by B. B. Hamel
“Me too.”
“How is she?”
“Angry and confused, mostly.”
“Take care of her, Vince.”
I nodded. “I will. Convince them to let her stay.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I already did.”
I laughed, shook his hand, and then turned and left.
What a shit morning. The Russians were already threatening all-out war, which was surprising. I figured they would try to negotiate first, but apparently they were itching for combat.
Which meant my Chinese deal was that much more important. We’d need those guns and armor if it came to a war.
I headed back to the office, my mind on Kaley and war.
11
Kaley
Like every morning, I woke up to Alexei crying in his crib.
This morning didn’t feel too overwhelming though, not like every other morning had been since I’d had Alexei.
I fed him, burped him, and changed him. I called for breakfast from room service, which was just a crazy and bizarre idea. The food arrived not too long later, and so I sat with Alexei, drinking coffee and eating.
I was worried. I was worried about everything, about Alexei and myself. I was worried Vince would get sick of me and throw me out. I was worried about Sophie and my family. I had so many reasons to worry that it was overwhelming.
Sighing, I grabbed my phone and dialed Soph’s number. It rang a few times, but she finally answered.
“Hey!” she said.
“Hey, girl. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Have you heard?”
I paused. “Heard what?”
“The family is pissed. Like, really pissed. They sent some crazy ultimatum to the Italians this morning.”
“How do you know?”
“I overheard Vasili talking about it, that dumb fat man.”
“This is scary, Soph.”
“Don’t worry. You know the family. It’s all talk.”
“Still. I’m not coming back; they have to know that.”
“They don’t care what you want to do, Kaley. They just are embarrassed that you went running to their rivals.”
I sighed. “Selfish bastards. They don’t care who they hurt.”
“No. They care more about their pride than they do about their people.”
“Are you okay? They’re not pissed at you?”
“They’re not happy, but they’re not going to do anything to me.”
“Please, Soph, stay safe.”
“Come on, you know I’m fine. Now, tell me about it.”
I told her as much as I felt comfortable with. I told her about the crazy size of the mansion, of all the amenities. I told her about Vince a little bit, and about Sonya.
She laughed when she heard about Sonya speaking Russian. “Your father would love that,” she said.
“Yeah. He’d kill to get me to speak Russian to my children.”
“Legitimate children only,” Soph said, joking.
There was a knock at my door. “Got to go,” I said.
“Call me again soon.”
“I will. Be safe.”
“Bye.”
I hung up the phone and quickly answered the door. It was Sonya, smiling at me. “Good morning,” she said.
“Morning.” I let her in. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks. I just came to see your little man.” She walked over to Alexei and picked him up.
“We were just having some breakfast.”
“Well, why don’t you take some time to yourself? I can watch him for an hour.”
I frowned. I did want to shower and explore the mansion a bit more, but I hated to keep asking her to watch him.
“Just go,” she said, smiling, before I could complain.
I smiled back. “Okay, okay.”
* * *
It felt good to have a nice, long shower. I didn’t have to worry about leaving Alexei alone. I dressed and nodded at Sonya as I walked out into the hallway.
The mansion was an enormous maze. I wandered around trying my key on random doors, though most of them stayed locked. What few opened were usually empty. One of them was a gym, which I mentally marked. I’d need to visit there soon enough.
I kept moving, trying to avoid people, although that wasn’t too hard. The place was huge. There were clearly lots of people staying there and working there, but I guessed there was just so much space that we didn’t run into each other too often.
After a little bit of wandering, I ended up in a dead-end hall. There was only one door at the very end, which I tried with no success. I turned to walk away when suddenly I heard the door open.
I turned. Staring out at me was a beautiful girl, probably around my age. She was thin and had thick dark hair and dark eyes.
“I thought you were the damn maid,” the girl said.
“Uh, hi,” I said. “I’m Kaley.”
“Kaley.” Then she perked up. “You’re that Russian girl.”
“Uh, yeah, I am, I guess.”
She smiled like a snake and moved out of the room. She was wearing tiny little jean shorts and a tattered T-shirt.
“Where are you off to, Russian girl?”
“I was just exploring. Sorry if I bothered you.”
“No bother at all.” She smiled at me. “I’m Louisa.”
I furrowed my brow. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Are you just exploring?”
I nodded. “This place is so huge.”
“Come on.” She started walking. I stared at her for a second and then sighed. I might as well stick with her since I had nothing else to do.
Besides, she didn’t seem like trouble.
“Uh, so, do you live here?” I asked her.
She ignored my question. “There’s a logic to this place; you just have to learn it,” she said. “For example.” She swiped her key and a door popped open, one that had been locked to me earlier.
It was a supply closet. “See the marking on the door?” She pointed out some small colored squares. “These mean closet. There are marks for pretty much everything. The directory is probably in that packet you got.”
“Oh,” I said. “Thanks. I didn’t realize. It’s a lot of information.”
“The Barones like to show off,” she said, and started walking again. “This place was built to show off their power. Crazy, right?”
“I guess. It makes sense.”
“Why’s that?”
“They’re in a serious business where power is important.”
She eyed me. “Pretty astute for a Russian girl.”
“What’s that have to do with anything?”
She ignored me again and kept walking. I hurried to keep up. Louisa was strange, very strange, almost like she didn’t care at all what I thought of her. I noticed a few people giving Louisa strange looks, and I assumed it was because of how beautiful she was.
“Let me show you something cool,” she said. She went down a short staircase and turned a corner. We stopped in front of a simple wooden door. “No markings, see?”
I nodded. “Why?”
“Nobody is supposed to know what this is.” She gave me a sly smile. “But I do, of course.” She swiped her key and the door unlocked. She pushed it open, and I could feel my heart pounding.
We stepped inside.
It was hot as hell, the air thick with humidity, and there were plants everywhere.
It was a shock of green: shrubs, ferns, flowers, things that looked like little trees, more plants than I had ever seen indoors. There was a thin path between the foliage, and I had to walk fast to catch up with Louisa.
It was eerily silent with only the plants. The walls were painted blue, and it almost looked like we were outside.
“What is this place?” I asked, catching up.
“Arturo Barone’s late wife used to love plants,” Louisa said. “This room is a little memorial to her.”
The path en
ded in front of a life-size statue of a woman. She was beautiful, even though she was just marble. Her hair was long and swept over one shoulder, and her lips were smiling. She looked gentle and lovely.
“This is her?” I asked.
“This is her,” Louisa confirmed. “Condita Barone, mother of his children. Dead for years now.”
“She was beautiful,” I said.
And suddenly it clicked. I looked from Condita’s stone face to Louisa, and Louisa just smiled at me.
“What are you guys doing?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. Vince emerged from the pathway just behind us. Louisa only smiled at him sweetly.
“Hi, Vincent Mori,” she said.
“What are you doing, Louisa?”
“Taking our guest on a little tour.”
“You know she can’t be in here.”
Louisa snaked her arm through mine. “I like her. She’s pretty.”
“Uh, thanks,” I said.
“Come on,” Vince said. “Get out.”
Louisa laughed and walked off, pushing past Vince. “See you later,” she said, and then she was gone.
I stared after her, surprised. “That girl is crazy,” I said.
“That girl is Arturo Barone’s daughter.”
“I just figured that out,” I said. “Why did she bring me in here?”
Vince stepped toward me. “I don’t know. But you’ve been a very bad girl, coming in here.”
“I was just following her. I didn’t even know who she was.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Still. You should know not to go places you’re not welcome.”
“How did you know we were here?” I asked, screwing my face up.
He shrugged. “Security told me.”
“You’re watching me?”
He laughed. “Of course we are. When you’re wandering around, you’re under surveillance.”
I stared at him, anger welling up in me. “You’re spying on me?”
“Not when you’re in your room, we’re not. But we can’t just let a girl from the Russian mob wander around on her own, you know.”
I took a deep breath and let it out. I hated the idea that they were watching my every move, but it made sense. They didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. They had to be careful.
It still pissed me off.
“Fine. Let’s go,” I said, moving to get past him.
He grabbed my wrist. “Not so fast.”
I gasped as he pulled me against him. I stumbled and landed with my face against his chest, my arms around him. I looked up at him, surprised, and he just grinned down at me.
This delicious, incredible smile.
Then he reached around and grabbed my ass again.
“You—” I reached back my hand and went to slap him.
He caught my wrist. “Tell me you don’t like it.”
“You can’t just do that,” I said.
“Tell me you don’t like it,” he repeated.
“Just stop,” I whispered, looking away.
“That’s what I thought. You’re dripping wet right now, aren’t you?”
“Of course not,” I lied.
But I was. Waves of excitement were bursting through me, threatening to overwhelm me.
“Liar,” he said. He grabbed my chin, tipping my face toward him. “There’s nobody watching us right now.”
“How do you know?”
“Arturo won’t allow cameras inside this room. We’re completely alone.”
Completely alone with Vince Mori, the man I wanted and needed and hated.
He pressed his lips against mine, kissing me hard.
For a second, I thought I might run.
But that second passed over, and I pressed myself against him, throwing my body into the kiss. I couldn’t stop myself, couldn’t help it. He was right: I wanted him. Every time he touched me, every dirty word, it all drove me absolutely wild.
Lust was driving my mind, pure and simple, as I kissed him hard.
We were alone in a room surrounded by nothing but green and blue as I began to lose myself in his mouth, his strong body, his arms.
12
Vince
The girl kissed me back with a frenzy I hadn’t expected.
I knew she wanted me; it was so obvious. It was just a matter of taking what I wanted. As soon as I pulled her against me and felt that perfect, round ass, I knew she was mine.
I knew she was going to give herself to me one way or the other.
I couldn’t stop myself. She tasted so fucking good, like flowers and fucking candy or some shit. It drove me wild, made my cock absolutely hard. I couldn’t resist it as I pressed my hands against her body, cupping her firm, round ass, pressing her against me.
And she responded. She ran her hands through my hair as I slowly pressed my hand down the front of her shorts. She gasped and let out a soft moan when I found her panties, absolutely soaking wet.
“I knew it,” I grunted in her ear. “I had to feel for myself.”
“Fine,” she gasped as I began to rub her. “You caught me.”
“You’re soaked through. I knew you wanted it. You’ve been dreaming about my thick cock between your legs, haven’t you?”
“No,” she said, and I loved it. “Not even a little bit.”
I slowly slipped my hand down beneath her panties and found her clit, swollen and soaked. I began to rub it, and she let out soft moans. I pressed my mouth against hers, kissing her again, and she continued to moan as I stroked her clit.
I slowly slipped my fingers down and pressed them inside her. She went stiff, grasping my arms, moaning softly as I stroked in and out of her tight little pussy.
“Vince, shit,” she said. “We might get caught.”
“Nobody comes in here,” I whispered. “I can do whatever I want to you.”
“Vince,” she gasped as I rubbed her, moaning. “Oh god, that feels so good.”
“I know, princess,” I said. “I want to make you feel good, show you how it is to be with me, make you remember what I can do to that fucking sexy body.”
“We shouldn’t,” she moaned.
“We should, because I fucking want to.” I pressed her back, pushing her up against the trunk of a big tree-like plant. She gasped as I pressed her against it, pinning her there, my fingers working her clit.
“I want to taste this fucking cunt,” I said. “You have such a delicious pussy. I want to sink my tongue deep inside you, make you scream my name.”
“Vince,” she tried to say, but I’d already dropped to my knees.
I tugged down her shorts and her panties easily. She stepped out of them, staring down at me with these fucking sexy eyes, her mouth hanging open. I pushed her back against the trunk and forced her legs open.
I pressed my face between her legs and began to suck and lick her clit.
Fuck, she tasted as good as I remembered. I licked her clit in circles, sucking and lapping my tongue, savoring every bit of her.
“Oh my god,” she moaned. “Holy shit, Vince. You shouldn’t.”
“You taste delicious,” I said.
She pressed her hands to the back of my head as I kept working her. I slipped my tongue down farther and pressed it inside her, fucking her pussy with my tongue. She moaned, opening her legs more, letting me do my work. I fucked her cunt with my tongue, lapping up her juices, loving every inch of her delicious pussy.
“I love this cunt,” I said. “I want you to come right in my mouth, you hear me?”
“Vince,” she gasped. “I don’t know.”
“I know. You’re going to come for me, Kaley. Come right here.”
I began to suck and lick her clit, and I pressed a finger deep inside her. She gasped as I fucked her pussy with my fingers and licked her clit.
She began to rock her hips, getting into the motion. I knew what she wanted and how to give it to her. I could lick and suck her pussy for hours, bring her to the edge and pull her back, wor
k her body like she’d never felt it before.
But I wanted her to come. I wanted to hear her say my name as she had an orgasm from my mouth, my tongue. I kept fucking her pussy, licking her clit in slow, delicious circles, her back pressed up against the trunk of the tree. My knees were in dirt, but I couldn’t have fucking cared less.
I cupped her ass with my free hand, pressing her harder against my lips. She kept working her hips, moaning with abandon.
“Vince, oh my god,” she groaned. “Your tongue is incredible. Oh god, yes. Keep licking right there, right like that. Keep going.”
I moved the way she wanted, pressing harder and softer, working along with her hips. She was getting closer; I could feel her whole body beginning to tense.
I held her ass, licking her cunt, eating her right there in the middle of the room. Nobody would come in, but they could, and I knew that made her fucking hot. I fucked that pussy with my fingers, thrusting in and out, not being gentle anymore. It was time for her to come, right in my mouth, and I wanted it.
My cock was so fucking hard. But what I really wanted was to make Kaley come, make her all mine. I wanted her to see what I could do with just my mouth and my fingers, make her dream about what I could do if I really fucked her rough.
“Oh shit,” she said. “Oh shit. Vince, I’m close. Keep right there.”
I kept moving, my tongue working her clit, my fingers pressed deep inside her. I could feel her muscles tensing, her hips working.
“Vince. Oh fuck, Vince.” She moaned my name over and over as the orgasm rocked through her body.
She jerked and spasmed slightly, her eyes rolling back. I could see the pleasure rocking through her spine, making her muscles tense, and I knew I had her.
I had her. She was fucking mine.
She came hard, and I just kept working her. Slowly, so slowly, her orgasm began to pass, and I let her slowly come down.
“Oh fucking wow,” she said, breathing deeply as I stood up. She leaned against the trunk, breathing deeply. “Holy shit, Vince.”
“I told you, girl,” I said. “You’ve been dreaming about that since you last saw me.”
“That was amazing. I can’t even think right now.” She had that loopy, pleased smile on her face, and I fucking loved it.