Chapter 6

Jack

My cock between Hailey’s lips was one of the sweetest sights I’d seen in a long time. I hadn’t expected her to actually give in so easily. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps her body already recognized its new master. Either way, I enjoyed every second of her inexpert but determined sucking. The hazed look of desire in her eyes as she stared up at me. The shock when I filled her mouth with my cum.

She swallowed every last drop.

Relaxing my hold on her hair, I sighed with pleasure, releasing her so she could pull back, gasping for breath.

“That was very good, cara,” I said, zipping up my pants and putting myself back to rights. Something flashed in her eyes. Defiance? Displeasure? It was gone too quickly to tell. “You may get up now.”

I held out my hand, helping her to her feet. She swayed slightly, lips swollen from use, hair mussed from my hands.

“What about me?” Her voice was unsteady.

A slow smile spread across my lips as I stepped forward. She stepped back, running into the desk.

“Would you like some pleasure, mio tesoro?” I asked, my voice low and husky. Her pupils dilated, lips parting to suck in a quick breath of air. I felt her chest move against mine.

“I…” She couldn’t quite make herself say the words. Watching her internal struggle was fascinating. What she actually wanted and what her brain told her she should want were completely at odds with each other. For now, it seemed as though her brain was still winning.

“Keep being a good girl, and I will give you everything you need,” I said, my smile turning sharp. “After we’re married.”

The docile fa?ade cracked, and her cheeks flushed, not with arousal but anger at my reminder. She pushed her emotions back, but not quickly enough to hide them completely.

“Come along, cara. It’s time to go home.” I wrapped my arm around her waist, propelling her to the door. She tried to slow our momentum, causing her to stumble when I didn’t allow her to, but I caught her and kept her moving. We were out the door and back in the club before she could protest.

Hailey

The taste of Giacomo didn’t fade from my tongue as he practically dragged me through the club. I hated how arousal still pulsed between my thighs, my skin tingling and sensitive to his touch, even through the beaded fabric of my dress. Every inch of me was hot and achy.

I told myself it was the alcohol, but deep down, I knew better. I was aroused. I wanted him to touch me the same way he had at the precinct, which made me feel dirty but even more aroused. It was the worst kind of circular predicament to be trapped in, and I didn’t know how to make it stop, so I did what any sensible person would do. I ignored it.

“Hailey!” I heard Clara call my name and turned to see her break free of Giacomo’s friend. The other man scowled, and fear slid through me, banking my desires as my worries for her rose. Now that Giacomo knew she existed, that I cared about her, what would happen to her when I disappeared?

Would he assume she knew where I had gone? Would she be in danger?

I shook my head at her as she approached, trying to warn her off, to undo the impression I knew we’d already given. I had to try, at least. Unfortunately, she ignored me.

“Are you okay?” she asked me, glaring at Jack. A little piece of me died inside, witnessing her foolish bravery. She truly had no idea what kind of danger she was courting. I couldn’t let her ignorance get her killed.

“I’m fine, Clara. You’re overreacting.” I shrugged, rolling my eyes and stepping away from her. The hurt expression on her face tugged at my heart, but it was better this way. The more distance I could put between us, the better off she would be.

Giacomo’s friend came up behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She tried to shrug him off, her blue eyes still trained on my face. I could have told her that wouldn’t work. If anything, his grip tightened, and she finally shot a dark look at him over her shoulder.

“Will you get off me?” she snapped at him.

“No.” The uncompromising, possessive tone of his voice was an exact match for Giacomo’s when he was talking to me.

I groaned, closing my eyes. Blast, this was so much worse than I’d realized.

“Hailey, this is my cousin Gio,” Giacomo said as if everything were completely normal.

My heart sank. Even worse. While Giacomo’s only interest in Clara was because of me, clearly, she’d caught the eye of Gio, and as Giacomo’s cousin, he’d be high ranking in the DiNardo Family.

“And who is your friend?”

“I’m Clara Newman.” Her chin jutted up stubbornly. Like me, she seemed to be ignoring the hulking man who now had his arm wrapped around her shoulder. She focused on me, looking me directly in the eyes. “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work. I can handle myself.”

“I’d like you to handle me,” Gio murmured. She shifted, stepping on his foot without looking at him, and he actually smiled, though it wasn’t a very nice smile. It was the same predatory smile Giacomo had when he looked at me.

I wonder if Clara would be willing to go on the run with me. It was starting to look as if I would need to give her the choice. I was the one at fault for drawing the DiNardos’ attention to her, no matter that it was an accident, so I needed to figure out how to save her.

“Hello, Clara, I’m Jack, Hailey’s fiancé.” Giacomo held out his hand as my spine stiffened. I didn’t like hearing him call me that.

“Funny.” Rather than taking his hand, Clara crossed her arms over her chest. “Hailey’s never mentioned you, and I don’t see a ring.”

“You’re correct, Clara.” Giacomo’s hand slid away from my waist. He was standing on my left side, so it was easy for him to take my left hand in his, lifting it up in front of us. “Let me fix that right now.”

Time seemed to stop as he reached into his jacket, the world turning into a blur around us. I watched with horror, unable to move or speak, as he pulled out a ring with a massive diamond. Even in the dim light of the club, it seemed to catch every bit of light, sparkling as if the noon sun was shining on it.

Giacomo slid it on my finger.

It was cold and heavy and felt as if it weighed far more than it actually did. The center diamond was huge, surrounded by a cluster of smaller diamonds and emeralds. If it wasn’t so showy, I might have liked it, but it was too big, too gaudy. The kind of ring that would always be noticed.

This wasn’t about giving me a ring I would like. This was about putting a visible shackle on me, one that proclaimed me the property of a man… of Giacomo.

Jack

Enjoying the way Clara’s eyes bulged at the sight of the ring I’d just adorned my fiancée’s finger with, I wrapped Hailey’s hand around my arm. Her fingers now rested atop my forearm, showing off the flashy piece to anyone who glanced at us. There was certainly no way anyone could mistake her for anything but taken.

From the look of distaste on Hailey’s face as she stared at her hand, she knew it, too, and she didn’t like it.

She’d get used to it.

“Say goodbye to your friend, Hailey. It’s time to go,” I said, drawing her attention back to me. Her head jerked up.

“I don’t want to go yet.” As if realizing she’d been too combative with her statement, she immediately softened her expression, leaning toward me with a smile. “Can’t I stay a little longer?”

“No.” I was tired of the club and didn’t want her thinking she could sweet-talk her way around my orders. Eventually, I’d be able to be more indulgent, but not at the beginning of our relationship. There would be no sign of weakness on my part when it came to her, not until she learned the rules and to obey them.

Anger flashed in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Clara was already jumping forward, like a tiny dog convinced she was a mastiff.

“She can stay if she wants to!”

Gio pulled her back against him, and Clara screeched, tugging uselessly at his arm as though she thought she would actually be able to remove it from her person without his cooperation. Looking down at the top of her head with total bemusement, Gio tilted his head and watched her.

Hailey’s hand on my arm tightened. She turned toward me, tilting her head back so she could direct her words to my ears and my ears alone, speaking just loudly enough for me to hear her.

“Make him leave her alone, and I’ll go with you.”

It only took a moment of consideration to agree. Gio knew where to find Clara and could do so on his own time. Calling him off her tonight would do no harm, especially if she saw Hailey leave willingly with me.

“Let the little blonde go, Gio,” I said. “We need to go.”

“Hailey!” Clara’s stumbled forward when Gio let her go, holding out her hands in front of her. I kept hold of the hand Hailey had on my arm, but she clasped Clara’s hands with her free one. “You don’t have to go with them.”

“Yes, I do.” Hailey leaned forward to whisper in Clara’s ear. I don’t think she meant me to hear, but I was close enough to make out her words. “You need to stay away from me.” Stepping back, Hailey let go of Clara’s hand. The blonde looked stunned.

“Goodbye, Clara. It was nice to meet you.” I smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back.

“Goodbye, Clara.” There was a note of finality in Hailey’s voice. She was doing her best to cut ties with her friend, likely thinking she’d be safer. Unfortunately for Clara, I didn’t think Gio’s interest had been dissuaded by her actions. He’d always liked feisty women. We had that in common.

Leading Hailey from the club, we left her friend behind, Gio trailing us out. To my surprise, she didn’t protest when I led her to the car waiting for us, getting in willingly. I got into the back beside her while Gio got in the front next to the driver, Tony. Sliding my arm over her shoulders, I pulled her in next to me. She came, stiff and reluctant, but slowly softened next to me as it was more comfortable to lean against me.

“Good girl,” I murmured in her ear. She didn’t answer, turning her head away from me so I couldn’t see her expression, but I felt her shiver. She liked the accolade, even if she didn’t want to.

Staring out the window, she pretended to ignore me as I drew little circles on her shoulder with my fingers. Leaning my head back against the rest, I closed my eyes. It had been a long day, but this was nice. My soon-to-be bride tucked up against me, my cock satisfied for the first time in days, and the knowledge of how perfect she was for me now assured.

I was going to be very happy with Hailey as my wife.

Though she didn’t seem to feel the same way about me. Suddenly stiffening beside me, her voice came out high and shrill.

“This isn’t the way to my home. Where are we going?!”