Page 25 of The Last Call
Her small body twitches. Probably chilled from the breeze on her bare arms and legs. I force myself to tug the quilt back up her stunning figure. Already missing the sight of her as each inch disappears under the fabric. Leaving me hard and wanting from the thought of how she’ll look in my bed the next time. Sans clothes of course.
Warm again, she lets out a contented sigh and fuck me if she doesn’t utter my name. A promise of more blowing across her plump lips. With no other choice, I have to nuzzle her smooth cheek. Reminding her I’m here. That she’s mine. That she’s home.
She quiets from my touch and every ounce of my diminishing restraint forces me to let her be. Yet not let her alone. I’m not that good.
I drop onto the square yellow rocker a few feet from the end of the bed and slide out my phone again. Most of the world’s asleep back home except for my guys, so I check the receipts from my clubs. Nice take from the weekend. My shipments made it through customs without any issues. But the brightest spot is that Ethan finalized the contract for the new property. A nice legit project to keep some of my business on the up and up. All good news from the team’s updates.
None of which couldn’t wait until later. But on days like this I fucking hate lying down because I know the damn guilt that will flood my thoughts in the silence. The darkness engulfing me worse than the blackness behind my eyelids. Desperate for a release from the evil always lurking in my soul.
Just like Joslyn used to give me. Not that she gave a damn about my sins. Or anyone else’s for that matter. Which is what ended up killing her. But she loved me almost as much as I loved her, and I can’t be angry with her for leaving me. She always wanted to be involved with everything I did. She actually thought she might lead the family someday and tried to learn from our father right alongside me. Not letting her fragility stop her from trying to be tougher than her brother. Although she definitely was in resiliency if not physically.
Syd stirs from my chuckle. Damn. I’ve been trying to ignore my hunger for her too. Fuck it. I’ve never held back from doing what I want, and I’m sure as hell not going to start now.
I strip off my clothes and slide in behind her. Tugging her petite body against mine. My cock perfectly nestled between her ass checks with only a thin layer of fabric separating us. Fuck me if she doesn’t snuggle in. Her small hand curling over my thick arm wrapped around her waist. Just like it should be. Her head tucked under my chin. Fitting together perfectly like I knew we would. Letting her natural scent mingled with my soap engulf us. God damn fucking amazing.
Unwilling to think about my sister with my girl in my arms, I let go of her memories and focus on the beautiful reality in front of me. Drifting off more easily than I ever thought possible with my balls so heavy and taut and the stress of my problems weighing on me. Somehow her presence cuts through all of that giving me a peace I haven’t felt in too damn long. Which scares the hell out of me.
Proving that I really am truly and completely fucked.
It’s official. I’m so absolutely fucked.
I can’t see his face in the dim light. Just a soft golden glow burning behind the white sheer roman blinds with the rest of the small room steeped in darkness. Yet I know Julius sleeps behind me. And only a demented person like me would actually not hate his huge body wrapped around mine.
I’m not even sure how he managed to climb into bed and curl behind me without waking me up. Normally, I’m a light sleeper. Maybe it’s the rich food and heavy coffee. Or the coolness of the stone house perfect to cuddle under the thick blanket. Or the warmth from Nonna’s welcome. I don’t think anyone has ever been so pleased to see me. Well, anyone who didn’t want to fuck me. Although, I guess she does want me to fuck her grandson. I giggle like the idiot I’ve turned into but catch myself. I donotwant to wake him up.
Of course, I’m lying to myself. It’s him. I slept well because he made me feel safe and protected and—dumb, dumb, dumb—wanted.
I lie still. Listening to his breathing. Soft and even. I count to twenty before I slowly lift his giant hand from my stomach and slide his arm behind me onto the cotton sheet as I scoot sideways. Rolling onto my belly and inching off the mattress until I can touch the floor with my toes. I carefully maneuver the rest of the way to the freezing tile. Ending up on my knees. Just like he probably expects me to be all the time.
Luckily he doesn’t stir except for his fingers twitching twice. Almost as if searching for something. Or someone. I glide the quilt over him and tuck the edges around his body without actually touching him.
I glance around the elegant room. No idea of the time without my phone so I tap on his lying on the recliner. I guess he doesn’t have to worry about security because the black screen dissolves from my touch without requiring a code or a print. That was easy. Except my heart races anyway from the image that fills the glass.
Me—running down the hall to this room. Damn. I should have known better. He has cameras everywhere. Even inside his own home. I swipe a few more times. All of my antics shot by shot. No wonder his goon caught up to me so easily when I tried to escape. The head start I thought I had was only an illusion. He’d been watching me the entire time. Another reminder of what a fool I am.
I pad down the corridor and peer over the railing. The bodyguard from the plane paces back and forth across the living room rug with his phone jammed against his ear. His voice rising and falling. Alternating between cajoling and threatening and back again. Definitely no escape in that direction.
My check for an alternate route from the balcony in his sister’s room proves the same barrier. Four men block the access to the beach. I know just as many guards man the front gates from our earlier arrival. So that option is unavailable too.
I’m trapped.
And, I don’t want to be anywhere near him when he wakes up.
I’m more careful this time when I search for clothes in her drawers. Now that I know who they belong to and how much they mean to him. How much she means to him. Without any siblings of my own, I can only imagine how much it must hurt to lose one. The pain very obvious for him and his grandmother.
My bare feet are silent on the stairs but the man in the foyer still turns around, and I give him a small smile and half wave like a moron. Uncertain if I should explain or ask or wait. Suspicion lines his forehead but he doesn’t speak or stop me. So I keep moving. Searching for the place I know can ease some of my stress.
Both Nonna and Giada are gone from the kitchen. No evidence remains from our delicious breakfast. The table and counters clear with just the faint hum of the dishwasher running. The sun porch is devoid of people too but not equipment. The late day sun glints off the shiny metal rows of free weights while outside the opened doors a treadmill and stationary bike sit under a gorgeous pergola shielded from the sun with rich gold fabric draped between the thick white beams. An expansive oceanfront gym with the most beautiful views ensuring it’s no hardship to work out here.
I lift my leg backward and grab by ankle, pushing the sole of my foot against my butt. Stretching out the tight muscles after being immobile for hours. Never expecting to sleep that long. Or that deeply. Which is crazy. I should’ve been too terrified to sleep after all I’ve been through. Fearful of what’s to come. What else I’ll endure from Julius. If finding him in my bed uninvited is any indication of what I can expect tonight.
Although I don’t think he’ll push too hard for what he wants with his grandmother here. Especially after her severe reprimand earlier, he’ll treat me right. Which so far…he has. As much as I hate to admit it, he has been nothing but charming and generous.IfI do what he wants. Which is where our problem lies. Neither of us willing to give into the other. Both of us deeming ourselves too dominant and independent. Each of us refusing to lose.
I extend my other leg and close my eyes. Giving into a few weak moments fantasizing about Julius and I living here. Running together on the beach. Sipping scotch on the balcony. Maybe even buying a boat to explore up and down the coast line and travel over to the mainland.
My eyes pop open. Cruel reality invading my imagination. I’m not that kind of woman, and he’s definitely not that kind of man. We fuck hard and work harder. Too much and too often for any kind of domestic bliss.
I load on the weights heavier than normal. I need to build myself up if I’m going to escape from him. If I’m going to get away from who and what I can’t have.
