by Fiona Murphy
Cesare’s tugs me to face him; his look of relief has me smiling. “You knew I wouldn’t use the money against you? That I would have let you walk away if you wanted to?”
Rolling my eyes, I nod. “Of course I knew. One, it would have made you look bad, and you absolutely can’t stand that. Two, you weren’t going to do anything to hurt me.”
I slide my arms around Cesare’s middle, loving the way his heartbeat thumps fast against my ear. Dante stares for a moment then smiles wide before he reaches out to hug me. Cesare holds him off with a hand to the middle of Dante’s chest. “No touching my woman when you’re drunk. Go home and go to bed.”
Dante nods as he scratches under his cast absentmindedly. “I’m relieved. I would have hated to get my ass kicked, but I was going to do it anyway.” That’s so crazy and sweet, I’ll have to think of a way to say thanks. He turns to walk away then stops before turning back around. “What was the money for? Are you okay, Alicia?”
“Bethany’s roommate was blackmailing her—she had a recording of Bethany admitting what she’d done. Bethany screwed up and after a night of drinking hit her roommate’s car, and the roommate was threatening to turn Bethany in to the police. If Bethany was charged with a DWI, she would never have been able to get into a master’s program. Both schools she is interested in explicitly state no DWI or DUI convictions allowed.”
“Wait a minute, how do you know the bitch destroyed the proof?” Dante isn’t quite as drunk anymore.
“She deleted the recording in front of Bethany, and Bethany got a friend to draw up an NDA from their law department. Kelsey signed it before I put the money through.”
Dante looks Cesare. “Would you trust that?”
Cesare shakes his head. “Hell no, I’m on it. I was going to get with Diego to follow up on the blackmailing little bitch tomorrow.”
“I’ll give him a call tonight.” With a nod Dante is gone.
There’s no warning before Cesare lifts me up in his arms, holding me tight against his chest. I can’t believe he can pick me up; my arms go around his neck as he starts walking toward his bedroom, our bedroom. “You knew I was bluffing?” Smiling, I nod. His kiss is savage, and I love it.
***
Cesare
Alicia came to me freely, not because of a threat but because she wants to be here with me. Whether she knows it or not she just sealed her fate. I’m not letting her go, she’s mine.
I yank back the sheets before I set her down on the bed, our bed. No other woman has ever been in this bed before, in my home and I know that no matter what happens no other woman ever will be. Alicia is it, the only one I have ever wanted beyond all reason the how and why doesn’t matter all that matters is her.
As pretty as she is in this camisole thing, I’ve been dying to take it off all damn night. I grab the edge and tear it in half, and those gorgeous breasts heave and sway. Her eyes are wide, her breath catches, but her pussy floods, I can smell her desire for me. My cock jumps in anticipation of being inside her again. Christ, no pussy has ever felt so good, so fucking tight. As tight as she is, she fits me to perfection. With a hard tug her panties and pants are gone.
I could come from not even touching her or my cock she’s so damn sexy. Those breasts heavy for me, nipples tight, and her pussy lips coated with her juice. She’s wet and ready for me. Damn, I’m hungry for her pussy again. Sweet, so fucking sweet. Her pussy is weeping like she is for me to fuck her. Not even close, I need more of her sweet juice. I need to taste every inch of her all over again. Enough of her isn’t enough, she’s turning me into a savage, unable to control my hunger needing to feed on her. She screams as she comes, flooding my tongue with the most exquisite nectar I have ever had in my life. All mine, no has ever tasted her and no one ever will.
Damn it, my cock is screaming to be inside her. I won’t last long though. I’m up, flipping her onto her stomach. “On your knees, cara.”
I trace a finger down her spine, so perfectly formed down to the most perfect part of her. The sexiest ass I have ever seen. I’m groaning as I shape and mold the soft flesh. “I took one look at your ass and I swear I thought my cock was going to break it got so fucking hard. Sweet, ripe, juicy like a fucking peach. I’m telling you now that soon I’ll be fucking your ass.”
Her body trembles at my words. “Don’t worry, you’ll beg for it by the time we get there. For now though, I just need to be inside you.”
Shit, I’m slurring my words. She makes drunk with desire, intoxicated by what she does to me. I slide inside her with one hard, rough push. Fuck. I’m deep, and Alicia’s body is working to accept me, her soft tissues giving way, molding to my cock. Her head goes down as her body shakes. I give her a minute to accept me, then my hands move to her hips. Slowly, so slowly I move out of her. Christ, her pussy clamps down hard and I see stars as I fight not to come.
Harder now, I thrust deep inside her. This time her body is ready and so fucking wet. I’m deeper and she’s begging for more. I give it to her, harder, deeper, rougher. Her arms give out from under her, sending her into the mattress. My hands tighten on her hips. She’s screaming into the bed with every thrust, so close. Her whole body is shaking but she’s backing away from the edge. A hand goes around her neck, my other arm around her stomach, I pull her up against me. Without stopping I thrust hard and deep. “I’m here, carina, let go and I’ll catch you. Come for me.” I growl. I need her to come.
She comes with a scream. Thank fucking god. Another thrust and I’m following her into orgasm. Damn, her body is milking my cock for all of me as she shivers. I’m still shaking when I realize she’s already out, again. Slowly, I untangle from her to get her under the covers. I turn off the lights then settle into bed. Alicia snuggles into me in her sleep. Usually, I didn’t do the cuddle thing, but with Alicia it feels so right. Her happy sigh is the last thing I hear before I fall asleep the most contented I have in months.
16
Alicia
Too early, it’s too early. I’m not aware I moan the words until the hot mountain I’m resting on moves and responds.
“It is too early, for you. Go back to sleep.” I open my eyes as Cesare rolls me onto my back. A kiss is pressed into my forehead, then he’s gone.
This time when the alarm goes off I come awake immediately. Wait, what? There’s a note on the bedside table from Cesare. A car will take me to work, with no close train between here and work it’s the best way. I sigh—he’s right. While I could take the bus, this far into the loop the buses would be packed.
Huh, he’s given me a whole hour to get ready for work before I left. Normally I give myself a half hour. I’m low-maintenance and love sleep too much to give up twenty minutes for the time it takes to do my hair. Oh well, I’m awake now. I’m slightly annoyed, I had wanted to send him to work all sexed up. Only as I get into the shower I’m reminded Cesare had woken me in the middle of the night for a long, slow, sweet lovemaking while he held me close from behind and I’m a little sore.
Woah, calm down on the lovemaking thing. Cesare wasn’t making love, was he? Okay, maybe after dinner it wasn’t lovemaking, but that first time and then when he woke me up, those were definitely lovemaking sessions. Head against the tile, my jumbled mind is wondering if he knows that.
Once I’m out of the shower I plug in my hair dryer and get started on my hair. This is why I normally take a shower at night, I hate how long it takes to dry my hair. Dressed, I walk out of the bedroom and am met by Grover and Claudine.
“Good morning. I’ve seen to Grover and let him out already. What would you like for breakfast?”
Normally, I have a breakfast sandwich heated in the microwave. “I’m not a fussy eater. Two eggs scrambled with toast sounds good. I am actually more concerned about the coffee situation.”
Claudine smiles. “Cesare is strict about his coffee. He has espresso, I make it on the stove with a pot. It’s an old-fashioned way that I must tell you makes all the difference in the world.”
I shrug. “I’m not usually into straight shots. I mainly drink it for the buzz. I prefer cream and sugar, more sugar than a normal person should probably have.” I’m not going to apologize for the way I like my coffee. I’m also not going to be able to hide it with her here.
“No worries. I can make it more of a drink than just the espresso. Why don’t you have a seat and let me prepare breakfast, and you tell me what you think when I’m done?”
“Sounds good to me. Thanks.”
Grover is treating me as if I’ve forgotten him. After many belly rubs and some kisses, he trots off to my room. Sooner than I would have thought Claudine is letting me know breakfast is ready. I wash my hands in the kitchen before going to sit down at the table. The eggs are fluffy on a plate with the toast cut into triangles, and there is butter on the table. As I tuck into the eggs I try not to be a pig, but holy crap these eggs are good. Claudine sets down a cup of coffee I’m relieved to see is almost blonde with the amount of cream and sugar. I take a small sip, then let out a little sigh. “This is so good. I love it.”
“Really?”
I nod. “Oh, yeah. I would never lie about coffee.”
She laughs. “You sound like Cesare.”
Blushing, I shrug. “Speaking of Cesare. I need your input. What kind of dinners does he prefer? I’m going to be making him and his brothers dinner. Do you have some recipes I can make use of?”
Claudine smiles. “I’ll get those together today. Let me know what you need me to buy.”
“Well, actually I was going to make dinner at the apartment above the office. I kind of planned on doing the shopping on my way back to the office.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh no, dear, there is no need for you to go shopping. I’ll put some menus together and buy for the week as well as make sure there are some staples you can work with in the freezer and cupboards. A word of warning, the kitchen isn’t quite as equipped as this one. It’s a beautiful kitchen but slightly smaller, without all the gadgets this one has.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
A phone rings from the kitchen. I’m surprised at the phone I had missed on the wall. “That will be the front desk calling to let you know your driver is here. You have a good day, dear.”
“Thanks, you too.”
***
Cesare
When I get into the office a package is already waiting from Diego Valdez. Dante hadn’t been too drunk to make the call. I open it then read through the report. I’m swearing fast and furious. Kelsey Kane, really? Kelsey is going to be a pain in my ass as she no doubt is in her father’s. I’m trying not to think too hard on how Valdez has uncovered that Kelsey has already told two different people she didn’t destroy the only copy of the voice recording of Bethany admitting she drove drunk, and is waiting to use it to get more money. Valdez had managed to corrupt the file found on her laptop computer hard drive, but there’s no way of knowing if it’s the only file. A search of the files on Kelsey’s cell phone hasn’t uncovered another file, in texts or applications accessed on her phone.
Valdez advises he is still digging into Kelsey to find something bigger that can be used to make her drop her next attempt to blackmail Bethany. The file is pretty damn complete; it has me worried there might not be anything else. I’d pay a million to make this bitch go away, but the problem with women like this is once they find a well, they keep at it until it runs dry. Her father is interesting; his name sounds familiar only I can’t say from where. I shoot Valdez an email thanking him for what he has so far and telling him to dig into the father for me. Almost immediately I receive a response telling me he found something interesting enough—while looking into Kelsey he was already on it. I turn to work, reassured by having Valdez on the matter.
Only my emails don’t hold my attention for long. I’m wondering when Alicia will be here. I hated leaving her in bed but she needed the sleep. I’d been a greedy bastard and woken her up to take her again. Hell, if it hadn’t been for the bruise on her breast stopping me, I would have taken her again this morning. Except damn, the bruise had looked large—I hated the sight of it on her body. Never mind that not once had Alicia complained about the way I handled her, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out when I had given her the bruise. I’m going to need to be more careful with her. It isn’t going to be easy. I had been sure having her in my bed would take the edge off my hunger, only it hasn’t eased. Instead it became more intense on a visceral level to hear her moans, to feel her body shiver and quake against me, to taste her mouth and lick her sweet pussy as she flooded my mouth with the proof of her desire.
Christ, I move to lessen the pressure on my thickening cock. Tonight can’t come soon enough.
***
Alicia
The day goes by fast. Dante is excited about working with a new client looking for mixed commercial and residential real estate. I spend the day putting together a selection of properties with estimates of earnings on a quarterly and yearly basis. At lunch, I order in from the local deli then take my lunch and Cesare’s into his office with a request to Hannah not to put through anything that isn’t time sensitive. With a smile, she assures me she won’t.
I knock on his door. There’s a hesitation as I know he’s wondering who it is before he says to come in. “Hi, it’s now one o’clock and time for lunch.” Carrying the bag to the small sitting area, I sit on the couch and begin opening up boxes. “I got you the chicken parmesan sandwich because Hannah said it was your favorite with olives and peppers. Come on.” He gives me a look as if he’s trying to figure out how to turn me down. “I’m not above bribery. If you stop working for forty-five minutes and relax and have lunch with me, then I’ll—” God, how can I blush even thinking of the words? “I’ll suck your cock.”
Cesare laughs. I consider throwing his sandwich at him. Asshole. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you. I wasn’t.” He’s coming toward me, I’m still wanting to throw the sandwich. “I wasn’t laughing, I promise. You just said what I’ve been wanting you to come in here and say since I left you this morning.”
He takes the container and sets it on the table, before yanking me against him. “I’ve been hard all fucking day for you. It was a silly daydream that I was sure wasn’t going to happen. And I’ll take you up on, later tonight. I’m going to draw the line and attempt to keep it together enough not to fuck you in my office like the greedy bastard I am.”
I pull him down to me, kissing him with all the pent-up need I’ve been feeling myself. The kiss goes from hot to burning us both up in seconds. When Cesare ends the kiss, we’re both moaning. “I’m trying, Alicia, help me,” he whispers into my mouth. It doesn’t help when he kisses me again. Not fair.
Then my stomach growls, dang it. It isn’t easy but I manage to untangle myself from him. “I am pretty hungry.”
“Me too, you have perfect timing.” With a last lick of my lips he lets me go.
Lunch goes by too fast. I can’t remember what we talk about. Then the phone rings and it’s over. With a soft press of his lips against my temple he pushes me toward the door. I go with a sigh.
At the end of the day, I have a text waiting from Claudine telling me she did all the shopping and everything’s in the apartment. She tells me she made sure she let Grover out before she left for the day. Knowing that, I decide to go ahead and go straight to the apartment upstairs. Although I did want to change into something more comfortable than work clothes, the only reason I was going back to Cesare’s was to let Grover out.
I take the elevator upstairs. The doors of the elevator open directly into a foyer. I’m impressed by the place. There’s hardwood running throughout, but here thick carpets separate the areas. The kitchen is a heck of a lot better than my kitchen even if it isn’t as nice as Cesare’s.
There are three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and all of them could be master bedrooms they are so large. There’s a comfy couch in a soft upholstered tan and an oversized matching chai
r in front of a large flat-screen television. The dining room isn’t huge, the table is a simple round wooden table that seats four with a fifth chair against the wall.
I go into the kitchen and check out the refrigerator. Wow, there’s enough food in here for a month of dinners. Since I have more time tonight than I was thinking I would, instead of the pesto with chicken I was going to make I decide to go with comfort food.
When everything is prepped I check the clock. Oops, actually cutting it close. I send a text to Dante not to order dinner tonight, that I’m cooking it in the apartment upstairs and it should be ready a little after seven thirty. His response is a question: is he supposed to tell Cesare? I respond the dinner is for all three of them. Dante responds quickly with a happy face and says he’ll let Enzo know.
I slide the meatloaf into the oven then set the timer. I’m questioning the recipe to do half cauliflower and half potatoes, but I like how much healthier it is and start chopping up the cauliflower. A few minutes after seven thirty the timer on the oven goes off as I hear the elevator doors open. I’ve already put the potatoes on the table along with the French green beans.
Dante is smiling big. “This smells really good, meatloaf?”
“Yes, the meat is a mix though of hamburger, spicy Italian sausage, and lamb. So it’s not boring.”
“Oh hey, Enzo, this is Alicia. Alicia, this is Enzo.” He’s as tall as Cesare only not as wide. He looks like a blend of Cesare and Dante, and a dimple flashes in one cheek as he sees me.
His hand is huge as he shakes mine. “Hi, nice to finally meet you.”
“You too.”
Cesare is leaning against the doorway watching me. I don’t know why I’m shy now. Slowly he walks toward me; sliding an arm around my waist, he kisses my cheek. “Thank you.”
God, I just want to sink into him and never let him go. Then I remember there are two other people in the room. “You’re welcome. Come on, I’m hungry.”
Enzo deems the small wine refrigerator a disaster. Dante gets up to poke through the cabinets, before finding a few bottles of red wine they both agree will work.