114. Surprisingly, it left her feeling content and replete, rather than shamed or debased. He had succeeded in supplanting the memories of that first horrific shower encounter with something much better and far more memorable. He saw to the task of cleaning them both and drying her off, apparentl realizing his combination of gentle and possessive lovemaking had left her a languorous mess. Mia couldn’t summon the energy to do much more than shuffle her feet as he led her to the bed and tucked her in. When he started to stand, she surprised both of them by reaching out for him. “Stay.” He frowned, as though debating something with himself, before sighing in a way that suggested surrender. A second later, Shane joined her on the bed, pulling the blankets over both of them. Mia snuggled against him, feeling no guilt for enjoying the embrace and the sex that had preceded it. His lips against her forehead was the last thing she remembered before slipping into a deep sleep. *
115. The shadows in his expression stilled her breath, but she couldn’t say it was from fear. He was mesmerizing in his darkness, and she couldn’t find fault with his actions in light of the circumstances. After a brief consideration, she decided she would probably happily rid the world of her own father, and she certainly would if she had the chance to get rid of Aldo. “So Cormac saved you?” “I saved myself and my family, baby, but he helped me hide the body. The world just assumed that drunken fucker had finally shambled off into obscurity, and the neighborhood breathed a sigh of relief.” He smiled, loosening his hands around her head to brush her cheek gently. “My sister and mother breathed a helluva lot easier, and life improved when I started working with Cormac.” “In the mafia.” She couldn’t hide her disdain. “Your improved life came at the expense of others.” At his careless shrug, she asked, “Did you have to kill other people?” He nodded, making her teeth set on
116. The only problem was the head of the Murphy family would expect him to keep it under the radar of the authorities. A highly public escalation in hostilities wouldn’t be appreciated or condoned. That didn’t mean Shane wasn’t going to do exactly what he wanted to serve Aldo Peretti’s head on a fucking plate. Turning to Bruno as the other man joined him, he said, “Find his drug dens and whorehouses. I want to know his moneymakers, and then I want to tear them down. Burn out the bastards and leave nothing but destruction in your wake.” As Bruno nodded, Shane thought of Mia, knowing on an instinctive level she wouldn’t approve of his plan. Feeling a shred of something he wished he could ignore and didn’t want to label as compassion, he added, “Try not to harm any innocents. Clear out the whores and the low-level addicts if you can. I want to harm his profits and him personally, but without a lot of collateral damage.” If Bruno was surprised by the caveat of mercy, he did
117. Emboldened by her actions, giddy with the success and sheer fun of taking charge, Mia slid to her knees on the bottom of the tub. The second step pressed into her tummy as she stretched forward. “There’s only one way to be sure.” He arched a brow. “How’s that?” “A taste test.” Mia’s stomach clenched with nerves as she lowered her head. His cock twitched in her hand where she grasped him at the base. Feeling a bit faint, she looked up when he put his hand on her head. “If you aren’t ready, that can wait.” She nodded. “I know, but I want to.” Oddly enough she did, and not because of some self-delusional bullshit that she was currying favor with him to lull him into relaxing his guard. For the first time ever, she wanted to take a man into her mouth. He made her feel safe enough to try, and wasn’t that the most fucked up thing ever, considering how he had taken her from her life a week ago? Her breathing went shallow as she neared the head, and she closed her eyes. F
118. If he wasn’t gone or doing whatever business a gangster handled—and she couldn’t imagine it had much to do with marketing or public relations, but probably involved some accounting—he had her on the bed, in the tub, on the couch, or against the wall. Once, he even took her in the solarium in the middle of breakfast. She’d offered a token protest at the ability of anyone to see them, but had soon forgotten her objections when his hand traveled under her skirt to stroke her bare mound. Forgoing panties had been her idea, but he’d loved the discovery so much that he’d forbidden her to wear them at all after that. She’d pretended to mind and had argued, but had acquiesced fairly easily. Mainly because she enjoyed the sensation of different (or no) fabrics against her bare lips, and also because there was something deliciously naughty about teasing him with the knowledge that she wasn’t wearing underwear—especially when he was about to go somewhere and had no time for se
119. It wasn’t because he was afraid of missing the ballet. He just felt better when Mia was in sight, and he knew she was safe from Peretti. His house was a fortress that Peretti would find almost impossible to breach, but he couldn’t help feeling she was safer with him than anyone else. He shifted into fourth and snorted with amusement at the thought. After the things he’d done to her, it was fucking amazing she considered herself safe with him. Did Mia understand she was safe from Peretti, even if not safe from Shane himself? He was just as driven to possess her as he had been. The more he had, the more he wanted. Shane squirmed, thinking he wasn’t sure he could ever get enough of her. When he was with her, it soothed the beast inside him that wanted to completely consume her so she’d always be with him. His feelings for his little Russian doll would have sent her into a panic if she really grasped the intensity. They certainly freaked him out. He’d never wanted anyone
120. wet she was for him. Unfortunately, they weren’t alone, though their companion’s eyes were always centered on the stage whenever she glanced at him. As the show progressed, Mia realized his attention specifically centered on one performer in the show. She had a minor role and also seemed to appear in the chorus during a couple of dances, but when she was on stage, she held Cormac’s attention. At intermission, the dancers mingled with the crowd, and she had a chance to meet the one who seemed to hold the attention of Shane’s friend. She glided toward them with either natural grace or the byproduct of years of training. A few inches taller than Mia, she was about her age, with long dark hair and a familiar shade of green eyes. She wasn’t surprised to hear the ballerina’s name was Siobhan. Shane’s sister. Glancing out the corner of her eye, she saw Cormac light up and didn’t miss the way the girl blushed slightly when he took her hand in a gentle squeeze that lasted o
121. “Fuck you.” Without waiting for his permission, she walked away from him. Mia pressed her back against the wall of the building, tuning out the milling crowd as her gaze focused on Shane. The sound of sirens in the background seemed closer, and she hoped they would make it in time to save him. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have been in danger. Mia knew that was an irrational thought. If Shane hadn’t taken her, this wouldn’t have happened either. He was equally to blame, if not more so. Aldo was the one most to blame for the violence, and she knew he would have taken her eventually, whenever he got tired of playing whatever waiting game in which he had been engaged. Shane jerked suddenly, and she stood upright. Mia’s first impulse was to run to him. That same irresistible pull seemed to be drawing her forward. She needed him. Needed to be with him. Needed to reassure herself he was alive and would be safe. She froze after two steps, self-preservation kicking in