His Dirty Demands

by Fiona Murphy

  I love this man with my whole heart and soul. He was laying the world at my feet, anywhere I wanted to go all I had to do was say it. As much as the words meant to me, knowing he was willing forsake work for me at the time I fought not to scream with happiness as I punched the air. Silly man, I didn’t want the world, I just want him.

  ***

  Cesare

  As they over the last few hours, my eyes are drawn to Alicia. I watch as she smiles in her sleep. Then her eyes open to mine. Her eyes are glittering gold, I tell Dante I have to go. Before he can reply I hang up. All thought of work is forgotten. I’m drawn to her as I always am when she’s close by. Picking her up I settle her onto my lap before taking her place on the sofa. Her happy little sigh as she cuddles into my neck soothes the disquiet in me at how she still doesn’t seem quite as well as she keeps insisting she is. She didn’t eat all her eggs, and she left toast behind for breakfast. The idea of coaxing her to eat more was stamped down only be the memory of Doctor Weber’s lecture, and her clear need for coddling. Which I’m more than willing to indulge.

  Hell, I want to wrap her up and take her away from everything that could ever hurt her. Seeing Alicia in pain, tears flooding her eyes, hearing her moan, feeling the scary heat of the fever inside her sent my whole world crashing to a halt. Nothing else mattered until I could make it right, until she was better again.

  I only have a vague memory of going into Doctor Weber’s office and telling him he needed to look at Alicia. Seconds after she sent her text I was already emailing Dante and Hannah I was leaving. I was in the elevator when I called her. The car was already on the way to Doctor Weber’s office when I asked Claudine to check on her. When Claudine called back to let me know Alicia definitely needed a doctor I was already getting out of the car outside the large medical building. I wanted Weber, but I was ready to take any doctor who was willing to come with me.

  “I’m sorry I’m being clingy today.” The words sound small against my neck.

  “There is nothing I would rather do than hold you in my arms. Today or any other day.”

  A soft kiss is pressed against my skin. I can’t fight the shiver it causes in me. I’m dying from wanting to be inside her. Holding her while not being able to make love to her like I want to is torture. She has no idea how badly I wanted to take her up on her begging only Doctor Weber was adamant no sex until twenty-four hours after her fever had broken. He didn’t give the reasoning behind it, I don’t care about the why. I’ll do anything he says if it means protecting Alicia.

  Golden amber eyes are watching me as I come out of the bathroom. The witch has taken off all her clothes. Fuck. After six months her beauty still stuns me, still makes my cock ache, still fills me with awe that she is mine. I cannot deny her a second longer.

  Her mouth is greedy as what was supposed to be a quick kiss spins out of control. Sweet, like cotton candy nothing tastes better than she does. Little whimpers echo around me as she rubs against me. Her nipples tight with desire burn into me. Raising my head, I study her. Her eyes are bright, cheeks pink with color, lips swollen, she’s more than ready.

  Cupping a sweet breast, I run my thumb over a tight nipple. Round, lush, proud her breasts and sensitive nipples are an unending source of pleasure, for the both of us. The scent of her pussy, soaking wet and ready teases me. I run a finger over her slick lower lips then coat her pouting nipple in her juice. My sweet treat prepared I suck deep making sure to clean her completely. Oh yes, last time I did this she begged me in embarrassment to stop. Now she’s begging for me not to stop. No chance of that. Another coating of sweet juice has me feasting on her other breast again and again until she’s dripping down to her beautiful ass. Deeper I suck, harder, at the same time I slide two fingers into her ass.

  A gasp is followed by her begging for me to fuck her ass. Not tonight, it’s been more than a week, so I will soon but not tonight. This time I let my teeth graze her nipple before gentle tugging at her with my teeth. Yeah, she likes that. After the first night when I left bruises on her I did my best to be gentle yet over the last few weeks she pushed me, begged me for rougher, harder. I’m still careful but gradually I’ve answered her every plea and damn she is so completely every fantasy a man could have. Her hands are in my hair now, begging for my cock.

  Not yet, sweetheart, I need to taste her. I swear on my life I don’t know that I have ever seen a pussy so damn pretty. If she ever knew I kept a picture of her pussy on my phone, she would probably kill me but the picture of her got me through the day, I’m never sharing it with her.

  She’s already bucking her hips up to my mouth. Sucking deep on her outer lips my tongue teases her, lightly fucking her, running fast over her swollen clit. So good, so fucking good, she’s sugar sweet and all mine. The intent was to tease her, tasting her juice then bring her to orgasm for her delicious come but fuck me two days feel like twenty. I’m starving for her, absolutely fucking ravenous. She’s coming with a little shout, her body shaking beneath me but I’m not done. Not yet, more baby, give me more.

  She’s crying, pleading, her hands tugging hard on my hair but I can’t. I need more of her, I need all of her. Yes, she’s coming again this time with a scream of my name from the depths of her soul she’s giving everything to me, all of her is mine. With a last press of my lips to her mound I taste my way up her body.

  I slide my cock along her slick lower lips once, twice, wondering if she needs more time. The noise that comes from Alicia’s throat can only be described as a growl, before she yanks me down to her. Damn, I kiss her with her juices still coating my mouth then I push into her. Tight, so fucking tight. I’m deep inside her, home right where I belong. Her pussy is conforming to my cock, clinging to me, tightening around me in time with the beat of my heart.

  My woman, my home, my fucking heart. I move needing to give her everything inside me the way she is begging me to. Christ, when she begs for my come she flips my switch every damn time. Already her body is milking me, gripping me tight from inside. Deeper, harder, faster, I’m answering her every plea and trying not to come before her. Just when I think I won’t last another second Alicia’s cries out as her pussy spasms around me and she comes with a cry of my name. Thank fuck. With a last fierce thrust I come deep inside her marveling at the way she shudders as my come fills her.

  When I try to move her legs wrap around me. I know she loves the feel of my cock inside her but I always worry I’m too heavy. “Please, just another minute. Inside me is where you belong.”

  Since she’s right, I give in.

  24

  November

  Alicia

  “Are you sure Dante really won’t mind I’m crashing in his home?” Bethany asks for the tenth time.

  “Yes, I told you he’s just bummed he’s out of town for Thanksgiving. He really wanted to meet you. However, there is no way if Dante were here Cesare would let you stay with him. Cesare wants to put in a Murphy bed in my room for Christmas so you can stay with us.”

  “Why wouldn’t Cesare have let me stay with Dante here?”

  “Because Dante is a manwhore. I’m pretty sure it’s an ingrained reflex for him to hit on a woman. And he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from trying to get into your panties.”

  Bethany blushes as she shakes her head. “Yeah right, like a guy that hot would want my chubby ass.”

  I tilt my head. Bethany is the same size as me except she’s shorter, only five foot four, an annoying height as she’s just out of petite but doesn’t always fit in the average size. All of her pants and jeans have to be hemmed to fit. She is a beautiful young woman with reddish-brown hair and a heart-shaped face. With her small nose and cupid’s-bow mouth combined with her hazel eyes, she’s been approached on the street. “Don’t put yourself down like that, you are beautiful. Dante also prefers women with curves, so there’s that and the main reason Cesare wouldn’t let you stay here if Dante were here.”

  She yawns as she lies down on the be
d. “It’s a moot point anyway since he’s not here. God, I’m exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for a week. Have I told you yet I’m only going to be able to be here for three days at Christmas?”

  “What?”

  “So I didn’t.” Her eyes close. “There’s a project I’m working on in a team. Believe me, I wish there was a way around it, but we have it planned Christmas Eve and Christmas off, back to school the day after Christmas and back at it while we hopefully have the labs to ourselves over break. Also remember the master’s program is way different than undergrad without all the breaks.”

  Groaning, I lean against the door. “I guess this is the reason why people with a master’s degree make the big bucks they earn it upfront. I’ll let you take a nap. Come on over when you’re up.”

  She nods as she kicks off her shoes and wraps herself in the covers. With a last look, I turn off the overhead lights and turn on the bedside table lamp so she won’t wake up in the dark.

  In the condo it feels empty, Cesare is working late to cover for Dante being out of town. Dante’s latest relationship is getting serious, and her father is having health issues. She wanted to go home to Dallas to be there for Thanksgiving, as her family was sure it would be his last. Cesare and Enzo were surprised, saying it was the first time Dante had been so involved with a woman before. It’s disappointing he wouldn’t be here for Thanksgiving tomorrow, but we’re all trying to be supportive. I’m just annoyed I haven’t met the woman yet. Enzo’s the only person to have met her, and his opinion was he hoped Dante came to his senses because the woman was more interested in his money than Dante.

  Cesare isn’t exactly excited about the holidays, saying he and his brothers usually just had a lasagna and watched movies at Dante’s for Thanksgiving, and for Christmas they ordered Chinese and again spent the day watching movies at Dante’s. I told him too bad, Thanksgiving and Christmas was the only time Bethany and I always spent time together and we made a big deal out of it. Although I didn’t admit we usually made a chicken instead of a turkey, but we still had dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans with ham and bacon, scalloped potatoes and candied yams, with pumpkin pie and cherry pie for dessert.

  With a sigh he gave in, saying if it made me happy then so be it. He suggested a ham as well as a turkey in case people didn’t want just turkey. Hannah, her daughter Ruthie, and her brand-new granddaughter will be coming, as with the new baby both women were too exhausted to cook. Lydia is also coming, as she hadn’t had any plans. I invited Claudine as well; however, she and her husband are going to their son’s home in Wisconsin for the weekend.

  While I love cooking, I’m not a baker, so the two pumpkin pies and two cherry pies have been delivered along with the groceries I’ll be cooking and a lasagna I had delivered from Giordano’s, for Cesare.

  I begin the prep, I’m going to have to be up by five to start, and since I’ll be half awake, I don’t want to have to worry about doing everything in the morning. The dressing I make is a combination of cornbread and white bread dressing. For the white bread I’m going with already seasoned dried stuffing, the cornbread I’m making from scratch. Since we have double ovens tomorrow should go smoothly.

  My cell phone ringing startles me. It’s Cesare. “Hi honey, when are you coming home?”

  “I’m leaving now. I thought I would pick something up on the way home. Any requests?”

  “Porters sounds good to me right now.”

  “Porters it is. I’ll call in the order now and should be home within a half hour.”

  “Okay, see you soon.” Before I hang up, my phone is ringing with another call. It’s Lydia.

  “Hi, I was calling to see if I can bring anything tomorrow. I’m good for anything prepackaged from the grocery store.”

  “No, unless there’s something you want.” I list off what I’m making.

  “Wow, that all sounds yummy. My mom was a Boston Market kind of mom, so that sounds like a spread made in heaven. Can I at least come over and help? Or I can drink wine and give you the scoop on my pain in the ass clients. You’re like the only person I can tell because I know you won’t blab to anyone.”

  “If you want to come over early that’s cool. It will be nice to have someone to drink wine with.”

  “What’s the matter? You sound on edge. Are you okay?”

  “I just...you said we’d be married by the end of the year, and he still hasn’t even said he loves me. I love Cesare but he’s driving me crazy. I’m just kind of losing patience with him.”

  “Have you told him you love him?”

  “Oh my god, why do I have to say it first?”

  “Okay, deep breath, you went up an octave there. It’s just usually it’s up to the woman to say it first. He might be worried that you haven’t said it yet. Remember the whole him having the power thing we talked about forever ago? Remember how he snatched up the chance to get you as long as he was in control?”

  I bang my head against the counter. Why does she have to be right? Why does she have to sound like Bethany? “I don’t know. I can’t get away from the fear I say it and I say I want three kids and a dog and a house in the suburbs, and he goes no thanks.”

  “So you’re content to just stew in your own misery rather than face what might happen?”

  “I’m not stewing, it comes and goes. If it means I get to stay with Cesare longer, then I’ll deal with it.”

  Lydia sighs. “Okay, it’s your liver, your choice.”

  Hanging up, I lay my cheek down on the cool countertop. I could do it; I could be miserable for a few days, a week out of a month when the rest of the time I get to soak up being with Cesare. I can only marvel that almost nine months after I moved in, he still thinks I’m the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world, that he makes me gooey inside at the way he looks at me, that the sex is still amazing, like rock your entire world amazing.

  Cesare is a workaholic no more, there was the week in Florence followed by a long weekend in Paris, and another long weekend in Charleston, and two weekends ago we went to Napa to get out of the freezing weather. He’s trying to talk me into going away for Christmas to somewhere warm and sunny. When he talked about it I immediately thought of Bethany. Now she’s saying she won’t have a long break, and I don’t know if it makes sense to go far. Just another something to stew about.

  Cesare comes through the door, so I force down my fears, unwilling to let him see my worry.

  ***

  Cesare

  My home is filled with people. Laughter flows freely along with oohs and ahs over Amari, Ruthie’s daughter. I’m pretty sure Ruthie hasn’t held her daughter since she walked in. Almost immediately Lydia held her, then Bethany, and now Alicia is cuddling the small baby close. Her eyes closed, Alicia inhales the smell of the baby then sighs. Fuck. I want to throw her over my shoulder and carry her off to the bedroom to give her the baby she obviously wants so badly.

  Until this moment I never gave the idea of children much thought. With my plan to never marry, I believed I would never have children. It didn’t bother me. Being the big brother then raising my brothers hadn’t been easy. While I never changed diapers, I laid awake at night worried about them and their future. I also felt pride at their accomplishments, felt pain when they hurt; there was more to having children than cuddling a baby. I never felt some deep-seated need to procreate.

  There were things Alicia said about how she raised Bethany, telling her marriage and children weren’t the be all and end all to complete a woman, that had led me to believe she didn’t want kids and wasn’t all that excited about marriage. I also wondered if after having spent her childhood and into her twenties responsible for one child, maybe she didn’t want to do it all over again. Now that I know my woman wants a baby, I want a half dozen little girls with big brown eyes and their mama’s smile. And whether she likes it or not, she’s not getting my baby unless my ring is on her finger.

  The fears I had of marriage, of forever with one woma
n, a woman whom I could trust with everything I am, died in the fierce fire of us making love the very first night. I hadn’t even realized the fear was gone. At first I thought all the happiness I was feeling was because of finally having Alicia. Only the more I thought about it, I recognized there was no more fear, no more anger, no more resentment of the past left in my entire body.

  In that moment I knew it was because of Alicia. I understood why my father’s love turned into obsession: when love wasn’t returned it made you hungrier for it, especially once the love was had, then gone. I’m not crazy enough to believe our love won’t shift and change over the coming years. I do know it won’t die. We’ll need to make sure to nurture it, make each other a priority over everything else. There will be times it won’t be easy, but I’ll do whatever it takes.

  Looking around my home, I marvel at the changes Alicia has made in my life. This time last year, I believed wholeheartedly my life was exactly as I wanted it. Only now I’m able to see how empty it was. Even though I was lucky to have my brothers and enough money to buy anything I wanted, none of those things gave me what I needed. A woman who loved me, body and soul, who made my house a home, who wanted me for who I am, not what I could give her. I wonder if I can talk her into going to Vegas to get married.

  I’m so caught up in my plans I don’t see Amari until Hannah has the baby pressed up against my chest. I have no choice but to hold the baby. Damn she’s small. She’s also a pretty baby, smiling and gurgling as if she was trying to talk. I run a finger over a downy soft cheek, and she grabs my finger, her grip tight. Heat washes over me, and I look up to meet Alicia’s eyes. I wonder how long it will take until everyone leaves.