Eleni
Warm desire coils between my legs as Dante stares at me, his eyes burning and proof of my disobedience behind me. Part of me wants to run to his bed, to do whatever he asks. The rest of me wants to know how far I can push him.
I cross my arms under my boobs, pushing them higher. “Make me.”
His gaze turns impossibly darker. “Green if you’re good. Yellow if you need a moment. Red if you need me to stop.”
I blink. “What?”
He prowls closer. “I’m going to take you apart, El, and I want to hear you scream. We need these words so I know when you’re serious. Repeat them.”
“Green if I’m good, yellow if I need a moment, red if I want to stop,” I say, not really understanding but liking the hunger in his voice.
“Good.” He smiles.
He snatches me and throws me over his shoulder. I don’t even have time to yelp before he&r
DanteThe next morning, I wake in my rumpled sheets to a warm presence beside me. Eleni. For a small woman, she really does stretch out. Her hair, shining red-brown in the morning light, covers a whole pillow, so she’s stolen a corner of mine for her head. She’s on her stomach, so I can’t see her truly spectacular breasts, but my memories of them make me consider getting into sculpture because breasts like that deserve immortalization in marble. What I can see is the curve of her ass, just disappearing under the blankets and still a little pink from her first punishment, and the possessive hand she has on my chest.Possessive might be too strong of a word. She’s taking up more than half the bed. I could just be in her way. But I like to think it’s possessive. She was incredible last night, a natural submissive who danced between bratting and obedience in a way that made me never want to go to sleep, but when I slid into her f
EleniI scroll down a page on my online textbook and glance at the clock on the dining room wall. Nearly one. When I woke up in bed alone, I was a little frustrated. Last night was nothing short of magical for me, but I’ve seen movies, so I know what sneaking out before the other person wakes up means. When I searched the whole house for Dante and didn’t find him—or any note—I was worried. I know he’s a boss, and that means he’s always going to work weird hours, but this much of a rush in the middle of a weekday seems strange.But now, as I sit at his massive, luxurious dining room table trying and failing to do homework for night classes I haven’t been to in what feels like years, I’m downright scared. There’s no sign of Dante except an espresso cup with a thin film remaining at the bottom. I talked to a couple of the staff, and one of them said Tony rushed Dante out as soon as he woke up, so he
EleniI glance at Dante out of the corner of my eye. After he dropped the bomb about the situation changing, I expected him to explain or something, but he only took my half-packed bag and loaded it into his car. He drove me away from his house in Staten Island a few minutes later, and we haven’t exchanged a word since then.“Fuck, Philadelphia?” Dante says. “I was really hoping…no, no we can handle it.”That’s not to say Dante hasn’t been talking. He’s spent the whole drive with his phone cradled between his shoulder and his ear, taking increasingly intense phone calls. This is the first mention of Philadelphia, and I have no idea what to make of that. The Lombardis only operate in New York, or so I thought. It’s hard to think of anything beyond how absolutely furious I still am.He spins the wheel and pulls into a long, horseshoe-shaped drive. A house emerges out of the trees. Li
DanteA few days after dropping Eleni off upstate, I sit in the cheap, plastic chair of the Sing Sing Correctional private visitation room and eye the guard standing in the corner. He’s not our usual guy, but Hank promised this guy would be just as good.“I’m Dante,” I say to fill the silence before my prisoner arrives.He grunts. “You bring the shit?”Certainly not the conversationalist Hank is. I pull the plastic-wrapped Cubans out of my inside jacket pocket and slide them across the table. The new guy picks them up, sniffs them, and they disappear in a crease in his uniform, in the way every prison guard I’ve ever met seems to have mastered. I’ve never been inside myself, and I’m not looking forward to that day, if it ever comes. I knock surreptitiously on the engineered-wood table and hope that’s enough to scare away the bad luck.The door buzzes, then opens to admit Uncl
EleniAfter a few days of wheedling, I’ve finally convinced Seb to walk with me around the property. His car is locked up in the garage, and if Dante’s right about how far the nearest towns are, there’s no point in me running. So, I’m stomping through what I can only call woods in shorts I’ve never worn before and an oversized T-shirt, and somehow still sweating enough that I’m sure I must smell and Seb’s just not mentioning it. Spring came early to upstate New York, and a hot spring at that.I crunch a stick under a pair of steel-toed combat boots I found in the depths of the suitcase I packed. Yet another thing that just appeared in my closet. I’ve never worn anything like them in my life, but they’re incredible for stomping.“I’m surprised,” Seb says.I glance at him and have to suppress a snicker. He’s trying to do the same hike in a full suit, and he’s r
Eleni“Go to the driveway, Sebastian,” Dante says without even looking at me.“Of course,” he replies. “But my car—”“Tony is waiting there to drive you to your nonna’s. You’re both expected in the city for a family dinner.” Slowly, like the action pains him, Dante drags his gaze over to me.My smile dies on my lips.“Cool.” Seb starts jogging away, leaving me alone with the fire-breathing dragon, then stops. “Uh, is Eleni gonna be safe? Am I coming back?”Dante grits his teeth. “I’ll make sure she’s safe. Go.”Seb shoots me a quick, apologetic shrug and leaves. I cross my arms and stare up at Dante.“Safe how?” I ask.“I’ll be staying here tonight.” He turns away without another word.I gape at the space he left for a moment, then race after him, through the
EleniI watch Dante dart into the connected living room to grab a pillow from the couch.“For your knees.” He sets it on the floor.I swallow. Dante watches the movement with hungry eyes. Slowly, I kneel on the pillow instead of the tile floor. His suit pants bulge in front of my face, and I lick my lips. Time for my first blowjob.“What next?” I ask.He smiles and unfastens his pants, then shoves them down with his underwear to pool on the floor. His cock springs free. I’m pretty sure it’s bigger than last time. He wraps his hand around it and pumps a few times, until liquid beads on the tip.“You can go slow,” he says. “Trust me, it’s just as good slow.”I lick the bead of liquid before I can overthink it. His flavor bursts over my tongue, salty and musky and Dante. I hum.“Good.” His voice sounds tight. “Now put your hand where mine is. You don’t have to take it all.”I cup his length, firm but springy u
DanteI stare at El for a long moment, just watching her chest rise and fall under the blanket. As soon as she wakes up, I’m going to need to hop on aftercare. She’s been remarkably resilient to the power dynamics so far, but I won’t risk anything happening to her out of my laziness. I grab my phone and head upstairs, still naked, deciding to run a bath and then wake her.She picked the biggest room. Rebellious. I know she doesn’t care. Still, I head into the oversized bathroom and turn on the tub.As the water pounds against the surface, my thoughts drift. Tony isn’t taking Seb to their nonna’s, though I’m sure he’d love it if he was. No, Tony got a lead on some guys connected to the ones who jumped us, and I decided—for some fucking reason—that he should take Seb, and I should come up here. I pour myself a glass of scotch from the liquor cart in the bedroom and shake my head. I should be in the city, prowling the streets for Luca. We keep just catching his scent, then losing it agai
*Heidi*The steamy session at Cal’s car only got me worked up enough to be desperate for him to take me. So much that I didn’t even bother that he took me to his office out of all places. When he said he wanted to take me somewhere safer, I thought he was talking about his apartment, but to my surprise, I was even more aroused when he took me to his bar.I never had sex in an office before, but I’ve read enough books to keep my imagination vivid and wanting to give it a try.Standing in his office in nothing but my underwear turns me on more than I expected. The simple fact that someone could barge in at any minute and catch us excites me more than I’d like to admit.God, I was never like this before. I wonder how Cal manages to turn me into this hungry woman who can only think about having sex.Sure, I do want more from him, but right now, having sex with him leaves me fully satisfied, and if that’s all I can get, well, I might as well take it while he is offering me.The intense loo
*Cal*“I didn’t think you meant your bar when you said ‘somewhere safer,’” Heidi points out with a note of amusement in her voice as I guide us inside through the back door.I managed to shake whoever was following us, but I don’t think I lost them completely. They might be somewhere near, watching my next moves. They know I own this place, but I can’t show Heidi any sign of worry or fear right now.I can only hope they don’t have ulterior motives tonight other than keeping an eye on us. An attack would be a fucking mess with Heidi here with me.“It wasn’t my first thought, but considering you really liked my office the last time you were here, I figured, why not?” Heidi seems surprised by my answer, but her expression softens as soon as I open the door to my office, and she finds everything exactly as she remembers it.“Make yourself comfortable,” I tell her, pecking her on the lips, one hand gripping her waist. “I’ll just send my men away and get us both something to drink,” I lie.
*Cal*Taking Heidi to her apartment this morning and being forced to leave her after the incredible night we spent together was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and that’s saying a lot.I cursed Tony the entire way to my bar, but I have to admit it ended up being the right choice after all. I don’t know how he did it, considering none of my men succeeded when they investigated it, but Tony managed to confirm that Mateo’s cartel was involved in the attack on Christmas’ Eve.He didn’t confirm who took that picture of Heidi leaving my bar, but that wasn’t necessary. I have all the confirmation I need already.When I asked him why he couldn’t tell me this news over the phone, he showed me a picture of two cars, one of them which I immediately recognized as being the one who attacked me that same night. Tony gave me some confidential information on how to track down Mateo’s men and told me he’s trying to find out who is leading them now and why they are targeting me and not
*Heidi*Being practically dragged out of Cal’s bed and his apartment is not the way I imagined ending our date. I hadn’t originally planned to sleep at his place either, but after the best sex of my life, I didn’t have the strength to leave his arms, get dressed, and call for a cab.I didn’t think Cal would have let me do that even if I’d wanted to, but now that he’s basically told me to leave, I’m starting to doubt my instincts. He reassured me that he didn’t want to go either, and I could tell by his expression that he was being honest with me. But as he drives me back to my apartment, I wonder what got him out of bed so early.I don’t think our relationship is close enough for me to ask him–even though we’ve seen one another completely naked and vulnerable–so I stay quiet the entire time, watching the empty, snow-covered streets out the window. Even with my coat on, and the heat from the car, I’m shivering. I also think it has something to do with Cal’s eyes on me. I feel his gaz
*Cal*I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that I finally got to have Heidi to myself. Taking her on a date had been a surprise already, but when she agreed on coming here with me, I was stunned. I thought she was going to freak out once she realized I had brought her to my apartment, but one look at her, and her expression told me she was more than pleased. I didn’t think it was possible for her to look sexier than she had when I first picked her up, but she managed to prove me wrong.A completely different woman showed up in front of me once I began to entice her. The look of lust, desire, longing, and yearning that crossed her face had me on my knees. Literally. I’ve had plenty of sexual partners in my life, lots of different experience, but even so, Heidi brought out things in me that I’ve never felt before.I couldn’t get enough of her.And never once have I brought a woman to my apartment, let alone my bed. This is my safe harbor. My home. The only place I feel like myself.
*Heidi*“Oh, my…” I trail off, unable to finish my sentence while Cal’s tongue flicks out and ravishes my clit with enthusiasm. My whole body shivers, my muscles tightening and breaking into spasm as my orgasm finally reaches its peak. Every cell inside of me is so sensitive to his touch, I wouldn’t be able to form a proper sentence at the moment, even if my life depended on it.My fingers are tangled in his hair, keeping his head trapped between my legs, even though he doesn’t seem to be ready to get out of there yet.I drop my head back, closing my eyes to savor how good it feels to reach climax with only his mouth on my body. If he’s this good with his tongue, I can only imagine what he can do with his dick inside of me.The wave of pleasure starts dissipating when Cal pulls back, and I allow myself to take a deep breath. If I want this to keep going–which I absolutely do–I need to pull myself together first.I feel my cheeks burning when I realize Cal is staring at me, completely
*Heidi*The drive back to Manhattan is excruciating. I can still feel Cal’s hands on me, his lips hungry on mine. Every cell in my body is alert, anticipating the continuation of our kiss on that rooftop.I can tell he feels the same. His grip on the wheel is so tight that his knuckles are turning white. Neither of us says anything, the sexual tension inside this car making it hard to breathe.I don’t ask where he’s taking me. I just look outside the window, hoping we get there as soon as possible or I’ll combust right here against his leather seat.When Cal pulls the car inside the underground parking garage of a luxury apartment building in Midtown, I realize he’s taking me to his place… not back to mine. A part of me scolds myself for agreeing to go to a man’s apartment on a first date–a guy I barely know–but I shove that unwelcome thought aside.I don’t want to think tonight. I just want to feel. I just want to let Cal treat me like the woman that I am, someone who deserves atte
*Heidi*This has to be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to in my life. Not that I get out that much, but I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to dine in such a luxurious restaurant with a spectacular view of Manhattan if it wasn’t for Cal.I’m glad I didn’t push him to tell me where he was taking me because I actually do like surprises. When they’re good surprises, anyway. I wasn’t necessarily lying when I said I don’t normally like them, but then, I wasn’t expecting a surprise from him to be this magnificent. He really managed to surprise me. The fact that we’ve gone all the way to Stanton Island is one thing, and then the view through these enormous glass windows is breathtaking. From this distance, with the water separating us from the mainland, Manhattan seems peaceful somehow, not the chaotic city I’m used to.“Do you like it?” Cal’s voice reaches my ear, and only then do I realize how close to my neck his lips really are. It causes an electric current to cours
*Cal*Heidi looks stunning in the dress I picked for her, even better than I imagined. As soon as my eyes fell on that dress wrapped around her beautiful curves, I knew it had been made for her.I hadn’t prepared myself to actually see her in it, though. It took everything in me not to jump on her as soon as she opened that door. Until that moment, I had only seen her in jeans, sneakers, and big sweaters, nothing too revealing or sexy, and that had been enough to leave me drooling and waking up in a cold sweat. But this dress…Even now, as I drive us to the restaurant that Tony reserved for us, I’m struggling to keep my eyes on the road instead of on her. Her presence is consuming all of my senses, her intoxicating perfume invading my nostrils and making it hard for me to breathe.The way the silk fabric clings to her tiny frame makes me wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers along her curves, hold her in my arms, and…“Where are we going?” Heidi asks after minutes of pure