Page 39 of Burning Beauty

Maria gaped at Cassandra.

Cassandra smiled back benignly and then said, "Does Nic have a big dick too?"

"Do not answer that." Nic's cool drawl came from behind their loungers. Both women twisted to look at him. Cassandra was desperately trying to swallow a fit of laughter, while Maria was fighting with a tide of heat creeping up her neck and threatening to permanently stain her face red.

Nic came around to stand beside Maria's chair, his gaze crawling up her body, which was encased in a snug black bikini with gold buckles. "You are enjoying yourselves?" Though the question was aimed at both of them, his eyes never left Maria. The heat in her neck and face quickly spread throughout her body, warming the blood in her veins and stealing her breath. Though they'd shared a night of passion, she still felt shy and awkward around him. She also felt like she wanted to drag him down on top of her on the lounger and suck his face until he got the hint and fucked her right out there in the hot sunshine.

"Very much!" Cassandra answered his question with a bright chirp. "We'd be having an even better time if Maria's credit card arrived."

Nic cast a look toward his wife and said, "You will keep your hands off her credit card. You've done enough damage to your own. It'll take a lifetime to pay off those charges."

"You’re just bitter because I didn't buy you a baby tiger. I told you, if you want something you need to ask nicely."

"Baby tiger?" Maria asked faintly, wondering exactly how she was going to stop Cassandra from using her new credit card to purchase tigers.

"It was cousin Tino's birthday back in Sicily, and I wanted to get him something special. He was really excited until animal control got involved and sent the tiger to live in a habitat."

"Cassandra, my dear," Nic said with patient indulgence. "No one needs tigers for their birthday, or..." he held up a hand when it looked like she would cut him off, "for any other reason. Tigers are never a practical gift. Until you learn this lesson, you will only be allowed to have supervised credit card access."

"Autocrat," Cassandra sniffed huffily.

Maria didn't know what to say, but the urge to laugh was strong. These people lived in a different world. One of wealth, luxury and mafia danger. Though she was reluctant to get involved, she couldn't deny the warmth that was beginning to take hold at the idea of having these people in her life. It was like having family again.

At that thought a lump rose in her throat. She missed her brother, the only real family she had.

Nic seemed to catch the sad look and asked, "What is wrong, bellisima?"

Cassandra sighed loudly and placed a hand over her heart at the endearment, then shamelessly listened to Maria and Nic's private moment.

Maria decided to go with honesty. If she was going to be forced to live here, at least for a while, and be part of these people's lives, then she may as well be honest. "I miss my brother," she told Nic. "I haven't seen him in weeks, and even though you told me not to worry, I will worry until I've set eyes on him again. I need to make sure he's safe and unharmed."

Nic seemed to think about it, then nodded slowly. "I understand." He didn't say anything else, just held her gaze, his own devouring her with a look she couldn't really decipher. It felt like possession, but something else. He was a hard man to read.

Finally, after a moment of no one saying anything, Nic pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Maria. She took it automatically and looked down. It was the promised credit card with her name on it. "It has been activated," he told her matter-of-factly. "You may purchase whatever you like, but I do receive the bills, so please keep that in mind if you try to order something... inappropriate." His frowning gaze strayed to an innocent looking Cassandra who was studiously staring off in another direction.

Nic strode away without another word, leaving Maria behind, the card in her fingers while she contemplated the significance of his giving her free access to his money. Does something like this make her more or less of a mistress?

Maria didn't have long to wonder though. Cassandra leapt out of her chair, grabbed Maria's arm and physically dragged her up. "Time to go shopping!" she yelled excitedly and started running toward the house.

Maria had two choices: follow or fall down and get dragged across the stone patio tiles. She chose wisely; Cassandra was a lot stronger than she looked. "I don't want a tiger!" Maria yelled back.

Chapter Twenty-One

Maria paced her room, the nightie she'd chosen, a short black lacy thing, floated around her thighs each time she turned. Her skirt twitched with her agitation as she moved. Where was he? Wasn't he going to come for her? It was 9:30pm already, and she was pretty sure he hadn't waited this long last night.

Was he bored with her already? No, that couldn't be it. The sex had been spectacular, and she was certain he felt it too. There was no way to fake that kind of insane chemistry. So, it had to be something else. Maybe he was detained with business. Or maybe he didn't feel like visiting her tonight. She frowned at that thought. No way. The heated look he gave her this afternoon when she'd been stretched out on that lounger told her everything she needed to know. His obsession was growing, not waning.

So where was he then?

Maria paced for another fifteen minutes before deciding enough was enough. She was going to bed. She'd had a late night the night before and she didn't have time to put up with her captor's wishy-washy bullshit. She threw the covers back on the bed and stared down at the smooth cream coloured sheets before sighing and pacing back across the room. She was never going to sleep if she was worried about Nic showing up and dragging her back to his room.

She would go and see what was up, that's what she would do. She wouldn't be long. She'd march down to his bedroom and demand he get his shit together. Either he came for her or he didn't get any sex. She wasn't a machine, she had things to do, places to be. Well, maybe not places to be. But she definitely had better things to do than wait around for him to decide if he wanted his nightly instalment of sex.

Righteous anger gave her the impetus she needed to stomp down the hallway to his room, lift her fist and bang on the door. It flew open and Nic filled the doorway, stealing both her breath and her words. He looked incredible in just a pair of suit pants with his belt hanging loose. His bare chest and arms rippled with long, lean muscles that made her mouth water in anticipation. She knew from experience exactly what kind of strength those muscles possessed.

She opened her mouth to tell him off, to demand he make plans with her if he intended to install her as his mistress, but she didn't get the chance. He wrapped an arm around her waist, swept her inside, slammed the door shut and pushed her back against it. He pressed his body full length against hers, rocking his hips into her belly, forcing her to feel his erection.

He dropped his head to hers and pressed his mouth to her ear. "It's about time, bellisima. I was about to tear this house down if you didn't come to me."

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