Blood & Marriage (Dark Mafia Romance) Read online

  Santo slipped a hand into my tight dress, and I opened my eyes wider when I realized I wasn’t wearing a bra, since the dress provided enough support for my size. I worried over what he would think of that for only a second, because the lust that colored his face when he squeezed my naked breast made me imagine much more than kissing and touching. It made me imagine the cock, no doubt, hardening in his pants, and the way he’d stared at me at the pool, as if he’d wanted to eat me alive.

  What if someone comes looking for us? I wanted to ask, but couldn’t bring myself to spoil the moment with my worries. Santo had more experience than me in this. He’d take care of it somehow, like he took care of my breasts, touching them with the right amount of pressure to make my pussy twitch with excitement. I moaned into his mouth, rolling my hips so rapidly I raised him off me.

  I used to care that he’d know how attractive I found him, but I didn’t anymore.

  The smug smile on his face when he leaned down to kiss my nipple was no longer a nuisance, but an attractive feature, because I knew it preceded more pleasure.

  I whimpered when his thumb gently teased my clit and he sucked on the skin right next to my nipple, as if to leave a mark. I didn’t care how I would explain a hickey on my breast to Seth. I wanted Santo to never stop what he was doing.

  My world took a tumble when he pulled me down to the long leather couch and laid on top of me, already reaching for another kiss. I bucked against his hand when he slipped his fingers between my pussy lips and took a glance at my rapidly rising and falling chest. I worried that he’s probably seen breasts bigger than mine, but he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, more than eager to kiss me again.

  Just as I thought, he was heavy.

  And I loved it.

  Would he want me to touch his cock too? I kinda wanted to, but how was I supposed to tell him that?

  Breathless, I stretched under him, battling the uncontrollable urge to rock against his hand, which somehow felt a hundred times better than my own. It was unnerving to have so little experience when all I wanted was to make him want me more and never forget me.

  “You’re so hot,” Santo whispered as the rapid movements of his fingers made my moans louder. He nipped on my bottom lip, pushing me to the verge of pain before letting go.

  I squeezed his shoulders and moaned again. They were rock-solid with muscle. One of my legs slipped to the floor, and I opened up to him this way, but it made me shift under him, and there it was. I could feel it. The hardness of his cock pushing against my hip. Just thinking about it made me excited and afraid at the same time.

  I mewled and put my hand over my lips as Santo’s body slid lower, his lips trailing over my breasts, then down the stomach where my dress was folded like an accordion. I couldn’t breathe anymore. He was kneeling between my legs, and I spread them farther without thinking.

  All I could care about was how good it felt. He put me at ease with his confidence, and I wasn’t even embarrassed about a man seeing my pussy for the first time.

  And then he made me gasp.

  Santo grabbed my legs and hooked them over his shoulders. The pure excitement on his face fuelled my own.

  “I… I’m sorry, I needed to grow it out, because I was going to wax it before the wedding,” I babbled, only now remembering the regrowth. Would he think I was disgusting or unkempt? I wasn’t planning on anyone seeing me naked before my wedding night.

  Santo looked up at me with a chuckle, the arousal in his eyes pinning me to the seat. “Baby, I don’t fucking care,” he said and leaned in for a long lick between my pussy lips that sparked pleasure everywhere he touched.

  The sensation burned through my nerves, and my toes curled up so rapidly it hurt one of my feet. But I didn’t care, completely immersed in the sensation of his soft lips teasing me where I was most sensitive. The tip of his tongue moved in circles all around my clit but didn’t touch it, only fuelling the throbbing lust that overcame my whole body.

  I slid my fingers into his hair and rocked my hips against him, already imagining his cock pushing inside me, him hanging over me, stronger and more handsome than any man I knew.

  Santo’s fingers teasing the undersides of my thighs made me cry out, and he didn’t back away when I rocked my hips against his skillful mouth. His stubble teased my inner thighs and I couldn’t remember ever being this turned on. And weirdly enough, in the clutches of this dangerous man I felt as safe as ever.

  When his stiff tongue pushed into my opening, his stubbly top lip rubbed against my clit and I squirmed in the seat, biting my lips to not cry out. It was all becoming too much, I was on the brink of orgasm and couldn’t hold back any longer.

  I squeezed my breast with one hand and rocked my hips against his wonderful mouth until heat and frost washed all over me at the same time, making me tremble and whimper his name without even a bit of embarrassment. I was beyond caring.

  I went limp and drowsy right after it finished, but he was still holding my hips up, rubbing my flesh in his strong, rough fingers. Every breath I took still had a whiff of tobacco in it, and it made me long for Santo’s lips on mine.

  His licks now became longer and slower, finishing off what he’d already done.

  He ruined me for any man that was to come.

  “You’re so tasty,” he whispered and gave my pussy lips one more kiss before untangling himself from my legs. “So tender and juicy…” He crawled up my body, breathing hard and turning his attention to my breasts again, kneading them and rubbing his thumbs against my nipples.

  I was breathing heavily as the tension in my body slowly dispersed, replaced by an ever-growing anxiety. The bodyguard knew where Santo went, and if anyone noticed I was gone as well, this would be the first place to look. I must have been completely mad to have decided to do this.

  I pushed at his chest, enough to make him pull back and give me space to rearrange my dress. “So... I better go back. They will be looking for me,” I said, as I tucked my breasts back into the dress.

  Santo sat back on the floor and licked his lips, following me with his hungry gaze. “It won’t take much longer…” He cupped the front of his pants making me panic even more. I’ve already gone too far, no matter how much I wanted to see what he had in there.

  I backed away against the door, frantically slipping on the heels that had fallen from my feet who knew when. “That’s not...we didn’t agree on more than that,” I said, searching for the lock button. “And...the dress... I’ll give you the address of the store.”

  His shoulders sagged, and he groaned, looking at me like a wounded tiger. “Sure.”

  “Okay...see you soon,” I said, falling into the street as soon as I opened the door. One of my high heels caught against the rim of the door, but I managed not to sprain my ankle, and rested my back against the facade of the nearest building.

  Santo watched me from the open car, and I quickly pulled my dress lower, covering my bare ass before anyone else could see me in this state.

  Santo couldn’t find out how hard I was falling for him, or I would be doomed.

  Chapter 4

  It was so awkward to be alone with Santo after the thing we’d done during my bachelorette party. He was all dressed-up and composed as he waited for me by the car that would carry me away for good. As if nothing had happened.

  Mona kept her face steady, although the lack of makeup gave me a hint about what had been on her mind all night. I hugged her tightly, savoring the private moment as the maid put my luggage into the trunk of the limousine.

  “I’ll see you soon, all right? Maybe we can have some time out for just the two of us before the wedding,” I said, kissing her on the cheek.

  She studied our surroundings, as if to check if Father wouldn’t overhear. “You think there will be a lot of handsome guys at the wedding?”

  I frowned, taken aback. “If I were you, I’d wait until university,” I told her, squeezing her hands goodbye when Father gestured at me to come and
join him. I was looking at hours in only Santo’s and Father’s company, which would only lead to the main and most stressful event of the day--seeing my new home and meeting Seth Villani. My future husband.

  The clothes I’d chosen were just the right balance between what Father deemed acceptable and my own taste: a pencil dress in a pleasant lilac color, worn with a yellow jacket and white elbow-length gloves. It was retro, and turned me into an updated version of a perfect woman from the 1960s, but in my own heart, the smooth fabrics and expensive jewelry were like a shield to protect me from what was to come.

  I sat in the car and waved at Mona once more, only to watch the place I called home for eighteen years disappear when we drove off. Many of my things were still there, packed into neat boxes that would be sent to my new address once I settled in, and others—the ones I had already sent to the Villani residence—were most likely unpacked and tidily stored in wardrobes and drawers so that I’d feel at home as soon as I arrived.

  But I wouldn’t feel at home there for a long time—that was for sure.

  *

  After so many hours in the car, I was glad to hear we were finally approaching our goal. The mansion was surrounded by a tall limestone wall, and its gate—supervised by men, who seemed to be just sitting in the shadow to protect themselves from the sun, but I would’ve bet anyone they were armed to the teeth. I looked through the window at the immaculate garden full of flowers and palm trees as the car drove toward a huge villa with pale walls and wooden shutters.

  Would I get to see Seth before I got out of the car? Brace myself for the meeting itself for at least a few seconds? Would he try to shamelessly kiss me as Santo had, or would he be a gentleman and wait until our wedding day?

  “Don’t talk too much when we meet your father-in-law. There will be time for that later,” Father said, pulling me out of my thoughts, but it was difficult to focus when we’d almost arrived at the steps leading to the main door of the villa.

  The silence around me was deafening. I didn’t want to see Santo him sneer at my obedience, but I nodded anyway, cradling my little handbag closer. Despite the anxiety eating me up I wanted to be out of the vehicle more than anything. I reached for the handle as soon as the limousine stopped in front of the staircase leading up to the door.

  Father shook his head, so I stayed as I was, watching Santo exit and walk around the car. He was the one who could let me out, apparently, and as much as the sense of entrapment made my stomach clench, I still smiled and took his hand as I stepped into the sun.

  For a second, I worried I would wobble in my high heels on the bit of gravel in front of the steps, but Santo’s arm was like cast iron, and he didn’t let me lose balance.

  As soon as I was safe on the steps, I and smiled, desperate to make a good impression. I searched for any sign for which of the suited men would be my future husband. It couldn’t be the man my father was greeting, could it? That man was over fifty, surely.

  But when Santo led me up the stairs in silence, I finally realized to whom he was herding me, and my husband-to-be seemed just as nervous as I felt.

  Seth’s body language spoke of tension, even though he was a muscular bull of a man. He was sexy in the dark suit, which only emphasized how wide his shoulders were. He couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Santo.

  All eyes were on me when I approached him and finally stood on the same level as him. Santo was tall, but Seth…? I barely reached to his collarbones. Seth’s brows were gathered into a slight frown, and he licked his lips, making panic roll through my body like a typhoon. What if I wasn’t his type at all? What if instead of petite blondes, he liked voluptuous brunettes? I looked down when he gathered my hand in his, and mine was like a child’s when enclosed in his thick fingers. I wasn’t ready for this at all.

  Staring into my eyes with something that seemed like shyness, he kissed the back of my hand. Maybe he really was as nervous as I was and tried to make a good impression? Despite his remarkable size and roughish good looks, he acted like the perfect gentleman, so differently from Santo, who’d stolen a kiss from me without even being my intended.

  Maybe things would go well after all? I just needed to give it my best.

  Father chose this moment to comment that it seemed to him that we liked one another already. My cheeks went aflame.

  “Hi,” I said, trying to be as pleasant as possible.

  “Hi,” Seth said in a quiet, low voice that sounded like an invitation to bed. “Would you care to come inside?” he asked after a pause, and extended his arm to me, but that meant I had to let go of Santo, the slippery rock that had nevertheless supported me throughout the journey here.

  I nodded at Santo without glancing at him and let Seth walk me into the bright, spacious entrance hall, where used wine glasses filled trays, and the smoke made the air heavier than it should have been.

  The interiors were elegant and expensive, though fashionably understated, not too flashy. In this way, it reminded me of my former home, even though the house of my future father-in-law seemed larger, more grand.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” I said, unable to stand Seth’s silence anymore. He wasn’t even all that focused on me, as if something distracted him.

  The group of men surrounded us as we walked, a whole whirlwind of new faces that I needed to learn. I spotted a few women hanging out farther into the house, surely trying to get a glimpse of me.

  Seth turned toward me and finally smiled, which made him even more handsome. His eyes were a dark chocolate hue, his lips succulent enough for me to wonder how a kiss from him would taste. This was good. A husband like this would make me forget all about Santo.

  “You as well. Did you have a pleasant journey?”

  “Pleasant enough. It took so long that I’m glad to stretch my legs,” I said and gently petted his forearm. We walked into a sitting room where he led me to a small sofa by the coffee table. All eyes were sliding over me, scrutinizing every detail, my every move. The heat of Seth’s thigh against mine gave me goose bumps, but I kept my gaze on his face.

  Seth nodded, flushing slightly, and my chest swelled with the need to keep his attention. As long as he was absorbed by me, I wouldn’t have to deal with anyone else. “It feels like I’ve been waiting for this day forever.”

  My father, who sat across the coffee table with my future father-in-law, gave a jovial laugh. “Don’t be so nervous, Seth, she doesn’t bite.”

  I cleared my throat, embarrassed yet again. It would have been so much easier if it hadn’t been for all the other people there. My eyes darted to the back of the room, to a man in a sleek blue suit, whose pale eyes drilled into me with such intensity it made me uncomfortable. His gaze wouldn’t leave me even as I exchanged pleasantries with Seth’s father, and with wine soon on the table, we all made a toast for our future union.

  Seth poured himself much more wine than a glass should hold and drank it all too quickly. My stomach sank. Was he that unhappy to see me?

  He drank another glass when our fathers elaborated about us looking good together once more before proceeding to exchange comments about each of us, as if we weren’t within earshot. It was getting increasingly difficult to pretend it wasn’t all happening, so I was relieved when Father suggested Seth and I take a walk in the garden.

  Dino Villani, Seth’s father, smiled at me as if he weren’t a powerful mafia boss whom my family has worked with for years. “That is a good idea. I don’t want to bore your daughter to death.”

  I exhaled, trying to keep calm, but my eyes strayed to Santo, who watched me from a chair close to the open terrace doors, the glass of wine in his hand barely touched.

  Seth got up and gave me a hand after a moment’s hesitation. “The weather is especially nice for a walk today,” he said the most neutral thing that I’d heard in my entire life.

  We walked toward the terrace doors and it was unnerving to have all those eyes on me. My jacket wasn’t long enough to cover
my ass, and I could feel all the stares focused there when we walked away from the crowd of men. The pencil dress gave my walk a wiggle, but there was one pair of eyes I didn’t mind on me.

  “Quite chilly though. I’m happy I took my gloves. My fingers get cold easily,” I said, gently brushing them over Seth’s arm as we walked toward the French doors.

  “You look very elegant. My mother always liked to wear gloves to formal occasions. She was even buried in them, actually,” Seth said, making me go silent. Sure, I wanted to get to know him better, but this was a bit much.

  My skin crawled under the leather when I thought about myself buried in the white gloves. Before I knew it, I stumbled over the threshold and was saved only by Seth’s arm. In the corner of my eye, I saw Santo twitch as if he wanted to get up, but he stayed in the chair.

  Instead, I saw someone else following us. The-long haired man who had stared at me without the type of interest I usually got from men. But judging by his handsome symmetrical features and the perfect suit, he most likely had women fall into his lap. I remembered my mother telling me not to fall for the pretty ones. That they wouldn’t value me the same way an average man with a heart of gold would. Too bad I was already knee-deep in the sinking sands of Santo’s charm.

  The long-haired man stepped outside, walking a couple of steps behind us, but he stopped at the edge of the terrace at Seth’s father’s command.

  “Acerbi, get back here. We’re practically family anyway.”

  I tried not to look too relieved. So he was my fiancé’s bodyguard. It made some sense, considering Seth would be the future Don, but Santo’s words came back to haunt me. He told me Seth wasn’t the type of man who could protect me. And he never said that Seth wouldn’t want to. He said that Seth couldn’t, whatever that meant.

  I cleared my throat when Seth glanced over his shoulder, as if he missed his shadow already.