Continued: I'm sure I'm leaving sand in my wake with every step, but I don't care. A bee has well and truly gotten in my bonnet. I'm not entirely sure what's gotten into me; I had been happier on the plane after our pleasant interaction, but now...now, I feel far too vulnerable to allow Niko to have the real me. It must have been a momentary lapse in judgment, and I'll need to push him away harder than before to keep him at arm's length. Storming through the open plan living, dining, and kitchen area, I barely take in my surroundings of the exquisitely detailed home as I search for somewhere to relieve my bladder. I mount the floating steps and climb to the second floor in an attempt to take a minute to myself, but Niko does not give me much of a reprieve. Three closed doors greet me as I take a moment of indecisiveness on the landing. Looking at the closest one, I open the black door into a large bedroom with a round bed in the middle of the room. Just to the right, al
Niko As defiant as ever, Bianca attempts to slip her wedding gown down her arms to play with me. Luckily for her, I'm more than willing to play the cat to her mouse. I race to her side, stopping her from undressing from the garment made to wrap a bride up for their groom. In our culture, the whole meaning of a wedding gown is to present her to her awaiting husband as the pure second half of him. That is why they usually only dress in white. Bianca broke that silent rule with the red, but I love it. It's very much her. A wedding night is the first time a man supposedly has a claim to her. He unwraps his gift to reveal the natural beauty below before finishing up with his unspoken vows. "That's a husband's job," I note, stroking her now bare skin on her shoulder. A look transpires between us, and I can't quite decipher what it means. Does Bianca want me as I want her? Or am I reading into emotions that don't truly belong between us? The sexual tension has been palpable for the las
Continued: "I'll make us something. I'm sure the fridge is stocked." "Do you know how to cook?" She calls to me. "I'm sure I can put something together," I shrug nonchalantly as I leave the room. She rolls her eyes dramatically and flips a loose tendril of hair behind her ear before seemingly dismissing me. Smirking to myself, I shake my head in disbelief. The truth is I can cook pretty well, actually, but there's never any need when I'm home. Anna does a good enough job to feed us all; besides, I'm far too busy most of the time to sit in the kitchen and create a dish when my mind isin twenty other places. My Aunt taught me how to cook, that was her thing. We lived above a small Italian restaurant. Apparently, it's where my parents met. My father wooed my mother; he obviously took her breath away and pushed her down the stairs of irreparable damage. Maybe she'd still be alive if he were anything but an Italian mob. The kitchen is fully stocked, as I presumed it would be, but I
Bianca So Niko can cook, and he's more than comfortable moving around the kitchen like some bronzed god capable of doing even the most mundane task. I went into the kitchen with the intent of hashing out plans for our future marriage. My mind was whirling upstairs after he touched me, when for a moment I begged internally for him to lean down to kiss me, and when he didn't, I felt so crushed, I knew I couldn't let him touch me like that again. I couldn't give myself to him like that, not if I wanted any chance of escaping this marriage, the spoken contract I've seemingly fallen into with the Moretta's and most importantly my insanity. I should have run back on the plane. I should have taken the opportunity that arose with both hands and run as far away as I possibly could. And yet I didn't; I stayed. And now I'm regretting passing up the chance of freedom to stay loyal to a man who, if given half the chance, will destroy me from the inside out. We eat in tense silence, the only
Continued: Reaching inside, I find I'm disappointed beyond words to find skimpy bikinis, baby doll dresses, swim shorts, and lounge pants for Niko. My face must be a picture of unhappiness because Niko laughs so loud that it resounds around the open space. "I don't think Dimitri wants us to stay clothed for long if you know what I mean," he chatters. "This dress is the most uncomfortable thing I have ever worn, and these will barely keep the chill of the air off my skin." "Perhaps that's the point," he grins, stroking a red babydoll between his thumb and forefinger. "May I have your shirt?" I blurt out, glowering at the audacity of myself. "My shirt?" "Yes, can I have your shirt? You can peel this dress from me, and then I'll soak in the tub before bed and wear your shirt over one of these bikinis. I'm tired, Niko..." "I was hoping to show you out back. The hot tub is situated perfectly." "Fine, I'll soak in that," I huff, grabbing for the gold bikini with a vastly larger am
Niko With her breathing ragged and her walls firmly erect, I stare in disbelief that I would be so bold as to ask her whathedid to her. I wouldn't say I like these secrets between us, and it's only day one. Day fucking one. But even though I want her to answer me, to reveal who he is and just what I have to punish him for, she doesn't grant me my desires for the second time. Fear lances through me, a new emotion rarely presented to me. I fear that these things she keeps inside could be a potential threat that puts her in danger. How can I care for her if I only know half the truth of her past? Demons tend to live in closets, falling out at a moment's notice. This gives me food for thought, and I realise I need to earn Bianca's trust to find out these things if only to put contingencies in place to protect her at all costs. Taking Bianca out back, I lead her to the hot tub directly below the shining moon, hidden by strategically positioned foliage that creates a barrier
Bianca The bed feels foreign and lonely. The sheets are harsh andcool, yet contemplating asking Niko to join me to make me feel less lonely after the last few hours of tenderness between us feels like a far-fetched fantasy that's most definitely not reachable. So I persevere, replaying today over in my mind on fast forward as I agonise over every interaction I have had, said and done. I should have told him about my virginity and who took it. I should have run. I shouldn't have kissed him. I should let him in... Arguing with myself seems pointless, yet I keep coming to the same conclusions. I toss and turn and sigh into the silent, dark room, puffing the pillow because, despite its depth, I still sink into it. The bed faces the window, looking out over the ocean, which is a huge blockade between this island and the freedom I could have had if not for giving up a perfectly presented chance for him, for Niko. I don't know why he has me so loyal to him. It's not lik
Continued: "Breakfast?" Niko calls from behind me. He's just mounted the first step, walking down without so much as looking at me. Each muscle around his torso contracts with his movements, making me swallow loudly, hating my body's reaction to him. "I'm sorry," I call after him as I trail behind in a hurry. He chuckles but doesn't say anything further as he turns back to give me a reassuring smile. We both walk into the kitchen and find already plated food lying on the countertop. My stomach drops as anxiety overtakes me. "I thought you said we were the only ones on the island?" I whisper. "We are; there's only one house," he replies so very quietly that my gut churns even more. Is there danger lurking if he sees the need to be quieter than I was? We can't hide; the walls are all made of glass, for fucks sake. "Perhaps Dimitri had this sent for us?" I watch him walk to the plates, reaching down to the counter to pick up a folded piece of paper. He reads it as I gathe
Continued: Again, I feel the weight of each gaze around the room. Are they seriously waiting for me to eat so they can perve on me some more? I push aside my discomfort and begin to eat. My mind replays our conversation, and I get the intense feeling of needing to push Niko on the subject of his private work. What's their deal, anyway? "There she is," I note, seeing one of Ivarni's sons holding onto a girl's bicep. She looks far from in perfect condition. Despite ample make-up, there's a noticeable darkened mark around her lip as evidence she's been maltreated unacceptably. Her blonde hair screams fake, especially against her tanned skin, and she looks highly dishevelled. Niko tips his beer up, and now I see why he ordered a drink with such a big glass. His movements are half hidden by the fact that he's drinking, but of course, he looks back their way as I try to place the girl's face. Her name is in the back of my mind, yet I struggle to recall it or who she is. But I rec
Bianca Our first proper fight after marriage entailed with me opposing Niko's need to protect me from coming along on his mission as Dimitri had stated I should. It was heartwarming, even if I was creating distance where I definitely didn't want it. I won, though, if that's something to be proud of. I dressed in a little black dress supplied by Sven, an extension of Dimitri, that hugged my every curve, while Niko was dressed smartly in a suit. I hung on his arm as we were escorted to a private dining table in a back room that did nothing for my nerves at the most expensive restaurant chain on the mainland. This is evidently where all the mafia eats, though, because soon after our arrival, other guests filled the room, dining with beautiful women and good-looking men. Everyone around us spoke in every language except English. Italian, Russian, and even Lithuanian. I could string a few conversations together with the few words I knew of those languages. Most weren't wort
Continued: He's one hundred percent right. Why the fuck do they have Mitchel's wife? More importantly, what do the Densels want with Alexandra? I mull this over, overthinking every possible avenue today's mission might take me on. Each one gets worse than the last, but something that stays with me is the fact that Alexandra knows her life hangs in the balance, but equally, her husband does, too. She's not been trained like a typical Italian woman heiress would be; she's common—Italian but common. Can she even take the impending abuse obviously headed her way? She knows things, especially being married to one of the highest-ranking men within the Cartel. She must know something that the Densels want, and I don't doubt they will use whatever means possible to extract whatever they need from her before exposing her in a way that has the Cartel and lowly gang members talking. I hate that Bianca is dragged into this mess, especially considering the current bad blood b
Niko Despite knowing Dimitri has cameras following my every move, I still decide to fuck Bianca on the kitchen counter for breakfast. Call it a sign of 'fuck you' to his need to control my every fucking move, or call it stupidity because I've quickly become a lovesick man. Either way, I did it, and I didn't fucking warn Bianca, which goes directly against my new need to keep her firmly my equal, even in the stupidity that is my side job with Dimitri. We need to talk; I need to explain my role in all of this. But right now, it is not the right time or place in his earshot. Of course, after I had her for breakfast, I took her upstairs to clean up because, despite the evidence to the contrary, I wanted to be the perfect gentleman for her. I want to be the husband my father never was, that any man around me never is. I want to break that curse, to give her comfort in me, and to find comfort in her. Could I see us having a perfect family, a little slice of heaven outside of the tr
Continued: "I usually work alone; working with you might be less lonely." "I'd love to work with you, Niko..." "Oh, I'd like to—," whatever he was going to say is cut short by the loud ping of a phone. It makes me jump, and for a moment, I'm totally upset. I had revelled in Niko's sole attention, but now, he has access to the outside world once again. Does that mean I'll lose him to the outside world so soon after connecting with him so deeply? "Ignore that," he whispers against my ear. His hands roam my sides, dipping below his shirt that I had chosen to steal once again. I giggle, and he smirks. His fingertips rub circles against my hip as he presses his groin forward in an expression of what he wants. "Lascia che ti ami." Let me love you, he requests eagerly. I lay back on my arms, widening my legs enough to show him my acceptance as he strokes his cock through his swim shorts. I watch mesmerised; wanton need rushing through me in waves of ecstasy. The tip of his
Bianca I knew the moment I woke, I'd be walking into something I didn't care to be part of, but equally, I knew that I had no choice in the matter if Dimitri deemed it so. His voice floated upstairs, not loud enough to decipher everything that was said between him and Niko but audibly sufficient to know his tone was condescending and simultaneously authoritative. So I dithered, sitting on the top step close enough to hear them talk yet hidden enough that neither heard nor saw me. Niko was essentially being summoned, and I could tell he wasn't happy about it. Even so, I sat there for a long while as they spoke about this job to remain hidden and out of the limelight until things slowly turned in my direction. It's as if I knew I would be the topic of conversation. I was nervous then; Dimitri knew skeletons I wanted to remain hidden, so I couldn't damn well stay hidden. I moved down the stairs as Niko opposed Dimitri's choice to keep Luca in this life with the one-track mind,
Continued: It's clear with the clearing of his throat that I'm asking too much; after all, the agreement is to go, get the girl, and sit tight with her until he or Lucia comes to take them to a marginally better life. Still, I need to know if there's a potential threat looming, especially if she was already intercepted. The risk the Ivarnis have enlightened the buyer about her possible saviour might have them wanting to complete the Passover sooner rather than later. "Niko," Dimitri warns. "I need to know who to look out for in case they are also there to pick the girl up. I doubt the Ivarnis are sitting tight about the fact you tried to take her. They'll be looking out for you and your men, Dimitri. I'm associated with you; they know that. Everyone does." Remaining silent, his shoulders stiffen. Did he not already think that over? "She's headed for the Densels," he admits with a snarl. It's my turn to stiffen; of course, she fucking is. They buy many girls off the back of
Niko We've spent the last two days exhausting ourselves whilst getting to know one another on this new, deeper level that I was second guessing if we would ever get to experience. Even so, I still have a few places I'd like to fuck her before we go home, whenever that may be. The very next morning, in the early hours of the morning, Sven turned up when I was taking a moment to stare out of the window Bianca seemingly loved to daydream in front of. The boat was a spec of darkness moving on the sea at first, but as he neared closer and the sun rose, I could figure out quite quickly that he indeed returned to help us explore the island as promised the night before. Leaving him waiting on the beach, I let Bianca sleep while I readied food for the pair of us. I prepared a platter of fruit for breakfast that I took back upstairs only after I filled a conveniently placed picnic basket in the kitchen cupboard with an array of antipasti we could enjoy. I planned to take her back to th
Continued: I want everything he can give me. I want it all... I want him. Giving him myself is the only thing I can give him that's remotely worth his time. "Then take me to bed. Fuck me, use me—do whatever you please," I smile against his neck, whispering back so quietly just in case someone else can hear my deepest, dirtiest needs. "Don't let go," he warns. Standing up, he encourages my legs around his waist as he holds onto my buttocks. His still erect cock brushes my labia as he moves to climb out, reminding me that we're completely naked. I hang around him, holding myself against his body as he manoeuvres us out of the hot tub and onto a stable floor. He chuckles, his voice throaty and natural, which makes my cheeks burn as he steps towards the house. Readjusting me, he brings me higher, his lips going straight for my cheek, or so I thought. "I'm going to fucking eradicate any memory of that man," he promises against my ear so surely that I believe every word