Page 42 of The Last Call
Not when I’m terrified that everything will all come crashing down around me. That I’ll fall, and he won’t always catch me. That someone will remind him of who I am, what I do, how I was, and he’ll be too disgusted to remember that he thinks he loves me. “I’m an escort, Julius. A hooker. I fuck men for money. I–”
Tears prick my eyes from his hand smacking down over my mouth. Not just from the force of his palm slapping against my flushed skin although it does sting a little bit. But from the pain of reality settling in too.
“I don’t give a damn about what youwereand what youusedto do. I fucking hate it but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. When I’m old and looking at my legacy, there’s no one else I want by my side except you. I don’t need some fragile wallflower. I need a real woman who can battle next to me just as much as with me.” A glimmer of hope flickers in my battered soul from his disregard of the past. His vehemence to focus on the future. “And any man who ever says a word about you will be dead.”
His fingers lift from cupping over my lips and stroke through the watery trails on my cheeks. Tender and soft. “Because I love you piccolo leone, and you are mine.”
His.
Not disposable. Not temporary. Not only good for one thing. But the tiny fierce lion of one of the most powerful, most dangerous men in the entire world who will do anything to protect me. Who loves me. I shiver from the thought. “Julius please?”
This time begging for him to never let me go. I think he knows it too when his fingertip brushes against my tongue from my deep breath.
“Please what?”
I shudder again from his hoarse whisper. “Fuck me.”
Fuck. Me.
She fucking means it. Dilated eyes and panting chest and licked lips. Glorious.
Even when she’s at her most vulnerable her resiliency still shows through. This woman could never be weak regardless of how much she fears giving in. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone with as much tenacity as her, and I’m more than happy to give her exactly what she requests. Give her what she needs. To believe, understand, accept that I want her. Hell that I loved her even before I fucked her.
I flip us over. Groaning from her thighs straddling my legs. Pussy against cock. Chest to chest. Fist in hair. Tongue on neck. Leaving the first of many marks on her silky ivory skin.
She responds just as eagerly. Desperate fingers clutching my shirt. Holding on tight. Bracing for whatever I’m going to do to her. Unaware of what I’m going to do for her.
Which is slow my ass down and take her upstairs so I can ravish her properly. Slender arms coil tight around my neck as I stand. As if I’d ever fucking drop her.
I ignore the damage I caused as we step into the hallway. But of course she doesn’t. Her gorgeous head lifting from my shoulder. A little gasp sounds in my ear as if she realizes something.
“What about Nonna? Do you think she’s frightened?”
My sweet lion. So protective of the ones she cares about. “Her room is soundproof. She didn’t hear a thing. The guys will clean up the mess, and she’ll never know the difference.”
Her small body relaxes against mine. So I tell her more, that I think she’ll like, as I carry her up the steps. To eliminate all her little worries so we can concentrate on just us. “I have a call button in there in case she needs help, and her room is impenetrable if the house goes on lock down. She can survive any level of attack. Just like I’m having done to our bedroom at home now that I have you.”
Petite fingers cup my cheeks. An intense gaze studying my face. Almost making me stumble from the astonishment, from the gratitude, from the joy filling her expression. “For me?”
“Yeah, of course for you.”
Any motherfucker that makes it far enough to get to me inside my own damn house takes his chances with survival. But I’ll never risk her safety because of my enemies. She seems to understand the shift I make for her. Happiness turns to hunger, and her legs squeeze around my waist. Her tits grinding into my chest as she lifts to kiss me. Urgent and greedy with her tongue tangling with mine. Tempting me to go ahead and shove her against the wall and fuck her right on the landing.
But I force my legs to keep walking. Down the hall and into my—our—bedroom, kicking the door shut behind me. No more fucking interruptions. This place would have to burn to the damn ground before I’d stop this time.
She clings to me so tightly as I easily yank the tie loose around her stomach and slide her robe down her slim shoulders. Helping her with a slow strip tease while we slip the sleeves down one arm and then the other. Stealing the damn air from my lungs from her nervous little laugh.
I lay her down. Slow and easy so she isn’t spooked. I want her docile and relaxed. At least for the first time I fuck her. Positioning her the way I want her, I pose her arms perpendicular to her body and push her legs slightly open after I tug off her tiny panties. Plenty of time to spread them wide open when I’m ready.
“You’re so damn beautiful.”
I only stare at her eyes. The rest of her is fucking magnificent too. She works hard to stay in shape which is great. I’m not going to lie—her body is fucking amazing. But it’s her soul, her spirit, her spunk that I’m really in love with.
She reaches for me but I shake my head and motion to the original locations. “Back where I put them leone.”
“Why?”
Fear throbs in her voice from my harsh tone. Reminding me I need to be more gentle with her. Which is definitely not natural. And definitely not easy with her bared to me. “Because this is about you and for you. What I’m giving to you tonight.”
