Mafia Crown: Standalone Enemies to Lovers Romance, page 12
"Why don’t you sit down in that chair and I’ll help you out of your clothes?"
He doesn’t protest and I shoot him a sideways glance. His face is paler, his cheekbones more pronounced. He has his gaze fixed on the chair. He seems to be slowing down with each step, but we finally make it to the chair. He lowers himself into it with a sigh, then leans his head back and closes his eyes. I undo the buttons of his shirt.
"Lean forward," I murmur.
He obliges me without complaint, and once more, I rake my gaze across his face. His eyes are closed, his breathing labored. Clearly, he is in pain. I push his shirt off of his shoulders, then reach for his sweat pants. "Uh, you’ll need to lift your hips so I can help you out of these."
I pull his sweat pants down and his thick cock swings free. He sinks back down into the chair and I pull his sweats completely off. He places his head against the back of the chair, and his chest rises and falls. Moisture gleams across his shoulders and slides down the demarcation of his pecs. It slips down his sculpted chest, around his belly button, and catches on the trimmed hair at the base of his cock. My mouth waters, and before I can give myself the chance to change my mind—after all, I’m already down here—I wrap my fingers around his shaft and it jumps in my grasp.
"What are you doing?"
I tip up my chin to find him staring down at me. His blue gaze is direct as he surveys my features. Without breaking the connection, I lick my tongue around the crown his dick.
He draws in a harsh breath, but otherwise, there’s no change of expression on his face. I lick the slit on the head and his nostrils flare. I close my mouth around his shaft and his gaze intensifies. I tilt my head, take in as much of the length as I can. He buries his fingers in my hair and tugs. Pinpricks of pain radiate across my scalp. My nipples tighten. My core clenches. He tugs on my hair so I am forced to pull back until the head of his cock is poised between my lips. Then he pushes forward and his dick slides down my throat. I gag and tears squeeze out of the corners of my eyes.
"Why is it that seeing your tears turn me on so?" he murmurs, almost to himself. As if to punctuate his words, his shaft thickens, filling my mouth. I force myself to relax my jaw as he begins to fuck my mouth in earnest. Of course, with Axel, even a blowjob is not something he’ll allow me to give him. He has to be in control, even here.
I balance myself with one hand on his thigh as he pulls me forward. His dick slides down my throat. I draw in the dark, musky scent of his and moisture laces my core. My pussy throbs and my lower belly clenches. I dig my fingernails into his thighs and glance up at him. His gaze is intense as he speeds up. His chest planes flex, his shoulder muscles knot, and the tendons of his throat move as a growl rips from him. His hold in my hair tightens, his cock pulses and he comes, shooting his warmth down my throat. He seems to come and come until his cum fills my mouth. I try to swallow, but it overflows from the corners of my lips.
He pulls out, then hauls me up and fixes his mouth on mine. His lips clash with mine and he licks his arousal off of my mouth. He thrusts his tongue in between my lips and sucks from me. He kisses me so deeply, so intensely, my head spins. I plaster myself to his chest, throw my arms around his neck as I push myself into him.
The room seems to tilt and I open my eyes to find he’s on his feet again. I try to protest, but he doesn’t release my mouth. He carries me to his bed, places me on the mattress and follows me down. He pulls me to him as he continues to kiss me. My head spins. Darkness flickers at the edges of my vision. When he finally releases me, I gasp. Oxygen rushes into my lungs, and I sink back into the pillow.
We stare at each other and something seems to shift. He cups my cheek, brings me in for another kiss. His lips touch mine. He shares my breath but doesn’t deepen the kiss further. He brushes his mouth against mine as if learning it’s outline all over again. He leans in closer until his thighs touch mine, his hips cradle mine, his chest brushes against my breasts. My nipples tighten and one side of his lips curves. He pushes a strand of hair away from my temple. "I am not sorry I took your virginity," he whispers.
"I don’t want you to be sorry that you took my virginity," I reply.
"I don't want you to leave this house without telling me."
"Okay," I whisper.
"When the household staff told me that you left with Seb, I was sure that I was going to kill him."
"And now?"
"I’m sure I’m going to kill him."
I chuckle. "I just needed to get away from here," I explain. "When I saw you with that…that woman—"
"You mean Sheena?" He smirks.
"Whatever," I huff, "when I realized that she was going to help you bathe—"
"She didn’t."
"Oh?" I blink.
"I asked her to leave right after you did."
"Oh," I glance away, "but you meant to convey the impression—"
"That she was going to help me shower and more, yes."
"So did she?" I turn my gaze on him. "Did she help you shower and more."
"Already told you. I asked her to leave right after you. She’s only my physiotherapist; nothing more, so you don’t need to be jealous about her."
"Who says I am jealous about her?"
His smirk widens, "It’s cute when you deny the emotions that are written all over your face."
"They are not."
"They are." He wraps his fingers around my neck and a shiver runs down my spine.
"When you get this...assertive, it turns me on," I whisper.
"I know," he replies with such confidence that I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"Jeez is there anything that you are not sure about?" I ask.
"Myself. I am never sure how I am going to react around you." He increases the pressure around my throat and a thrill grips me. My breasts seem to swell and my thighs tremble.
"Axel," I protest, "you need to rest."
"I’ll rest when I am dead."
I frown. "That’s not funny. When that bullet hit you and you crumpled to the ground, I thought my heart would stop beating."
"You did?" He presses his thumb into the base of my throat where my pulse beats rapidly. "You didn’t even know me then."
"I knew that you had stepped in front of me and taken the bullet meant for me. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me. Speaking of," I touch the bandage on his temple, "don’t you need to change this bandage?"
"It’s waterproof."
"Oh." I lower my hand and place my palm against where his heart beats in his chest. He leans in and presses his lips to my forehead. A warmth squeezes my chest.
"What was that for?" I murmur, then yawn.
"That was to show you," he kisses the tip of my nose, "I am not a complete asshole," he presses a soft kiss to my lips, "and I do have it in me to be tender," he presses a kiss to my chin, "on occasion."
He leans back and glances into my face.
"I know you are not as much of an alphahole as you pretend to be," I murmur.
"Alphahole?" He chuckles. "I like it. You may refer to me as alphahole, from now on."
I yawn again, "I should have known that you would take that as a compliment."
"If the shoe fits," he raises a shoulder as he draws me onto his chest.
"Aren’t you supposed to be recuperating? Won’t I hurt you if I put my weight on you? Isn’t it better if—"
"Hush," he tucks my head under his chin, "sleep now."
I open my mouth to protest, and instead, end up yawning again. Sleep tugs at the edges of my conscious mind. I close my eyes and am instantly asleep. When I wake up, I am alone in his bed and naked.
What the—? Did he carry me to bed? Is he strong enough to do that already? Clearly, he's almost fully recovered.
I glance around the room and find it empty. It’s only the indentation in the pillow next to me that indicates that someone else had occupied the same bed as me.
I swing my legs over the side, grab the bathrobe from where it had been thrown down next to the bed and shrug it on before heading to my room to freshen up. Finally, I discard the bathrobe, step into my jeans and shrug into a sweater. I pull on thick socks, then my trainers, before I head out of my room. When I peek inside Sheena’s room, then Axel’s, I find them both empty.
I head down the flight of steps, and toward the study, which is the only room I haven’t been to before. The sound of voices reaches me as I near the doorway.
"What are your intentions with Theresa?"
18
Axel
"Intentions?" I lean back into the couch.
I had woken up at the crack of dawn, knowing I needed to start exercising again. Theresa had been curled into my side. I had carried her to bed last night and she had hardly weighed anything. Still, by the time I had reached the bed, I was exhausted.
She slept with her head on my chest and her leg flung over me, her cheeks flushed and her eyelashes a dark fan over her cheeks. Her breathing had been steady and she had seemed at peace. I had reached out to touch her face then stopped myself. I do not do tenderness. I do not want to feel this drawn to her. She’s simply a woman who happens to be a welcome distraction while I work to get my strength back.
Yeah, sure. That’s why I hadn’t been able to stop myself from taking her virginity. Or from holding her later in bed. That’s why I had held her all night as she’d slept. There is something between, us no doubt about that. Already, my feelings toward her are softening. Already, I find myself wanting to kiss her again before I crawl between her thighs and feast on her luscious pussy, right before I thrust into her sopping wet channel and fuck her so hard, she’ll never want to be with any other man again. What the fuck? Since when had I begun to feel this possessive about her?
It’s best that I get away from her and try to find perspective. And that’s why I had managed to withdraw my arm from under her neck, then pulled away from her. She’d stirred and I had frozen. She had settled down and I had swung my legs over the side of the bed. After pulling on some clothes, I had felt steadier and much stronger as I had made my way to the door. Guess that’s what a night of uninterrupted sleep with no nightmares can do to you. And the sex had helped too. My arms and legs had felt limber and my mind had been clear as I had headed down the corridor. I had reached the exercise room and started in on my daily routine.
By the time I had finished working out Massimo had made an appearance. He'd informed me that Michael and the rest of the Sovranos were waiting to meet me in the study. I had wanted to tell him to fuck off, but hell, I do need their help. So, I had agreed to meet them.
I’d taken my time showering and getting changed, being careful not to disturb her. Just because I was going to be agreeable didn’t mean I had to rush to follow their orders. With a last look at the sleeping Theresa I had walked down to meet them, by which time nearly half an hour had passed.
To Michael’s credit, when I had walked into the room, he hadn’t seemed angry or upset. If anything, he had seemed to be in a particularly good mood as I had prowled over to the settee. He had leaned back in his chair, and as soon as I was seated, he had asked me what my intentions were with Theresa.
Now I hold his gaze as I fold one leg over my other knee. "That’s why the lot of you have come here? To ask me about my personal life?"
It’s Massimo who answers from his perch by the fireplace, "Firstly, you are our brother, so it means, yes, all of us are concerned about your personal life."
"And even more so when it seems to concern a person under our protection," Adrian adds as he leans back against the wall by the window.
The brothers are stationed at various points around the study. It might seem casual to an untrained observer, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they have taken up positions such that they cover all of the exit points in the room. Add to that, the meathead standing guard outside the door, and if I were to try to leave now, they’d definitely stop me. Not that I am going to attempt that particular move. And not only because I am not yet back to full strength. I am curious about their interest in Theresa. They seem to treat her like she is their younger sister or their ward.
"Vowed to protect?" I tilt my head, "Is that why Seb, here," I jerk my chin in his direction, "decided to take her out without informing me?"
"Informing you, huh?" Seb smirks. "Who is she to you that you need to be informed about her every move?"
"I am her—" I open my mouth, then shut it.
"You are her?" Michael’s smile widens. "Go on, I am listening."
"She is someone I protected once already with my life," I point out.
"An action which you claim you don’t even remember taking."
"It’s not a claim," I say through gritted teeth, "I still don’t remember the events of that day."
"Fine," Michael raises his hands, "I’ll grant you that. All the more reason I have to wonder why it is you have taken such an interest in Theresa."
My muscles stiffen. "Question is, why is it that all of you are so interested in Theresa?"
"Xander cared for her," Seb growls, "so she is under our protection."
"And I’d never let anything happen to her," I counter.
"We agreed to have her move in under the same roof as you, only because it’s easier to guard both of you this way," Seb walks toward me. "It’s why, when she called, I agreed to accompany her to Venom."
"Venom? You took her to a nightclub?"
"Relax, it's owned by us," Seb drawls.
"I don't give a fuck who owns it. Who gave you permission to take her to a nightclub?"
"We definitely don’t need your permission for that," Michael smirks, "unless, of course, you are telling us otherwise?"
"Otherwise?" I scowl. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, I don’t know. The way you are going all possessive over her, makes me wonder if you haven’t got more of a vested interest in her?" Massimo retorts.
I lean back in my couch. "I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. I have no interest in her."
"Hmm," Luca’s brows draw down, "the way you were eyeing her up seemed to indicate there was more than just a passing interest at your end."
I tilt my head. "I admit, when I regained consciousness and realized what I had done, it intrigued me. I am not the kind of man who’d take a bullet for anyone else, let alone a woman I don’t know at all. It made me wonder why I had reacted so. It’s the only reason I asked for her to be moved here to the same place as me. Also, I hoped that seeing her would help me regain the missing bits of my memory, but other than that?" I glance between the brothers, "Nope, I have no interest in her."
"So, you won’t mind if we decide to find a suitable match for her from within the Cosa Nostra?" Seb drawls.
Motherfucker. Every muscle in my body tenses. My shoulders knot. I glare at Seb, and his grin widens.
"Well?" he asks. "Since you are not interested in her, you won’t mind if we secure her future, right?"
I glower at him. My stomach knots. My guts feel like they have been put through a wringer. I force my muscles to unwind, one at time, unclench my fingers, then jerk my chin, "Nope, I don’t mind at all."
"But I do," her voice rings out. I turn to doorway as Theresa walks into the room. Her features are pale, her back erect. "What I very much mind is my future being discussed when I am not in the room."
She pauses next to Michael.
"Do I not have a say in my own life?" She tips up her chin at him. "As Xander’s brother, I expected that you’d, at least, give me the choice in who I want to spend the rest of my life with."
"Of course, it’s your choice," Michael rises to his feet, "but you can’t blame us for being worried about you. We loved Xander and we know that he’d want you to be happy."
"And I know what will make me happy."
"You do?" Michael’s brow furrows.
She nods. "I know who I want to marry, and it’s someone Xander would have approved of."
Michael holds her gaze. The silence stretches. The hair on the nape of my neck rises. It can’t be. Surely not. She wouldn’t go there, would she?
I glare at her, but she keeps her gaze averted from mine.
"Who is it?" Seb finally inquires. "Who is this person who you want to marry?"
My heart begins to race. The pulse pounds at my temples. No fucking way, is she going to do this. Oh, no. I rise to my feet just as she turns and points a finger at me.
"Him," she says in a clear voice, "I want to marry him."
Theresa
"The fuck?" He glares at me, "What did you say?" He clenches and unclenches his fingers, in what I realize is a nervous tic. He takes a step toward me and Luca grabs his shoulder.
"Let me the fuck go." Axel tries to shake him off, but Luca holds onto him.
"What the fuck did you say?" Axel glowers at me.
"Watch it," Luca says in a hard voice.
"No, you watch it," Axel seizes Luca’s collar.
Luca’s features contort, he pulls back his fist, and my heart slams into my chest.
"Wait," I close the distance to them, "stop, Luca, please," I twist my fingers together, "Please don’t hurt him."
The two glare at each other, then Luca lowers his fist.
The breath rushes out of me. The adrenaline drains out of me somewhat as I turn to Axel, "I… I owe you an explanation."
"You think?" Axel says through gritted teeth, "Tell them you didn’t mean what you said."
I hesitate.
Axel’s brows draw down.
"Do you know what you are doing?" he says in a low voice.
No, I don’t. It’s why I am standing here, trying to break up a fight between two grown men who, individually, are twice my weight, at least. A chuckle bubbles up and I clamp my lips together. I am not going to get hysterical. I am not.
"Theresa," his tone hardens, "you don’t want to do this."
"Stop threatening her," Luca scowls at him, "and give her a chance to complete what she’s saying."
