by Bethany-Kris
Releasing her grip on his cock, Melina rolled to lie beside him and pulled her dress up over her hips. Then she turned and kissed Mac. He pulled back to look at her.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Giving you what you need. I don’t know what happened in your meeting, but instincts don’t lie. My instincts are telling me that right now you don’t need me to challenge you. All you need is for me to be your lover.”
His stared at her long and hard before his hand came up to caress her cheek. Melina leaned into his touch.
“You never cease to surprise me, Melina.”
“Keeps things interesting, doesn’t it?”
“In more ways than one.”
Mac’s mouth crashed down on hers and Melina kissed him back, nipping at his lips. Her body relaxed as he pushed her back firmly against the bed. When she felt the brush of his fingertips at her hip bone, she moaned. Their kiss deepened as he eased the scrap of black lace down her hips. Melina lifted up off the bed to allow Mac to pull her panties all the way down her legs, before he tossed them onto the floor.
“Open for me, Melina.”
She gasped as his warm fingers found her wet slit, exploring and stroking. Mac’s tongue teased hers in the same way his fingers were. Thick and strong, his digits swept over her folds as his thumb worked her clit. Her body burned to have his cock inside of her. Melina whimpered when his mouth left hers. His lips trailed down her neck and she pulled him closer, silently urging him to take what she offered.
When his mouth replaced his fingers between her legs, she bit her lip to keep from crying out. With the tip of his tongue, he teased her soft lips before licking her slit greedily from front to back. Melina’s thighs trembled as he leisurely tasted her. Pleasure hummed through her body, building in intensity with every hot lap of his tongue between her legs.
This was crazy.
Absolutely fucking crazy.
They were in the residence of a Cosa Nostra Don, locked in a room where Mac was eating her pussy like his life depended on it. He sucked her clit into his mouth hard and Melina came apart.
“Mac.”
Her body trembled as the force of the orgasm shook her to the core. Why was it that every time this man touched her, she lost her sanity? He kissed her and she tasted herself on him, tart and forbidden. When he shifted atop her and thrust inside of her with one smooth motion, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pounded into her, and she met him thrust for thrust. Mac’s eyes held hers as he took her, scorching her with the intensity of his gaze.
Her hands held onto his shoulders as he pumped in and out of her welcoming heat. The hard, thick length of his cock touched every aching spot inside of her as the tempo of their fucking came faster and faster. Mac’s breath came out in harsh pants and just as the force of another orgasm made her cry out, he grunted his own release above her. Collapsing atop her, she stroked his back as both of them struggled to breathe.
“Damn it, Melina. This wasn’t …”
His words are cut off as the sound of a doorknob turning stopped them cold.
“Is someone in there?” a voice called from the other side.
She recognized it at once.
Neeya Pivetti.
“Get dressed,” Melina ordered.
Pushing Mac off her, she got off the bed and searched for her underwear. She found the lacy panties lying next to the bed and quickly slipped them on before she smoothed down her dress. Melina spared a glance at Mac, who was up and straightening his own attire. She had no mirror to see how she looked, but she could imagine that she had a case of bedhead that nothing could explain away.
“Hello?” Neeya’s voice came again. This time, there was a hint of anger.
Running her fingers through her hair in a half-hearted attempt to look presentable, Melina finally gave up and rushed over to unlock and open the door. Neeya Pivetti stood in the hall, arms crossed. When she saw Melina, the look of annoyance on her face disappeared briefly as she cocked a brow.
“Melina, is something wrong?”
Melina shook her head. “No. I just needed—”
“We just needed a few moments to talk privately. Please forgive us for encroaching on your hospitality, Mrs. Pivetti,” Mac said smoothly.
Melina forced a smile as his arm slipped around her waist in a firm but gentle grasp.
Neeya glanced from Melina to Mac and back again as an eyebrow lifted in silent understanding. The hint of a smile ghosted across her lips.
“Then I hope your talk went well,” their host finally said.
Melina didn’t miss the undercurrent to Neeya’s words.
“It did, so we should return to the festivities now. I wouldn’t want us to be missed,” Mac said.
Neeya nodded. “I agree, but first Melina might want to fix her hair.”
Patting Melina’s arm, Neeya walked away. Melina closed her eyes, certain that her cheeks were burning bright red. Behind her Mac, laughed softly. She spun around to face him, hands on her hips.
“It’s not funny. Neeya and I were getting along, and now I have no doubt you’ve got her thinking I’m some kind of slut that fucks around in other people’s homes.”
Mac’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he gently ran his fingers through her thick hair.
“Did I tell you how much I love these highlights in your hair? They really bring out how beautiful your skin is.”
“Mac!”
“I heard you, doll. Neeya doesn’t think you’re a slut. If anything, she’s probably wondering if I made it worth your while. If she ever asks, you can tell her I left you well satisfied.”
Melina swatted his hand away and he stopped smiling. His mask was back in place and she swallowed hard. She could feel the coldness emanating from him once again. The man who’d just taken her so fiercely was gone and in his place was a soldier navigating his way on a constantly changing battlefield. Mac wore the look of a man trying to survive against all odds. Melina knew that look all too well.
“We need to get going,” he said.
She nodded, sensing that now was not the time to argue with him. “Okay.”
Melina allowed Mac to lead her from the bedroom. She expected Mac to lead them back towards the hustle and bustle of the gathering. When he headed in the opposite direction, she slowed her pace.
“Keep walking, doll.”
“I thought we were going back to the party.”
“If you want to keep breath in that beautiful body of yours, then I suggest you stop questioning me and let’s get the hell out of here.”
Mac pulled on her arm, but Melina stood firm.
“I don’t know what’s going on but if you don’t stop manhandling me, I’m going to ram these stilettos in your groin and make you a eunuch.”
“Damn it, Melina. Luca Pivetti wants you dead. Now please, sweetheart, let me get you out of here.”
Luca Pivetti wanted her dead.
Fear exploded, bitter and hot in Melina’s mouth. Her eyes flew to Mac’s face. His eyes were hard, but there in just the shadows beneath was a touch of something she’d never seen from him.
Fear.
Swallowing hard, Melina nodded her head. “Okay.”
Mac’s hand closed around her waist and he nudged her forward. It was all Melina could do not to stumble as he all but forced her down the hallway. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Her life was in danger. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the cops were dogging her every move, now a Cosa Nostra boss wanted her dead. Tears blurred in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn’t show weakness.
Not now.
Not ever.
But she was scared. More scared than she had ever been in her life. There had to be a reason that Luca Pivetti had it out for her and one way or another, Mac was going to tell her what the hell was going on. The entrance they’d come in loomed ahead of them.
Freedom.
And then the man Mac had been watching earlier appeared. His stee
ly green gaze swung from Mac to her. She didn’t like the way his eyes roved over, measuring her worth like a prized mare he was considering breeding with. As they came closer, he offered her a thin smile.
“Mac.”
“Corelli.”
Melina could feel Mac stiffening behind her. His grip tightened on her waist and she was sure before she made it home tonight, she was going to have bruises that looked like Mac’s fingers.
“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to your beautiful companion this evening,” the man said.
Melina didn’t like the look of him. He reminded her of a weasel, sneaky and unpredictable.
“Melina, this is Anthony Corelli. Skip, this is my girlfriend, Melina Morgan.”
Anthony graced Melina with a predatory smile before offering his hand. The last thing she wanted to do was allow the slick bastard to touch her, but at this point there was no reason to piss off another connected man.
“Melina, no wonder Mac has been hiding you. If I had a woman as gorgeous as you, I wouldn’t want to have other men looking at you, either.”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Revulsion bubbled up in her stomach, but she forced a quick smile.
“Mac is not to blame for hiding me away. If anything, I’ve been keeping him busy.”
Corelli’s lips lingered on her skin for longer than she would have liked before he released her hand. His brow raised.
“Is that so?” he asked, directing his question towards Mac.
“You’re looking at her. What man wouldn’t be smitten with Melina? Beautiful, quick-witted, entertaining. I’ve stumbled upon a rare woman.”
Melina smiled, quietly touched by Mac’s vocal praise of her. She knew that they were still playing a game, trying to maintain their image as a couple but it was more than that. His lips pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and she leaned into his touch. Anthony Corelli watched the exchange between the two of them, missing nothing.
“Indeed, you have. A man can’t help but be envious,” Corelli said.
Mac laughed. “A man like you, Skip?”
The dark haired man lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “Perhaps.”
“We all have our crosses to bear, but I’m glad we were able to speak before Melina and I departed,” Mac said.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I owe you a debt and I intend to repay it.”
“Ah, yes. The unfortunate incident that went awry. I’d wondered when you’d get around to that.”
Melina glanced at Mac. His eyes went dark. No doubt there was some bad blood between him and Corelli.
Just great.
Another problem to add to their ever growing list.
“I’m a man of my word. Whatever debt I owe, I will repay.”
“A Maccari that’s a man of his word. That will be a nice change of pace.”
The atmosphere changed and Melina was sure that if she didn’t do something, Mac would do something he might not live to regret.
“Mac’s the most honorable man I’ve met in a long time. If he gives you his word, he’s good for it,” she said.
Anthony smiled at her. “It’s rare to find a woman who will step up and defend her man so passionately.”
“Not many men are worth defending.”
“Indeed they aren’t,” Anthony conceded.
“I will make arrangements for the drop as soon as I have it,” Mac finally said.
“I’m sure, but perhaps you might be more amenable to a different arrangement. Some things are worth more than money, after all.”
Anthony’s pointed gaze fell on Melina, openly eyeing her breasts. His gaze was that of a man eager to sample some new fare. The unspoken question he was asking Mac hung heavy in the air between them.
A whore.
That’s all she was to any of them.
It didn’t matter that they thought she was beautiful. At the end of the day, she was nothing to them. A commodity to be used and then discarded and branded. The black and white truth of the matter stabbed Melina in the heart like an ice pick. Quickly, she turned away and buried her face in Mac’s shoulder in an effort to get her warring emotions under control.
“With all due respect, Melina is mine and mine alone.” Mac’s hand stroked her back in a soothing manner.
“Understood.”
“Good. Have a good evening, sir.”
Melina straightened in Mac’s arms and gave Antony a withering glare.
“To you as well. It was a pleasure meeting you, Melina. Perhaps our paths will cross again.”
With a lingering smile, Corelli started walking back down the hall towards the party. Melina breathed a deep sigh and wasted no time reaching for the front door that would let them out. Mac followed behind, neither of them speaking until they were in his car and away from the monstrous estate.
“Are you all right, doll?”
The word hung in her throat. “No.”
“I didn’t figure you were. I know that you can handle a lot, Melina, but even you must be near your breaking point right now,” Mac said.
She sighed. “I need to understand what’s going on. Why does Luca Pivetti want me dead?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well fucking simplify it, Mac. This is my life we’re talking about.”
“It’s like this, in the short time you and I have crossed paths, you stirred up a lot of shit. The cops arrested you outside of Guido’s club and you killed a made man.”
Melina folded her arms in the darkness. “What’s your point?”
“Luca Pivetti hasn’t gotten to where he is by being stupid. He’s careful and runs a tight ship. No outsiders. And then here you are unleashing a firestorm, so he has to wonder exactly what your motives are,” Mac explained.
“My motives.”
“Yes. In his mind you’re either just a whore I let get too close or you’re undercover. Either way, to him, that puts your head on the chopping block.”
Melina gritted her teeth. This was complete and utter bullshit. “I am the last person in the world who would work with those pigs on anything. I’d rather go to jail.”
Mac’s hand found hers and gripped it tight as they stopped at a red light. Leaning over the space between them, he kissed her cheek. “I know that because I know you, but no one else does. Luca is just being cautious, like he’s always done.”
“I don’t care. I’m tired of people taking one look at me and assuming they know who the hell I am or what my story is. I’m no one’s whore. I’ve never had sex unless it was what I wanted to do and even in those cases, there was never any money involved. I take care of my damn self.”
“These days, it’s easier to assume than for people to bother to take time, but it’s their loss. I don’t want you to take any of this to heart, doll. It’s cutthroat, but in the end it’s really just about business.”
“Business? It’s business to call a woman a whore, while at the same time, having a wife at home and women on the side you fuck? It’s business to proposition a man to sleep with his girlfriend like she’s some damned piece of meat to be passed around? Well, excuse me but I don’t care for this particular business, Mac.”
“Cosa Nostra is … something else.”
“Mac, I’ve always had to fight and sometimes you just get tired.”
“No one understands that better than me, but listen to me, Melina. Cosa Nostra is all about how things are perceived. It’s ugly and unfair how you’ve been dragged so far into this, but I’m going to protect you. All eyes are going to be on us even more than they already are. I need to stay close to you, and I need you not to fight me on this.”
“How close?”
“Closer than your own shadow.” He squeezed her hand.
“I’m used to having my own space.”
“I know that, and I’ve done my best to respect that, but that can’t go on any longer, Melina. My presence will ensure that even though you’re being watched, ever
ything is on the up and up with you. Besides, I’d like to spend a little more time with you.”
“You would?” she asked.
“Of course I would. There’s so much about you I don’t know.”
She didn’t like where this line of conversation was leading.
“There’s not much to know.”
“I think there is, starting with your father.”
“He’s dead.”
“Stop hedging, doll. Luca brought him up for a reason, so how about you tell me why a Cosa Nostra Don is so interested in a dead veteran.”
“Your place or mine?” Mac asked.
Melina twisted her hands in her lap, watching the buildings pass by as the car flew down the road. “Mine, I guess. You might as well see the inside, seeing as how you’ve been hanging around the outside enough.”
Mac chuckled. “You were listening, after all.”
“I listen, Mac.”
“Me, too,” Mac murmured. “So, here’s what I’ve heard coming from you, even if you aren’t outright saying it.”
Melina cleared her throat, seeming surprised. “Try me.”
“You’re frightened and worried because you don’t know how to handle what’s happening around you, or how to control it. You’re out of your element, your safe place where you are top dog, and that’s unsettled you. You’re uncomfortable with how you were treated by the men at the Pivetti mansion, while the wives were respected like little queens. How close am I?”
“How do you do that?”
“You’re not so hard to read, doll.”
Melina scowled. “I like to think I am.”
“You’re like ice to me. Crystal-clear, strong, and cold all over.”
“Ouch.”
Mac flashed a smile. “I never said I didn’t like it.”
“I’m not always cold, thank you.”