Page 42 of Rise To Power

“I need a few minutes alone with Mr. Taylor.”

He would understand why they called me The Enforcer.

Chapter Five

Allegra

Even in moonlight, the ruby sparked with fire. I felt the same inside when Marco touched me. Desire so hot it burned through me in waves of molten lava. He sat on the balcony with his shirt sleeves rolled onto his forearms, his tie loose around his neck, and the top two buttons open.

A tumbler of whiskey sat on the table. I stood just inside the bedroom. A gust of wind billowed the curtains.

Sensing my presence, he held his hand out to me. “Sit with me, topolina.”

My bare feet stepped onto the tiled balcony. I’d changed into a thin cream-colored spaghetti-strap nightgown. A nightgown my mother had purchased for my wedding night. The silky material clung to my body, sliding against me as I walked.

Standing next to him, I laced my fingers with his. His gaze focused on the glinting ruby. With a gentle tug, he settled me on his lap. His fingers brushed against me as he slipped my hair from my shoulder and pressed his lips to my skin. A shiver skittered along my spine.

“Bellissima.”Beautiful.

With a fingertip, he circled my nipple through the silk. “I’m glad you like it. My mother bought it for our wedding night.”

He stilled a moment, then he tipped my chin, his gaze lingering on mine.

Every glance, every touch, and every darkly spoken word had me sinking deeper into this impulsive temptation.

Yesterday, I’d caged the kaleidoscope of fluttering butterflies when I thought of Marco. With his touch, he’d allowed them to escape, free to batter my misled heart with their wild and chaotic wings.

“Does she expect to undress you on our wedding night as well?” His words turned dark and edged with danger.

“Please don’t suggest it,” I said and smiled to ease the tension building between us. “She might just say yes.” I grazed my nails along his sharp jaw, combing the soft hair of his tight beard.

“Do you like what she chooses for you?”

I traced the tendon of his neck, followed the shadow of his shirt, and ghosted my fingertips across the hollow at the base of his throat. He swallowed.

I lifted my gaze to his. “I likewhoshe chose for me.”

Slipping his finger under the thin strap, he slid it off the slope of my shoulder and down my biceps until the fabric caught on my pebbled nipple. He did the same with the other strap. With a soft tug, he exposed my breasts to the cool night air.

He dipped his finger into his whiskey. Holding his fingertip over my breast, he waited for the drops to splash against my nipple. Then he took me into his mouth and sucked on me.

I brought his finger and the bitter taste of his whiskey to my tongue.

“Nothing, not your mother, not this,” he said as he ripped the front of the gown to my waist. He fingered my panties. “Not even a scrap of lace will come between us.”

I pressed my lips to his, initiating the kiss. Parting my lips, seeking his tongue, I kissed him hard and deeply. I fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. He ripped his tie loose and flung it to the ground.

Sliding my hand into his shirt, I mapped the hard contours of his chest. A low growl climbed from his throat and vibrated into me. He grabbed my breast, pinching the tip, and molding me to his palm.

“You kiss me like you could climb inside me.” He pushed my panties to the side. “Your cunt is dripping for me.”

I moaned as he slid a finger into me, triggering a sharp and jagged need for more. I wanted him tumbling in this wild abandon with me. This beautiful and brutal man could take all of me. “Are you hard for me?”

“I’ve been hard since I had my mouth on you.” His finger grazed along the edge of my clit, then pushed inside me again.

I rested my palm against the closure of his pants, tracing the thick length through the fabric and pressing my thumb against the crown.

Marco was a possessive man. Underboss of one of the most lethal Italian families. The Enforcer. Mafia and marriage—once you were in, there was only one way out.Til death do us part.

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