by Cora Reilly
“Great, now I have to smell your feet all evening.”
I couldn’t help laughing. Nino gave me a look, but I couldn’t read his expression. Remo, too, had his eyes on me, and for once he didn’t look pissed or furious, but he, too, made it difficult for me to gauge his emotions.
“How about we watch this fight now?” Remo said after a moment and turned up the volume.
I risked a look at the screen, where a massive man with arms as thick as my thighs was beating up his opponent before throwing him into the cage. I shivered at the rattling of the cage and the drunken cheers of the crowd.
Nino reached for my wrist, never taking his eyes off the screen, and I stifled a smile, which died when the giant grabbed his opponent and smashed him down on his knee. The man’s back gave a sickening crunch, and he fell to the ground motionless.
I flinched violently against Nino, and his arm tightened around me. “Is he … is he …?” I swallowed, my pulse racing. Nino brows drew together.
“Dead,” Remo said with a shrug.
My stomach turned violently.
“That was a spectacular move,” Savio commented, stuffing his face with another slice of pizza. How could he eat while a man died?
Nino tapped my wrist, drawing my attention to his face. “We can switch to one of the street races.”
I caught the look Remo sent Nino. He disagreed, and he was right.
“No. If I want to be part of this family, I better get used to watching this.”
Savio leaned back, a challenge in his eyes. “Then you should come to Roger’s Arena in two weeks. That’s when Nino’s got his next fight.”
“What?” I leveled my widened eyes at Nino.
“I haven’t fought in a while. It’s time.”
“That’s why we are watching this,” Remo added. “The huge fucker is his opponent.”
I stared at Nino in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. He broke someone’s back.”
“I will break his neck. That’s easier and has the same effect,” Nino drawled.
I reached for the beer bottle he still held in the hand that wasn’t busy checking my pulse and took a deep gulp. Then I began coughing from the horrible taste.
Nino gently pried the bottle from my hand, emptied it with one long sip, and set it back on the table.
“Women,” Savio muttered under his breath.
I put my head down on Nino’s shoulder and focused on his chest as the next fight played out on the screen. When I felt Nino’s hand on my ankle, I peered up at him, but his full attention was on the fight. All I could focus on were the small strokes of his fingers against my skin. The brothers began discussing strategies for Nino’s next fight as they watched the giant’s previous fights. Nino’s hand shifted again, sliding up to my outer thigh. I stilled, my breathing hitching in my throat. His warm, rough palm felt surprisingly good despite its proximity to more problematic areas, areas that held painful memories.
He didn’t move his hand, only rested it there, and I wasn’t even sure if he’d realized it or not because he was in an argument with Remo about whether it was best to kill fast or let the fight play out for a while to entertain the audience. Eventually, he must have noticed my stillness and lowered his gaze to me. He moved his thumb lightly over my skin, his eyes remaining on my face. Goose bumps flashed across my skin. He leaned down to my ear, whispering. “Fear?”
I considered it for a moment then shook my head. Nervous, definitely yes, but not scared.
He nodded, obviously pleased.
“If this is turning into a fucking session, warn us, all right?” Savio muttered.
Nino narrowed his eyes, expression hardening. “Savio, watch it.”
“What? Now I can’t say fucking because she is here?” He sat back up, scowling at me. “No strippers, no whores, and now you don’t want me to say fucking?” He looked at Remo. “Tell him he needs to stop acting like a fucking pussy and show Kiara who’s boss.”
“I think she knows who’s boss,” Remo said with a twisted smile. “And you stop bitching. Take a whore into your room if you are eager for pussy.”
Savio leaned back with a challenging glint aimed at Nino. “What no ‘watch it’ when Remo says pussy?”
Nino rolled his eyes and relaxed again. “With you there is still hope. Remo is a lost cause.”
Savio chuckled. “Yeah, that’s a given.”
“I don’t care if you say fuck,” I said. “This is your house and you can talk however you like.”
“It is our house,” Nino said firmly. “And he can say fuck and whatever else he wants as long as he doesn’t insult you. You are mine, and I won’t have him insult you.”
“Geez, I didn’t insult her. I asked if you were about to fuck. That’s a valid question, don’t you think?”
Adamo gave me a look, which made me laugh again.
“We aren’t about to fuck, satisfied?” Nino asked.
Savio grinned. “More satisfied than you, obviously.”
Luckily, the conversation returned to fight strategies after that, but Savio’s words kept replaying in my mind. Would I ever be able to satisfy Nino? I wasn’t even sure I would ever be able to touch him there.
When Nino stepped out of the bathroom in only his briefs, I realized how stupid my concerns were. My eyes never seemed to get enough of watching him, but my fingers now itched to touch as well.
“What do you want?” he asked as he walked toward the bed.
“Touch you,” I admitted.
He stopped right in front of the bed, allowing me to see him in all his muscled glory. I swallowed, getting overwhelmed again.
“Do you want me to keep my briefs on?”
I nodded quickly because if he got naked, I’d lose my courage.
“Of course.” He nodded toward the nightstand. “Cuffs?”
“Yes.”
He grabbed the handcuffs from the nightstand, cuffed his left hand to the bedpost, and stretched out on the bed.
I knelt beside him. Nino looked completely at ease as he lay sprawled out on the bed. His eyes trailed over me, taking in every inch.
“You can touch me wherever you want.”
“Where do you want me to touch you?” I knew the answer to that question, of course.
“This is about you, Kiara. Touch me where you want.”
Gathering my courage, I ran my hands over his chest then down his abs until my fingertips grazed his waistband. Then I quickly backed up. I kept my eyes on my hands as I explored his muscled chest, but his eyes were on me the entire time. I ran my fingernails lightly over his chest, scraping across his nipples, and he exhaled deeply.
I stifled a smile and repeated the motion then moved lower. Avoiding his briefs, I moved on to his legs, massaging his strong thighs, before I returned to his torso once more. A while after my ministrations, he grew hard under his briefs. My hands paused on his abs.
“You are in control,” he assured me. His voice was deeper than ever before. My uncle had guided my hand last time, forced it down onto his erection, forced me to rub him. I’d hated the feel of him. Swallowing the growing lump in my throat, I pushed any thought of the past aside.
I ran my hands back up to his chest then down again, over his hips and down his thighs, and then on the way up, I brushed over him with my thumbs, barely touching him. He grew harder immediately, and I repeated the motion then moved back up to his chest. Nino’s eyes were keen as he watched me, his breathing deeper and his body taut like a bowstring. His hand came up to stroke my upper arm, a whisper of a touch that sent tingles into every nerve ending. “I can touch you like that as well if you want.”
“But won’t you need both your hands?”
He tilted his head. “It would add to your enjoyment, but if you feel threatened we should keep me restrained.
“No, let’s try it without the cuffs.” I leaned over and opened them for him. He lifted up, bringing our faces close. I pressed my mouth against his, and he took the lead as he
always did. My eyes fluttered shut as warmth settled in my core from the skillful way his lips and tongue worked me. I moaned softly into his mouth, and he pulled back. I peered up at him questioningly.
“I think we can move on now,” I said.
His mouth twitched in an almost smile and a hint of warmth reflected in his eyes. Simulated affection but so good.
“What should I do?” I asked uncertainly.
“You could lie on your back, and I’ll start massaging your legs and arms and see how you like it.”
I scooted lower and lay back. Nino knelt beside my legs, giving me a perfect view up his strong body. The overwhelming sense of losing control, or worse fear, never set in. He reached for my left foot and began massaging my sole with just the right amount of pressure. Then he moved on to my ankle. His touch switched between featherlight and more pressure as he worked his fingers up my calf.
My core throbbed, and I could feel myself growing wetter under his touch. His gaze followed the trail of his hands. “Can I remove your shorts?”
“Sure,” I said quietly.
He unbuttoned them slowly and pulled them down my legs, his fingers grazing my skin. My heart felt ready to burst out of my ribcage. Nino raised my foot up onto his thighs and stroked my knee then applied gentle pressure on the skin just above it. I released a soft breath. Watching my face, he grabbed my ankle again and raised it as he bent forward. He pressed a kiss to the inside of my ankle before his tongue tasted the same spot, hot and wet and inexplicably perfect.
I shivered and could feel myself grow even more aroused. How could this feel so good? He shifted my leg again and pressed a light kiss to my calf. Finally his eyes lowered from my face and darted lower. It took me a moment to realize what he was looking at. The way he held my leg, he could see up to my panties that clung to my throbbing, drenched center.
He released a long breath and his expression became more strained. Embarrassment and insecurity filled me, accompanied by a hint of wariness because of my exposed state.
Nino met my gaze, and his eyes sent another pleasant shudder down to my core. He looked immensely pleased.
“Your body responds perfectly to stimulation,” he murmured. “This is very good. It will make our explorations very pleasurable for you.”
“So confident,” I said with a small, nervous laugh.
Nino smirked and kissed my calf again before he sucked the skin into his mouth and nibbled lightly while his other hand trailed up my arm. I shuddered again. This felt impossibly good.
He released my skin. “I would like to give your chest some attention.”
I paused. My nipples were already painfully straining against my clothes, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to get out of my shirt and bra yet. Nino had seen me like that before, but for some reason I still had trouble baring myself to him.
“You can keep your shirt on, and I’ll just push it up a bit. The skin over your ribs and on your belly is very sensitive. If I give it some attention, you might come close to climax without any friction between your legs, which I know you aren’t ready for yet.”
It was so very scary how easily he could read me.
“Okay,” I said breathlessly.
His strong hands reached for the hem of my shirt and slowly pushed it up. I shivered when his thumbs lightly grazed my skin as he did it. His eyes locked with mine as he lowered himself to his side, his head level with my ribcage. My stomach twisted with nerves but I wanted this. Nino put his palm against my belly, and my muscles constricted under his touch.
“You tell me when you want me to stop.”
I nodded. He began moving his thumb, brushing my skin and raising goose bumps all over my body. His eyes trailed from my stomach, down to my black lace panties, then over the length of my legs before they focused on my eyes. “You have a beautiful body,” he said appreciatively.
I flushed. “Thank you.”
He moved his hand over my belly and dipped his fingertips under the waistband of my panties. When I tensed, he pulled back. He didn’t go near my panties after that and instead stroked my belly. I held my breath when he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the skin. How could he be this good at gentleness?
Nino was a patient man. Whenever I flinched, he stopped, only to try something else. Soft kisses and touches. His lips took a long time on the sensitive skin over my ribs, kissing and nibbling. My nipples strained against the fabric of my bra, and Nino regarded them as he kissed the spot where the fabric was bunched. His gray eyes rose to meet mine.
“Would you like to have me restrained again?”
For a moment, I was so caught up in the sensations he had summoned that I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but I nodded anyway. He got off the bed and came back with the handcuffs. Then he cuffed one of his hands to the headboard as he leaned his back against it. I pulled my shirt over my head before my brain could get in the way.
“If you lean over, I can kiss your breasts if you like.”
So calm, controlled, and clinical but with an underlying tension in his silky voice that betrayed his arousal.
I flushed and reached behind myself to unhook my bra. My hands shook too much.
Nino regarded me calmly. “I can use my free hand to unclasp it. It’s my left, so I may take a bit longer.”
I moved closer and he reached up and unclasped my bra after a couple of seconds. Then he dropped his hand again and rested it on his ripped stomach. I lowered my bra. He had seen me naked on our wedding night, but I was still uncomfortable with his calm scrutiny. I had no way of knowing if he approved of what he saw.
“Scoot up,” he said.
I did and knelt beside him. He reached up slowly and touched my shoulder, his palm warm against my skin. He applied the lightest pressure until I leaned down, bringing my breast toward his face. He parted his lips and closed them around my nipple in a delicious cocoon of heat and wetness. I gasped from the sensation and had to support myself against his chest, bringing my breast closer to his face. His eyes seemed to see right through me and knew exactly what I desired as his tongue began to circle my nipple.
It was incredible, overwhelming, and so good.
He settled back and began to leisurely suck at my nipple, tugging, swirling, nibbling until I was sopping wet. I had never been aroused like this, but Nino’s mouth and his intense gaze caused unexpected sensations. I pressed my legs together, feeling like I was going to implode if I didn’t find some relief soon.
Nino eyes were drawn to the movement, but he kept up his ministrations. I couldn’t look away from his face, from the desire in his eyes and the way he lavished my breast.
He released my nipple with a wet sound and exhaled. My cheeks burned. He lifted his hand off his stomach and moved it to my leg then rested it lightly on my knee. I stilled, but my core sprang to life, needy and desperate. I didn’t know it could be like this.
He lay still too, gray eyes tracing my face. “You can lead my hand if you want.”
“What?” I whispered, my brain barely functioning.
“If you would like to have me touch you and give you pleasure, you can lead my hand.”
“But I wouldn’t even know what to do. You are the one who does.”
“I do, and my touch will be very pleasurable, but you are still tense.”
My brows drew together at his confidence. “You are a bit full of yourself.”
He tilted his head with the hint of amusement. “I’m only good at estimating my own talents, and I’m good at giving pleasure.”
“And inflicting pain,” I added.
“That too, but that’s not something you have to worry about.” His thumb stroked my knee lightly. “Why don’t you let me suck your nipple again. You seemed to enjoy that.”
I nodded and leaned forward. He latched onto my nipple, and I instantly moaned. “Now your other breast,” he murmured when I could barely hold myself up above him. I shifted and he circled his tongue over my nipple then sucked it into his mou
th while his hand came up to knead my other breast. My center began to pulsate, lightly at first, and then a shudder passed over me, spreading out from between my legs.
Nino sucked my nipple a bit harder. I gasped and felt more wetness pool between my legs as my center throbbed. I froze above Nino, and he released my nipple.
“What happened?” I asked, stunned.
“I think you might have had an orgasm. It wasn’t a strong one, but my sucking of your nipple was enough to stimulate your pussy without friction.”
Heat rose into my cheeks. “Oh, wow.”
Nino’s eyes were intent as they trailed over my chest then lower. “If I touch your pussy, it will intensify tenfold, trust me.”
I regarded him and my gaze darted down to the hard outline of him beneath his briefs. Not giving myself a moment to worry, I reached for him and cupped him through the material. He let out a sharp exhale and twitched against my palm. I scooted down, despite my racing pulse.
Nino was handcuffed to the headboard. It was safe for me.
I was done allowing the past to hold me down. I was done being a prisoner of Durant’s. He was dead. Nino had tortured and killed him for me. Now it was my turn to kill the man’s memory.
Fingers shaking, I hooked them under Nino’s waistband and pulled his briefs down. His stomach rippled with tension, but he made no sound. I didn’t dare look up at his face for fear of losing my courage.
I had seen Nino naked before, but I’d never risked more than fleeting glances. This time I allowed myself to watch his erection as I brought my palms down on his thighs. There was no reason for me to be afraid of Nino’s nakedness. And I wasn’t disgusted by his body, not even his erection, like I had been of Durant’s. Nino was beautiful all over, even with the scars and the tattoos—or maybe because of them. They were part of him, and I couldn’t imagine how he would look without them.
My eyes lingered on his erection. He was long and thick and circumcised. A brief moment of panic burst through me at the idea of having him inside of me, remembering the pain from long ago, but I pushed it aside. I curled my fingers around the base, and Nino released a low breath, but he kept very still. I was in control of this. Nobody forced me to do this. I wanted it. My choice.