Page 12

Penelope

I can’t shake him. These past few days, Adriano’s been a ghost in my head, haunting every quiet second. I want him so bad it hurts. It’s like a deep ache that’s eating me alive. I’m slowly losing it, unraveling, and I know it.

Ever since he made me come right there in front of Theo’s corpse with his blood still warm on the floor, I haven’t slept right.

I should be sick to my stomach, bolting for the nearest exit, or at least drowning in guilt over screwing my dead best friend’s dad.

But no. All I can think about is his mouth, his hands, and the way he broke me open.

It’s been weeks since he licked me into a screaming mess on his office desk, and I’m starving for it again.

He is in a meeting, holed up in the back office of Caruso’s, the jewelry store where I have been stuck running the counter since I got into town. It is his clean front, all glittering diamonds and polished gold to cover up the dirty cash, the guns, and the deals that fuel his real life.

I am behind the register, wiping down a display case for the third time today, when he walks out around ten. His suit fits him too well, dark and crisp, and his eyes cut sharper than the stones we sell.

Tommy and some beefy guy with a scar across his knuckles follow him, muttering about “shipments.” I catch his look and my stomach twists. We are keeping it strictly business here, or at least pretending to.

“Penelope, ring up that ruby necklace for Mrs. Vitelli,” he says casually. “She will pick it up later.”

“On it.” I nod, grabbing the tag and keeping my hands moving so I do not fidget. His gaze lingers a second too long, and I feel it crawl over me, but I focus on the case.

Just then Mia swoops in from her office like an unwanted fly, all fake smiles and swaying hips. She brushes past me, leaning over the counter just enough to flash her cleavage his way.

“Anything else you need, Adriano? I can pull the sapphire set from the safe if you want.” Her voice drips, too sweet, like she thinks she has got some edge with him.

He barely glances at her. “Just the necklace, Mia. Penelope is already handling it but thank you.”

Then he is gone, back to his meeting and shutting the door with a solid click.

Mia smiles wryly at me, flipping her hair, clearly thinking she has scored points.

I roll my eyes and keep wiping, harder now, the glass squeaking under my rag.

She has no clue what is really going on, and I am not about to tell her.

An hour later, the store is dead quiet, just the hum of the air conditioning and the faint rumble of voices from the back. He is still in there, running his world of blood and power, barking orders I can only catch pieces of through the walls.

I cannot sit still. Then deciding I only live once, I do something stupid. I grab my phone with my fingers shaky and type out something filthy: “I can’t stop thinking about you fucking me until I cannot walk. I want your cock so bad, I am wet just texting this.”

I hit send before I can rethink it, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out the silence.

No response comes. Minutes drag into an hour.

He is in there with his guys, maybe ignoring it, maybe pissed, and I am out here, ringing up some old lady’s pearl studs while my mind spins.

Did I push too far? Break some unspoken rule?

My gut knots up, but there is this twisted buzz underneath it, knowing he is right behind that door, my words sitting in his pocket like a live wire.

When work ends, I’m dragging my purse over my shoulder when I spot him outside, leaning against his car wearing a black pristine suit, gray eyes locked on me like a predator. “Need a ride home?”

“Yeah, sure.” My voice wavers, but I climb in. He doesn’t say much as the driver peels out into the night.

If I didn’t know him, that look would scare the shit out of me.

But I do know him. Hell, he’s had his face shoved between my thighs, tongue working me over until I couldn’t breathe.

So this tension, this thick, suffocating heat between us has got no business being here.

I try to will it away, but it sticks, coiling tighter.

I shift in my seat, going from slouched to bolt upright.

My hands flatten on my thighs, pressing into these damn trousers.

No skirt tonight—just long, dark fabric and a blue top with sleeves that cling to my arms. My hair’s a wild mess, spilling over my shoulders and down my back, untamed.

All I managed before he dragged me out was a swipe of nude lipstick.

I’m not even close to the knockout I want to be, which makes it baffling why he offered to take me home.

Then my phone buzzes. Gianna. I twist away from him, hitting accept. “Hey, G.”

Her voice comes through, panting like she’s mid-sprint. “Gerald and I were thinking—what if you were godmother to our kid?”

“Godmother? I’m already the baby’s coolest aunt.”

“Yeah, but our friends suck. You know, the type who can’t even prop up a bottle, let alone a kid. You get me, right?”

I do. I’ve met her crew—some by accident, some on purpose—and they’re a mess.

She’s not wrong. But this isn’t the moment for baby talk.

I can’t exactly blurt out, Oh, by the way, I’m in a car with Adriano, a close friend of our family, who tongue-fucked me on his desk while the whole damn world could’ve walked in, and I’ve been replaying that shit every night since, rubbing myself raw to the memory of his mouth on my pussy.

I cough, scratching my forehead. Adriano’s staring out the window, lost in the jagged skyline, so I drop my voice.

“Can I call you back? I’m heading home. Gonna shower, eat, then I’ll ring you.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, sure.” She sounds distracted. “Call me, okay?”

“Promise.” I hang up, shoving the phone into my bag.

Beside me, Adriano’s voice rolls out, deep and smooth, making the hair on my arms and neck stand up like it’s been shocked. “You should call her back. Tell her something else. You’re not going home tonight.”

“What?”

“I’m not dropping you off, Pen.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

“To my place.” He says it calmly, cocky, like he’s claiming ground and I’m standing on it.

“I’m taking you to my home where you’re going to climb on my face and ride my tongue until you’re dripping down my chin.

Then I’m going to fuck you. Hard. And since you’ve been teasing me, dragging this out, I’m not holding back, sweetheart.

It’s going to be rough. You’ll feel me for days. ”

My brain melts. Just—gone. I squirm, my thighs clenching, and clear my throat to cover the fact that my panties are already soaked.

His tone’s flat and lazy, like he’s stating the weather, but it’s pure fire underneath.

He wants me. This untouchable, dangerous bastard wants me, and it’s the same feral ache I’ve got for him. Nothing’s ever lit me up like this.

“If you don’t want that, Pen, say it now.” He’s watching me, unblinking.

I shove hair off my face then tuck it behind my ears. My hands are unsteady. “Should I be scared?”

He crosses his arms, muscles flexing under his shirt. “You tell me. I’m not going to baby you or cuddle up after. I’ll fuck you like I want to break you. Like I hate you. If that’s too much, I’ll have the driver spin this car around, drop you at your door, and we pretend I never said a damn word.”

I lick my lips, slowly tasting the tension. He’s daring me, eyes sharp. “It sounds like you’re giving me an out.”

“I am.”

“I don’t want it.”

“And you’re sure?”

“Fucking yes.”

“Good.” His voice drops a quiet growl. “It would’ve been a damn shame if you ran from that.”

I’m overthinking this, no question. His “shame” comment’s gnawing at me. Does he mean it’d be a shame because he’s dying to fuck me senseless, or because he’d rather I bolt and save him the trouble? My head’s a mess, spinning it over and over.

Two minutes tick by, and he breaks the silence. “What color panties you got on?”

“Uh, green. Lacy.” My voice catches, barely steady.

We pull up to his place. The driver yanks my door open first. I slide out, legs shaky, just as Adriano climbs out his side.

Over the car’s roof, our eyes crash into each other—his dark, molten, mine probably wide as hell.

He holds my eyes for a beat, then turns, stalking toward the entrance.

Someone stiff in a uniform swings the door wide for us.

Adriano scans his card, gets the green light, and we hit the elevators.

The ride up’s dead quiet, the space so thick I can taste it.

We step out, hit the sleek hallway to his penthouse.

I’m a step behind when he grabs my wrists, pulling me hard against him.

He looms over me so tall, solid, radiating heat and I crane my neck to meet his gaze.

Desperation is carved into his eyes, wild and raw.

“Fuck—I’ve been thinking about your pussy all damn week. I want to bury myself balls-deep in you until morning and leave you sore as hell, aching everywhere.”

“Yes, I want that too.” My words tumble out, greedy.

His mouth slams into mine, and everything else just fades away.

That kiss? There are no words for it. His tongue dives in, tangling with mine, teeth scraping my lips with this perfect, filthy edge.

I unravel, clutching his arms to stay upright.

He’s owning my mouth, fucking it raw, and I’m moaning into him, loud and shameless.

It’s like no one’s ever kissed me before—he’s that good, that brutal.

He pulls back, licking down my neck, wet and slow. I shiver, grinding into his cock—already thick, straining against his pants.

“If we keep this up, I’ll fuck you right here in the hall. But knowing you, you’d want a wall between us and the world.”