Page 17

16

MONTE

L uca invites me to sit outside on the front porch with some beers while the rest of the household gives the baby a bath and prepares her for bed.

We haven’t really had a chance to talk in private yet. Yesterday’s arrival was kind of a whirlwind and today there was a full house. Luca’s brother Cale visited with his wife and little girl and they stayed for dinner.

“That was damn good pizza,” Luca says and drops into a wooden rocking chair.

I twist the beer cap off and take the other chair. “I learned from the best. My dad had me shaping dough before I could write my name.”

Sabrina’s mother was very skeptical when I offered to cook dinner. I guess I don’t look like a good cook, plus she thinks of all kitchens as her personal domain. What sold her on the idea was when I pointed out that she’d be free to spend time with Anni and the baby while I toiled away in the kitchen.

Now and then Sabrina would walk in to check on my progress. I might have been trying to impress her with my ability to shred mozzarella and throw a spinning pie in the air. I think I succeeded.

When I peeled off a slice of mozzarella and gave it to her to snack on, she smiled and my insides turned to mush. She leaned against the wall and nibbled on the cheese while appreciatively watching my forearm muscles pop as I used the rolling pin to flatten out the dough.

Yeah, I was showing off but so what? I don’t want her to think the only thing I’m good at is strangling mobsters.

There are plenty of other skills I’m just dying to demonstrate for her when the time comes.

After all, we’re sharing a room. We’re sharing a BED.

And one way or another, I’m going to erase that fucking prick who got his kicks by crushing her and screwing with her head. I’ll be as patient with her as I need to be but that girl is going to be mine. It’s inevitable.

Luca sips his beer and eyes me from his chair. “How’s your stay so far? I hope the guest room is comfortable.”

“No complaints. Slept like a baby last night.”

“That sucks. The baby wakes up every two hours.”

“So does your mother-in-law. How many times did she go wandering the halls in the middle of the night?”

“Wait, isn’t she your mother-in-law too?” Luca asks and busts up laughing at his own wit. “But yeah, every time I managed to close my eyes on the couch, she’d walk into the living room and give me a jump scare.”

“Sounds like you had a rougher night than I did.”

He shrugs. “I’m used to sleepless nights. Anyway, far be it from me to come between two devoted sisters who have been apart for too long.”

Sabrina spent most of the night in Anni’s room. I stayed in the background to give her privacy with her sister but every time I walked by they were sprawled on the bed, giggling together or fawning over the baby. Once they were sharing a giant tub of chocolate ice cream and laughing at the television. The last time I checked in was after midnight and they’d fallen asleep, curled up together like kittens with Sabrina’s head on Anni’s shoulder.

I went to bed alone but when I woke up, Sabrina was sleeping beside me. I was careful not to disturb her when I climbed out and took my time showering in the adjoining bathroom. She was still sound asleep when I left the room.

There’s no hint what tonight’s sleeping arrangements might bring. I’m not going to interfere with Sabrina’s time with her sister so I’m fine with waiting. She’ll come to me when she’s ready.

Luca is quieter than usual as we watch a drowsy summer twilight descend on the grassy front yard. True, the guy got shitty sleep last night but that wouldn’t usually stop him from cracking jokes and shooting his mouth off.

“If you’ve got questions, ask them,” I say.

He frowns down at his beer bottle. “What did Vittorio threaten you with?”

“Imagine the worst.”

“That if you don’t restore the family honor by marrying his niece he’ll drop you from a helicopter over shark-infested waters?”

“That’s not the worst.”

Now he studies me with more curiosity. “What was it then?”

I turn my head to make sure the front door is closed before answering. “Did you know that Vittorio was fielding marriage suitors for Sabrina?”

“She mentioned it to Anni but she laughed it off and said she had no interest.”

“Well, Vittorio’s got other ideas. He sees Sabrina as a problem to solve. He dislikes unsolved problems. If I didn’t marry her then he planned to choose a husband for her, whether she agreed or not.”

“Fuck,” Luca says and deflates. “I never trusted Vittorio but that’s a new low.”

“Look, we’re all suffering from wedding whiplash and I know that you and Anni aren’t thrilled. I also know that girl deserves better than me but she’ll be safe, Luca.”

“For how long?”

“As long as it takes.”

He leans forward and gives me a rather lengthy and severe appraisal.

I get it and I’m not offended.

This is a challenging position for him. Sure, I’m his best friend, but he thinks of Sabrina as his little sister. And he knows I don’t have the best track record when it comes to relationships. In the end, anyone who has Sabrina’s best interests at heart won’t hear a word of complaint from me.

“Do you mean that?” he says in his shrewd lawyer’s voice.

I don’t flinch under his intense gaze. “Yes, I do.”

He’s convinced enough to relax a little and lean back in his chair. “What does your dad think of all this? And Nico?”

“They’ve only been told the short version for now. And Sabrina doesn’t know about Vittorio’s threat. She believes she’s protecting me from a mafia bullet and that the worst fate her uncle could saddle her with is being ordered to return to Sicily.”

“Why not just tell her?”

“Because I’d hate for her to feel obligated to me. That’s why.”

This explanation seems to satisfy him for now. We finish our beers and the sky turns completely dark. Luca starts to nod off in his rocking chair until Anni comes outside.

“Come on, sleepyhead.” She holds her hand out. “Janie wants to say good night to her Daddy and then I think I need to put you to bed.”

Luca allows himself to be pulled up and then wraps his arms around his wife. “Where am I sleeping tonight?”

She hooks her arms over his shoulders and stretches up to kiss him. “Where you belong. I’ll even give you a nice back rub to make up for last night’s sofa exile.”

He grins down at her and they share such a very long, passionate kiss that I’m pretty sure they’ve forgotten I’m sitting here eight feet away.

Funny, if I wasn’t there to witness how these two used to be at each other’s throats then I wouldn’t believe it was possible.

Finally, they disconnect and Luca yawns. “See ya, Monte,” he says and starts to lead Anni back into the house with his arm around her waist. “Lock the door after you’re in for the night.”

Anni turns her head. The glance she sends my way is a little suspicious but she says nothing and disappears indoors with her husband.

It’s too quiet here. Not the deep, impenetrable silence of a Wyoming ranch or a cabin in the Catskills, but still too quiet for my tastes. City chaos is my preferred soundtrack.

Soon, it’s so dark that my car becomes nothing but a hulking shadow at the curb. After watching all the stars wink to life in the sky, I take my empty beer bottle and return to the house, locking the front door behind me.

Nobody is in the living room or the kitchen and all is quiet except for some faint lullaby music coming from the nursery. When it’s time to walk past that room, I sneak by on tiptoe. Maybe this is overkill but at least I won’t be the one responsible for waking the baby.

Down the hall, the door to the guest room is halfway open and the light is on. I push the door all the way open and Sabrina looks up from her laptop. She’s sitting in bed, her legs neatly tucked under the covers as she types away with the computer balanced on her knees. The pink shirt she’s wearing has images of Nintendo game characters and it’s baggy enough to hang off one shoulder. Her hair is loose and her face is free of makeup.

There’s so much natural beauty to admire in this girl that for a few seconds I’m too staggered by the sight of her to do anything except stare. Then I shut the door behind me and press the lock.

Sabrina clears her throat. “Do you want the same side of the bed as last night?” she says. “If not, I can move.”

She watches while I kick off my shoes. I’m holding back a smile because I don’t want her to think I’m laughing at her. I’m not. She’s just so cute, sitting there trying to sound all casual in order to hide the fact that she’s nervous as hell.

I take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Are you going to sleep soon?”

She hugs her laptop to her chest. “Probably. I mean, I was just doing a little bit of work but I can stop. I’m sure you’re tired.”

Definitely not fucking tired. “Sounds good. I’ll just go change and then we can turn out the light.”

Sabrina nods, still clutching her laptop. She’s on the shy side right now but Sabrina can be a little spitfire when she wants to be. I’m happy she’s feeling comfortable enough with me to get more frisky. Yesterday at lunch when she put her hand on my leg, coming within an inch of my dick, I was in serious danger of creaming my pants like a teenager.

“I’m ready for bed,” she says, “so you just do what you need to do.”

The impulse to kiss her is almost too powerful to ignore. “All right.”

I can feel her staring at me while I sling my duffel bag over one shoulder and walk the short distance to the adjoining bathroom. While brushing my teeth, I debate the wisdom of jerking off to stop my balls from exploding.

Sabrina hasn’t given a green light that she’s up for anything wild tonight. No matter how much my outraged dick complains, the first move needs to come from her.

The truth is, Sabrina’s not the only one who might be a little bit jumpy. My romantic life has consisted of a long string of casual hookups with the occasional short-lived fling. Nothing anywhere near as deep and significant as what I feel for her. I can’t fuck this up.

The light is still on when I return to the room, although she’s moved her laptop to the nightstand. She’s sipping from a huge mint green water tumbler that I bought her at our first gas station stop after we ran out of New York City.

Her eyes skate over me and the straw leaves her mouth. I wait until she sets the tumbler down before I reach behind my head and slowly pull off the plain white tee I changed into for the sole purpose of enjoying the look on her face when I take it off.

And here it is. Her eyes flash with surprise, followed by hungry interest. Suddenly, all those grueling hours in the gym feel a lot more valuable. Muscles are good for more than just crushing men’s bones.

All I have left are my boxers under a loose pair of nylon shorts. I’d gladly get rid of those burdens too. All she needs to do is ask.

Sabrina shifts closer to the edge of the mattress when I climb in. Her chest rises and falls more rapidly. I bet if I put my hand on her, I’d find her heart beating as fast as a hummingbird’s.

She’s nervously playing with a section of long hair. She takes a deep breath. “Should I turn out the light?”

“Here, I’ll do it.” Before she has a chance to object, I stretch my arm past her to reach the nightstand lamp.

She’s so close. Close enough for me to smell her shampoo and feel the heat of her skin. She stays still as I flick the cord, plunging the room into darkness. I think this might be what she needs tonight, the cover of darkness.

My palm grazes her leg as I withdraw. This is a queen-sized bed so it’s not huge but there’s still plenty of room for us to sleep on opposite sides. She hasn’t suggested putting up any barriers between us so I’ll assume she doesn’t want any.

There’s a ridiculous amount of bedding layered on top of the mattress. This will surely keep guests warm in the Colorado winter but there’s no need for all this shit in summer. I immediately start peeling off covers.

“What on earth are you doing?” Sabrina says.

“Getting comfortable.” I grab a pillow and fluff it up. That’s another thing. There are about ten pillows on the bed. Sabrina can keep the rest of them if she wants.

“You sound like a dog trying to dig a hole under the fence,” she says.

I flop back on the heavily fluffed pillow. “I’m finished digging.”

She pushes some blankets back to my side. “You’ll be cold.”

“Nope. I’m not a fan of being swaddled like a Victorian prince.”

“I’m not trying to swaddle you.”

“On second thought, you’re the only one who is allowed to swaddle me. Go for it.”

A pillow smacks me lightly in the face.

I laugh. “Haven’t you learned anything? It’ll take more than that to shut me up.”

“Sounds like you just threw down the gauntlet.”

“Shut me up then, Sabrina. Or I’m claiming victory.”

“Do you want me to hit you with the pillow again, Monte Carlo?”

“Kind of. It’s hot when you get aggressive with a pillow.”

She cracks up. “I’m so glad you feel that way, considering what I did to your pillow.”

Hold on. HOLD THE FUCK ON.

“What does that mean?” I ask, although my dick has decided it means something good.

Gradually, she quits giggling. “It means that I had a lot of fun getting myself off when I slept in your bed.”

Holy shit. My cock swells to mammoth proportions.

“You did not,” I pant, struck with sudden dizziness, scarcely able to form a coherent thought.

“I sure did,” she says cheerfully. “And your pillow was a very willing accomplice.”

I can’t speak. I’ve been rendered catatonic by the mental image of Sabrina fingering her pussy in my bed and then humping my pillow.

“Did I finally shut you up, Monte?” She clucks her tongue. “Seems like I won.”

“I just needed to catch my breath,” I say. “I’m still in the game.”

That’s not what Sabrina wants to hear. She decides to make an offensive move by lurching sideways and falling into my lap.

Got to give her credit. I’m still flat on my back and sort of stunned when she shows off enough flexibility to lock her knees on either side of my waist and clap both hands over my mouth.

“You lose,” she says in a sweet singsong.

I beg to fucking differ.

This is already so good it might be a dream. But dreams, even erotic ones, aren’t vivid enough to include the feel of her soft, creamy thighs spread out on my bare stomach. Her hands smell like cherry-scented lotion.

This is real. She’s here. On top of me. Open for me.

And she’s not wearing shorts. All she has on beneath that loose-fitting nightshirt are some flimsy panties as she sits inches away from my cock, which is now one twitch away from exploding. I’ve got to get a grip or this is going to be a hell of a short party.

Gently, I take her hand away from my mouth. A tremor moves through her, like maybe she just fully realized what kind of position she’s put herself in. Instead of cringing away, she stays put but freezes at the sound of slow, shuffling footsteps in the hallway.

A shadow interrupts the strip of light beneath the door. Sabrina’s mother hums an unknown song as she passes the room and moves down the hall. The light switches off and Sabrina exhales.

My hands surround her waist. My cock is hard enough to hammer a nail into concrete. But she doesn’t leave, doesn’t resist.

“And you win,” I whisper and slide her down past my belly until she’s able to feel every rock hard inch that’s aching to invade her soft body.

I don’t know what she was expecting but she sucks in a sharp breath of surprise. My cock strains to escape my shorts and presses into the tight seam shielded only by her panties.

Go slow with her. Slow, motherfucker, SLOW!

This can’t go too far, not tonight, not the first time she lets me touch her.

But going slow is a tough sell when this feels so insane. Gritting my teeth, I struggle to keep my head together while every natural instinct demands more.

Sabrina breathes deeply, shakily. But she doesn’t climb off and roll away, not even close.

Her palms flatten on my chest and she moves her hips. Timidly the first time. With more confidence the second time.

“Oh, god,” she moans softly as she grinds on my cock.

This is absolutely happening. She wants to get off. She needs to get off. I have a new job now; make sure she comes so hard she’ll unravel.

With my hands still on her hips, I keep her where I want her as I push against her panties. The soft noise she makes in response nearly obliterates me. Her thighs clench with every rub of her pussy. She’s loving this. I’d bet my right eye that those panties are already soaking wet.

Even as I’m so hard I can barely function, not all the warnings in my head have been muffled.

I still won’t take everything from her. Not tonight.

But Sabrina is getting an education on how good this can feel. She’s going to understand how sexy and powerful she is.

Her hips have found the rhythm and her body moves like she was made to sit on my dick. She can use me however she wants, whatever it takes. One way or another, she’s going to come and I’m going to get her there.

It sucks like hell that the room is this dark. I’d drive a spike through my thumb for the privilege of watching her ride me.

Then again, the sight of her would be more than I can handle. I’d be stripping her shirt off, sucking her tits like crazy and shredding her panties in seconds. The only reason I’m able to keep my own willpower somewhat intact is because we’re doing this in darkness.

The darkness, I think, is important to her. She’s bolder when she can’t be seen.

She practically moaning now. Her breath escapes in a series of shudders.

“That’s it, baby,” I whisper as I help her along.

Pushing. Grinding. Aching .

Torture. The best kind.

“Keep going, honey,” I urge. “You’ll get there.”

My hands dive under her shirt and find her soft skin. I want to commit every filthy act ever invented. I want to watch her crawl to me, scraping her knees on the carpet, begging to get wrecked before she screams my name.

And she’s close. So fucking close.

I feel it with every roll of her hips and sense the rise of the tide as her breathing becomes shakier. She’ll peak at any second.

The hall light switches back on.

Sabrina flinches and all I can see is her darkened outline. She’s distracted now, looking at the light beneath the door.

Her mother’s soft murmur comes from somewhere down the hall. Luca’s deep voice responds.

The light goes dark again but Sabrina is still on high alert, holding her breath.

Nope, can’t have her second guessing herself. I know what she needs and she’s going to get it.

Keeping my arms around her waist, I sit up to face her. It’s too dim to see her expression, but I can feel her body and that’s more than enough of a reward.

It occurs to me that I haven’t even kissed her yet. The wedding kiss doesn’t count. She was anxious and stiff and I barely touched her lips as a formality.

Now I’ve got her in my lap, willing and ready. This was worth waiting for. I’ll prove it.

Her hands tentatively touch my shoulders. My right hand slides up her back to hold her in place and my left hand roams over her neck, my fingertips brushing across the pulse point. As expected, her heart flutters with nervous anticipation.

The first kiss is tender and slow. Her lips are sweet and I part them with my tongue. The breathy moan in her throat has the power to undo my careful intentions. I can feel her hands, still resting on my shoulders, curl into fists.

My tongue explores her mouth with greed. I can’t get enough. The taste of her, the soft noises of pleasure vibrating in her throat, the eager way she gives in. I have no idea why I never had much use for kissing, always impatient to reach the next objective.

I’m still impatient, still ready to destroy any barrier between us and take her for myself. But kissing Sabrina just earned a top spot among my favorite hobbies and I’ll never change my mind.

Her knees tighten around my hips. She arches her back and my brain whirls in a spin cycle thanks to the way her tits are grazing my chest.

This is both torture and fucking bliss. I want to have her more than I want to live to see another sunrise.

I swore to myself that I’d go slow, that I wouldn’t have sex with her tonight. I’ll keep that promise. But this is still going to get really good and dirty before we’re finished.

She’s warm and compliant, allowing me to pull her shirt over her head. Underneath, she wears a tank top. If that goes too, I won’t be able to stop. I’m damn near at that point already.

My mouth moves to her neck, breathing in the scent of her soap before sucking her skin hard enough to make her gasp. Her hips buck, trying in vain to grind out the ache in her pussy. She doesn’t need to do that. I’ll show her a better way.

One strap of her tank top gets pushed down. Then the other. I’m in such a frenzy I might rip the thing in half and bury my face between her gorgeous tits. Instead, I collect a few threads of self-control and ease her down to her back.

I need to be serious for a minute. There’s something that needs to be said before we go any further.

“Brina, listen up.” I nudge her legs wider apart and settle between them. “You can always stop me. It doesn’t matter what we’re in the middle of doing. You don’t need a reason and I’ll never be angry. If it doesn’t make you feel good then I don’t want to do it. Understand?”

“Yes,” she says in a faint, breathless voice. “I understand.”

I run my hands over her smooth thighs. The barrier of her panties taunts me, daring me to tear them off. Another time, I will.

For now I shed my shorts, leaving only my boxers in place. Seizing her wrist, I guide her hand to my dick. One touch of her hand wreaks havoc on my resolve. Biting back a string of obscenities, I need to wait a few seconds before I’m able to speak again.

“This is what you do to me,” I say in a hoarse whisper as my cock swells to the point of eruption. “All I need to do is look at you or think about you. No other girl can ever get the best of me the way you can. You’ll win every contest, every time. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Sabrina. You fucking own me and it’s time you knew it.”

The more I talk, the more she arches her spine and whimpers in response.

Yeah, this does it for her. Dirty talk and praise. I can definitely handle that.

I feel a wide grin slice my face in the darkness. The triumph is sweet and why shouldn’t it be?

“That’s my good girl,” I assure her. “But now I need your help. Show me how you want to come. There’s no wrong answer. No limits. I just need to feel you get there. Will you help me?”

“Yes,” she gasps out and steers my dick to her pussy. There are still obstacles between us. Her panties. My boxers. This doesn’t bother her. She clutches my arms and opens her knees wider, quaking with a moan at the slow, deliberate stroke of my cock surging against her panties.

I flatten one palm on the mattress to keep the bulk of my weight off her and guide my movements better. My cock threatens to split right through my boxers as I tease her pussy with a series of shallow thrusts. Dry humping has never been so much fun.

The torment drives her wild. She writhes and quivers and bucks her hips.

“Fuck, that feels good,” she pants and moves her body to match every thrust.

“You’re so sexy.” I kiss her neck. Then I kiss her lips. “You don’t know how tough it’s been to keep my hands off you. Damn near killed me.”

We’re basically fucking with our clothes on and nothing has ever been hotter. She’s almost there. I can feel it in the way her muscles tighten. She starts to tremble and let go.

Wait, somehow my dick got loose. My boxers are down past my hips. How did that happen? Don’t know. Don’t care.

Not even divine intervention could stop me from finishing when she’s on the brink. My mouth locks on hers and we’re still kissing when she comes. The sounds she makes, those sweet breathless moans, are going to live in my head forever. She shudders beneath me as the climax sends her over the edge.

This is all too much for me and my dick. She’s still trembling from the orgasm aftershocks when I release with a heavy groan, refusing to pull back, stubbornly marking her as mine as I come all over her panties. Like ALL over her panties. They’re fucking drenched now.

And I’m not sorry. Not even a little bit.

Feeling a mix of triumph and possession, I rub my hand across her wet panties to make sure all the cum gets properly soaked in where it belongs.

“Look what happened, Brina.” I cluck my tongue as I stroke her. “I made such a mess out of you. I just couldn’t help it.”

She jerks under my hand. “Oh fuck.” She shivers with a soft cry and she does her best to rub against my hand in order to get off a second time.

I was already feeling smug as hell and now the feeling intensifies. My grin is so huge I probably look like a maniac.

“Aw, baby, this is really my fault. I should have known you weren’t done yet. Can I fix this for you?”

“Yes,” she gasps and pushes on my hand. “Please do that, Monte.”

“Smart girl. You always know exactly the words I want to hear.” I push my hand into her panties and touch her aching pussy, slick with desire and more than ready to take the two fingers I slide inside of her.

“Oh my god,” she moans and bucks her hips, riding my hand.

“You’re so perfect,” I tell her while my fingers do the work of coaxing a second orgasm. “You’re my fucking dream. I can’t wait to find out how well you take my cock.”

“Monte.” She gasps out my name and her tight pussy clenches around my fingers.

“Shhh, let it happen and ride it out. That’s right. You’ve got this. My beautiful girl. I wouldn’t change a thing about you. Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” She can hardly choke out the syllable. She’s too busy falling apart.

My dick is starting to perk up and expect more good times but he’ll have to wait. This is for her.

“You did so amazing.” I kiss her slowly and wait for the last of her tremors to fade before I slip my wet fingers out. “Complete perfection.”

I sure as hell don’t want to stop. But I’m sticking to my original plan to take it slow with her. Since I’ll never pull this off if I remain on top of her body, I roll away and yank my shorts up.

Sabrina is still catching her breath. She hasn’t said anything and she hasn’t moved.

Fuck, what I would give to see her right now, flushed and sweaty and trembling after I just rocked her world. Wait until she realizes this is just the beginning. Together, we’ll do it all.

Lying on my side, I lean on one elbow and try to gauge her mood. Before I can reach for her hand, she sits up very suddenly.

“I’ll be right back,” she blurts and scampers out of bed.

From the sound of it, she’s rooting around in her suitcase. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s probably looking for some new panties after what I did to her current pair. The memory of defiling Sabrina’s panties will stick with me until my dying day.

She dashes into the bathroom. My chuckle of victory is the only sound in the darkness.

Soon enough, the bathroom door creaks open and she quietly tiptoes back to bed. She’s kneeling on the mattress and I can feel her looking at me.

“Are you awake?” she whispers.

“You were only gone for ninety seconds,” I whisper back.

“Oh.” She settles down on the mound of pillows and pulls the covers up.

“Hey.” I reach out and brush my fingers over her arm. “Can I have a kiss good night?”

“Sure,” she replies, sounding happy and maybe a little relieved that I’m not expecting more.

We didn’t have sex, not in the strict sense. But I understand that what we just did is a really big deal. To her. And to me.

“Come here.” I pull her close and gently turn her face toward me.

The kiss I give her isn’t quick and I steal another taste of her tongue. But then I tuck the blankets around her and pull away.

Sometime later, I’m dozing off on my side of the bed when I hear the timidly murmured words, “Thank you.”

I doubt she even meant for me to hear her but I’m dumbfounded. Thunderstruck. She’s thanking me for touching her?

No. That’s not what she meant at all. Sabrina is drop dead gorgeous and could have any man she wants. She’s thanking me for treating her with gentle patience and respect, for making her feel desirable.

My chest gets so tight it’s as if my lungs are being stepped on.

This girl, I swear.

I don’t even know how to put into words what she does to me. And I was being honest when I said that I wouldn’t change a thing about her.

Not a damn thing.