CHAPTER THREE

DANTE

––––––––

Fucking floor.

I could’ve demanded that I sleep in her bed. Hell, I could’ve demanded she spread her legs and welcome my cock inside her sweet pussy.

But I won’t.

The day I enter her body, Adelina will be begging for it.

And she will very fucking soon.

For years she has said no while her body says yes. I’ve watched her nipples harden when I step close. The way she clenches her thighs and thinks I don’t notice when I whisper into her neck when no one is looking. The way her fingers press into my chest a split second before pushing me away.

Adelina Baldoni wants me to fuck her.

But I’m going to marry her instead.

And fuck her.

Things work differently in crime families. Fathers don’t expect their daughters to remain virgins—that’s archaic—but I stupidly spoke up as a horny teenager and told Carlos Baldoni I wanted his daughter.

I was rejected.

By her and her father.

“You want that girl? You wait until you’re powerful enough to claim her,” my own father said after overhearing the conversation.

“Don’t bother. She hates you.” Gianna, my annoying sister, had added. She’d been fifteen but to be fair, she’d probably still say it now.

Gianna.

Where is my sister? I thought she had been out of the area when the gunfire broke out but now I’m concerned she might have gotten mixed up in the raid.

Jesus, why did my father bring her to the fucking warehouse to begin with?

The moment the FBI arrived, we all began firing and running. My mind goes back to that moment.

Pop, pop, pop.

I heard my father cry out and spun around. But I knew. I knew with one look that he was dead and that I couldn’t stay put for a second longer.

So I turned and ran for my life.

Around me, bodies dropped, protecting me as they’d been trained to do. I reached the large shipping container at the rear of the building and skid around to the hidden far side. There I punched in the security code on container 853 as my hands shook with adrenaline and locked myself inside.

“Fuck,” I’d cursed, sucking in air as the sound of gunshots and screaming continued outside.

Papa...fuck.

I hadn’t had much longer than a split second to focus on the fact my father was lying a few yards from me, lifeless.

Braxton was a fucking snitch.

The guy owes me for not taking his life. Gianna is in love with him, and that’s the only reason he’s still breathing. I hope he’s got her to safety. Because I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about her.

There’s a look men get when they claim a woman.

If he hurts her, I will fucking kill him.

I figure he’s an undercover agent, but something about that doesn’t sit right with me. He’s not one of us. That’s clear now.

So, after taking ten seconds to process my father was gone, I pushed off the side of the container and kicked the dusty woven mats to reveal the hidden trap door. Then quickly climbed down the ladder, closing it behind me.

Even if they heard the metallic bang, it would’ve taken them far too long to find the correct container, get through the digital lock, and follow.

I knew they wouldn’t.

Thank god I knew about the hidden escape route. Salvatore and my father looked after the trafficking arm of the organization, but they’d shown me the operation and the escape a month before.

Without bringing it to my father’s attention, I’d done my best to distance myself from that part of the business. Trading humans is fucking appalling.

It makes me sick.

Could I do anything about it?

No. I was a fucking kid, and my father was a powerful dictator in our world.

But I can now.

Listen, I’m not some fucking angel, nor am I going to pretend to be. I’ve done repulsive things in my life and expect to be heading south when my time is over. Me and Lucifer can laugh about them.

Whatever. I’ll be his bitch.

Until then, I’m going to change a few things. There will be no women and children sent into slavery under my watch.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

First, the business is fractured. Salvatore, my father’s second, is also dead. He had a huge amount of knowledge. Also, I figure all the men in the raid last night are either dead or locked up.

Whether the feds can hold them is another thing. It will depend on what proof Braxton gathered during his time with us.

This shit is complicated.

But I have my own crew. Two men I call my brothers would die for me. Nicholas and Jono.

I had to ditch my phone, so I wasn’t traced, but I flicked a message to Nick just beforehand so that he was made aware of my father’s death.

And that I am now the boss.

I need to speak to them, but until I know it’s safe to do so, I will remain hidden and silent. I trust they will know what to do in the meantime.

While no one thought it would happen so early in my father’s life, the fact is, he was a gangster. So I have had contingencies in place with Nick and Jono. Right now, they will be at my family estate protecting my sister and mother and keeping the men loyal until I can come out of hiding.

Until then, I’m not going anywhere.

I was lying when I said I only needed to stay one night. I’ll need Adelina to play hostess with the most-ess for a few more.

I roll onto my back and let out a small groan.

My body aches.

Fucking hell, what a goddamn disaster this all is.

I turn my head and find Adelina with her ass sticking out of the bed . Jesus. Her covers are thrown back, and her nightie is twisted around her body.

Jesus fucking Christ.

My cock hardens and my hand immediately reaches under the light blanket covering me. She tossed it at me last night when I pulled the sofa cushions onto the floor and stole one of her pillows.

Then, I undressed and crashed. But not before sliding my Glock and knife under my pillow.

I know exactly where they are.

Right now, I’m more interested in the soft creamy curve of Adelina’s bottom, and the hint of her feminine folds I can see from where I lay on the floor.

Talk about premium position.

The urge to lathe my tongue through her pussy is so overwhelming. I mean it’s on display like a fucking juice bar. I need her juices flowing onto my tongue as I push my fingers inside her.

It’s six of one, and half a dozen of the other whether she’d scream, punch me, or submit if I touched her this morning. And I’m not going to lie, the challenge has my cock sitting right up and eager to play.

I throw back the blanket and sit up.

Adelina remains sleeping deeply as the sun begins to rise outside. My eyes return to her forbidden flesh, and I grip my cock.

I’ve tasted her once before.

Not her pussy.

Her mouth.

We were much younger at a multi-family event in the Hamptons. I had watched her all evening, while Adelina had pretended to ignore me.

When I spent over an hour talking to Jenny Maceo about her trip to the Caribbean, she strode toward us, nudged my arm when she pushed past, and then disappeared inside the house.

I excused myself, fighting my grin, and caught up with her as she walked down the hallway of the Hampton’s mansion. Pushing open the door, I dragged her inside a room and locked it.

“What are you doing?!” she hissed, thumping my chest.

I shoved her against the wall and lifted her arms above her head.

“Stop. I want you.” I’d growled, my cock pressing hard against her.

“Don’t, please.” Adelina begged me breathlessly, her eyes shimmering with arousal.

“Admit you were jealous.”

She tried to turn away, but gripping both of her wrists in one hand, I grabbed her chin. “Say it or I’ll rip down your panties and fuck you right here.”

She gasped.

The kind of gasp that tells you a woman wants your cock.

“Is your pussy weeping for me? Can you feel my thick hard shaft against you, Addy?” I rasped against her face.

“No,” she said, so softly I could barely hear.

“Liar.” I licked my lips, studying hers, knowing my control was weakening. I needed this woman like I needed air.

When her mouth parted, I snapped. I slammed mine down onto hers and thrust my tongue inside. Adelina opened to me, submitting to what we both craved.

Our tongues twirled around one another’s, tasting and needing, passionately demanding more. I kept hold of her wrists, dominating her as her body arched against mine.

Then I took even more.

I swiped my tongue over her lips and then dove back in, consuming as much as I could of her. Knowing this would only be a brief moment.

I could’ve ripped her from the wall, then pushed her over the back of the sofa and sunk my cock into her dripping pussy. But she’d hate me for it.

The temptation to not care was so fucking close to the surface. It had taken all my willpower to release her arms and step back.

Panting, Adelina glared at me, her lips red and swollen, as she wiped her mouth over the back of her hand

“How dare you?” she asked, but there was little fire in her question.

She wanted to hate it, but she didn’t.

Just as she wanted to hate me but couldn’t.

“How dare I...stop?” I smirked, taking in her hard nipples, which pressed against the fabric of her white silk dress. “Consider yourself warned. Next time, I’m taking everything.”

Reaching out, I’d tucked a strand of her glossy dark hair behind her ear, then studied her face. The beast inside me wanted more, but I was trying to convince myself that walking away was the right thing to do here.

“There won’t be a next time, Dante.” Gianna said, wrapping her arms around her body. “That’s the last time you touch me.”

She was wrong.

In fact, she’s touched me many times since. A nudge, a slap, an accidental bump. Each one bittersweet, taunting me with her curves and arousing scent.

I knew we could never be in such an intimate and private moment again—not until I was ready to claim her completely.

Until now.

Her pink flesh taunts me from her bed, exposed and pleading for pleasure. Years of desire crash through me and I know the right thing to do is cover her up and be a gentleman.

I’m not that fucking strong.

I’m a gangster.

And Adelina has always been mine.

Before I know what’s happening, I’m on my knees and pressed against the side of the bed.

Wake up, Adelina.

I lean in, breathing her in and closing my eyes for a second, waiting for her to turn and slap me. But she doesn’t, and I know this moment is meant to be.

I place my hand on her buttocks and my tanned skin looks dark and enormous against her creamy skin. She lets out a soft moan and moves ever so slightly.

My eyes remain glued to her pussy.

Jesus, if you’re listening, how dare you tempt me with this morsel. Also, thank you.

Come to think of it, this has to be the work of the fucking devil.

In fact, it hits me that I could be dead in a day, a week, a month. Or locked up for decades. Call it FOMO if you want, but life just handed this woman to me on a silver platter.

That’s my final thought before I lean in and sweep my tongue across her pussy.

Adelina writhes against my mouth subtly as some indecipherable moans whisper from her lips. Then I lick her again and my fingers press against her ass as I open her more to take even more.

Holy fuck.

My cock is so fucking hard I’m going to explode.

“Ohhh,” she mutters, and her thighs spread, as if inviting me to please her more.

I know I should stop. I know I should stand up, walk away, and cover her body. Then wake her, telling her she was dreaming.

But I don’t.

Instead, I lean in farther and flick my tongue over her clit. She pushes against me, letting out more sexy sleepy sounds.

Fuck, this is going to kill me.

I reach down and grip my cock, stroking as I keep licking her. Her juices hit my tongue, and my eyes roll back into my head.

Suddenly she begins to roll over and I make the quick decision to inch backward, waiting for her to scream at me.

“The feather van was the cloud scmhno...” she mutters instead, and I frown.

What?

Then one of her legs tucks up, exposing her pussy to me as she lies on her back, so I gently nudge the other apart.

My fucking god.

Is it Christmas Day and someone forgot to tell me?

“Wake up,” I whisper against her pussy as I lap at her clit then circle around her folds.

Precum leaks from my cock as I squeeze it.

Jesus Christ, she’s wet. Her pussy glistens with desire—for me—as I flick my tongue around her entrance. Right now she’s primed for penetration and with one swell movement I could be inside her, taking what I’ve waited almost two decades for.

To fuck Adelina Baldoni.

As I suck on her clit and stare past the dark nipple, which is sticking out of her nightie, I wish I had more hands. But one is holding her thigh apart and the other stroking my hard cock.

How is she still asleep?

I slide my tongue down past her entrance and back up to her clit. I couldn’t stop this if I tried. I’m like a starving man who’s finally found food after weeks of hunger.

“Dante,” Adelina moans, her hand reaching out for me. I’m unsure how conscious she is, but I keep going.

“Lie back and let me eat you,”

Her head wobbles sleepily. “God. So good. You shouldn’t be doing this.”

Lick, suck, nibble.

She didn’t say stop.

“That’s a good girl.” I let go of my cock and press two fingers at her entrance, watching her face carefully as they slide inside. Her lips part as she arches.

I’ve never seen anything so erotic in my life.

––––––––

ADELINA

––––––––

I know it’s Dante. Now.

At first, I thought it was a dream. A delicious dream. And while wakefulness is crashing into me like a freight train, I don’t want him to stop.

I should tell him to.

But I really don’t want him to know how awake I am because...I need him to keep going.

His mouth. My god. It’s so...orgasmic.

How is he doing that with his tongue?

Without permission, my body arches into his mouth and shudders with electric pleasure. My hand scrunches the crisp white sheets and a sound I never wanted this man to hear escapes my lips.

I can’t want this.

But I do. I want it badly.

I want to come on his face and rip the hair from his head. It’s so fucking good. I want to feel his huge muscular body engulf me as he lays over me, entering me.

I want to run my fingers over all his tattoos. All of them that I’ve seen appear over the years and have never been able to touch.

I want to wrap my mouth around his thick cock that I’ve only felt once against my body and thought of many times as I’ve brought myself to climax.

And inappropriately at times with other men.

It’s clear Dante Baldassare is capable of destroying me with the way my senses are out of control. I’ve always known this. I would lose myself in him.

Him and this world.

They are one and the same.

I’m so close to escaping. I can’t... Oh god. His fingers press into me and curl, and something snaps inside me.

Fear.

“Stop!” I cry out just loudly enough for both of us to hear as I sit up.

Dante’s fingers freeze, then slide out, and he licks them as I watch him lie comfortably between my legs.

“Don’t tell me you weren’t enjoying that.” He growls, a dark gleam in his eyes.

I try to move, but the palm of his hand on my stomach has me pressed to the bed.

“Let me go or I’ll scream.” I threaten.

His hand lifts and instead of backing away, he moves over me, and I stare up into his stupidly beautiful eyes.

“You should’ve let me make you come before stopping me. Very silly. It would have made no difference, and you could’ve purred for the rest of the day, kitten.”

“Yeah, well, kittens have claws. So move your gangster ass off me, or I’ll insert them in your eyes!” I snarl.

He smirks and sits back.

That’s when I see his cock. Holy fuck. It’s hard, thick, and proudly sticking out of his briefs like it’s on parade.

My eyes lift to his and that damn smirk of his is bigger.

“Want to watch me stroke it and come on your pussy?”

“Do it and I’ll stab you,” I lie, because honestly, I do want to see that.

A lot.

I reach under my pillow and before I can remove the weapon, Dante has my arm in a stronghold as he moves his other hand up and down his cock.

“Watch,” he demands, and I gasp.

The pain in my arm as his eyes bore down on my sex is too much. I need him to touch me again.

I need to come.

Hell, I might even come without him touching me.

My hips lift involuntarily, and I let out a moan.

“That’s it, kitten.” His strokes are faster now, and he’s pointing it at my core. “Eager little pussy. It wants to drink my come.”

Oh god.

Dante’s broad shoulders go taunt as his orgasm strikes, and I watch in awe as the muscles in his arms rope and he releases onto my well-groomed bikini line.

“Fuck,” he grounds out, stroking out the rest of his orgasm, still holding my arm.

The control he has, my god. He’s so powerfully beautiful and dangerous.

This man is unlike anyone I know, and as his eyes demand I leave the knife where it is and he rubs his come into my flat belly, I know we’ve crossed a line this morning that is going to be hard to come back from.

I hate him for it.

I told him to stop. Which he did...and then came on me in a show so erotic I’m now on the edge with no way of release.

Because I am not going to ask for it.

Dante’s glistening eyes find mine, and he moves to cup my face while he smirks.

So I do what any self-respecting Italian woman would do.

I slap him.