𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒
My gaze was glued to Vanessa as she made her way down the stairs. I knew I should let her leave, that I should back the hell off. But there was a very insistent idiot inside me who kept pushing me, gnawing at my goddamn spine to pursue her until I was buried balls deep inside her.
Everything about her triggered an uncontrollable animalistic urge in me to spread her legs and feel her pleasure gushing down my thighs. I wanted to make her shudder and scream. I wanted her clawing at my back as my cock forced her to come violently until all she could see were fucking stars.
I pushed my hand through my hair and took a deep breath, trying to convey the message to my cock that now was not the time to stand at fucking attention. There was more important shit right now than creaming some Italian princess's pussy.
I continued to watch Vanessa, my gaze moving to the exposed insides of her thighs as she took each step. The closer she got, the harder I got.
Seriously, I needed to focus. I needed to forget about this woman and the raging lust she managed to stir in my pants whenever she was near me. I needed to ignore this crazy, intense sexual attraction I had for her. But as she came within two feet of me, our eyes met, her dark irises telling me everything I was feeling was mutual.
Fuck this shit. I couldn't let her go. I needed more of her.
I reached out and grabbed her wrist. It all happened so damn fast that there was no time for her to fight the hold I had on her.
She yelped, and I dragged her behind me through the crowd, thinking I loved the way her hand felt in mine. Finally, we were around the corner out of sight, and the second her back hit the wall, her wild gaze locked onto mine. With one hand planted firmly against the wall above her shoulder, and the other hand gripping her elbow, I leaned in and brought my lips mere inches from hers.
"Mind telling me what's going on between you and Morello?"
"There's nothing to tell."
"Judging by what just happened, I'd say that's one hell of a lie."
Her delicious-looking mouth turned up into a tiny grin. "Detective Gunner, are you jealous?"
"No." Yes.
She bit her bottom lip, and I was about three seconds away from losing my shit and fucking her right there against the damn concrete wall, giving a whole new meaning to kinky exhibitionism.
Vanessa arched her back, bringing her chest closer to me, and not even God himself could stop my gaze from dropping to her cleavage. Two full, round, beautiful pieces of flesh pushed up from her dress, giving me a glimpse of what lay hidden beneath. Now I was the one biting my lip since I couldn't help thinking about what it would feel like to push my cock through that slit between her tits.
"You're staring." She stated the obvious.
"I am."
"At my breasts."
"Yes." I didn't even try to deny it. She could have punched me in the face for my brutal honesty, but I didn't care. It would so be worth it.
"James?"
I tore my gaze away from those glorious globes of perfection, and her dark chocolate eyes locked onto mine. "What are you doing, James?"
"You know what I'm doing."
"You should stop."
"Why?"
She let out a breath. "Because it's wrong." My lord, was she right?
"Says who?" I found myself groaning.
"Says me," she breathed.
I dropped my hand to her hip and squeezed slightly. "Vanessa, you can't tell me you don't feel it too."
She lifted her chin. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
I tightened my grip some more. "So, your pulse isn't racing right now with me standing this close to you?"
"No." She swallowed. Liar.
I slowly dragged my hand from the curve of her hip, up the side of her body. I felt the way she trembled under my touch. "Tell me your body isn't screaming for me to touch you right now."
"You are already touching me," she replied softly.
"I am. But you and I both know this isn't the only way you want me to touch you." I pressed my cheek against hers as I brought my lips to her ear. The sound of her laboured breathing filled my ears, the warmth flitting across my neck. "Tell me, Vanessa. Tell me how you want to be touched."
Her entire body shuddered against mine, and I wished we weren't surrounded by people because I'd make her scream and moan along with all that shuddering.
Vanessa moved her cheek against mine, and it was my turn to shudder as the soft feel of her skin made me want to lose all control.
"Why don't you tell me how you want to touch me, Detective?" Her lips brushed against my ear. Good God, it was like a hurricane collided with a tornado, storming through my insides as I envisioned myself touching her exactly the way I wanted to, the way I needed to.
Without giving it a second thought, I grabbed her hands and pinned them harshly against the wall above her head. The music was pulsing, people dancing and singing, and the smell of sweat and sex swirling around us, causing the sexual desire between us to skyrocket.
She looked up at me, and I swore to God I felt her hips move. It was the slightest of movements, but I felt it nonetheless, and it was enough to make me groan in the back of my throat.
I rolled my hips, giving her the smallest feel of what I knew her body craved. "Once I start, there's not an inch of this perfect body of yours that will remain untouched." And that was God's truth. I wanted to experience every bit of her, feel every part of her body against mine.
Taking both her wrists in one hand, I glided the other down her side until I felt the curve of her hip. "I want to touch you until you beg me to stop because your body can't handle the burn anymore."
The softest of moans rolled over her lips and across my earlobe. I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Vanessa? For me to set your body on fire?"
She pushed her chest harder against mine, her breasts firmly pressed against me. Her lips moved against my cheek as she said, "My body is already on fire, Detective."
Jesus Christ. My hand slipped over her hip and down her ass. A deep, guttural moan escaped me when I dug my fingers into her flesh, pushing her harder against my now raging hard-on.
"Let me have you, Vanessa." It was a goddamn plea. I'd happily go on my fucking knees if it meant I could spread her goddamn legs. And if any man tried to stop me, so help me God.
𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒
I let go of Vanessa's wrists, wanting to cup her other firm ass cheek, needing to push her harder against me. Her hands fell to my shoulders, and she slowly weaved her fingers through the hair at the back of my neck. Every inch of my body was electrified, ready to consume this woman in every way imaginable.
Both of us were breathing rapidly, and I almost lifted her off her feet as I gripped her ass harder, tighter between my fingers. We were both already lost-lost at the moment, lost in each other. The harder I pressed against her, the tighter she gripped my hair. I couldn't stop myself from moving my hips, grinding my cock against her, wishing we were naked. Dry humping was never my style.
"James," she moaned softly against my cheek, but it sounded more like a plea.
"I want you, Vanessa. I want you so bad it's almost impossible to fucking breathe right now." I leaned back, ready to finally taste her. To feel her lips against mine as I claimed her mouth with vehement strokes of my tongue. I didn't even care that Enzo and Antonio were nearby. All I cared about was her, feeling her, having her, claiming her-fucking caging her.
I wanted her.
I needed her.
I craved her.
And I would fucking have her.
She lifted her chin, and I leaned down, ready to have my first taste of Vanessa Bologna. So close, I could feel her warm breath against my wet lips.
She paused, our lips barely touching.
"We can't do this," she whispered, and I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to throw her over my shoulder, spank her, and kidnap her to a place where I could be buried inside her twenty-four-seven.
Vanessa placed her hands on my chest and looked down. "I can't do this with you, James. Not with you."
Goddammit!
"Vanessa."
She nudged lightly against my chest. "I'm sorry. I have to go." Then she slipped away, leaving me to rest my head against the cold, hard wall.
Jesus Christ. I could hardly catch my goddamn breath, leaning like a loser against the wall with an aching cock the size of fucking Japan. What is the name of the ever-loving fuck just happened? I lost it. I completely lost myself...in her. It was insane, it was stupid, it was reckless...and it sure as hell needed to happen again.
When I finally managed to grab a shred of control, I turned and took a deep breath. That was when I saw him-Enzo Morello standing a few feet away, looking freaky as shit while he stared at me. Did he see what happened between Vanessa and me? How long had he been standing there in the shadows like a fucking vampire?
An epic stare-off took place between us for what seemed like ages before he finally shot me an arrogant grin and walked off.
Whatever the fuck that was, it sure as shit wasn't good.
*****
𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀
The half-hour trip home felt like it lasted half a day. The silence was excruciating. Even Daniel, who couldn't go ten minutes without talking, was eerily quiet the entire way. It didn't take a genius to know Antonio was busy simmering, building and building to full-blown rage.
He hated Enzo. He hated all the Morellos. I never fully understood the rivalry between us and them. But ever since the Morellos moved into town, our families were at each other's throats. I once heard my dad tell Antonio that Morellos threatened our family business. I never asked exactly what kind of business. I didn't want to know. All I knew was he wasn't referring to the family restaurant.
I glanced at Antonio sitting in the front passenger seat. Daniel and I had kept my sordid secret for as long as we could. But after tonight, it was all about to get cracked wide open.
It didn't have to be spelt out for Antonio to figure out there was a kind of history between me and Enzo. God, I hated myself. I hated myself for ever falling for Enzo's lies. For being so naïve and stupid I believed a man like him could have a good side-a heart. If I had been stronger, I would have spared myself all those long nights of crying, not to mention the embarrassment.
I leaned my head against the window and watched the city lights forming a straight line of yellow as Daniel sped down the streets. This was supposed to be his night, his birthday. And now, because of me, it was ruined. It wasn't even midnight yet, and we were already on our way home. Probably not what my brother had in mind for his birthday celebration.
"I'm sorry, Daniel," I muttered, not lifting my head off the window.
"Sorry, Daniel?" Antonio sneered. "You're apologizing to Daniel?"
I lifted my head and looked at him while he stared out his passenger-side window. "Who should I be apologizing to?"
Finally, Antonio turned in his seat and looked at me. "How about the entire damn family?"
I scoffed. "For what?"
He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. For embarrassing the family. For putting the family name to shame."
"Antonio, stop," Daniel chimed in, but I leaned forward and placed my hand on his shoulder.
"No, it's okay." I glared at Antonio.
"Tell me, dear brother, what is it that you think I did that put our family name to shame?"
"Please, Vanessa. It was pretty clear what happened between you two. And the cop? You're fooling around with a cop? Do you feel so little for our family values, for our rules?"
And that was the moment I finally lost it.
"Our family values? Our rules? You mean your rules. Your and Dad's rules."
"Rules that were put in place for our protection."
"Protection from what?"
"From our enemies," he snapped.
"Our enemies? I'm sorry, Antonio, but how the hell did your enemies become mine?"
"You carry the Bologna name, Vanessa." He raised his voice, his dark eyes wild with anger. "You are a part of this fucking family, so that makes you a part of everything."
"You see, that's exactly it. I don't want to be a part of all this. I don't want any part in the family business which is causing this war between us and the Morello's."
Antonio glared at me. "Well, you don't have a fucking choice."
"And that's exactly why I've tried to get as far away from this family as possible for the last four years. Everywhere I go, I'm nothing more than a mafia princess, the big boss's daughter, and the little sister of a Bologna underboss. I want my own goddamn life, to live by my own rules, but thanks to all of you, I will never be able to do that."
I didn't even realize I was practically screaming out that last part until I noticed Antonio staring at me as I had morphed into a three-headed alien.
Maybe I had. But I didn't give a shit.