"You must be joking!"
"I never joke about business," I answered, keeping my tone even.
"Oh. My. God. The arrogance. The deal you coerced me into. You drugged me. Remember?" she snorted.
"Let me think," I said, rubbing my index finger across my chin. "Only after you pulled a gun on me. I have to wonder if you've even shot a weapon before."
She shifted her gaze, drilling me with her eyes. "You're maddening, Michael or Kelan or whatever name you want to go by. You're exactly like everything I tried to get away from. Brutal. Uncaring. Vile."
"Ah, you didn't like the wealth, sweetheart?" She seemed like a girl who'd been pampered her entire life, but I could see a grittiness about her, a desire that was similar to mine. Maybe what I'd been led to believe about her was wrong.
"Fuck you! I'm not your sweetheart! I would rather be picked clean by birds and fry in hell first." Her face flushed, a light sheen appearing on her skin.
And damn if she wasn't the sexiest woman alive. The fire burned deep within me, embers ignited. I wanted nothing more than to devour her, but information was vital.
"Shit. I'm nobody's sweetheart. No man would ever want me, not the real me." She took a swig of her drink then moved to her feet, purposely avoiding me. "Since you seem to know everything, answer me this. Do you know what it's like to grow up in a family where everyone in your city knows who your father is and is terrified of him? You spend more time alone because kids are frightened of pissing you off."
I laughed, lifting my glass. "I know that life very well, the loneliness, the bitterness at not fitting in."
Francesca walked toward the back door, peering out at the pool. "On top of everything, I was the ugly duckling, my sister the beautiful and sophisticated one in the family."
I hadn't read she had a sister.
"You are very beautiful," I said in a casual manner. My libido was increasing along with my hunger.
She gave a half laugh. "Well, I blossomed, as my father would say. Lucky me. Whether you want to believe this or not, I came to America to get away from all the violence and bloodshed. I wanted a new life, to be nobody special. You know, able to get a cup of coffee all by myself or go to the movies or dancing with friends. I wanted to make choices for myself, not to have them placed on a silver platter. I guess I was a fool. You can never run away from who you truly are." "That's a nice soliloquy. Then why did you agree to marry Vincenzo?" She and I were very much alike.
"Because my father asked, pleaded actually. An honor to the family. The old ways of the Borgata." She allowed her Italian accent to filter in, the lilt beautiful.
I wanted to ask her about her sister but decided to find out what I could myself.
"You're certain you can trust your father? Perhaps he was selling his daughter to the highest bidder."
Snapping her head in my direction, the look on her face was one of utter hatred. She stormed toward me, her chest rising and falling. The hard slap on my face wasn't startling. The truth was, her vehemence turned me on. "How fucking dare you! My father is above reproach. Don't you ever say anything vile about him." She reared back her arm as if to smack me again.
I grabbed her hand, twisting it until she yelped. "And don't you ever hit me again, princess. I'm not one of your boys that you can lead around."
"Boys? You're certainly not a man. Taking a woman without her permission. Stealing her away from everything she cares about."
"You didn't seem to mind when you climaxed several times." I took deep breaths, drawing her closer. When she tossed the drink in my face, I had to admit that I was honestly surprised. The girl had gumption. Yanking the glass from her hand, I smashed both against the fireplace, savoring the sound of the broken glass as I pushed her toward the wall. "You're no longer in charge of anything, Francesca."
"Fuck you. I hate you for all that you've done!"
Pushing her back, I wrangled her arms over her head, grasping both wrists into one hand, using the crushing weight of my body to keep her in place. "I think I saved you from hell." My mouth hovered dangerously close to hers, my heated breath skipping across her face.
She struggled, wiggling in my hold even as she pushed her hips against mine. "You're the only thing I consider hell."
I captured her mouth, unable to think clearly as the passion erupted. I longed for the woman, craved the feel of her naked body pressed against mine. I wanted nothing more than to drive my cock deep inside, fulfilling her every fantasy. I was crazed with lust, my needs overwhelming any rational concepts or thoughts. Fuck the rest of the world. Fuck the predicament we were in. I would have her.
I thrust my tongue inside, dominating her in every manner as I rubbed my throbbing cock against her tight tummy. I'd stolen her breath, stripped her away from her inhibitions and was ready to consume her.
She moaned into the kiss, still struggling yet yielding to me. I gripped her chin, my fingers digging into her cheek. All I could think about was that she belonged to me. I'd become the savage I'd shoved aside, a man with a desperate need to taste the forbidden fruit. My mind was foggy as I swiveled my hips back and forth, finally letting up on the kiss and nipping her bottom lip.
Francesca continued to fight, maneuvering her body until she was almost able to knee me in the groin.
Almost.
I slipped one hand to her throat, squeezing until she acquiesced, her eyes still full of fury.
"You can't fight this any more than I can." I had the pulse of her life in my hands, my fingers digging into her soft skin, but I was no killer, at least not of a beautiful woman. I eased off the pressure, rubbing my fingers across her voluptuous lips.
"No. Stop. I just..." Her cries waned, her entire body sagging as I jerked at her tee shirt, brushing my hand underneath to squeeze her breast. Nothing had ever felt so good. I allowed my fingers to toy with her, swirling around her already taut nipple, my body shaking as the adrenaline skyrocketed. Nothing about this was right or acceptable, but I no longer cared.
I growled as I shifted her head back, dragging my tongue along the underside of her mouth then down to her chin. Her eyes were closed, her mouth pursed as I nipped her neck, relishing in the sweet flavor of her skin. I pinched her nipples, twisting and pulling until she moaned, the whimper turning into a ragged purr.
"Please..."
"Please fuck you? Please lick you? Please whip you? I'll be happy to do that and much more."
"I... Just..." She sagged against me as I shifted my hand past the waistband of her shorts, allowing my fingers to dance along her tummy before sliding them underneath.
The moment I touched her clit, sliding a single finger up and down her wet pussy, her knees almost buckled. And still she fought, undulating her body, every sound driving me crazy. The hunger was off the charts, my blood pressure high.
I yanked at her shorts, jerking them down and cupping her mound. The heat was incredible, further fueling the already combustible fire. This woman had broken through every barrier, driving me to the man I'd fought against for so long.
But no more.