Page 11 of Bound to Him

“Knuckle-busters. He’s always got ’em. I don’t think he ever throws a punch without brass over his fist. If he doesn’t kill the guy with one shot, he leaves him with a whole new face.”

My eyes widened, imagining Huxley pounding his fist into a guy, over and over again, putting him down, blood splattering all over. God! Why did I find that sexy? Why was I even thinking about him that way? My next thought had him removing his blood-stained shirt, revealing puffed-out pecs and thick, hard biceps.

“I can’t tell you how many of our guys he’s put a beating to. He runs that Moretti club, Boulevard XXX. Any Romano even shows their face there, they’re minced meat. You remember when Cousin Jimmy was in the hospital a few years back? Yeah. That was him.”

“Is that not what you do, as well? I’ve seen the blood stains on your clothes, Tony. I’m not stupid. Besides, I can’t stand Jimmy.”

Tony moved his weight to his other foot, sighing. “Yeah, sure. All I’m sayin’ is, that dick really enjoys doing it.”

When I looked back, my heart sank to see that Huxley was no longer eyeing me. In fact, he looked annoyed, and the group stood up to end their meeting. I had no idea what was going on in there, but I knew that if Papà saw me standing here, he’d also be annoyed. So, I turned quickly and pulled Tony’s shoulders to get us the hell out of there.

Later that night, I still hadn’t gotten Huxley Moretti out of my mind. The mixture of emotions in me were at war, one side feeling guilty for even looking at the man sworn to Viola, the other side pining for his attention, his touch. God, wouldn’t that just complete my life?

I’d lost my virginity, yes. I thought I loved Steven, yes. But now, I wondered if that’s even what it was at all, or if it was purely the adrenaline rush of defying my father. It was fun, exciting, and I’d definitely reached climax. But just my imagination alone, picturing Huxley doing things to my body, had me hotter than I’d ever felt before.

Viola was so utterly unbothered by Huxley; I couldn’t understand it. When asking her how her first meeting with him went, she merely shrugged a shoulder and said it was fine. It baffled the shit out of me. Was it really true that a spark can exist between only two people? That just a man’s appearance could invoke such deep desires in me but have no effect on another woman?

God, was I kicking myself now. I should have been the one engaged to him. I should have been the one going home with him, getting into his bed, feeling his body beneath mine, feeling him fill me up inside. Yet, I was the one to fuck that up royally and now it was Viola’s future. I wanted to cry with guilt, jealousy, and anger toward not only my father but myself as well!

Maybe, just maybe, my arranged husband would evoke similar feelings within me. If I was ever so lucky, though I knew it was nearly impossible to upstage the way Huxley looked at me and the way I felt inside when I looked at him.

Seated on my bed against a pile of soft pillows, it was already late into the night. I wasn’t even close to tired though, and I was planning to read a book that was all-consuming only yesterday. Right now though, a whole new story of its own started playing through my mind.

“Is that you, baby?”

The deep husk of his voice sounded in my mind.

“I’m over here!” My imaginary self emerged in a fantasy world, portraying a house with only me in it, and Huxley Moretti stepping slowly through the threshold of the front door.

“I’m a little dirty today.”

I looked up from the sofa I was curled up on and saw him. He wore black pants with a white shirt that was torn across the shoulder and missing buttons down his chest. Over his pec and up his neck was smeared blood. His cheek had a red smear as well. His hands were covered in blood, too. After dropping his jacket on the table, he removed a shiny knuckle-buster from his hand, dripping with blood. Next, his rings from the other hand.

He looked back at me, then licked his lips, and stalked over. He bent down over the back of the couch and whispered into my ear, “You wanna come help me clean up?”

Oh God yes!

“I’ll get the shower started,” I said, jumping up from the couch.

“Good girl.”

A shiver ran down my arms, lifting the small hairs, and raising my heart rate. He followed me to the bathroom and watched as I started the shower. I turned back to him and touched his chest. The blood on his skin transferred onto my hand, and I watched my own fingers trail his skin, moving across his chest, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. When I pulled the stained material over his shoulders, a deep rumble of appreciation sounded from his chest.

“You’re getting rather dirty yourself now, baby.”

A smile curved my lips. “You’ll need to help clean me up as well then, huh?”

“Oh, fuck yes.”

A flurry of clothing restricted my view of his body. The next thing I knew, we were both naked in the shower, watching the red liquid circle the floor drain. I reached out and wiped his skin where the blood still remained—it came off easily. It wasn’t his blood, after all. I stepped forward and felt my raised nipples brush against his solid pecs. Another shiver across my body.

Water cascaded over his head, over his long lashes, and dribbled over his full lips. I lifted a hand and ran my fingers through the long hair at the top of his head, releasing another wave of blood red liquid streaming over his skin.

It was everywhere, he was covered in it, but it gave me all the more reason to touch him, to clean him.

I lay further back against my pillows and closed my eyes. This particular train of thought needed concentration; it needed some serious attention from me. I lifted my knee and softly ran my fingers along my thigh, tickling my own skin as the fantasy image became clear again.

Huxley finally opened his eyes, looking down at me. I felt his hands lift, teasing my skin as he bypassed my body and touched my face instead. He held my cheeks and dropped his wet lips against mine. Heaven exploded around me in bursts of flowers and stars when his lips touched mine. Slowly his tongue swept across my desperate lips and delved into my mouth.

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