made him halfway hard when she had started grabbing his dick under the table. However, when he had seen Lake dancing, his dick had grown like a rock. He was almost certain he had never been that hard before.
Fuck!
Feeling the pain in his groin, he became positive he had never been that hard. It meant a lot more than you would think because he was proud that he had fucked every hot girl in his private school. Not to mention, since it was Legacy Prep, there were a lot of rich, hot girls who came with some sexy-ass mothers. Finally he realized how severe his hard-on was, considering he’d slept with outrageously needy, experienced milfs. If you aren’t in the twenty-first century, that means Mother-I’d-Like-To-Fuck, fuck, fuck!
When Vincent didn’t see anyone, he rounded back to the living room and sat down on the couch. If he looked at Lake right then—in that fucking dress—he would only picture her dancing. Even without looking at her, it was hard enough.
Okay, now listen to your mind. Vincent took a deep breath. This is Lake you’re thinking about. He took another deep breath. Your sister’s best friend. Another deep breath. You were just turned on and ready to fuck. With one last deep breath, he was finally becoming sane.
Vincent was glad that was over. The next day, he was going to wake up and have no thoughts about Lake while he fucked some girl’s brains out. Make that the threesome I was supposed to have.
Getting up off the couch, his dick was finally under some control. What? A hard-on of epic proportions isn’t going to go away just like that.
Vincent was ready to face Lake again since he was calm, cool, and collec—
What the hell is that?
Vincent stared at the bag sitting on the coffee table. Reaching down, he grabbed something circular which was wedged between some school folders and papers. He opened the round case, knowing all too well what was inside. When the little pills appeared beside days of the week, he began to lose control all over again.
If this is Adalyn’s, I will fucking kill the motherfucker who touched her. When he thought about the other option, of it being Lake’s, he came to the same conclusion.
A voice deep down inside of him told him to take a deep breath. Shut the fuck up.
* * *
Lake stared at the monster in the doorway when the lights were suddenly turned on. Her breathing sped up as she wondered what could have happened in the five minutes she had been in there. Is someone dead?
Adalyn sounded on the verge of tears as he shut the door behind him. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
Vincent revealed what was in his hands, still silent.
Adalyn and Lake let out the breaths they’d seemed to have been holding for an eternity.
Oh, thank God. No one’s dead.
“Jesus Christ, Vincent! You scared the hell out of us!” Adalyn said, trying to catch her breath.
Vincent’s voice was cold as he put the pills in his pocket. “Whose the fuck is it?”
It finally dawned on Lake and Adalyn that finding birth control pills was right under finding the dead body of a family member.
Adalyn held up her hands. “Okay, Vincent. Just try to calm down and listen for a second.” She began to fake laugh. “Trust me, we are all going to have a good laugh about this later.” However, her laughter died at Vincent’s facial expression.
Holy shit, someone is dead, and that is me.
“There are two fucking rules every girl in the family must follow: One, you can’t date until you become an adult and graduate high school. And two, you can only fuck after you’re married with the blessing of the family.” Vincent’s voice became low. “You know you are not allowed on birth control, especially since you’re underage. In one night, all the fucking rules have been broken.”
Lake wished she could run and hide. She knew the rules, and they had been put in place for the safety of the girls as well as the sanity of the family.
Vincent’s voice started to rise as his eyes danced between them. “So, whose are they?”
Adalyn looked down at the floor. “Um…”
Lake looked Vincent straight in the eyes. “They’re mine.”
Vincent’s eyes held Lake’s prisoner. “Adalyn, out.”
Adalyn didn’t move.
“Room. Now!” Vincent growled.
Adalyn solemnly left, closing the door behind her while leaving her friend to fend for herself.
Lake’s chest started to quickly rise and fall as he silently stood, watching her. She tried to move her eyes away, but she was afraid of what he would do if she did.
Vincent waited until Adalyn’s footsteps had disappeared. “You fucking that guy who was your date tonight?”
Huh? What? No! Who the hell does he think he is?
Lake was furious he’d had the audacity to say that.
“I told you earlier we used them to get in. We didn’t even dance with them! You are such an asshole. Did it ever occur to you that I’m on birth control because my periods suck?”
“Excuse me?” Vincent took a step forward.
Lake had absolutely had it up to here with him trying to intimidate her. “That was in my bag, and you had no right to go through it. It is none of your fucking business if I was fucking him!”
Shit, shit, shit! Lake really wanted to take that back. She watched him take another step forward as she moved back.
His baby-blues were dangerous as they traveled down her body. “Sweetheart, I make it my business when you wear a dress like that.”
She had never felt eyes on her like that before in her life, making her certain she should’ve been scared of him right then. Lake truly was scared shitless, although it wasn’t Vincent who was scaring her; it was how her body was reacting to his words. What is he doing to me?
Her legs began to shake as she backed up another step, trying to keep the distance between them. She had no room left when the backs of her legs hit the bed, causing her to fall.
Lake began to see him differently for the second time that night as she watched
him finally close the distance between them. Her chest grew heavy as he stood over her, his legs touching her thighs.
Is this…? Is this real?
Vincent looked too perfect. She was certain no one could ever be more perfect than him.
Vincent’s voice was quiet when he said, “Lake, are you still a virgin?”
Lake couldn’t help licking her lips in nervousness. Slowly, she nodded. “Yes.”
He reached out and tilted her chin up with the tip of his finger. “And has a guy ever kissed you or touched you?”
“No,” she whispered her confession.
Vincent glided his finger up to trace her bottom lip. “Good.” He paused. “Now, you go on another date again, I’ll chop his hand off. You fuck someone, and I’ll chop his dick off. And, if I catch you dancing and looking like that again, sweetheart, your days of being a virgin are over. Understand?”
Lake blinked up at him. Did he just say that?
He quickly bent his head close to hers then grabbed the back of her hair to tilt her face higher. “Do you understand?”
Oh, my. She tried to fight the warmth growing in her belly. She had no clue why the hell she was turned on when he was being the opposite of sweet.
Don’t agree. “Yes.”
“Good girl. Now, don’t move.”
What? Wh—?
Lake suddenly felt his lips crashing onto hers. She would have never imagined in a million years that her first kiss would be with Vincent.
It was tender at first, making her stomach do somersaults, but it quickly became rough when he started sucking on her bottom lip. Lake felt like she was being transported to Heaven by the feel of his lips and the way he was holding her head. She didn’t know if she was even kissing him back, but that was going to change.
With the heat she felt itching at her to touch him, to kiss him in return, Lake mimicked him, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth firmly. Then she reached up and grabbed the nape of his light blonde hair tightly. She wasn’t even aware of what she was doing until he sped up and deepened the kiss.
Lake moaned into his mouth and pulled his hair, bringing him closer to her.
That was when Vincent stopped kissing her just as quickly as he had started. “You should go.”
She was still a little dazed, looking up at him.
“You should go,” he said, harsher that time.
What the fuck is wrong with him?
Lake jumped off his bed then shoved him. “You were the one who fucking kissed me!” She stomped off toward his door, unable to be around him for another second.
When she opened the door, he said, “Tell Adalyn to bring down those fucking dresses.”
“Fuck you, Vincent.” Lake slammed the door behind her.
Chapter Six
The Infamous Walk of Shame
Lake was mad. No, Lake was furious. He didn’t have to treat me that way!
She swung open Adalyn’s bedroom and ran straight to her closet, jerking off her dress.
“Lake, are you all right?” Adalyn yelled from the other side of the door.
“I’m great,” Lake mumbled.
“What happened?”
She thought for a moment. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” There was no way in Hell she was going to tell her best friend she had kissed her brother. Plus, it was her way of lying to herself.
Lake opened the door when she was changed into an old T-shirt and shorts and saw Adalyn already in her pajamas on the bed.
“Your brother said to take him the dresses,” Lake snapped, tossing her dress on the bed.
“Um, okay…” Adalyn started to get off the bed.
“No, actually, I’ll do it.” Lake picked the dress back up and grabbed Adalyn’s off her dresser. She then went back down the steps and headed for Vincent’s room.
Knock, knock, knock.
Vincent opened the door to see a sweetly smiling Lake before she threw the dresses right in his face.
“What the…?”
“Goodnight.” She quickly turned on her heel while he was still in shock. Lake wasn’t dumb; she knew when to run the hell away. Especially after poking a bear.
She went back up the stairs again and into Adalyn’s bedroom, lying on the bed beside her. It was quiet for a few minutes.
“Lake, are you sure you’re okay?”
She turned on her side, not wanting to face Adalyn. “Yes, I’m fine.”
She was thankful when Adalyn turned off the lamp and decided not to question her anymore. Lake didn’t even know how she could start a conversation about that. Oh, hey, your brother and I just made out. No, Lake was going to take that to her grave.
She lay in bed for hours before she couldn’t take it anymore. She figured it was the guilt which wasn’t letting her sleep, but that truthfully wasn’t it. Vincent had sparked a fire in her and he hadn’t put it out, causing the flame to burn higher. Lake had never felt like that before, and that was how she had come to the conclusion of guilt.
She couldn’t stop replaying the moment again and again and again in her head. The way Vincent felt…
Stop it!
Lake got out of bed, careful not to wake Adalyn. She simply needed to stretch a bit.
She took a seat at the bay window, looking out at the night. She didn’t know how to feel or what to think about her first kiss. She was pretty sure she was supposed to be happy about it, though.
Something started to draw her attention in the yard. She couldn’t make anything out other than something really shiny moving. When it reached the lit driveway, however, her heart sank to her stomach.
That something shiny was a gold, sparkle dress. She knew the dress from earlier because the girl wearing it was the one Vincent had taken on a date. Lake might have thought their date had been cut short, but it had merely been put on hold. The girl was carrying her heels to the parked car down the street and despite being naïve, Lake knew the infamous walk of shame when she saw it.
A tear slipped down her cheek as she got back in bed. I am so stupid.
Lake knew you only ever got one first kiss in your life, and it had been wasted. She finally realized how she felt about it. Complete and utter regret.
* * *
“Mom made breakfast, so wake up!”
Lake felt groggy as Adalyn forced her awake. She had no clue how long she had even slept. Her eyes felt swollen from the silent tears she had shed throughout the night, and she made sure to wash her tear-stained face before she went down for breakfast. The only reason she was going was because she figured Vincent wasn’t going to wake up until the afternoon.
Lake took a seat at the table, thankful she had been right about Vincent. I dodged a bullet there.
She started to fill up her plate with pancakes and bacon. “Thank you, Carla. It smells—” Her attention was drawn toward Vincent shuffling in, wearing nothing except shorts.
Or not.
Lake snapped her head back toward Adalyn’s parents. “Delicious.”
Carla smiled at her. “Thank you.”
When Vincent took a seat beside her at the head of the table, she tried not to look at him. Just eat your bacon.
“So, what were you two up to last night?” Vincent said, making a plate.
Lake and Adalyn quickly looked at a smiling Vincent. What the hell?
“Oh, we just went running around. You know, to the mall, to eat, then the movies,” Adalyn said.
Lake noticed he looked like shit. Well, shitty-looking for a god. Hmm, two can play this game.
“Long night, huh?” Lake stared at him as she popped a piece of bacon in her mouth.
Vincent started to chew his food slowly, looking right back at her. “Yeah.”
Lake wasn’t going to break eye contact; she wanted to see his reaction. “Did you leave in the middle of the night? Because I could have sworn I saw someone leaving when I looked out Adalyn’s window on the way to the bathroom.”
Vincent leaned back in his chair. “Nope, wasn’t m
e.”
She saw a slight hint of anger appear behind his blue eyes before it vanished.
“You saw someone in the yard?” Sam asked in concern.
“Oh, I’m sure she—I mean it—was nothing. Probably just imagined it.”
Vincent started to cough from choking on his orange juice.
Lake desperately tried not to laugh, but a few chuckles managed to escape. She proudly stared at him, proving she had won.
“You don’t mind, do you?” He snatched the last piece of bacon off her plate.
“Oh, not at all.” Lake mumbled the next part under her breath. “Wouldn’t be the first thing you’ve taken from me.”
“Well, if it didn’t look so good, I wouldn’t have.”
Well … shit. She had no clue if that was a compliment or not.
Deciding to be done with the arguing—well, if that was what someone called deciding not being able to think of a response—she finally noticed Sam, Carla, and Adalyn looking at her and Vincent like they were crazy.
She began to feel embarrassed and hurriedly took a few more bites before setting her fork down. “I better go call my mom to pick me up.”
“I’ll take you home,” Vincent spoke.
“No, that’s okay.” Lake gave him a no-freaking-way face. “No point in you getting out.”
Vincent smiled. “I was going back to Dad’s, anyways.”
“Mom won’t min—”
“No point in getting your mom out.” He got up from the table and started heading out. “Going to take a quick shower. Be ready in five.”
He was taking back the win she had thought she’d gotten. Lake had no other option than to cause more of a scene.
God, I hate him.
Chapter Seven
Vincent Vitale is Dead to Me
Lake took a deep breath at the passenger side door. She wished she could sit in the backseat, but that would make her look childish. Wait, maybe not too childish? Yep, it definitely would. Okay, fine!
She went ahead and opened the door, sliding into his dark car quickly then buckling her seatbelt. Lake stared straight ahead, unwilling to even look at him. He never asked to take me home before, and now he just has to do it.
Vincent (Made Men Book 2) Page 3