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Jesus. It was just Stefan anyway. Nobody liked Stefan.
I knew what this was. I was a Russo. We wanted what we couldn’t have, and what I couldn’t have was Elena Abelli in my bed just one damn time.
“Yankees or Mets?” Adriana had poured all the salt out of the shaker and was now drawing caricatures in it. “Red Sox,” I responded dryly.
“Some friendly advice,” I said without turning around. “Might get the fuck out of here if I were you.”
“The girl that just came in here?” I gave my head a shake. “Wrong girl, David.” Gas splashed a shelf of postcards.
My papà used to have a saying: Non può provare il dolce chi prima non ha provato l'amaro. It was a way of telling me there was no room for regrets in this world, that a man had to taste the bitter before he could taste the sweet.
I wanted her sister. In my bed. Against the wall. On her knees. I’d involuntarily gone over what it would take to get out of the contract, knew exactly what I would do. My family was known for breaking agreements—it was what got my papà killed, in fact. Not the best incentive, but I didn’t fear the Abellis. Didn’t fear anything at all, honestly, which would probably be the cause of my eventual demise.
I wanted Elena Abelli, and starting a feud just so I could have her was beginning to sound less and less like a bad idea every time she was near.
I would have fucked her up against an alley wall, and I had a tenacious feeling it wouldn’t have been enough. It was the Russo blood in me. It wanted what it wanted, and fuck everything else.
“I swear to God, Elena, if I find out you’ve let some man touch you, I will deliver his hands to you in a box.” I swallowed. “And I do not. Fucking. Bluff.”
I wanted to fuck her and ruin her for anyone else. I wanted to crush her wings and then put them back together again so she’d become dependent on me. I wanted her to need me. That dark, possessive, and dangerous feeling crawled through me every time she crossed my path.
Elena Abelli was my vice, and fuck if I’d let it kill me.
“I’m growing tired of you not showing me the respect a don is due,” he bit out. “And I’m fucking tired of men!”
“Sounds beautiful,” I commented. “I would love to see it.” “See what?” My shoulders tensed at Nicolas’s deep voice behind my back. “My cabin in Colorado,” Christian responded, while I said, “None of your business,” at the same time. “You sound angry, Elena.” Nicolas’s voice was tainted with something dangerous. “Maybe you should cool off.” My brows knitted. “What? No—” I never got to finish what I had to say. Because, with one hand on my side, Nicolas pushed me into the pool.
“I said I’ll never hurt you, Elena, but if I find out you’ve touched another man, there is nothing in this world that could save him.”
“I’m not going to run away.” I did that once and it wasn’t liberating; it was the biggest mistake I’d ever made. His gaze was a lit match in a pitch-black room. “There’s nowhere you could go that I couldn’t find you.”
“I’m not your wife yet,” I told him. “Semantics.” He glanced at my pink cheeks. “I’ve never seen a woman in the Cosa Nostra blush until you.”
“I don’t need to keep you a secret, Elena,” he said, going to tend to his pan on the stove. “I just don’t have the patience to listen to what people think I should do with what’s mine.”
“Tell me,” Sebastian said, “why did you do it?” A heavy silence took over, and my chest tightened at Nico’s cavalier tone. “He had something I wanted.”
She was mine. And I’d kill anyone who told me otherwise.
“Jesus, you’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I’ve never fucked a woman without a condom.” He nuzzled my neck. His voice was warm and smooth, but his teeth were clenched. “And I’m afraid you’ve just created a monster.”
“You take it so good,” he praised.
“Who fucks you?” he growled. I shivered. “You do.”
I would rather never fall in love at all than to experience it unrequited.
I had to get out of this goddamned house before I did something stupid, like demand she forget every man she’d ever met but me.
Fuck, she was the best lay I’d ever had. A chill ran down my back from the thought of it.
And I had a bad, bad feeling that if this girl used the word please, I would give her anything she wanted.
“I’m gonna take a wild guess. It was the little pink princess that pissed you off and ruined my night.”
“You’re backing out?” “That’s what I said.” My heart threatened to beat out of my chest. Nico took a step toward my papà. “You want to know how to start a war with me, Salvatore? This would be how to do it.”
“You smell so good,” he rasped. His scruff tickled my neck as he trailed downward past my collarbone and then pressed his face into my breasts. “And fuck, these tits.” I sighed, my hands running down his chest. “My nonna said you only want to marry me for my boobs.” “Not true.” I felt him smile against my skin. “This too.” I yelped at the sharp smack on my ass.
Jesus, I didn’t think I’d fucked another woman since I’d met this girl. Truthfully, I was pretty sure I was obsessed, and I didn’t give a single fuck about it anymore.
“If you want to sit around and talk about me fucking your sister, be my guest. Brings back good memories.”
I would make this girl want me, need me, love me, because fuck if I was going it alone.
He nipped my bottom lip. “You make me fucking crazy.” “Don’t blame me for your psychosis.” “You are my psychosis.”
Fuck, I was in so deep I didn’t know the way up.
The worst had happened. I loved the fucking woman. And now my biggest weakness walked outside my body, with soft brown eyes and long black hair.
Crazy, she called me. She had no idea how goddamn crazy I could be. I’d give Christian an hour before I started tearing this city apart piece by piece.
His gaze found mine in the reflection of the glass. “Do you know how many men would want to hurt you to hurt me?”
“You poor thing, you. Looks like you’re stuck with him for good. Ace might be a cheat at heart, but he always does exactly what he says he’s going to do.”
“It was perfect.” Nico laughed quietly, turned to face me, and brushed a thumb across my cheek. “You’re perfect.” I flushed and blinked at him. “You like my dress?” His hand ran to the back of my neck and he kissed me deeply. “You’re beautiful, baby.”
