Page 29 of The Holy Ghost
“I was hopingwe could eat dinner before we started round two, but if you want to go now, let go,” I replied,suddenly feeling exhausted as fuck. In my earlier years, Ispenthourstorturing people or lying in wait,but nothing exhausted me like the woman standing beforeme.
Nothing.
“What wouldhappenif I left?” she asked.“What would happen if I snuck off and…and just disappeared? Becausethat’s still an option, you know.”
I laughed.
I couldn’t helpit.
I laughedbecause she must really be ignorant to what we were capable of ifshe really thought thatwas anoption.
“Try it andfind out,” I dared her. “As a matter of fact, I look forward tochasing you, Frankie.” I stepped to her and grabbed her by both herarms. “I dare you to run out the front door, Francesca. Let’s seehow far you get, shall we?”
Her face was all angerand humiliation. She’s lost the war and she knows it. She was justtrying to salvage some pride and wanted to pretend she still hadchoices. Frankie wanted this to be her choice, but it wasn’t. Andshe needed to get used to the idea that there were going to be ashitload of choices taken from her, moving forward. Everything wedid, and will do, will be to ensure her safety, and as independentas Frankie was, I knew it was going to be a huge adjustment forher.
“Go to hell,Phoenix,” she spatscathingly.
“Baby, I’m already there,”I flung back. “What do you think the past six years havebeen?”
“You turning into aking,” she retorted. “You, Luca, and Ciro turning intoroyalty.”
“Luca’s theking,” I corrected. “And, yes, that makes me andCiro royalty, but do you wantto take a guess at what that makes you?”
Her eyes narrowedand there was all the hate in the world bottled up in thosegorgeous irises. “I hate that I still love you,” she hissed.
“I know youdo.” Because I did. The only thing that helped was that I wasn’t alone in that category.Of course, she’d always love Ciro, he was her brother, but I knewshe hated that she still loved Luca. Her love for us kept herprisoner, just like our love for her made us weak.
My hand slidaround to the back of her neckuntil my fingers dug into her flesh. “I know that you hate that youlove me,” I told her. “I also know you hate the fact that your bodycraves mine. But you’ll either get over it or you won’t. Eitherway, it doesn’t change anything. You and I will be married by theend of the week, Frankie. We’re going to be married and youarejoining the Benettis.” I leaned down and used myteeth to tug on her lower lip. “You’re also going to spread thosecreamy thighs for me every fucking night, baby.” My teeth nipped ather jaw. “I don’t care what you do with your day, but every nightyou will be in our bed with your thighs spread wide, waiting forme.” She moaned and I almost sank to my knees. “Whether I’ve justcome home from the office or just walked in after blowing someone’sbrains out, you will be on that bed, your sweet, tight pussypresented to me for the taking, Francesca. Am I clear?”
I was about toslide my other hand up her shirt when she pushed me away. She nolonger looked angry, but she didn’t look quite overrun with passion either. Her eyessearched mine as she said, “There can only ever be me, Phoenix.”Shock rendered me still. “I…I know it’s customary for…some men totake mistresses, and that’s acceptable among The Family, but…butthat won’t work for me.”
Was she fuckingserious?
“That’s my onlyconcession,” she went on. “If…if I have to give in, then I need todo it on my terms, as well.”
I stared downat the stunning beauty in my arms and wondered at what point intime had she lost hergoddamnmind. “Are you fucking serious, right now?” I asked, mad asfuck.
“Phoen-”
And just likethat, I went from kissing her to shaking the shit out of her. “Ihaven’t touched a woman in six fucking years, Frankie,” Isaid,in-fucking-furitated.“You were, and still are, the only female I have ever touched,much less fucked.” Frankie’s eyes glossed over as I ranted at her.“Do you honestly think that, now that I have you back, I’d seek outsome random pussy on the side? Are you out of your fuckingmind?”
“Phoenix, I-”
Istepped away from her, grabbedthe first thing that was handy, and threw the lamp across the roomwith enough force, it shattered against the wall in a waterfall ofglass and ceramic. “What don’t you fucking understand, Francesca?!”I was beyond livid. “It’s you!Everything isfuckingyou!In all these years,I never even tried to fill the void you left by fucking anotherwoman. I can’tstomachthe idea,Frankie. So, instead, I tried to fill the void by murdering as manymotherfuckers as I could. I tried to fill the void by devoting myevery waking breath to whatever I had to do to benefit theBenettis. I will never,evertouchanother woman, Frankie.Never.” Beforeshe could respond, I stormed over and snatched her by her armsagain. “And, I swear to God, if you ever think to go to anotherman,foranything, I will fucking killhim and unleash a hell on you so brutal that you’ll wish you weredead.”
The fire inher eyes was back. “If I haven’t gone to another man in these pastsix years, I’m not about tostart now, Phoenix,” she threw back. “Unfortunately for me, my lovefor you outweighed just how far I would let myself go inlife.”
I crashed mylips down on hers and I didn’t care how sore she was or if my dickwas still raw. I wasgoing toprove to Frankie what she meant to me. I was going to honor thefact that there’s been no one else for either of us in six years.That meant something. No one in their right mind goes without sexfor six years unless they are insane or so helplessly in love withsomeone else, it just can’t be done. Frankie and I fell into thelatter category, and that meant something.
She alsowasn’t fighting me. No. Her lips and hands were just as desperateas mine. I ripped her t-shirt over her head and herhands immediately went to mybelt as she fumbled with freeing my dick from my slacks.
I was tearingoff my dress shirt when her soft, delicate hand wrapped around myhard dick and I had to stop, close my eyes, and just savor hertouch. Last night had been metaking everything I needed from her, but Frankie wrapping herhand around my dick was her giving herself over to me, and I wantedto shout to the fucking Heavens. It didn’t matter that my dick was,indeed, tender either. I just didn’t fucking care.
My kneesalmost buckled when I lookdown and Frankie was already on her knees before me. She didn’tgive me a chance to even appreciate the sight before her lips werewrapped around my cock, and she was taking it down to the back ofher throat. “Holy fuck,” I hissed, tangling my hands in herhair.
We looked likea couple who couldn’t wait to attack each other as I stood there inmy pants only and Frankie was before me in her jeans and pink bra.The scene looked desperate, but then, I suppose that’s whatwewere.
We weredesperate for eachother.
