“No,” she stated firmly, trying to close her legs. I only grinned in response, prying her legs open. Her body tensed the moment my tongue touched her. “No…I don’t want…fuck.”
I ignored her words, squeezing her thighs as I ran my tongue up and down her already wet slit. Though her mouth wanted me to stop, her body urged me to keep going. Her hands gripped my hair, pulling it so hard that I thought she’d rip my hair from my scalp. She rolled her hips against my mouth for more friction, her protests soon melting into moans and purrs. She turned into putty before me, pleasure snaking its way into her body until she finally had no more fight left in her.
“Fuck, right there,” she moaned, her back bowing. I slipped two fingers inside of her, her walls greedily gripping them. My cock was painfully hard, but I knew I needed to be patient. Starting tonight, I needed to steer Aurora into a new direction. When Aurora got what she wanted and my father was dead, I didn’t know what would happen to us. I wanted her to stay because she wanted to, not because she thought she was forced to. I didn’t want to be in a relationship with someone who was only here because she didn’t have a choice. My mother had done that, only staying with my father because she felt she had no choice. In the end, it cost her her life as well as my baby sister’s. Granted that I wouldn’t kill Aurora for not being in love with me, I definitely didn’t want to hold her hostage. If I were being honest, I wanted her to love me. I wanted to eventually love her. With everything she and I had already gone through, it would be a long, rocky road to any kind of happily ever after for us.
If there was one to be had after everything I’d done to her.
Her moans pulled me out of my own thoughts. Just take it a day at a time, I thought to myself and focused on the task at hand. Keeping my tongue and fingers moving, I reached down with my free hand to undo my belt. Her moans turned into pants as her back arched some more, her core tightening around my fingers. I unbuttoned my slacks and maneuvered them down to my knees as best as I could with one hand, doing the same with my boxers.
“I’m so close, Bennett,” she moaned, her hips moving quicker. Not even ten seconds later, she exploded, her moans filling the room. Her pussy fluttered around my fingers, her juices dripping into my palm. She moaned incoherent words as her body shook. I slowly backed away from her when her hand fell from my hair.
Rising to my feet, I sucked her essence from my fingers, looking down at her. Her skin was flushed, her eyes closed as she panted. As I looked at her, I made a vow to myself to make this woman mine completely. I didn’t want to just own her mind, body, and soul. The thing I wanted most was her heart, and I wouldn’t stop until I got it.
She slowly looked up at me and frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
I smirked. “Is it illegal to look at you now?” I asked.
“I guess not,” she mumbled.
I kicked off my pants and boxers, joining her on the bed. She reached up and undid the buttons of my dress shirt, sliding it off my shoulders as we kissed. She hummed in appreciation as she tasted herself on my lips. I growled when the head of my cock pressed against her wetness. As I looked down at her, Stephanie’s smiling face filled my mind. My chest ached at the fact that she wasn’t here anymore; it didn’t make it any easier to have her sister here now.
Aurora looked up at me expectantly, grabbing my cock and stroking it in her hands. “Just because we’re doing this, it doesn’t make me hate you less,” she said, her eyes sparkling with lust.
“When will you learn that I don’t give a fuck?” I asked, kissing her hard. She groaned when I pushed into her, her walls gripping me tight. Her nails scratched at my back as I pumped into her, trying to push out the negative thoughts swirling around in my mind. She’ll never be Stephanie. She’ll never love you. She’ll never fall in love with a monster. She’ll only leave you with a broken heart.
“Yes….yes,” she moaned, holding me close to her. My strokes were hard and fast, pounding all the negative energy out of my mind and into her.
“You’re mine,” I growled. “You’re mine to worship, mine to fuck, and mine to own. We clear?”
“I fucking hate you,” she moaned, pleasure taking over her.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine forever, gorgeous,” I reminded her.
I sat up and put her legs on my shoulders, folding her in half. She screamed in ecstasy as I pumped into her, repeating my name over and over until her orgasm took over. I growled as her walls squeezed my cock, squeezing her thighs to brace myself. I stilled until her body stopped shaking and blew out a breath.
I took her hands and put them over her head, holding them in one hand and grabbing her throat with the other. Her core tightened around me when I squeezed her throat lightly, a strained moan leaving her lips.
“That’s it, gorgeous,” I groaned. “Keep squeezing my cock.”
“Harder,” she moaned. “Fuck me harder.”
She definitely didn’t have to tell me twice.
I held her gaze as I fucked her, but the longer I looked at her, the more she started to look like Steph. I ground my teeth, trying hard to concentrate, but the image wouldn’t go away. The only thing that kept me from completely losing my mind was that her voice never sounded like Stephanie’s. Her voice was a guide that kept me grounded to the present when my mind couldn’t distinguish what was real and what was a part of my longing imagination.
“Oh fuck, I’m going to come again,” she gasped.
“Not yet,” I panted, stroking her quicker.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” she chanted.
“Almost,” I groaned.
“Bennett, please,” she begged, thrusting her hips with mine.
“Fuck,” I hissed. “Now, Aurora. Come for me.”
She came apart beneath me, taking me over the edge with her. Her pussy milked my cock and I spilled inside of her, threads of cum painting her fluttering walls.
I released her hands and throat, hovering over her. She looked at me, multiple emotions flickering through her gaze. I leaned down and kissed her, resting my forehead against hers.
“I still hate you,” she murmured.
I smiled. “Good. We’ll just have hate sex until you don't.”
Her eyes looked sad, and I wanted to take that sadness away more than anything. But I knew it would take time to change things. A marriage wasn't a golden ticket that erased everything I'd done to her. I'd admit I'd done some pretty unforgivable shit; in her eyes, I was the man who destroyed her life. Even beyond killing her parents, her fiancé, and raping her best friend in front of her, I broke her down over and over. My actions and brutality against her probably planted in her mind that I didn't care, and maybe I didn't. At least not then. But I wanted to. I just wasn't sure how to anymore, a part of me still hesitant to get too close in fear that I'd lose her the way I lost Stephanie.
It was a pain I didn't want to go through again.
Aurora was asleep in minutes, leaving me alone in my thoughts. I tossed and turned, looking over at the clock to see it was a quarter to four. Aurora was curled up on the other side of the bed, determined not to be near me even while asleep. I got out of bed with a sigh, moving over to the window. The moon was full and bright, illuminating Stephanie’s grave. The water bubbling out of the fountain sparkled in the moonlight, the solar lights around her grave dimly lit. It'd been a while since I'd been to her grave alone. I actually hadn't been back to her grave at all before I found Aurora there. Maybe a visit was long overdue.
Pulling on a pair of pajama pants, I walked out of the bedroom, softly closing the door behind me. The house was quiet and dark aside from the security team pacing the lower level of the house. They all nodded to me as I passed them.
“Do you need security outside, boss?” Josh asked as I passed him.
I shook my head. “Nah. I need to be alone right now,” I said. He nodded and watched me as I walked out of the glass door and stepped into the backyard.
“It's been a while hasn't it, babe?” I murmured out loud as I took a seat on the bench. I hadn't experienced love until I fell in love with Stephanie. It was a feeling I took for granted because I thought she'd always be here. I thought I could protect her from any harm that came her way. But I failed her. Now, the only way I could talk to her was sitting next to a grave, hoping she could hear me wherever she was.
I looked up at the bedroom window, a bit spooked to see someone standing in it. The longer I looked, I finally realized it was Aurora. She lifted her hand as if to wave and then disappeared. I sighed deeply.
“Did I fuck up by marrying her?” I asked out loud. “I know she isn't you, but it doesn't stop me from wishing she was.”
Stephanie's death should've been a sign that I wasn't worthy of love. My soul was too dark, bound to ruin anything and everyone it touched. But the selfish part of me still wanted Aurora to bring out what I felt I'd lost when Stephanie died. I wanted to feel how I used to feel but was fucking terrified to allow myself to be that vulnerable.
“You okay out here?” a deep voice asked. I looked up to see Saint approaching, his eyes on Stephanie’s grave.
I nodded. “Yeah. Just wanted to sit out here.”
He sat next to me on the bench. “Haven't seen you out here in a long while,” he said after we sat in a long bout of silence.
“Yeah…it's still hard being out here,” I murmured. “I feel like I'm making a mistake.”
Saint looked at me with a raised brow. “About starting a new family?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Marrying Aurora.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I think she just needs time, man. Once the shock of the news wears off, then maybe it can be something nice.”
“I don't know.” I let out a sigh and looked up to the sky. “When I first met her, there was something about her that drew me to her. It made me nervous. I thought if I hurt her, it would break whatever spell she had over me, but it only got worse as I learned who she was and how she was related to Stephanie.” I met his intense gaze and frowned. “When everything is over and done with, what if she doesn't choose me?”
“What's there to choose?” Saint asked with a shrug. “You guys are married and she's the queen of our family. What choice would she have?”
I shook my head. “My mother was trapped in an arranged marriage because she didn't have a choice. Aurora only agreed because of the conditions but being married doesn't automatically make someone develop feelings strong enough to forgive what I've done.”
“You know, Giselle’s mother hated my guts,” Saint said and chuckled. “We weren't in love when we had sex and shit just got worse when she got pregnant. I think I heard her tell me she hated me every day for nine months. But the more I spent time with her and our daughter, the more she saw that I wasn't just a killer or a mafia monster.” He was quiet for a moment. “You're going to have to let yourself be vulnerable, man. You've put that woman through hell; that's the only side of you she knows. If you want her to know there's more of you to love, you're gonna have to trust her and show her that. Otherwise, nothing will change.”
“Yeah,” I murmured.
He stood up. “You know that I know the grief of losing the woman you love all too well. There's not a day that goes by where I don't think of Regina. I see her every time I look at my little girl.” He gave me a small smile. “Gina once told me that everyone deserves love, no matter how dark they are. She told me that was why she took a chance on me.”
“Thanks,” I said. He nodded and left me alone in my thoughts. I pondered over everything he said and sighed.
Even if I allowed myself to be vulnerable, I didn't know if it would be enough. All I could do was try and pray that it paid off.
I stood up from the bench and looked down at Stephanie’s picture. “Wish me luck, baby doll. Your sister’s a tough nut to crack,” I said, kissing my fingers and pressing it against the gravestone. “I love you.”
With a final look, I made my way back into the house. Vulnerable…I wasn't sure how to be vulnerable. To me, that was weakness. But Saint might've been on to something. Regina was the sweetest thing to ever walk this earth, but when she finally fell in love with Saint, she loved him to pieces. I witnessed how devastated he was when she passed away a year after Giselle was born from an allergic reaction. Saint was practically a different man around her; he was usually brutal and thirsty for blood. But he was gentle, kind, and patient with her and his daughter. He knew how to flip that switch to control the different parts of him; I hadn't quite mastered that yet.
As I walked across the grass and finally entered the house, I thought of ways I could woo my new wife. It wouldn't be easy, but I was always up for a challenge.
I’ll win you over, Mrs. Moreno, I thought to myself.
And I wouldn't stop until I had her heart.
AURORA
Bennett was gone by the time I woke the next morning. I rolled over onto my back, my head and elbow throbbing. I still couldn’t believe I was fucking married to that asshole. Our interaction last night was weird. I’d wanted to hurt him, giving him everything I had in me when I attacked him, but he barely touched me. I’d almost thought I’d snapped him out of whatever trance he was in when I slapped him, but the only thing he did was kiss me. Then he gave me the best orgasms of my life.
God, I was so fucked.
I pulled myself out of bed and took a shower. It was still hard to believe that I was now a member of the mafia. My whole life, my father painted them out to be the bad guys, but now I was one of them. It was still hard to believe that this was my new life. I didn’t know what would happen now, but I was sure Bennett had plenty of surprises up his sleeve to keep me busy.
The shower door opened and I gasped, relaxing when Bennett stood there. His eyes swept along my naked body before he finally met my gaze, his face blank of emotion.
“What?” I asked, wiping water from my face.
“I need you to hurry up and get dressed. We have somewhere to be,” he said before closing the shower door. I quickly finished my shower, but I couldn’t help the excitement coursing through me. I was going on my first business trip since accepting my new role. Since I’d been here, Bennett had kept me caged up in his mansion. It seemed as if it were yesterday when I literally had to sneak out of the window of the safe house just to feel the fresh air on my skin.
No sooner than the excitement came, it melted away. I’d have to play the role of a happy wife in order to save face. I wasn’t sure where we were going or if we were meeting anyone, but I knew I didn’t want to show that Bennett and I were divided. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that in-house feuding displayed weakness to others. No matter how much I hated Bennett, I wouldn’t let the whole family down.
A white pantsuit was laid on the bed, Bennett nowhere to be found. I slipped on the dress pants, black crop top, and suit jacket. When I looked at my reflection in the mirror, tears burned my eyes. I almost had to laugh at the irony; before Bennett came into my life, pantsuits were my favorite attire whenever I had business meetings with men. The woman who raised me had always told me if I dressed like them, they were more likely to hear what I had to say. Considering that Bennett dressed me in one instead of the revealing, sexy dresses he usually stuffed me in, there must’ve been some truth in that statement. Instead of going to my own business meeting, I was now going to my first mafia meeting.
My first mafia meeting now that I was queen of a new family.
“What if you have to show PDA with Bennett in public?” the small voice said. I cringed at the thought. I still hated his fucking guts, but I knew I’d do whatever I
had to in order for everyone else to see that we were a united front.
“Then you may want to hide your disdain around the house, too. You never know who’s watching,” the voice added.
Shut up, I ground out. I couldn’t deny that they were wrong. Bennett had a snake right amongst his ranks; we couldn’t be too careful around here, especially since Bennett decided to sever ties with his father’s organization. For now, I’d play nice; when we got behind closed doors, I’d tell him every chance I got how much I hated him.
“If you pretend long enough, you just may fall for him,” the voice said and giggled. I rolled my eyes. As fucking if. The day I fell for a man like Bennett would be the day I willingly fucked a running chainsaw.
I put my hair in a messy fish braid and put on a little make-up. Bennett entered the bedroom just as I slipped on a pair of stilettos.
“Ready to go?” he asked. I nodded, securing the shoe strap around my ankle before standing to my feet. Bennett’s eyes traveled along my body before he gave me a soft smile. “You look gorgeous.”
There was something about the look in his eyes that gave me butterflies. His gaze warmed my skin the same way it did when we’d had sex last night. I cleared my throat and stood a little taller.
“Thanks,” I said. He gestured for me to exit the bedroom and I walked past him. “So where are we going?”
“We have brunch with the heads of a couple of families,” he said idly, his hand resting on the small of my back.
“Brunch?” I snorted. “I didn’t know mafia men had brunch.”
He smirked at me. “We like to eat over business as well,” he said. As we walked down the stairs, my nerves started to get the best of me. I didn’t know what to expect at a meeting like this. I knew nothing about the business or what I was even expected to say. What if Wilson showed up and tried to attack us? What if we were set up?
As if sensing my anxiety, Bennett wrapped his arm around my waist. “You’ll be fine,” he murmured as he led me through the house.
“How do you know Wilson won’t be there?” I asked.
Rules of Bennett: The Complete Collection Page 43