by Penelope Sky
“Don’t say that—”
“It’s true.” His fingers moved into my hair. “I never would have forgiven myself. And I certainly couldn’t live with that guilt, with your memory haunting me. I will protect you as long as I live, because whatever happens to you, happens to me too. And I promise that I will never let anything happen again. Never.”
“I know…”
“It shouldn’t have happened at all. I should have listened to your father sooner. He was right.”
“It doesn’t matter now. It’s over.” My hands wrapped around his wrists. “Everyone we love is safe. All our enemies are dead. So let’s go home…and have that quiet life we’ve always talked about.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “You’re forgiving me too quickly, baby.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. No matter what happens in our lives, I know you will always save me. I’m not afraid of anything. Why would I be when I have you?” I closed my eyes as I felt him, felt the connection between both of our souls. “Now take me home.”
He kissed my forehead before he finally released me. The emotion that was in his eyes was gone because he quickly bottled it up inside, refusing to show that kind of weakness to anyone but me.
My father walked up to him. Instead of carrying resentment for the man who had caused all of this in the first place, he wrapped his arms around Griffin and hugged him tightly, treating him the way he would Conway. “I’m glad you made it back okay. Was worried there for a minute.”
“Don’t ever worry about me, Crow.”
Seeing the way Bones interacted with my father always brought tears to my eyes. The two men I loved most in the world were close now, and that gave me such happiness. It was what I always wanted, for them to have their own relationship.
“Not possible.” My father pulled away and gripped his shoulder. “You’re my son. I will always worry about you.”
Bones held his gaze and couldn’t hide the hint of emotion in his eyes. Those words clearly meant the world to him, even if he wouldn’t say it out loud. I recognized his slight movements, the subtle cues he naturally emitted. He said nothing, at a loss for words.
“And thank you for saving Vanessa,” my father continued. “I knew you would get her out of there.”
“Don’t ever thank me for that,” Bones said quickly. “It’s my fault she was there in the first place. I should have listened to you. I should have walked away from that job a long time ago—”
“It’s in the past. Leave it there.” My father lowered his hand. “It’s time to bury the past for good. It’s time to move forward into our new lives. It’s time for peace and quiet. It’s time for the next stage in all our lives.” He shook his head slightly. “It took me forever to listen to my own advice, to not live in the past. You can beat yourself up over this, or we can go home and start over. What do you want to do?”
I hooked my arm around Bones’s and rested my face against his shoulder. I could feel the guilt in his heart, feel the anger in his limbs. He blamed himself for all of this, but he shouldn’t. We were walking away from that life. We were finally getting everything we wanted. It was time to focus on that—not the people we used to be.
Bones didn’t make another argument and only gave a slight nod in return. “Let’s go home.”
Eighteen
Carter
After I picked up Mia from my parents’ place, I drove back to the house fifteen minutes away. I took her bag and greeted her with a simple look, treating her with a hint of indifference. Naturally, I wanted to wrap my arms around her and let my lips brush against her hair. That affection was bottled deep inside. “How was it?” I had one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the center console.
“It was nice.” As if she couldn’t resist touching me, she placed her hand on mine. “I missed you.”
I interlocked our fingers and squeezed her hand. “I missed you too.” I’d stayed at Conway’s penthouse in Milan and spent all my time working. I didn’t go out at night like I normally would. I didn’t jerk off either. Didn’t seem appealing. When I had Mia waiting for me, all my other options didn’t seem like options.
“Your parents are wonderful. They made me feel right at home. Your mother is really sweet, and your father is nice too. And they’re so in love…it’s cute.”
I shrugged. “I’m glad I didn’t have to witness any of that.”
She rolled her eyes. “It makes you happy, and you know it.”
“From a distance, yes.” I turned onto a different street and passed the golden fields down the road from the house we both shared. “What did you think of the cooking?”
“Amazing.”
I smiled. “I miss my mama’s cooking.”
“She knows how to work the kitchen, that’s for sure.”
I passed through the gates and drove up the long driveway to the house, watching the metal gates close behind me. We inched toward the building and pulled into the garage on the side of the house. “I’m glad you were comfortable there.”
“It was a good decision. I wouldn’t have been able to stay here alone, even with all your security.”
“I need to get you a gun and show you how to use it. Maybe that will make you more comfortable.”
“I know how to pull a trigger.”
“Handling a gun is more complicated than that. If you master the weapon, you might have more confidence.”
“I don’t think I want any guns in the house with Luca here.”
I hadn’t considered that. My lack of experience with kids was becoming more apparent. “Mia, I have a lot stashed around the place. But not having any guns isn’t an option, unfortunately.” We had to be protected in the unlikely event of an attack. It would take ten minutes for my family to get here to help, and I needed a way to protect us.
“Could you lock them away somehow? That way he can’t get to them.”
I guess I could carry a key around my wrist at all times. If something happened, I could unlock any door and get what I needed. “I can do that.”
“Thank you. He’s only eight years old…which means he’ll be curious.”
“I understand, sweetheart.” I still couldn’t believe I would be sharing the house with a child. When I made the offer, it didn’t sound like an issue, but perhaps my ignorance would make this new lifestyle difficult.
“So…any news on Luca?” Her voice came out weak, like she was afraid she was annoying me by asking the question all the time.
“He’ll be here on Thursday.” We got out of the car and walked into the house.
She stopped in the hallway, and her loud sigh echoed against the walls. She gripped her chest like she couldn’t handle the air that left her lungs. “Thursday…that’s only two days from now.”
“Yes.” I walked into the kitchen and set my bag on the floor. “Two days from now, you’ll have Luca.”
She leaned against the wall and cupped her cheeks with her palms, having a slight meltdown right in the kitchen. She closed her eyes as she focused on her breathing. Seconds later, her eyes welled up with tears. “Two days…”
Pity rose in my heart, like I was responsible for her pain. I imagined my mother’s reaction if someone took me away from her. She would be an even bigger mess, unable to do anything until she got me back. Taking a child away from its mother was the worst kind of torture you could inflict. At least Egor didn’t hurt the kid. I wouldn’t have put it past him. “Yes, sweetheart. Two days.” I stepped in front of her and gripped her shoulders, comforting her in the only way I knew how.
She blinked her tears away then lowered her hands. “I’m so happy… I’m sorry that’s not more obvious.”
“You never have to explain your emotions to me.” My palms cupped her face, and my thumbs wiped away the two tears that dripped down her cheeks. “I know you’re happy.” My hand moved to her heart. “But I know you’re broken at the same time. I promise when you get him back, no one will ever take him away from you again. I’
ll make sure that never happens.” This woman made me pledge my loyalty without even asking. I wanted to make her happy, give her the entire world. She’d earned my respect and my affection, but she’d earned so much more too.
“I know, Carter.” She moved into my chest and wrapped her arms around me. She held me close, her cheek resting against my chest. “You’re a great man, Carter. The greatest man I’ve ever known.”
Before Mia came into my life, I was selfish, motivated by greed and sex. I was one-dimensional, uninteresting. If I’d known what I was getting myself into with her, I probably would have turned down the offer and kept my hands clean. I wasn’t a hero by any means. But now, I wouldn’t go back and change anything. This woman clawed through the armor around my heart and forced me to feel something, something I’d never felt before. She forced me not to be selfish, forced me to care about something other than myself. I thought I was a man before she came along, but now I felt like a bigger man than before. “I don’t know if I agree with that, but thanks anyway, sweetheart.”
She pulled away then grabbed my bag from the floor. “I’ll put this away and make you some lunch. Do you have a request?” Once she dropped her affection, she returned to the professional relationship we had during the day.
But I wasn’t in the mood for professional. I had been gone for almost three days, sleeping alone every night and working nonstop during the day. My hands got dirty from working on an engine, the pads of my fingertips were sore from gripping the pencil so tightly as I worked on the schematic in my office. Now that I was home, staring at the woman I owned indefinitely, I didn’t care about lunch or my bag. “You.” I pushed the strap off her shoulder, making the bag fall to the ground with a loud thud. “I don’t want lunch.” I stepped closer to her, my face slowly inching toward her beautiful face. “I don’t want you to do my laundry. I just want you.” My hand fisted her hair, and I yanked her face back slightly, making her lips perfectly accessible.
All the emotion left her gaze once I handled her that way, made my erotic demands that she had to fulfill. I kept her in my house because I wanted her to take care of my home—but I wanted her to take care of me too. Her other responsibilities could wait.
“I want you too…sir.”
At the end of the night, when dinner was finished and the dishes were done, Mia came to my room, wearing the lingerie I’d picked out for her in Milan. With a see-through bra that showed her hard nipples and garters on her beautiful thighs, she looked like the fantasy I had every time my hand was wrapped around my dick. Her long brown hair was curled around her face, her eyelashes were thick, and she looked like a woman who was about to be seriously fucked.
I sat up in bed with my back against the headboard, my dick already hard just from thinking about how she would look. Now that my eyes settled on her tanned skin and feminine curls, my cock twitched noticeably.
She approached the bed, the sound of her heels muffled by the carpet underneath her feet. She was naturally sexy without even trying, her fingers running through her thick hair and her eyes shining brightly despite the darkness in the room. She stopped at the edge of the bed, the arousal in her eyes matching mine.
Impatient, I grabbed her and yanked her on top of me, forcing those long legs to straddle my hips. Her heels were still on, but I didn’t mind in the least. I yanked on the front of her bra and forced her tit out, my mouth immediately engulfing her nipple and sucking hard. My fingers gripped her cheeks, and I gently moved her hips up and down, forcing her clit to drag against my shaft through her panties.
Within a minute, I could feel the moisture rub against my skin. Her pussy was already wet for me, so wet she was soaking through the panties and onto my length. I made this woman want sex after everything she’d been through, and that made my ego explode. I pulled her panties to the side and pointed my head at her entrance.
I slid inside so smoothly.
“Oh my god…” She gripped my shoulders as she inhaled, taking my entire length with a shaky breath. Her nails clawed into me, and her mouth opened, parted so a little of her tongue was visible.
My hand cupped her cheek, and I brought her mouth to mine for a kiss. Once her lips were on mine, I felt the fire spread throughout my entire body. She was naturally sexy without even trying. Most women worked hard to please me, hoping to get something more from me, like a relationship with my wallet. But Mia only wanted me for me…never cared about my money. Her entire body stiffened at my kiss, like my mouth was all she could think about, even though my enormous cock was inside her.
I gripped her hips and guided her back and forth, showing her how to ride my cock the way I liked. Slow and gentle was how I moved, so I could kiss her at the same time. After being away for a few days, I thought I would want something darker, kinkier. But now I just wanted the slow passion that satisfied me, the intimate pleasure between our bodies.
She loved sex this way, loved it slow and easy, appreciating every inch of my length as it moved in and out. And she loved kissing me above all else, loved feeling our lips move together with heavy breaths. Her nails clawed into me even more, and her pussy became even wetter, even tighter. She submitted to me because she knew I enjoyed it, but she enjoyed this down to her core.
And that made me enjoy it too.
She came shortly, barely lasting a few minutes before her pussy clenched around my length with the strength of a python. Cream built up around my dick, pooling at the base. She kept going, rocking onto my cock, harder as her hips naturally bucked.
My arms circled her waist, and I yanked her down onto my length, forcing her to finish with my entire dick inside her.
She kept her mouth pressed to mine but didn’t kiss me, unable to because the pleasure stole all of her focus. When she finished, she looked into my eyes again, the coffee color of hers so warm it reminded me of an espresso on a winter morning. “I’ve never come like this in my whole life…”
I started to move her again, knowing my turn was just around the corner. “Me neither.”
The next day, I fell back into my regular routine. I worked out in the morning, had breakfast, and worked from my laptop and had a meeting with my team remotely. Being five hours away really hadn’t made much of a difference in my productivity, except when I had to commute back to Milan for important events.
Mia continued to do her job around the house, keeping it clean and preparing all of my meals, but whenever she was quiet, her gaze would focus on the distance and she wouldn’t say a word, obviously thinking about Luca.
He would arrive tomorrow.
“Sweetheart?” I called to her from the dining room.
“Yes, Carter?” She came to my side, wearing the pink apron I got for her. She was always dressed in one of the outfits I put in her closet, designer dresses and separates. She had an affinity for nice clothes, something I didn’t know about her until I saw her wear everything in her closet.
“Could you make me an espresso? I’m dragging a bit today.”
“Of course.” She gripped my shoulder, flashed me a pretty smile, and then walked away.
I liked to ask for things just so I could be the recipient of that look. She was happy to wait on me, happy to give me whatever I wanted. Her gratitude never faded away. It reminded me of my parents, the way my mother would take care of my father the second he came home from work. She always had dinner ready along with a smile. Taking care of him seemed to be her greatest joy.
Mia did the exact same thing.
She came back a few minutes later, a hot cup of espresso on a saucer. “Anything else? What about a biscotti?”
“No sweets.” I didn’t allow that stuff in the house. “Do we even have biscotti?”
She tried to suppress her grin. “I guess I have a bit of a sweet tooth…”
Since she looked so cute as she said those words, I let it slide. “Well, you enjoy those. I’ll pass.”
“You never eat sweets?” she asked. “Maybe once in a while?”
“On my birthday.” My mom usually made me a cake along with dinner.
Both of her eyebrows rose to the top of her face. “You eat sweets once a year?”
“Sweetheart, I can’t look like this if I eat sweets more than once a year.” I patted my hard stomach, my eight-pack visible right underneath the shirt. I ate mostly proteins and some carbs, making my body run efficiently, like one of my expensive cars.
“But is it worth it?” She placed her hand over her stomach, where she had a small hint of a belly. “The second I moved in here, I started to gain some weight. You think I care? Nope. Life is short—eat the damn cake.”
“It’s different for women. You look sexy no matter what size you are. An overweight man isn’t attractive.”
“Not true,” she argued. “I would still think you’re sexy with a belly.”
I laughed because there was no way in hell I would ever allow myself to have a fat stomach. “We’ll never find out.”
She walked back into the kitchen so I could get back to my laptop. I sipped my coffee while I heard her work in the kitchen, doing the dishes and placing them in the dishwasher. That was where she spent most of her time throughout the day, other than when she did laundry.
The doorbell rang.
Only family members had access to the gate code, so I assumed it was someone welcome in the house.
“I’ll get it,” Mia called from the kitchen.
I was in my sweatpants without a shirt, but since this person had dropped by without announcement, I didn’t rush to pull something on. They were disturbing my day, so I didn’t care.
Mia’s voice came from the other side of the house. “Hello, Mrs. Barsetti. How are you?”
My mom was here?
Their voices grew louder as they approached the dining room.
I stood up to greet my mother, wishing I had something to put on now that I knew it was her.