by Penelope Sky
“So, I’m trapped?” I asked.
“You’re trapped with the most powerful man in this country.” He moved on top of me and looked down at me like he despised me. “The only thing you should be doing is sleeping soundly, knowing there’s not a damn thing out there that could ever hurt you.” He lay down again, this time staying on his side of the bed without touching me. His affection died the second I pissed him off. Now, he was stuck on the other side of the bed, taking his warmth and leaving me in the cold.
I wasn’t comfortable anymore.
One arm rested behind his head while the other lay on his stomach. He lay still as he stared at the ceiling. “Why are you like that?”
“Like what?” I whispered.
“You don’t like to sleep with men.”
I shrugged. “I’ve been sleeping alone my whole life. I don’t like to share my space. I don’t like to alter my routine.”
“That’s gonna change.” He closed his eyes and turned his head the other way, facing the large window that overlooked the city.
I’d wanted to leave a moment ago, but that was an instinctual decision. I was used to doing the walk of shame or kicking dates out of my apartment the second I was done. I liked going back to my single life the second I knew the man wasn’t the right one for me. Now that I was in a different situation, I wasn’t sure what to do. All I knew was, I was a lot more comfortable when I had this man wrapped around me, keeping me warm and comfortable. Now, he was pissed at me, insulted by the way I’d tried to creep out of his apartment and past the army waiting at the bottom of the elevator.
After a few minutes of discomfort, I scooted closer to him and rested my face against his shoulder. My arm hooked around his waist, and I tucked my leg between his, snuggling with him like he was my full-time lover. The second I was in place, I felt a million times more comfortable.
His deep voice broke the silence again. “That’s better.”
8
Bosco
When I woke up the next morning, Carmen was exactly where I left her.
All over me.
Her hand rested against my chest, her face cradled in my shoulder. She had her gorgeous leg draped across my body, and her long hair was soft against my arm. She was dead asleep, sleeping peacefully despite her pathetic attempt to disappear in the middle of the night.
Like I would let that happen.
I didn’t do sleepovers either. My dates were sent home in a private car with an escort so I wouldn’t feel like such an asshole. But having Carmen there was a different story. I expected her to sleep with me all through the night. I told her she was mine—and she was mine in every sense of the word.
I rolled her over onto her back and watched her eyes slowly open to take me in. Her green eyes were even more beautiful in the morning, despite her smeared mascara and eyeliner. Her lipstick was long gone, probably all over my body. I positioned one of her knees over my shoulder to widen her legs so I could slip my fat dick inside her.
That woke her up.
Her hands immediately went to my arms, and she gripped me tightly as she felt my big dick stretch her wide apart. She panted in my face and moaned as I rocked into her, giving it to her nice and slow, unlike last night. She was still full of my come, but I would give her more before we both started our day.
Her hands moved through my hair, and she moaned quietly for me, enjoying the slow pace I used. She loved my cock, and it was impossible to hide, especially after the performance she gave last night. She was two different people sometimes. She put up a front, pretending she was indifferent to me, but when we were together like this, there was no hiding how she truly felt.
She was crazy about me.
I’d assumed some asshole broke her heart so it was impossible for her to trust someone again. But since that wasn’t the case, I knew she was so content being alone that she didn’t want to risk getting her heart broken. Unless it was a safe bet, she wouldn’t take it.
I wasn’t a safe bet.
I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t exactly the kind of guy to introduce to your mom.
But we would never get that far anyway. This was just an intense fling, a monogamous relationship until the fire burned out. I’d never been this intimate with a woman, preferring to have random hookups with women whose names I wouldn’t remember. I’d never been with the same woman twice—until Carmen. Now I was doing something new, committing to a woman for a period of time. All I knew was I wanted her and didn’t want anyone else to have her. I wanted to enjoy her fully, come deep inside her, and fill her with my come. I wanted to take her out to dinner and show her off. I wanted to take her to my casino so men could hate me even more than they already did. I wanted to treasure her as mine and mine alone.
And I wanted to protect her. Make her feel like a queen. Make her come so hard that she would never want another man except me.
It seemed like my plan was working.
I screwed her nice and slow, waking her up in the most sensual way possible. I rubbed her clit just how she liked and made her come around my dick, made her sink into my mattress as I took her exactly as I wanted.
And she gave herself to me.
She moaned in my face and squeezed her thighs against my hips, bucking slightly in pleasure. “Bosco…yes.”
My name had never sounded sexier
I’d been hard since I woke up, so I gave her a few pumps before I released inside her, making another deposit into the pussy I now owned. I gave her every single drop, my spine shivering at the same time. There was nothing better than coming deep inside a woman. This was my first time—and it was better than I’d ever imagined.
I rolled off her then glanced at the time on the clock on my nightstand. We both got off in less than five minutes.
She was an easy woman to please.
I got out of bed then pulled on my boxers and sweatpants.
She lay there, her body still and her eyes closed like she was ready to go back to sleep.
“I’ll have breakfast ready in ten minutes.” I walked into the kitchen and got the pans going, preparing two slices of salmon and a side of greens. My diet was just as strict as my exercise regimen. I worked out hard every day in my private gym, and I avoided carbs like they were poison. My habits got me into this perfect form, so it wasn’t difficult for me to remain disciplined. Since Carmen had a perfect figure, I assumed she was a picky eater as well.
She walked into the kitchen, her hair messy and her eyes still tired from the climax she’d just had. But what was most surprising of all was what she was wearing.
My shirt.
I turned away from the stove and stared at her, barely able to believe what I was actually looking at. This was the woman who kicked me out the second I rolled the condom off. She was the one who tried to sneak out last night. But now she wearing my t-shirt better than I ever had. It was baggy on her slender body, but far sexier than the sluttiest lingerie. I kept staring at her because I couldn’t stop.
She grabbed the coffeepot and poured herself a cup, dismissing my stare because she was probably used to it. “What smells so good?”
I turned back to the stove and turned off the burners. “Salmon and asparagus.”
“For breakfast?” she asked incredulously. “Where are the pancakes?”
I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not. “I don’t eat pancakes.” I grabbed two plates and transferred the food. I carried it to the dining table along with my cup of coffee.
Looking like the sexiest thing in the world, she sat across from me and sipped her coffee again, the shirt the size of a blanket on her petite frame. She grabbed her fork and took a bite. “Wow…this is pretty good.”
I ate quietly, more interested in looking at her than talking to her.
“You eat this every day?”
I nodded.
“It’s good, but it seems like something you would eat for dinner.”
“I suppose. What do you eat for breakfast?” I had n
o idea since she always kicked me out.
“Nothing, actually. I’m usually in a hurry to get out the door. But when I do eat breakfast, it’s always pancakes. You know, pancakes with fruit, nuts, tons of syrup…”
“You make it sound like a sundae.”
“Yeah, it kinda is. And it’s delicious.”
I could never eat anything like that. I needed protein to keep my muscles strong, and I couldn’t have any carbs in order to keep my ripped physique. I was all muscle and no fat. That was exactly the way the ladies liked me.
“Are you going to work this morning?” she asked.
“No. I work out in the mornings. I don’t head to the casino until the afternoon.”
“Where do you work out?”
“The second floor. I have a gym.”
“Of course you do.” She looked around my apartment, admiring the fine furniture and the beautiful paintings on the wall. My place was designed with refinement and masculinity, dark colors mixed with tones of gray and white. She finished her food then took both of our plates. “I’ll do the dishes since you cooked.”
“Leave them in the sink,” I ordered. “My maid will take care of it.”
“Your maid?” She turned around after putting the dishes in the sink, having listened to me and probably understanding what would happen if she disobeyed. “Does she live here?”
“No. She comes when I’m at the gym. Does the dishes, handles my laundry, changes the sheets on my bed…stuff like that.”
“I’m surprised you give anyone the code to this place.”
“She gets a new one ten minutes before her shift starts.”
A slight look of surprise came onto her face, but she covered it up quickly. “Well, I should get going…” She leaned against the counter and gripped the edge, but she didn’t move back toward the bedroom to change. She seemed to linger, like she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to go or not.
I moved toward her until I had her back perfectly pressed into the counter. My hands gripped the edge on either side of her so I had her blocked in with nowhere to go. My mouth hovered inches from hers, my blue eyes looking into her beautiful green ones. I’d just fucked her in my bed, and now I wanted to do it again. This woman did crazy things to me. Those long legs drove me wild, and those full lips made me feel like a teenage boy all over again. “How do you feel?” I loved pumping my come inside her, loved owning her in a way no other man had. The idea of being with another woman nearly disgusted me because Carmen was all I wanted—the perfect fit.
“Full.” She gave the perfect answer, her eyes dancing playfully as she said it. She tried to fight the smile on her lips, but it was no use. She was practically grinning, happy and satisfied from our night together.
I kissed her, my mouth anxious to worship hers. She gave me her tongue right away, and I took it with greed, wanting everything this woman was willing to give me. She made me want to be a better man, but she also brought out my worst qualities. If she really wanted to move on from me, I wasn’t sure if I could let her go. I might capture her straight from her apartment and make her into my prisoner. If she refused to cooperate, I would execute every single member of her family. I’d never wanted a woman as much as I wanted her, and if I didn’t get what I wanted, there was no telling what might happen.
It was a scary thought.
Not for me. But for her.
She ended the kiss by gently pushing on my chest. “I should head home. I have a lot to do at the shop today.”
I had a pair of handcuffs in my drawer, and I was tempted to chain her to the headboard so she could only leave when I was ready for her to. But that seemed excessive, especially when I had a busy schedule. “Alright. Get dressed, and one of my men will take you.” She had no idea how sinister my thoughts were, how much she turned me into a monster. She had every reason to be scared.
She was smart to be scared.
Despite Ronan’s objections, I took The Butcher’s money and gave him a membership to the casino. He fit in with everyone else, but he also stuck out like a sore thumb. He was loud, obnoxious, and unpredictable, and it was easy to tell if he was in the casino at any given time.
I walked around the floor, seeing all the men playing at the poker tables while the girls danced on their poles and in cages at random spots throughout the floor. Music played overhead, smoke from cigars rose to the ceiling, and there was so much testosterone in one place, it seemed like it might explode.
I wore one of my best suits, watching my kingdom as I ruled from my perch. Cameras were everywhere, along with security guards. Unlike other casinos, all the security teams wore guns, while the patrons weren’t allowed to bring weapons at all.
Ronan came to my side, dressed in a black suit and matching tie. “I’ve gotten nothing but complaints about him.”
“What kind of complaints?” I stared down at all the tables from the balcony, watching the men wear their best poker faces.
“The dancers tell me he gropes them every chance he gets.”
“That’s not unusual.”
“Tried to rape one of them in the bathroom.”
Alright…that was a little too far. “Give him a warning. He has two more. Otherwise, he’ll be banned from the casino.” I couldn’t throw him into the ring unless he actually stole from the casino.
“Some of the best girls already quit.” Ronan didn’t hide his annoyance. He hated the decision I made and would look for any reason to prove I’d made the wrong call.
“Tell them it won’t happen again and offer them a raise.”
He shook his head slightly. “The only reason why we have the best girls is because they feel safe here. If we fuck that up, we’ll be stuck with the hags.”
“Which is why you need to assure them it won’t happen again.”
“Then you need to warn The Butcher. He doesn’t listen to me.” He pivoted his body toward me, his hands in the pockets of his suit. “It’ll be better coming from you.”
“Alright.” I pulled a cigar out of my pocket and lit it. Smoke drifted to the ceiling, and I took a drag on the end, bringing the smoke into my lungs. I let everything out through my nose and mouth at the same time. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Good.” He relaxed now that the conversation was over. “What’s new with you?” Whenever we finished talking about business, we had our personal relationship, the same kind of relationship all brothers had.
“Nothing.” I didn’t tell him about Carmen because I wasn’t sure what to say. It was the first time I’d been obsessed with pussy, and I didn’t know what that meant. I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to keep her as a pet or adore her as a woman. “You?”
“Saw flowers at Mother’s grave. I’m guessing that was you.”
“Yes.” I went to her grave pretty often, not just on her birthday and the anniversary of her death. My mother had been the biggest role model in my life. She’d taught me how to be a man, raised me to be strong, smart, and intuitive. She didn’t take shit from anybody, and she never refrained from giving me the beating of a lifetime if I deserved it. Carmen’s fiery attitude reminded me of my mother’s spirit sometimes. Perhaps that was the real reason why I helped her in that alleyway…and I’d been obsessed with her ever since. “What’s new with you?”
“I’ve been fucking Giada.”
Giada was one of the dancers on the floor. Ronan seemed to rotate through the girls. Whenever we had new women working for us, he made his move and screwed them for a while before he moved on to the next one. “Pretty girl.”
“Yeah. She’s flexible.”
I chuckled before I took another drag. “Well, dancers tend to be.” I usually mentioned the women I was fucking to Ronan, but only because we were family. We didn’t exchange other personal information, like our thoughts, stresses, and feelings. We’d never been that way. But we could talk about sex…because we both liked sex.
Ronan placed his hand on my shoulder before he walked away. “I’ll bring The B
utcher to your office. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I inhaled from the cigar again. “But I’m not gonna need it.”
The Butcher was a large man, built like a brick shithouse the way Bones was. He had an extra twenty pounds of muscle on his frame than I did, but that didn’t make him intimidating. As my brother described it, his unpredictability was the worst part of his character.
My fortune was based on reading people, guessing their next move before they made it. Interacting with a man like The Butcher wasn’t my forte, not when his thoughts were locked away behind a ten-foot gate.
Ronan escorted him to my office and motioned for him to take a seat in the leather armchair.
I let my lit cigar sit in the ashtray, the smoke slowly rising up to the ceiling. I wasn’t a big smoker, only on occasion. But today seemed like a good day to light up, especially when I was dealing with a psychopath who was already shaking up my casino.
He stared at me, a crooked grin on his face. His smile wasn’t strong enough to distract from the scars all over his face. He had cuts from a blade along his forehead, his cheeks, and his chin. Perfectly spaced out, the marks clearly had been made on purpose, and the scars were so noticeable that it was obvious the cuts had been deep. He tilted his head from the left to the right as his narrowed his eyes on me. “Uh-oh. The boss.” He chuckled, seeing this as some kind of twisted game. “The second your little bitch touched me on the shoulder, I knew I was in trouble.”
“Or you knew you were in trouble because you tried to rape one of my dancers.”
He shrugged. “Just tried to stick it in her ass a little.”
I kept a straight face, not amused by the comment at all. “The dancers are off-limits, Butcher. Bother any of them again, and I’ll have you banned from the casino. It’s a bit pathetic that you’ve been a member for a week, but you’re already about to be kicked out.”
“You laid out the rules perfectly clear—and you didn’t mention a damn thing about the dancers.”