“Can we get out of here soon? I want to go home.”
His lips were against her temple. “If the doctor says you’re good. We can change hotels; I’ll make the arrangements.”
“No, I mean, home.” She looked up and smiled at his surprised expression, “Homehome. Venice. I don’t want to be in the same country as Tyson Janek.”
Maceo grinned. “You don’t need to persuade me,bella.”
Four hours later, they were on a flight to Venice. As Ori slept beside him, Maceo was talking to his head of security back in San Francisco. “I want to know who was behind the attack. If it’s Janek, we get the proof and go to the police and the press.”
“I’ve already looked into it, boss,” Greg, the calm security expert told him. “From what I’ve found out, when you left your meeting with Janek, he gave the order to follow you … but if it was one of his guys who attacked your lady, then it was a rogue operation. Janek wants to kill her himself, not get some lackey to do it. The dude has a seriously fucked-up obsession with his stepdaughter. I don’t think this was him.”
Dread started to curl in Maceo’s stomach. “Then who?”
Greg sighed. “We don’t know yet. I’ll call you when we’ve found something out.”
Maceo drew in a breath. “So we’re being followed?”
“From a distance. We’re not letting anyone too close, believe me, but you’re leaving the States will probably ping their radar, and they know where to find you in Venice. Sure it’s a good idea to go back?”
“I won’t be run out of my own city by thesefigli di puttana,”Maceo said in a low voice. “Ori and I will make our family there. We have our home there, our work.”
Greg, who had been with Maceo for many years, gave a low, soft chuckle. “Boss, have to say ... I’ve never heard you like this.”
Maceo smiled. “Never felt like this. Keep me informed.”
He wentto check on Ori, who was asleep in the small bedroom at the back of the private plane. He watched her sleep for a few minutes before lying down next to her and pressing his lips to hers. Ori opened her eyes and smiled, her lips curving up against his, and without speaking, he pushed her onto her back and covered her body with his. He smoothed her hair away from her face, gazing down at her, his eyes questioning. Ori nodded, a tiny movement, and her smile widened as he began to unbutton her dress, his mouth seeking her pink nipples as he popped the catch on her bra. Her breasts were plump and soft against his face as he teased the small nipple until it was rock-hard and Ori was gasping. Maceo grinned as his lips trailed down to her belly, his tongue circling her navel. His fingers were pulling at her underwear, and he could feel how wet she was for him.
He slid two fingers inside of her as his thumb stroked a rhythm over her clit. Ori moaned softly, willing him on, and then his mouth was on her sex, his teeth grazing gently until he bit down in it. Ori writhed and gasped as his long, thick fingers fucked her, his mouth and his tongue exploring her most intimate places. Maceo could feel his cock thickening, swelling almost painfully until he could bear it no longer and, tugging off his pants, he entered her, his cock enveloped in her sweet, warm cunt.
They moved together in perfect union, Maceo feeling her had nipples against his chest, her soft belly against his as he drove his cock into her in long, hard thrusts. Her mouth sought his, her skin covered with a fine sheen of sweat, her dark hair clouding around her on the pillow. Her fingernails dug deeply into his buttocks, urging him deeper, rougher ….
Maceo came hard, his cum shooting deep into her belly as he watched her face change, become ecstatic, glow with the force of her orgasm. Her cunt warmed, contracting and gripping his huge cock and Maceo never wanted this to end. He kissed her passionately, roughly, and tasted blood as he ground his mouth onto hers. Still erect, he began to fuck her again, thrusting harder this time, his gaze locked with hers.
“Sei così bella,” he whispered tenderly. “You’re so beautiful.”
Ori had tears in her eyes as she smiled at him. “Ti amo, Maceo Bartoli.”
They made love until they were exhausted, then fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Shiloh Holt was nota happy woman. The small apartment she shared with two of her friends was getting smaller each day, and she longed for her own space. Sadly, being a spokeswoman for an environmental group didn’t exactly pay well. Despite this, she had been saving for a couple of years and now, finally, it looked like she would get her own place: a tiny studio in the Marias.
Arranging for her stuff to be moved in a few weeks’ time, Shiloh had to drag her attention back to her work when her boss called a meeting on the Thursday afternoon. Most of her colleagues groaned; Miriam’s meetings tended to run late, and they all had dinner plans or family to get home to.
Shiloh didn’t mind; anything to prevent going back to the tiny cramped apartment where she lived with Heloise and Liv. She adored them both, as they did her, but all three were feeling the confinements of living so close together. Heloise was her oldest friend from college, a Frenchwoman and artist who dressed entirely in black and smoked endlessGauloisescigarettes. Liv, an eccentric Swede, was a science lecturer at the Sorbonne. Along with Heloise’s two Siamese cats and Shiloh’s cocker spaniel, Beau, the small apartment was rarely tidy, organized, or stress free.
No, Shiloh thought to herself now,it’s time, before we all get on each other’s nerves and ruin our friendships.
Miriam, the director of the institute, began to run through her schedule. Shiloh only half listened until she heard Miriam say her name. She looked up to see everyone staring at her. She flushed.
“I’m sorry, Miriam, I didn’t catch that.”
Miriam’s lips pursed in annoyance. “I was asking how you got along with Benoit Vaux.”
“Got along? Well,” Shiloh grinned, “we didn’t get along at all. He was, as expected, the arrogant prick we all suspected.” The others chuckled, and even Miriam smiled a little. “But, seriously,” Shiloh continued. “I’m afraid to say that he shut me down. Wouldn’t budge. Even a consultation into the suitability of the land is beyond his reasoning at this point.”
Miriam looked a little startled. “Oh.”
Shiloh tried to smile at her. “I’m sorry, Miriam.”
