Chapter 1
I walked in the park while sipping on a fresh brewed coffee and enjoying my book.I was a sucker for poetry and fell in love with words more than actions.When everything in the world went collapsing ,I can always turn to them and they will be waiting for me with open arms .Tears prick in the corner of my eyes as I read this particular poem that had laced my blood and crawled into my gut .
Darkness folded within me like an insidious snake, that raises its head when I least expect it.Somewhere out there ,The Mafias are searching for me and apparently my sister Nina and her husband Adam West had decided to hired a security for my saftey.I did agree ,only to appease them but then I slip from my bodyguard this morning but no early in the morning .They wouldn’t think to look for me here .At least not for a while longer .
I close my eyes and lick my lips .There was nothing but Silence .The rustle of the wind between the leaves .The faint tinkle of the water from a nearby spring.I could be the only person left on this planet ,alone and bounded for the grave .
I whip my head around. His silhouette fills my line of sight. He's sitting on the same knoll as me, yet I have to crane my neck back to see his profile. The sun is at his back, so I can't make out his features. Can't see his eyes... Can only take in his dark hair, combed back by a ruthless hand that brooked no measure.
My heart skipped a beat .
Thick dark hair ,shot through with gray at the temples .He wears his age like a badge But I know his years have not been easy .That he’s seen more,indulged in deep,however he is not normal,Not a nine to fiver ,not someone who lives in average life .Definitely not a man who returns home to his wife at the end of the day .He’s different ,powerful,unique ,evil ….Monstrous.Yes,he is the devil ,one who spots the face of a man but who harbors the kind of darkness inside that speaks to me .His face boasts a hooked nose, a fulled lip, a thick fleshy lower lip. One that hints at hidden desires, Heat. Lust. The sensuous scrape of that whiskered jaw over my innermost places. Across my inner thigh, reaching toward that core of me that throbs, clenches, melts to feel the stab of his tongue, the thrust of his hardness as he impales me, takes me, makes me his. Goosebumps pop on my skin.
While I was reading ,suddenly Goosebumps flare on my skin; moisture laces my palms. My throat went dry that I swear my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth. Not good. This is not good.
"Where do you want from me?"
"You’re hardly in a position to ask any questions."
The hard planes of his chest graze my shoulders. I gulp. Freeze. Every muscle in my body goes rigid. His powerful thighs fit in the V of where I have folded up my legs. He slides his arm under my neck, wraps the other around my waist, and pulls me close.
Something sharp and long stabs at the curve of my backside, No freaking way ! Is that…. a …? I squeeze my thighs together, try to scoot away. His grip tightens.
"Stop that," he growls.
As if I am going to jump to his every command. I huff, wriggle forward, but end up brushing my butt against his turgid length.
"See what happens when you don’t obey?"
I freeze.
"No! You can’t …do this."
"I already am."
"My sister will be worried to death when she can’t reach me."
"You already called her."
"What the hell are you talking about " I turn my head, glower at him.
"You told her you were going on a long holiday to clear your head "
Oh, right. "She’ll never believe that," I huff.My sister is so overprotective and wouldn't just let me take off like that without suspecting something”
"She has a husband, a future… She’s not going to miss you for a while."
"How did you…?" I shut my mouth. "Did you …stalked me?"
"You aren’t that important."
Anger coats my tongue. How dare he insult me? "I mean what do you want with me because you could have kill me by now …"
"Yet." I hear the amusement in his voice.
I guess this is something that he was fully prepared ,he knew where I was .Which is where he found me. How long had he been stalking me? Did he know my routine? Is that how he marked out the best time to abduct me? My heart begins to thud. This is not good. This is really happening.
"Why me?" I say in a low tone. "Why are you kidnapping me?"
"The same question again." He yawns. The bastard yawns, as if he is bored with this conversation.
"Tell me now ," I insist, "what do you want in exchange?"
"What makes you think I am interested in getting anything in exchange?"
"What do you mean?" I glance sideways and up at what I can see of that gorgeous face. Those sharp jawline , the hooked nose, that pouty lower lip of his that was made for sinking my teeth into, swiping my tongue across the seam, as I nibble on that delectable mouth. My face heats and a pulse flares to life between my legs.
"What do you mean, you are not interested in an exchange? You must want something in return at least ."
“I have everything that I need “
“Then what do you want with me ?”
“I am still trying to figure that out”
What in the hell ?I frown,
"You are not making any sense . You must have a plan when you are currently deciding to steal me away from my very own life. I mean, people don’t just see someone else and decide, on the spur of the moment, ‘oh, I want that person, so I am going to kidnap him or her,’ you know?"
"No," he shakes his head, "I don’t, actually."
I blink, open my mouth and shut it again. "I see." I bob my head. "I understand what you are trying to do with me."
He arches an eyebrow, "Really ,do enlighten me then ."
"You’re trying to confuse me with your cryptic words, and you’re trying to keep me off balance with your stupid domineering ways."
"You meant controlling ways."
I snarl, "What’s the bloody difference anyway?"
"To control means to command, to have mastery over, to---"
"Forget I asked," I mutter.
"You, on the other hand, clearly love to be subjugated."
"No I don't," I snap.
"Sure, you do."
"Not."
"Want me to prove it to you?" He lowers his voice to a hush, and instantly my toes curl. A shiver ripples down my spine. Every cell in my body opens, all my nerve endings go on alert and they seem to fire all at once.Why the hell do I find him so freaking hot ?
I strain away, try to put distance between us once. He hauls me even closer, throws his leg over both of mine, so I can’t move.
I try to draw in a breath and my lungs burn. I am having a nervous breakdown. In the boot of a car, with my kidnapper.
No, no no, this can’t be happening.I can’t breathe. My heart beats so fast, I am sure it’s going to jump out of my ribcage.
"Shh!" His warm breath grazes my cheek. "Relax, I promise I won’t harm you."
Says the man who almost shot me. A chuckle bubbles up and my entire body shakes.
"What is so funny?" he rumbles.
"You…" I choke out, "you, dweeb. Have you heard yourself? You sound like a psychotic bastard"
Cold metal pushes against the curve of my neck. My breath hitches. My pulse rate ratchets up, even as my limbs tremble.
"Shh." His warm breath raises the hair at my temples. My skin prickles and my scalp feels too tight. I open my mouth, but no words come out.Is that a knife?It’s a knife. A bloody knife. Oh my God . How many weapons does this man carry on him, anyway?
He drags the tip of the blade down the side of my throat. The tip pricks my skin. Not enough to hurt, just enough for me to go still. My breath hitches and a trembling grips me.What the hell is wrong with me? Do I find the idea of him holding a weapon against my skin ,a turn on? Am I such a loser for punishment?
"Listen pretty face , don’t freak out on me, not after that sparkle we had going from the start ."
He quickly removes the knife. I sense him move away as he tucks the knife back from wherever he’d pulled it out and then grips my chin. He forces my head toward him and our gaze meets.
His blue eyes are mesmerizing and piercing a beacon in the darkness. My light at the end of the tunnel.What? No. Anger squeezes my guts and fear bubbles up, a tangy, bitter taste on my tongue.I open my mouth to scream, but he lowers his chin and press his lips over mine .
AlessioHer lips tasted like chocolate covered strawberries .Her body gives both heat and sweet sensation .My head spins,I need her and want her all to myself . I pull her up until she crashes into my broad chest, her body twisted against mine. I slide my leg, between hers, apply pressure until her body curves further.Do as you are told,Pretty face .Break for me and open.I swirl my tongue across the seam of her lips ,I swoop in to feel her .I am a man who take what I want and use weakness to my advantage. I flatten my palm over her belly, graze my fingers over the core of her. She moans low in her throat, the sound so soft ,I have missed it, except I have plastered her to me. Every breath of her I had inhale ,the trembling that sweeps me up.She was mine .I tilt my head, deepen the kiss even further. Thrust my tongue inside the spring of her mouth and enjoyed from her . I bring my fingers up to cup her breast and she arches her spine. Pushes her flesh into the hollow of my palm.
VioletI heard whispering and scraping of something smooth against the back of my thighs .While I try to regained my consciousness ,the masculine scent of musky,sandalwood and a hint of cedar filled my lungs . The snap and crackle of a fireplace. Warmth creeps up my fingers and my toes. I turn toward it, snuggle in against the hard unrelenting surface. Him. He is near. He had crawled into the back of the car with me, had wound his big body around mine and he’d choked me until I had fainted. I crack open my eyelids and the world swims in my line of sight."How dare you do this to me ?" I cough. "You knocked me out, you obnoxious bastard .""Well I guess I am not a freak anymore but rather a bastard,and sleep haven’t solved your aggressiveness , huh?" A lean arm appears in front of me, holding a glass of water. "Drink up ."I purse my lips, gulp, glare from the glass of water to his handsome, gorgeous, ugly-mean features."Do as I say or I will shove it down your throat myself ." Hi
AlessioShe looks up at me from under her lashes. Her blond hair stand still on her shoulders, her cheeks flushed, she chews on her lower lip and the blood rushes to my vein. As if I weren’t hard enough already. I drag my arm to the side, force my body to relax.She tips her chin up and her green eyes spark fire. Something hot stabs at my chest. This woman, she’s. a fighter. A survivor, like me. Who will break first? Me or her? It has to be her. It will be her, if it’s the last thing I do.But I want more. I need her open and thirsting for what only I can give her. I have to own her, body and soul, until her every emotion is mine to read. Her every thought is mine to see. Her every wish is mine and only mine to grant. If I so deem it.I pulled her back and swoop her down ,digging my fingers into her hair and tug as her head arches ,I wrap my other hand around her neck .This was too canal ,it was not how I intended it to be .I thought I was in control in all of this but I was wrong,A
Violet I didn’t understand this guy ,one minute funny and another minute completely arrogant.He was an emotionally unstable prick who felt like he owned me and can order me around but I will show him.As much as I hated him ,I found him very attractive ,I want to have his full and complete focus, to be the cynosure of all that smoldering, melting scrutiny. To have his fingers dig into my skin, my aching core.The hell is wrong with me? He’d wanted me. Despite what he’d said earlier, he’d enjoyed what I’d done to him. Perhaps, too much? Had I scared him away? A low chuckle catches in my throat. Am I being delusional? Me, the woman who had practiced blow jobs by watching them on the internet …and the erotic novels I’ve been reading since I turned fifteen. Don’t judge. Well, as much as a teenage girl had been able to access, that is. God bless the internet. Alessio We have arrived at my Island a few hours ago but I stared at the camera is pointing at the bed at the woman sleeping o
Alessio He steps back, shuts the door behind him, and I turn to my brothers, "What the hell are you guys doing here ?""Someone’s pissed,"Fabian murmurs."Think big brother, here, isn’t getting enough?" Alessandro smirks.“Maybe he isn’t satisfied enough with what he has ?After all ,quality over quantity ,isn’t that what they say ,” Fabien said as he precedes the other one further into the room.I stared at the three of them prowling around my space.Alessandro lowers himself into a chair and props his feet on the coffee table,Fabian sinks into a couch ,“I thought you were suppose to be in London ?” Fabian jerks his chin at me ,“I was ,”“Is it because of a woman you had to return so urgently ?”I hold his gaze and didn’t say anything else .“I knew it !” Alessandro exclaimed .”It always have to be lady who pus him in such a scrappy mood”“Well it not only my mood which is going to be in scrappy mood soon” I bashed out .I hold his gaze, don’t say anything else."Knew it," Fabien
Alessio"To our Capo," Carlos fixes his gaze on mine, "and to the alliance with the Seven.""The Seven?" Alessandro turns to me, "That’s who your new bride is related to?"I tilt my head, "Is that a problem?"He scratches his chin, "Amongst them all, they own most of the UK and parts of Silicon Valley too, I hear." He fixes his gaze on me, "Ambitious, are we?""Well as long as it is not my life ,there is not a problem." He raises a shoulder. "And I assume this has to do with getting access to enough connections to consolidate your position with the other families?"Alessandro really is smart. He got this all figure without me saying a word."So," Fabien glances between us, "when do we get to meet your new bride?""At the wedding," I murmur"What?" Alessandro blinks. "We don’t get to meet her before?""No.""Don’t you trust us with her?" Carlos drawls."Never." I fold my arms across my chest."Aww that is sad ." Alessandro smirks. "The way you’re acting, you’d think you have her h
AlessioThe hair on my forearms rises. All of senses was being alerted. I swivel around and catch her around the waist, lift her off of the ground."You are a such a coward. I bloody hate you," she snarls, then swings her fists. I duck. I must be losing my touch, for her knuckles graze my jaw, My groin tightens and my balls ache. I tighten my grip around her. "Stop.""How dare you take the advantage of insulting me …you…Loser?"A chuckle trembles up my throat and I swallow it. "Calm down.""Let go of me.""No."She goes still."No?""Not until your blood pressure drops back to normal.""The only person I see having a bloody cardiac is you." She brings up her knee. I twist my body to the side, she catches me in the thigh, and damn it, but my cock instantly lengthens. The hell is wrong with my reactions, that I can’t control myself around her?"Back off, Pretty face or you’ll regret it."She makes that noise deep in her throat, that sound of anger and frustration that sends sparks down
Violet I can’t believe that he spanked me .After he left ,I ignore the clothes on the bed just as he has ignored me earlier ,Yeah we both can play hat game,If he thinks I am going to obey him like a pet after what he did to me ,he sure don’t know who I am.I don’t care if he decided to spank me again ,might as well do it then follow his orders . I had marched over to the closet, then pulled on the first dress I had come across—this knee-length dress in red, which I absolutely hate, but whatever. It’s something to cover myself up with. There had been enough clothes in the walk-in closet… Most of them seemed new, along with underclothes that were made of the finest laces…and decadently cut. And all the clothes fit me... no doubt about it, they were to my measurements, how the hell had he managed that? How had he gotten them delivered here so quickly? I'd run my fingers over the fabric of the dresses in the closet. Everything is exquisite. Even if they have been bought off the shelf th
VioletAt least, last night, he had come to bed at midnight, and I had woken up enough to wrap myself around my husband and fall asleep. He’d kissed me tenderly, had run his hands down my body, aroused me to fever pitch, only to slip my nightgown and my panties aside and slide his fingers into me. He’d slid down my body, eaten me out, then he’d risen over me and pinched my clit as he’d commanded me to come. And I had. I had shattered right there, and then, promptly fallen asleep, sated.It was almost noon when I woke up to find a letter on his pillow, asking me to peek out of the window. I had, and had cried out when I had seen a car… Not just any car, a Maserati. A twin of his…but in black, with a red line running across its side, and wrapped up in a bow. It’s my car. My car! OMG! I had showered, changed, eaten a late breakfast, then rushed down to examine my new toy.It is beautiful, with sleek lines that remind me of him, a color dark enough to hint at his growly personality, and a
Violet It’s six days to the Christmas party, and I am almost done with the projects I have undertaken. My dress is done. So is the other outfit I have been working on. My morning sickness is also almost gone. And if I have to stay another day cooped up in here, I am going to go stark, raving mad. Clearly, the lack of sex is getting to him. Since our tryst on the terrace, I have not seen him at all. If he does sleep at night… It, clearly, isn’t in the bed next to me, as his side of the bed remains untouched when I awake in the mornings. He hasn’t been in the room, as far as I can tell. Which means he is sleeping somewhere else. Likely, in his office atV enom. Is he also sleeping withsomeone else there? But he said that he wasn't screwing anyone else. He wouldn't lie to me, would he? I tighten my fingers and Andy yowls in protest.He flicks out his baby claws and I yelp as he scratches me. I release him and he jumps down to the floor, then walks away with his tail high in the air. I
AlessioI draw in a sharp breath, glance at him. "What are you trying to say, Alessandro?" I say in a soft voice."Just that you are no longer Alessio, the Capo of the Cosa Nostra.""I’m not?" I frown.He nods, "You are a husband and a father-to-be, too… Roles which you, clearly, place a lot more importance on than just being the leader of our clan."I blink, "If you mean I am neglecting my duties as the head of the clan—""I mean that you are taking a bigger picture into view. You are looking to the future, and for the first time, you are planning with peace in mind, rather than a short-sighed chance to gain the upper hand."I rub the back of my neck, "Is that a backhanded compliment? If so—""It’s not a compliment. It’s a fact." He folds his arms across his chest. "You want to ensure that you neutralize any possible threats against your family. It’s understandable. It’s why you went ahead and met with two of our fiercest rivals. It’s why you didn’t breathe a word about it to anyone
Alessio "I hear your wife’s throwing a Christmas party?" JJ Kane, the head ofThe Kane Company, tilts his head, "That’s the thing with women. They have to make their presence felt, don’t they?"I curl my fingers into fists at my sides. How dare he talk about her? And how the hell does he know about the Christmas Party? Invitations had only been extended to my brothers, my father and my Nonna. And yeah, Beauty had insisted that Isabelle and Aurora be included.Initially, I had refused her and she had pleaded with me. She had batted those big, green eyes at me and I had been a goner. Of course, I had agreed. Isabelle is loyal, no question. And Aurora? She knows better than to open her mouth about anything she sees and hears. There’s no way either of them would have spoken to anyone about the event. My brothers wouldn’t have breathed a word to anyone… Nor would Nonna. As for the Don... Well, much as I don’t trust him, given he knows that Violet is pregnant with his grandchild, not even
Violet We didn't get to the dessert, after all. After I came, he'd taken off his shirt and made me wear it over my torn dress. Then he'd scooped me up into his arms and carried me to his bedroom. We hadn't encountered anyone on the way. Not Isabelle, not Pablo. Apparently, his staff knows when to make themselves scarce. And, yep, he broke his own rule for us to have separate bedrooms. I had fallen asleep promptly. When I woke up, he was gone. I had spent the rest of that day working on my dress, with Andy for company. Oh, also I'd moved my things into his room, and he hadn't said anything. It might be because I didn't see Alessio all that day, or for that matter, on any of the days that followed our reconciliation. Isabelle mentioned to me that he has been deep in negotiations with rival clans to restore some semblance of peace in the country. This means that the security around the house has been tripled… Or so she tells me. Not that I can tell the difference. For all practical
AlessioThis woman... The things she says... She never ceases to surprise me. I grip her shoulders to pull her up and she wraps her arms around my neck. "I mean it, Ales," she murmurs, "I want you inside me, one way or the other.""I don’t want to hurt you." I wrap a strand of her gorgeous hair around my fingers, "Right now, your comfort is more important than anything else to me.""And I already told you that I want you."I peer into her face, take in her flushed features, her gaze wide with anticipation; those green eyes stare back at me and in them is a look of feverish need. I wrap my fingers about the back of her nape and bring her forehead to mine, "Any other time, if you weren’t pregnant, I’d not deny this to you, but right now, given your condition, it’s not something I can give you.""Alessio," she pleads, "this is no time for an attack of conscience."I laugh, "Trust me, if it were up to me, I’d be inside you so often you wouldn’t be able to walk straight, but this is not ju
Violet "Dessert?" I blink rapidly. "Is Pablo going to serve us dessert?""He offered to make dolce for us, but I told him to wait. We’ll have it after.""After?" My cheeks heat, "After what?""After..." He lifts me up onto the table, then pushes my legs apart. The dress I’m wearing is pushed up to above my knees. He slides his fingers up my thighs, and I try to squeeze them together."Relax," he murmurs, "I am going to make this so good for you."That’s what I am afraid of.I peer at him from between my eyelashes. "I thought you weren’t going to shag me?""Doesn’t mean I can’t pleasure you," his eyes gleam, "while I feast on you."A pulse flares to life between my legs. It mirrors the beat of my heart, the thud-thud-thud of the blood roaring in my ears as he rises to his feet. Without taking his gaze off of mine, he leans over and shoves the rest of the crockery aside. The dishes and remaining cutlery hit the ground with a crash that sweeps through me. He eases me onto my back, then
Violet "This is where we’re having dinner," he murmurs as he lowers me into a chair. I take in the crisp white table cloth that covers a table that has been set with silverware for two. The alcove is sheltered from the breeze by a screen on one side. The view itself is undisturbed though, and I glance out at the sea that stretches out into the distance. A cool breeze tugs at my hair. I tuck the strands behind my ear, turn back to the table arrangement. There’s a vase in the center of the table with one single perfectly formed black rose, the edges of the petals a blood red. It’s a perfect bloom, unlike anything I have ever seen. He reaches for a blanket that has been placed on a stool by the side. He places it over my lap, then tucks it at the sides. "How does that feel?" "Good," I murmur. "Not too cold? Not too warm?" He nods toward the patio heater, "Should I turn that off?" "No," I pat the edge of the blanket, "I am comfortable, as is." "Good." He reaches for a napkin, shakes
Alessio I walked into the room to find beauty and fabian glancing in my direction, and the expression on her face is laced with guilt. I prowl toward her and she tips up her chin. "Were you talking about me, Beauty?" I murmur and she huffs."My every conversation is not about you.""What were you two talking about, then?""None of your business.""Everything about you is my business," I pause in front of her, "and you’d do best not to forget that."Fabian clears his throat, and I shoot him a sideways glance."We were discussing the Christmas bash," he explains."Is that right?" I turn to her, "That what’s got you tied up in knots, huh?""Exactly," she snickers, "Iam the one tied up in knots." She exchanges a glance with Fabian who chuckles."She’s been worried about finding a DJ for the party. It’s why I offered my services.""You’re going to DJ?" I scowl."Sure," he raises a shoulder, "it’s no biggie. I did it at many of the parties during my university days.""And here I thought y