25. Lana

25

LANA

W hile I'm seductively manipulating Henry now for information, I wasn't manipulating him a moment ago when I headed toward his door to leave.

It hit me during his questions about Rinella that all he saw was Mafia murder in me. Okay, so my family is in organized crime. I did tease him some with vague responses. But I'd been sure that he'd separated me from all that. That in me, he saw who I was as a person. But he didn't, and the realization hurt.

Maybe he has a point in that I haven't shown all of myself, but I've shown him more than anyone else. Not even Elio knows some of what I've told Henry.

But as usual, Henry is able to say the right things in a way that touches something deep inside me. The thing that wants love and respect. And so now. I'm bantering and flirting with him. That punishment remark turned me on more than it should have.

I let out a surprised yelp as Henry suddenly hoists me over his shoulder. His arm wraps securely around my thighs, holding me in place.

"Henry! What are you doing?" I laugh, my hair falling around my face as I dangle upside down.

"I warned you about pushing your luck," he says, his tone playful but firm.

I feel a light smack on my backside and gasp. "Did you just?—"

Another playful swat cuts me off. "Consider this your punishment for trying to manipulate information out of me."

A thrill of excitement runs through me. This is a side of Henry I haven't seen before. It's intriguing, exciting.

"Put me down!" I demand, but there's no real heat behind it. I'm enjoying this far too much.

"Not a chance."

I try to crane my neck to see where we're going, but in this position, all I can see is the back of Henry's legs and the floor passing beneath us.

"Where are you taking me?" I'm pretty sure I know where.

"You'll see." A moment later, I hear a door open. Henry steps inside, and I catch a glimpse of his bedroom before he playfully tosses me onto the bed. I look up at him, and we both erupt into laughter.

"Get ready to be disciplined." He shrugs out of his suit jacket and loosens his tie.

My pussy clenches as I wonder what he has in store for me.

"Get undressed," he commands.

I smirk as I slip out of my clothes. Henry steps out of his pants and throws them in a corner. I have a terrific view of his body, strong, toned, sexy.

His eyes meet mine as he climbs on the bed with me. "You are a handful."

"So are you." I cup him, thrilled at how hard he already is.

Henry chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest as he reaches out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. It sends a shiver down my spine, and for a moment, I'm lost in his gaze. The air around us feels charged, heavy with anticipation and something more. Something I shouldn't want.

He leans in closer, his breath tickling my ear as he murmurs, "For a moment there, I thought I'd lost you."

My heart skips a beat at his words. It's the second time he's mentioned feeling vulnerable around me, and I find myself drawn to it—to him.

Henry trails kisses down my neck, sending shivers of pleasure through me. I gasp as he slides his tongue over my breast, skimming lightly over my nipple. It's electrifying, sending shockwaves through every nerve ending.

"Henry."

"Yes?" He lays me back, his hands warm and firm on my body. The way he touches me is different from anything I've ever experienced. It's almost as if he's trying to memorize every inch of me. His fingers tease and explore. I gasp when he slips a finger between my folds. I arch into his touch.

"You wanted to tell me something?" He leans over, sucking my nipple as his finger rubs over my clit. Whatever I was going to say slips away.

"I, ah…"

He rises over me. "You know you have the right to remain silent." He holds up a pair of handcuffs with a grin.

My arousal shoots up to a million.

"Unless it makes you uncomfortable. Although you brought it up."

I hold my hands out. "I've been bad."

He clasps the cuff around one wrist. "You sure?" His expression is sincere. Perhaps he thinks it will trigger me back to yesterday. But it doesn't.

"I'm sure."

He pulls both hands over my head. He threads the loose cuff through a spindle on his headboard and then cuffs my other wrist. I'm naked and exposed. It should scare the crap out of me, but when I look at Henry, his eyes filled with reverence as well as lust, I feel safe.

His hands run down my body. "So fucking beautiful." He looks at me. "And all mine."

My heart thunders in my chest, wishing that could be true. As if he is savoring a favorite pastime, he slowly touches and kisses me, head to toe, until I'm a writhing mess of white-hot need.

"Henry. Oh, God."

"Have you learned your lesson?" He sits back on his knees, pulling my legs over his thighs.

"Yes." God, I need to come so badly, it's painful.

He holds his dick, rubbing the tip through my folds.

I whimper. "Fuck me. For God's sake, fuck me."

"I'm not sure you learned your lesson." He presses inside me, but only his tip. His hands rub over my thighs and then up my stomach to my breasts. The palms of his hands circle over my nipples. Good God, I think I'm going to die.

"I have. I'll be good." My hands tug at the cuffs, needing to be free to touch myself and relieve the torturous tension.

"You okay? Do you want me to free your hands?—"

"I want you to fuck me, Henry." I let out a frustrated growl.

His smile is a little too smug, but I don't have the chance to call him on it. He grips my hips and thrusts in, hard, deep. It pushes the breath from my lungs and makes my pussy quiver.

"Yes… more, Henry."

"I love it when you say my name." His breath is harsh as he moves, in and out, in and out.

My fingers grip the sheets as my body arches, and a white-hot blast rockets through me. My orgasm radiates out until every nerve in my body is firing.

"Fuck… Lana, yes. God damn it, yes…" He loses himself as his own orgasm overtakes him. We move crazily and yet in sync, until my entire body feels like it's one gelatinous heap.

For a moment, we're quiet except for our harsh breaths. Finally, he leans over me, uncuffing me. He pulls my hands to his lips, kissing my wrists. If I weren't already half in love with him, that sweet gesture would have me tipping over the edge.

He lies next to me, pulling me to him.

A little tinge of guilt sits at the pit of my stomach. I don't know that I've been overly hard on Henry, but I'm not blameless in the challenges we've had.

"Henry." I rise up on my elbow, gently brushing my fingers over his chest.

"Yes."

"I know that I'm complicit in some of this drama. I thought getting close to you would lead to finding answers about Lazaro." I pause, watching his face carefully. To my surprise, he doesn't look angry or hurt.

"I guess we both started out using each other."

I nod. "But that's not why I'm naked in your bed. I'd never sleep with you for information." How dumb was that since I was seducing him earlier? But that was teasing. I hope he knows that. "Flirt with you. Tease you, yes. But not fuck."

He lifts my hand from his chest and kisses the inside of my wrist again. "I'm very happy to know that. It's the same for me. I've never slept with a witness before."

I smirk. "How about a suspect?"

"Not that either." He pauses, squeezing my hand. "My perspective shifted. I see the complexities of your world, the gray areas I'd never considered before. And somewhere along the way, my feelings evolved. It was clear to me very quickly that you are different. And I'm helpless."

There are those words again. Words that make me want to forget how impossible all this is.

"I know our worlds are completely different. I know there are a million reasons this can't work. But I can't deny how I feel anymore."

I feel a wave of emotion wash over me as Henry finishes his confession. His words resonate deeply, mirroring my own feelings.

"I guess we're quite the pair, aren't we?" I lean in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. Then I give him a mischievous smile. "I'd like to enjoy this for a bit longer, so I won't mention this to Elio."

He arches a brow. "You said you'd told him."

"I told him I talked with you. I never mentioned the getting naked part and how you use that long cock of yours to make me scream."

Henry looks a bit pale, which makes me laugh.

"It's like you said before. Like this, it's just Lana and Henry, nothing else. No one else." I settle back into his arms, feeling a sense of peace.

I stir awake, momentarily disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings. As my eyes adjust to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, I realize I'm in Henry's bed. Alone. A pang of doubt hits me as I sit up, clutching the sheet to my chest. All my fears about him start to flood in. Just as my mind starts to spiral, the bedroom door creaks open. Henry walks in, completely naked. When he sees me awake, his eyes darken with lust.

"Good morning." He crawls on the bed like a predator. He pushes me back and covers my mouth with his in a searing kiss that awakens every cell in my body.

When he pulls back, he says, "I have some time this morning, and I thought I'd use it devouring this fine body of yours." He starts to move down my body, pushing my legs apart. He settles between them and looks up at me. "Unless you have a problem with that."

"No… no problem." For the next hour, Henry does an amazing job of waking me up. By the time he's done, I'm wrung out and buzzed all at the same time, like how you feel after a hard workout.

"You know, I could get used to mornings like this," he says, tracing lazy circles on my thigh.

"Me too."

Henry pulls me closer, and we lie tangled together, savoring the quiet intimacy of the moment. It feels like only minutes, but an hour later, he reluctantly gets up.

"I'd like to stay all day, but I've got work to do. Top of the list is Lazaro."

His words send a wave of emotion through me. Maybe he doesn't tell me everything, but so far, he's followed through. And if he's right in that a cop is involved, he's turning against a brother in blue. It's probably dangerous, and yet he's sticking with it.

"Thank you, Henry." I hope he can see how grateful I am.

Henry leans down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "You're welcome. I'm going to shower. You can stay here as long as you want."

"Will I see you later?"

His smile is radiant. "Count on it."

Nothing has changed. This thing between us could destroy our live, or maybe we'll find the strength to end it before that. Either way, it's going to end in heartache.