by Sam Crescent
The receptionist typed and then nodded. “Ellie Taylor.” He grabbed a pair of keys and handed them to her.
“Wait, how do you know it’s me?”
“We have your identification on the screen. We pride ourselves on security. Welcome to the Giavanni Building.”
“Giavanni?”
“Yes.”
“Like the nightclub?”
The man just smiled. She took the keys and made her way to the stairs.
“The elevator will take you to your floor,” he said.
“The floor is on the key,” she said. “I can walk.”
She wanted to do something to clear her head. She knew she was missing something, only, she didn’t have the first fucking clue what exactly it was. Fifth floor.
The steps were nice. The building was quiet.
She found the apartment easily, matching the number with the key.
After sliding the key into the lock, she stepped through the door and closed it behind her. “Hello, anyone home?” She pushed some hair off her face.
No one answered.
The apartment was huge. She took a moment to admire the sitting room.
Two large sofas were turned to a television that would have taken up one wall of her apartment. The windows were nice and big, floor-to-ceiling. There wasn’t a chance in hell she would ever stand close to them. She hated heights.
Keeping her distance from the windows, she found a small dining room. The table had nine seats. Next, the kitchen, modern, clean, and pristine.
She was going to go down the hall but stopped as she heard the door open.
Rushing back to the corridor, she saw him. “Who are you?” she asked.
“How do you like your new apartment?”
“My new apartment?”
“Yes, this is where you’ll be staying.”
“Wait, what?” She tilted her head to the side, pursed her lips.
“It has everything you might desire.” He grabbed her hand, leading her down toward the bedroom.
The bed was huge, bigger than the one she’d been in last night. A full closet waited for her as well. Next, he showed her the bathroom. There was another bedroom.
“I don’t want you to invite anyone over unless you’ve cleared them with me first.”
“Wait, hold on. You’ve rented me this apartment and … who the fuck are you?” She frowned at his smirk. “This isn’t funny. I don’t have a clue who you are, and no one, I mean no one goes out and rents a perfect stranger an apartment.”
“Buys. I own this place.”
“You’re kidding me. This isn’t happening.” She stepped away from him, needing air. Needing something.
“It’s simple. I enjoyed last night. I know you did. I take care of what I want and now I’m keeping you safe.”
She stopped near the kitchen. “Last night was a one-time deal.”
“No. I told you. I tell you when it stops. From now on, you’ll live here.”
“I don’t even know your name.”
He chuckled. “Is that what the problem is? Antonio Rosso,” he said.
“Antonio?”
“Yep, that’s my name.”
“Can I have my ID?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
She glared at him. “I came to your apartment. This isn’t my place. I can’t even afford a place like this.” She paused as he opened his jacket and extracted a card. “What is this?”
“There’s twenty thousand dollars in there. Buy whatever you want. You don’t need to worry about a mortgage or rent.”
“This isn’t normal. This isn’t happening.” She handed him back the card. “I came here for my ID. I’m going to leave with it.”
“You’re not leaving.”
“Look, Antonio, I’m not used to this. At all. None of this. I’m my own person and that means I’m used to taking care of myself.” She stopped as he closed the distance between them. His arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her close, his mouth just above hers.
“I felt how much you liked me last night, Ellie. How tight your pussy was for me. You wanted me and after my first taste of you, I want you again. I’ve arranged for a full check-up with my doctor. He will test you and get you on the right birth control. I want to feel your tight cunt on my dick.”
“Wow!” She couldn’t help but scream and pull out of his arms. “First of all, how do you get off doing this? I’m not something you can order around. I’m a real person. I don’t have anything wrong with me. I’m clean. Crystal clean. I’m on birth control and I certainly don’t need you or your precious doctor to tell me otherwise.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
He pulled her into his arms again and as he kissed her, Ellie wanted to fight. She really, really did, but his lips felt so good, and she remembered how amazing his cock was.
One night could go into two.
Dominance and assholery aside, she’d been thinking about him even before he showed up at the library.
Sinking her fingers into his hair, she kissed him back.
He pressed her up against the wall, lifting her up easily. She wrapped her legs around him. His cock pressed against her pussy. She wanted him inside her.
Antonio seemed to know exactly what she wanted. He unzipped his pants, pushed her panties to one side, and with them fully dressed, his cock was inside her. No condom.
Just the flesh of his dick, and she broke the kiss, crying out.
The condom and the foreplay had helped her to take a man of his size. Now, she was a little raw. Fear, anger, and need combined together.
He pulled on her hair, tilting her head back, and his mouth was on her neck, licking and sucking at her pulse.
She cried out his name. This time, she knew who he was and it felt good calling him. They were no longer strangers and as he fucked her, she knew she was screwed. There was no way she was going to do as he told her, though. This apartment was nice, but she would go back to her old place. The card he’d given her would remain unused.
She wasn’t at the mercy of any man.
Antonio let go of her hair, kissing her lips as he moved them out of the kitchen and toward the bedroom. He pushed her to the bed, and she thrust up to meet him as he tore at her shirt.
He pulled it apart, sending buttons flying, and she shoved his jacket off. She heard something clatter, but he was kissing her again. This was fucking crazy.
Whoever this man was, he made her body sing, and she could forget everything else. She’d never experienced anything like this, and even as it scared her a little, her pleasure squashed the fear.
Antonio grabbed her hands, pinning her to the bed, and she watched him as he came. His cock filling her with his cum. She expected him to be done, but Antonio was an enigma. He wasn’t like other men, and she was going to have to get used to him.
****
Three days later
Antonio took a sip of his water as he looked over the menu. The woman he was waiting for was late, but then he doubted she would ever keep an appointment unless it suited her.
He couldn’t stand the woman he was about to meet, but after three days of being balls deep inside one of the most exciting women he’d ever been with, he knew he had to deal with a few problems.
Checking the time, he decided if she didn’t arrive within five minutes, he’d go and hurt her father.
Torture was his specialty and the men who’d killed their people in the restaurants the other week had been forced to live for two days as he kept them alive, taking them apart piece by piece. Each night, he would leave them to a couple of soldiers with strict instructions to keep them alive. Then he’d go to his woman at her new apartment, fuck her hard, have her screaming his name, and then return the following day to start it all over again.
Ellie was the first woman he’d ever kept all to himself. She was also the only woman he’d ever done some in-depth research on. He wanted to know everything about her. His reasonings were not entirely related to th
e Giavanni Family either. No, just his own personal interest in her.
He liked her.
She was different and for him, different meant something.
Sipping at his water, he was about to call the waiter over when the woman he needed to see arrived.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. There was a lot of traffic and my driver decided to take it slow,” Casey said, taking a seat.
Her face was flushed and he noticed her hands shook as well.
He sat back, staring at her.
This woman was, in some way, friends with Ellie. Again, he’d looked into that little detail only to discover Ellie had been asked to housesit and to walk Casey’s parents’ dogs. They’d hit it off, which wasn’t like Ellie, and they’d been friends ever since. From what he understood, Ellie wouldn’t accept money from her friend either. Even though her apartment was a complete dive and she sometimes went without food. Working as many jobs as she did pissed him off.
Casey picked up the menu and quickly scanned it, settling on a glass of white wine and some pasta. She offered him a smile. “My father would like to know what this is about. Your request to meet me has been somewhat surprising.”
“You shouldn’t get excited. I only have one reason for meeting with you and that’s Ellie.”
Casey sat back and stared at him. “You’re the … the guy. The one from the bar.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, my, you’re the one who took her ID?” Casey asked.
He found this entertaining. “Yes.” Ellie had talked about him, how interesting.
“She didn’t tell me your name. You do know she has no idea who you are, right? She’s not used to being around people like you.”
“People like me?”
“I meant no disrespect.”
“I doubt that.”
“I apologize.” She bowed her head in a submissive pose, one he wasn’t interested in.
“I don’t care how you refer to me. All I care about is you don’t tell Ellie what you know about me, who I work for, and what I do.” He stopped as the waiter brought out their meal.
Casey twirled her fork within the pasta but made no move to eat while he sliced through his steak and took a bite.
“You want me to lie to my best friend.”
“You don’t have to say anything to her,” he said. “She talks about me, you don’t know me.”
“Are you going to kill her?”
“No, I’m not going to kill her and if I were, what would you do about it?”
“Ellie’s a good person.”
“I know.”
“She doesn’t have a clue who you are and she doesn’t need to be pulled into your life.”
He raised a brow. “Are you seriously trying to warn me?”
“I care about Ellie. I can’t just lie to her.”
“You lie about a lot of things. Your shopping addiction. Your father’s demands that you help him make certain deals. Your body for more money. This is one lie that if you don’t keep it, I will have you and your family out on the streets and begging for scraps before you could even blink.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Now, do I need to make a call or will you do as you’re told?”
She didn’t answer straightaway. Finally, she nodded. “I won’t say anything.”
“Good and if she says anything that could concern you, I want you to call me immediately. No waiting around. I want to know what’s going on in her head and why.” He was done with his food. After signing the check, he left it on the table. “Enjoy your meal.”
He got up from the table and left the restaurant. Always cautious, he took in his surroundings as he walked to his car. Once inside, he dialed Ellie’s number.
At this time, she should be arriving back at the apartment.
“Hello,” she said, out of breath.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said.
“Antonio.”
“I’ll be at the apartment in five minutes. I want you naked.”
“Er, no can do, mister. I’m working.”
His jaw clenched. “What job?”
“I lost three jobs, remember? So I picked up an extra couple of shifts at the restaurant. It’s not too bad. I’ll be at the apartment around eleven, maybe a little after.”
“I want you at the apartment now.”
“No can do. I’ve got to go. We’re swamped.” She hung up and he stared at his phone, puzzled.
She’d hung up on him.
On fucking him!
He didn’t bother with the belt. He’d told her to quit her jobs. No woman of his was ever going to be working three jobs and thinking she could get away with it. With his foot pressed to the gas, he arrived at the only job on her current résumé.
It was a restaurant on the Giavanni payroll. They paid them to keep their enemies out and for the most part, they hadn’t needed the extra protection. He’d fucking kill anyone who threatened the name.
He entered the restaurant. The maître d’ knew him and started to panic. “Sir, I’m afraid we’re all booked up.”
“I’m not here to eat.”
No, he was here to take care of his woman and march her ass right back to their apartment.
As he entered the main room of the restaurant, the noise of conversation was intense. This was another reason he wasn’t big on eating out, and certainly not in busy places.
Scanning the tables, he caught sight of her at a table with nearly sixteen people. From his full search on her, he knew she was competent, hardworking, and thorough. A lot of her employers had nothing but nice things to say about her.
Tonight, she shouldn’t be working. In fact, no night should she be working.
Storming across the floor, he didn’t give her chance to argue. He lifted her up over his shoulder, being careful not to show the entire room her pussy as he slid his hand down her ass, keeping the indecent skirt in place.
“Antonio, let me down. What the fuck?”
On the way out, the maître d’ gawked at him.
“Tell your manager I’ll be by to see him later.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Andrew, call the police or do something. You can’t let him steal a woman just because he wants to.”
“I’ve a good mind to dump you in the trunk,” he said, but he opted for the front passenger seat. He put the child lock on and as he closed the door, she tried the handle. She cursed some more and slammed her elbow against the glass, hurting herself.
“Son of a bitch. You do know this isn’t fair. I was working. I need this job.”
“I’m paying for you, so tell me again why you need this job.”
“It’s a damn good job and I need it. You can’t just keep walking into my life and making demands.”
“Does this mean you still have your apartment as well?”
“Yes.”
He turned the engine over and they drove back to their apartment. When it came time to let her out of the car, he had to be quick as she tried to make a run for it.
Her fighting was cute.
In fact, he found it all rather exciting as she tried to get away from him.
Over his shoulder she went again, and into the elevator.
“Seriously, what if someone comes? Have you even thought this through? You’re being a pain in the ass, Antonio. I better not have lost my job.” She slapped his ass, making him smile. Her little temper tantrum was so damn cute.
“Antonio, I will bite you.”
“Go ahead, bite my ass. I dare you.”
The elevator doors pinged open and he paused as her teeth sank into his pants, on his ass cheek.
He got into their apartment, kicked the door closed, and then walked her back toward their bedroom. Throwing her to the bed, he pushed her immodest skirt over her ass. He found her ass cheek and did exactly the same, only, he tore her panties away from her body so his bite would leave a mark.
Chapter Four
“You’re crazy,” Ellie said.
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Her ass cheek stung from his bite and she rolled over, throwing her hair out of the way. It had come out of its bun with their little tussle.
“No, what’s crazy is you still working.”
“You think because you enjoy sleeping with me that I’m going to stop all of my jobs? Not going to happen.”
“And why is that?”
“Forgive me, Antonio, but a guy stealing a girl’s ID, which you have yet to give back to me, buying an apartment to screw in, and giving her a card to pay her way doesn’t exactly fill me with encouragement this is going to last.”
She was angry at him.
At work, she was nothing but the utmost professional. She prided herself on her work ethic and with a few short moves, he’d come into her life, invaded her sense of peace, and now people were probably laughing at her because of it.
He’d pissed her off.
Antonio leaned forward, grabbed her shirt, and tore it in two. Buttons flew all over the place.
She pulled away from him. “I don’t care if I hurt your feelings. Tell me you haven’t done this a thousand times already. Find a woman you want and order her around.”
“I can safely say I’ve never bought a woman an apartment, nor paid for the means so she can have fun.”
“What? Sitting around all day waiting for you, you think that kind of life is fun?”
“You don’t have to work.”
“I like working. It’s the one constant in my life that I can do. I love to work, to earn money. Is that so damn hard for you to believe?”
“I take care of you.”
“It’s like talking to a brick wall.” She tried to walk past him but he captured her around the waist, pulling her against him.
“I love it when you fight me.”
“No, Antonio, I’m pissed.” She tried to elbow him but he avoided any direct hit, which only served to piss her off even more. “I need some water. Let me go.”
She stamped her foot, feeling like a child, but whatever or however she said it worked. He released her body, and she walked through to the kitchen. At the cupboards, she hunted for a glass, anything. She hadn’t spent much time at the apartment unless it was to sleep with Antonio or to wait for him.
The last three days, he’d called or given her some kind of notice he’d be around, and she’d take her cue to be close by.