Page 61 of My Solemn Vow (The Mafia Arrangement #1)

VALOR

EYES ON ME

When I raise my hand to her throat, Antonella is breathing heavily, and her heart rate is through the roof. The rich brown of her irises turns nearly black with the lust shining through in her gaze.

“He has about fifteen minutes left to live,” I tell her, trying to find at which point she loses interest.

But the muscles in her neck flex against my hand as she swallows. She parts her lips with her tongue, like she’s about to say something before stopping herself.

“So, do you want to come for him? Give this sick, dying asshole one last look at how glorious a woman looks when she comes, or do you want something just for you?” I offer her, wondering how she’ll make that decision.

Silent for a minute, Antonella chews it over. I can almost see the flashes of thought pass in her eyes as the gears in her brain work through her choices.

“Exactly how sassy do I need to be to get that taste of your belt you promised?”

“Fuck.” I look over to Fred.

He’s bleeding out, and it’s slow enough that I could give her what she asks for and fuck her until she comes. But the last time I gave her pain, the emotions flowed freely with it. She was already a little soft at dinner.

No one sees our mate vulnerable. My wolf agrees. Skip to ending his life. There will be plenty of opportunities to have fun with problem people. My wolf urges me to kill faster. A welcome but unusual development since he also enjoys the bloodshed.

“I’ll have to fuck you in front of a victim another time, princess,” I tell her at the same time Fred releases a gurgle as blood escapes into his lungs. Antonella almost moves her head within the grasp of my hand. “Don’t look, darling. Eyes on me.”

She does as I say, following the light pressure I keep on her neck as I walk backward, leading her out of the hidden passage into the main portion of the house.

My hand feels cold when I pull it away from Antonella’s warm skin.

I leave her, hoping she won’t follow as I head back into the room with Fred. I don’t let him suffer alone in the dark. Instead, I end his life quickly by slitting his throat the rest of the way, and he slumps forward in the chair.

After a quick text to Gavin asking for a cleanup, I toss the flash papers into the burn bin. The match flares hot in my fingers, and when I toss it in the can, the records go up in a ball of flames in less than two seconds.

There are too many suspects who could be behind this latest hit job. But one thing is for sure — Eduardo and Gregorio D’Medici don’t have graying hair. They have black hair. I speculate it’s dyed, but it does rule them and Berto out as primary suspects behind whatever is going on.

Antonella is where I left her, waiting for me when I come out of my lair, and she lets me interlace our fingers as I lead her in silence out of the basement and into the main living area.

It’s so tempting to bend her over the couch, the counter, and hell, even right on the stairs, and get a look at her sexy, barely clad ass. But I behave. And it isn’t until we’re finally in our bedroom that I take back the controlling tone that gets a rise out of her.

“Strip.”

Antonella cocks her head. “Make me.”

Oh, the mate is so fierce. My wolf is almost condescending with that, but we like the challenge.

I step forward and quickly grab the bottom hem of her shirt. Tearing it, the fabric rips easily, and she leans back as if to get away from me. It’s halfhearted at best. The scent of her arousal overrides every sense of logic in my brain.

“Take your bra off before I rip it off,” I snarl at her, letting the wolf inside rise to the surface.

Seductively, Antonella unclasps the garment, slides it over her shoulders, and drops it to the floor.

With her gorgeous tits on display for me, I reach for her underwear.

It’s a practical piece. Not delicate lace or the like that, apparently, she has stocked in her wardrobe.

I have no qualms about tearing it to shreds, ripping it from her body, as I drag her closer to me.

She gasps, but it’s from surprise because not a hint of fear comes off her body nor does the desire fall from her eyes.

“Do you really think you can handle my belt?” It’s the only chance she’s going to get to tell me no.

My uncertainty is ever growing. What if she can’t handle me?

Then we’ll give her a wolf, and then she will. But you’ve so little faith in our mate. My wolf encourages me. Look at how she’s looking at us.

“I want to.” Her answer isn’t a yes or a no. Antonella leans toward me. “Let me try?”

“If it’s too much, say stop, and this time I’ll stop. In the future, I might not be so nice.” I lean into her and press my lips against hers.

She kisses me back, and it’s chaste at first, but in another heartbeat, it gets more intense. I wait, kissing her until she reaches toward me.

I capture her wrist and spin her around, bringing her hand behind her back.

“Fuck,” she gasps on a ragged breath.

But I don’t stop moving because she didn’t say stop.

I push her deeper into the bedroom and then face down against the bed.

One-handed, I undo my belt and pull it from my pants.

There are so many ways I could do this, but when I see Antonella’s delicate fingers fisting the sheets, I move past all the options to set this up and, with my teeth, fold the belt in half.

I grasp the ends together and choke up until I’ve got just the right amount of leather in my hand, the loop ready to smack against her soft curves.

She’s shaking, but there’s no mistaking the scent of her arousal.

To give her a small taste, I run the leather over the globe of her ass. Antonella clenches instinctively.

“Relax, darling. Tensing only makes it hurt more.” I lie to her.

It’s the body’s way of lessening an impact, but after her emotional response just over twenty-four hours ago, I don’t know if she’s truly ready for more.

Selfishly, I want to push her to her limits.

I want it to hurt so she tells me to stop.

Her asking for pain is out of character, but now I want more.

I pull my arm back, and after a single swat of the belt against her skin, I wait.

A gasp, a writhe, and a calming breath. Antonella breathes steadily again.

I raise the belt again, and then she fights. She wrenches her wrist, and I release my hold on her. “Stop.”

“Good, darling.” I praise her, dropping the belt to the floor and helping her roll to her side. “What happened?”

She shakes her head and pulls her hands up over her face. “I can’t... ”

“Can’t what?” Bitter dread sinks through me as I kneel next to her on the bed.

Antonella pulls her hands off her face, and her words are stronger than anticipated. “That was too much, but if you don’t fuck me, I’m going to riot and get a toy to finis —”

I shift her onto her back, and she tries to scramble away, but I’m faster, unbuttoning my pants and opening my fly before grabbing hold of her ankle and drawing her back to me. With one hand, I restrain her, holding her leg back, and with the other, I push my pants down and kick them off.

Antonella fights, and it’s fierce until I wrangle her underneath me. Her legs are splayed out on either side of my own, and my hand is on her throat.

“I’m the wolf and you’re my prey. I’ll always take care of you. I love a good toy as much as the next man, but until we at least get a full month of marriage under our belt, the only way I want you coming is on my fingers, on my tongue, or speared on my cock.”

“And after that?” She taunts me but reaches for my neck, pulling me toward her.

“Then I’ll get more creative with how to make you scream my name.” I thrust into her.

She’s so wet, she’s been wet, primed and ready for me.

My balls throb as I fuck into her. She moves her hand from behind my neck and wraps it around my throat. Fighting for control, hmm?

I shift to my back, pulling her on top of me, and fuck her from beneath, taking her cunt.

“Fuck.” Antonella’s eyes roll back as she moves her head from side to side.

The motion pushes her throat into my hand, and I give it a soft squeeze.

Instinctively, she rocks her hips forward and back, taking me all on her own and pressing into my hand every time she moves forward.

I’m mesmerized watching her. Tits bouncing as she grinds against me. It isn’t until the edges of my vision go dark that I realize her hand is still on my neck. But fuck, I’m so close, and the noises she’s making grow louder with every movement. I’m loving every second.

Lust and love. They’re both four letter words for how I feel.

I thrust up into her, and the movement drives Antonella over the edge.

She screams, arching up and out of my hand.

She grinds and rocks her hips, meeting my thrusts.

I’m on the brink, and when she looks down at me, sweat glistening on her skin, sleepy but happily well fucked, I lose control and come deep inside her.

Give her a wolf. Bite her. My wolf begs. Make her ours, keep her like this forever.

He forgets that I already have her forever. The mind-blowing sex is only a fraction of it.

Breathing heavily, I pull Antonella down next to me. My cock slips out of her and leaves me cold and disappointed. I could use her cunt as a sleeve and stay inside her warmth longer, but when she curls up against my chest, I forget all about it.

“Thank you,” Antonella murmurs. “That was so good.”

“Anytime, darling.” I kiss the crown of her head and reach to wrap her up in a burrito of the blankets around us.

When we’re nice and snuggly, I finally let myself drift off to sleep.

It’s love. She’s my mate and I need to tell her that soon. All of it.