Page 43

Amelia---Exoskeleton

I don’t think I’ve ever slept this well, my fingers roaming the solid chest beside me as my body curls further into him. Rhodes. I tilt my head, gazing up at the man who’d demolished my barriers and reclaimed my soul from my demons. The man who’d put me before himself in every way. I continue running a hand up the planes of his abdomen, tips of my fingers gently mapping their way home, until reaching his scruff.

Hmm, the way this jawline had felt between my thighs, where I still ache? So. Good.

I cup his jaw, memorizing the way he looks right now, sleeping in my bed. I reach for his hair, smiling at the way it has fallen across those defined brows that always seem furrowed my way. I push the strands off his face, snuggling closer as if I were wanting to be a second skin.

I don’t recognize what is coming over me, but I know him, coming with me? I’ll never be the same. It is as if I have shed my past, becoming someone stronger.

I shuffle, rubbing my thighs together in search of friction as the memories of last night flood my mind. I move my hand back down, curling under the thin sheet, and find him already hard. I grip his thick shaft, stroking him as I move my body down until I am face level with his cock.

I take just the tip into my mouth, sucking and lapping at the pre-cum leaking from him. I wait, watching to see if he’s noticed. My mind feels mischievous and all I can think about is playing with him, teasing him until he wakes. I pull him deeper between my lips, relaxing my jaw and trying to take all of him. His hips lift. I smirk and double down, one hand snaking to cup his balls, applying firm pressure as I bob my head. I lose myself in the moment of this simple act.

A hand grasps the back of my head, fingers curling into my mess of a mane. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a fist tightening in the sheets before my head is forced flush against his pelvis, my gag reflex fighting against his raging cock.

“Good fucking girl. Such a good girl, waking me up like this. Gods, Amelia. That fucking mouth.” His voice is still deep with sleep, eyes closed, but he has completely taken over control. I relax, letting him fuck my throat. My thighs start rubbing in search of relief for the now burning ache deep in my pussy.

His eyes find mine, now hooded with desire as he moves his hand from the sheet to my jaw, caressing it in a knowing way. “Look at you, taking every inch I give you.??”

I hum, the feeling of him in my mouth and his hand on my jaw fixing cracks in my heart I didn’t realize were there. He’d done the same last night, when my demons started creeping in and my mind began to slip into my past. Rhodes has a way of making me stay present, and I love the gentle dominance his affection is laced with.

“Do you need me, pretty girl? Is that pussy soaked for me?” Gods that voice. I shift, taking him deeper into my mouth, loving the way his body reacts to me. I make him lose control and knowing I have this power makes me feel invincible.

It isn’t long before he explodes into my mouth, the saltiness of him coating my throat. I pull off him, licking the small drop that is still on his cock, before sitting up and wiping my lips with a finger. I lift up onto my knees as Rhodes leans forward, sucking my finger into his mouth and biting the tip softly. I gasp, making him chuckle before pulling me to him.

“We should probably talk about last night, Amelia.” His eyes scan mine and as much as I want to shrink from the conversation, I know I cannot. We do need to talk about a lot of things and this may be the only time we get the chance before everything implodes.

“Okay. I need coffee though.”

Rhodes stands from the bed. He is completely naked and I have the pleasure of watching his ass wiggle as he walks from our bedroom. I trace the firm planes of his back, the dips of muscle giving way to strong definition. I settle back against the pillows, pulling the blanket up over my body, and wait for him to return.

I should probably check my phone, but I can’t bring myself to. I want to stay here in this bubble for a little while longer. For so long, I have been alone. Yes, I have Duncan, and Parker is irreplaceable, but I have been an island. Until Rhodes. He barreled himself through every line of defense, beating my demons away, and made sure that I have never felt the need to second guess where I stand.

I can be soft when I am with him. I can submit to him because I know he has me. Out there, I have to be Amelia Conte. But when it is just him and I? I can just be.

I hear him rustling around in the kitchen, a slow smile dawning on my face as I realize that he is making my coffee. I spot the book he was reading last night, and I grab it. This book is well loved, the cover slightly tattered, and it smells like there is a history within its pages. I smile softly before turning to the dog eared page. The page is worn, and he’s underlined various parts of the passage. This means something to him. Glancing at the doorway to make sure Rhodes isn’t coming, I begin reading where he had left off.

When was the last time you exhaled? Fully releasing that breath you’ve been holding and letting those shoulders drop.

When was the last time you erupted, a loud presence held sacred by your inner lioness? A resounding confirmation that you are still here.

I peek back up, not seeing him, so I continue. Rhodes has underlined this next part.

You are made of stardust and cosmic divinity.

Your bones are crafted from a lineage of unbreakable women, of witches, steadfast and knowing.

You are of incredible power, not bound by the tethers of this earth or the next, but rather rooted in the strings of fate that guide you home.

Perhaps you’ve merely forgotten. The dance of your soul has not.

My name is written in the margins, and I bring my hand to my mouth in disbelief. Not only is this a beautiful piece of writing but then to see my name, in his handwriting nonetheless, next to it? I feel the back of my eyes burn. I hurriedly wipe the tears forming with my fingers. I don’t need to ruin Rhodes’ book with my tears.

“You found it.”

I look up to find Rhodes leaning against the doorframe, two mugs in hand and the adoration in his eyes makes me start crying again. “What is this?” I ask, holding the book gingerly in my lap. He comes toward me, holding out my mug, and grabbing the book when I take the coffee from him.

“This,” Rhodes gestures to the book, “is a collection of poems that my mother enjoyed. She often said that we are legacies of lineages crafted from stars. When I read this piece, I thought of you. There are collections in here, ones that I have memorized because they remind me of her, but this one? This one is reserved for the woman I love. You.”

He crawls into bed beside me, taking my hand in his. “How do you feel, baby?” The question is innocent, but the weight behind it is not. I don’t really know how I feel, and I suspect I won’t for a long time.

“I don’t know where to begin.” I set the book on the bed beside me, angling my body so I can face Rhodes directly.

“Okay,” he nods. “What are your thoughts about last night?”

His question makes me clench my thighs, the growing ache now coiling itself deeper and settling there. “I liked it.”

“You liked it.” It isn’t a question, but rather a teasing. Rhodes’ eyes light up in the morning sun, and they remind me of the bluest of crystals. “Okay, Amelia Conte. What did you like about it?”

I smile shyly, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind my ear. “I mean I liked it all. It was, gods, I don’t even know.”

“You were mesmerizing. You do know that, right? I could barely contain myself when you came out in that sheer bra and then to watch you watching us in the mirror? Baby, that was my wildest dream come true.”

I blush, the memory of how he owned my body rushing back. “That was hot,” I whisper.

Rhodes dips his head to plant his mouth on mine, demanding and persistent as he swipes his tongue across my lips for entrance. He tastes like coffee and magic. His touch is a lighthouse guiding me home.

“And then the feel of your wet, desperate pussy strangling my cock? I could have fucked you all night with the way your body was made for mine.”

“I do wish,” I pause, unsure if saying what I want to say will ruin this somewhat soft moment. Rhodes looks at me, expectation in his eyes, and I can sense the words telling me to continue on the tip of his tongue. “I wish you would have, you know, ummm…”

Rhodes moves, draping his chest over my body, and plucks my coffee mug from my hand before rolling me on my back, straddling my hips. “You wish I would have, what?”

“Ro,” I cannot hide the squeak in my voice, “you know what I mean.”

“I want to hear you say it. Come on, kochanie . You can do it, baby. Say the words.”

I squeal, shaking my head against the pillows.

“What do you wish I would have done?”

I cover my mouth with one hand, mumbling the answer into my palm. Rhodes yanks my hand from my face, pinning both hands above my head, and I cannot hide. One of his eyebrows crooks upwards, making me roll my eyes. A dark look dances in his eyes, as if he wants to punish me for doing so. Maybe his palm wouldn’t be so bad coloring my ass. No, bad Amelia. You can’t want that yet—you only just had sex last night, you fiend.

“I wish you would have marked me as yours.” I slam my eyes shut, waiting for a reaction. I notice Rhodes’ weight shift, and then the gentlest pressure flutters on my eyelids, first the left, and then the right. It moves to the tip of my nose before moving to my jaw. I feel him by my ear, barely noticeable. Rhodes’ voice drops, lethal and full of gravel.

“Marked you? Is that what you want, pretty girl?” A dark chuckle dances on my skin. “Do you want me to fill you, Amelia?” His nose brushes the top of my ear. “Do you want to feel my cum leaking out of your cunt, my fingers swirling before shoving every last drop back into you?” His mouth nibbles along my jaw. “Because I want that, badly. Gods, I would love to see that.”

He straightens, considering me thoughtfully. “Are you on birth control? I don’t mind using condoms, but the thought of fucking you bare? Fuck me, kochanie .”

I reach for his face, my fingertips skimming his cheek. “I have an IUD, Rhodes. I’m okay if we don’t use a condom.”

“It wasn’t too much? I never want you to feel small or insignificant, Amelia.”

The fact that Rhodes cares this much about making sure I feel safe is everything I have ever dreamed of. “I love who you allow me to be.”

Those blue eyes darken and his jaw tenses as his nostrils flare. “I am taking you fast and hard later, Amelia Conte.” My heart races at the thought of Rhodes unleashed. My toes curl and I want his primal urges to take over. “But first, we need to talk about some of the less fun parts of yesterday.”

I groan, causing Rhodes to chuckle. I don’t want to revisit the shitshow yesterday was. Rhodes gets off my hips, resting against the headboard, and pats the space between his legs. I shuffle, nestling in that spot. I feel his hard abdomen against my back and Rhodes wraps me in his arms. I feel grounded and safe. Things I know I need to have the conversation that is coming.

“I don’t know what to do.” Rhodes doesn’t respond, but his grip tightens. “I was so embarrassed at that meeting. I never wanted that to be public knowledge.” I pull my lip between my teeth, leaning my head against his shoulder. “I don’t have much of a choice. If Medina and I don’t come to an agreement, if my hand is forced to kill him, it’ll mean war, Ro. The Mafia is built on such a delicate fault-line that one disruption could cause it to erupt into chaos.”

“And giving up your seat is out of the question, isn’t it?” I nod at his question, the gravity of my impending decision embedding itself into my bones. His touch is on my arm, soothing my frayed nerves. “If war were to break, where do the loyalties lie?” His question is in earnest, but if I’m honest, I don’t know the answer.

“There are no loyalties in war. It is every Family for itself. Alonzo Medina seems hell-bent on taking me out though. He damn near succeeded too.”

“I will not let anyone get close enough to kill you, Amelia.”

I scoff. “You can’t promise me that.”

“I don’t ever say something I don’t mean.” Rhodes’ chest rumbles, his voice has never been more resolute than it is now. “You have a sniper in your pocket now, baby.” I spin in his arms, facing him and I feel the furrow of my brow deepening.

“Rhodes.”

“Amelia.” He smooths my furrow with the tip of his thumb. “You will not lose your seat to the willy-nilly whim of a weak man. Not on my watch.”

My lips uptick at his description of Medina. Rhodes isn’t wrong, but I don’t like the idea of him being so close to the danger when I’ve only just begun loving him. I cannot lose him. It would destroy me. My phone rings, interrupting our peace. “It’s probably Duncan.” I whisper, hating the way our bit of joy has now been soured.

Rhodes gives me a gentle shove, his face playful. “Go rule the Underworld. I’ll be right here.”