Strangely enough, my heart almost beats my brain to getting my words out of my mouth. I come dangerously close to saying something along the lines of the fact that she’s currently the one taking up most of my headspace. Thankfully, I catch myself before making that brazen mistake. Still, I’m caught off-guard by how stunning she is, in an obstinate yet innocent sort of way.
“I might be a powerful man, and rich enough to buy chunks of this city,” I answer. “But even I need to play by the rules of the game and answer to mafia law.”
“And what if you disagree with mafia law?” she asks. I know what she’s trying to get me to say, that even as powerful a man as I am, she’s freer as a lone wolf, and I’m still a sheep governed by old traditions and old money.
“Most of the time I don’t. Most of the time I keep things controlled just the way that I want them. You’re an anomaly.”
Camille shifts uncomfortably in her seat and her cheeks blush pink. She might be some hardcore badass, but here in my place, during a quiet evening with a glass of wine, she’s just a lovely flower. One covered in dirt from all the little “adventures” she’s had on the streets since first coming here in her attempt to kill me. Even with the dirty smudges on her face, the city grime can’t tarnish her.
I reach forward and sweep a dangling strand of hair that’s matted to her skin. I find myself aroused, whether I want to be or not. I need to remind myself that this is my little brother’s friend, not to mention the woman who tried to shoot me. But it ironically only increases the tightening in my pants. “You should try to relax until Leo gets here,” I say. “Why don’t you go and take a bath?”
“Are you trying to tell me I’m too dirty to be sitting on your fancy couch?” she mocks as she runs her hand over the soft, gray leather cushion.
“No, I just thought you might like to take advantage of a Renaissance-era antique clawfoot bathtub while you had the chance to.” Her eyes light up as if she’s a kid on Christmas Eve. I’m betting she’s never been in a penthouse as extravagant as mine is. “Here,” I say as I stand up and extend my hand down to her. “Let me refill your wine glass and show you where the tub is.”
“Why are you being so nice to me now?” she asks suspiciously. “I tried to kill you.”
“Yes, but you didn’t really want to.”
“How do you know that?”
“Come on, Camille, you were shaking like a leaf. Give my intelligence a little credit, please. So why don’t you stop trying to be so distrusting and enjoy the chance for a hot, luxurious bath and some more wine?” I ask, getting frustrated with her stubbornness. “I’m trying to be charming here, not domineering, but you aren’t making it easy.”
I top off her glass, show her to the bathroom, and hand her a thick towel straight from the warmer. “Oh, one more thing you might need,” I say as I step into the other room for a moment and return with an armful of clothes.
“Whose are these?” she asks as she thumbs through the neatly folded pile.
“No idea. I have so many women here, it’s just a mish-mash of them all.”
She groans audibly, but still takes me up on my offer to use the tub, snatching the towel from my hand.
When I step back out of the bathroom, I linger at the cracked door for a moment or two and treat my eyes to the sight of her nude back and perfectly rounded rear as she undresses. She’s more appealing than any statue or piece of art I’ve ever laid eyes on, and more tantalizing than any of the many women who have thrown themselves at my feet just for the chance to have access to my lifestyle. I stand outside the door wrestling with myself for a bit. I know I shouldn’t try anything with Camille. She’s Leo’s best friend, and my brother already bickers with me about everything he can think of to argue about. He’d likely have a holy fit if I so much as touched her. I don’t think Leo much cares for my reputation of grandeur and glory, especially when it comes to the stories of my bedroom escapades. And there’s still the fact that she tried to kill me, even if halfheartedly at best.
I turn to walk away and go calm myself down, rubbing the front of my pants as I walk back down the hall to get another glass of pinot grigio. But the thought of her naked in my bathtub is proving to be much too enticing to ignore. I pace around the living room as I hear the water turn on and the tub being filled, and I stare outside at the city below, imagining the soft, fragrant water that her naked body will soon sink into. Pent-up sexual energy races through me and I start to feel like I’m going to explode. I sit down on the couch and finish my wine, trying not to think about her when I hear the water stop. But it’s too much. Whether it’s the wine, the woman, or the events of the past 24 hours, I feel as though I shouldn’t be out here while she’s in there.
“This is a bad idea,” I mumble to myself under my breath. But then again, the past several hours have been full of bad ideas. At least this one will be fun.
I glance over at the clock. My brother won’t be here for a while longer. He’s busy doing a job that I sent him on earlier—something he hates doing, since he prefers to stay out of any official dealings of ourborgata. Leo never really was much of a leader or a team player. Sometimes it feels as if I need to send him on jobs simply to keep his hands occupied. Regardless, I know he’ll be occupied for a while longer. So, I set my empty glass down on the coffee table and walk toward the still partially cracked bathroom door.
When I get to the door, I can see just the tips of her breasts above the water and her feet resting up on the edge of the tub. Her long black hair is laying spread out atop the water’s surface, and she lets out a sigh that instantly makes my cock erect. This is perhaps going to be the best bad mistake I’ve made thus far.
5
CAMILLE
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I shriek in shock when Gabriel barges into the bathroom and stands at the foot of the tub.
With a serious look on his face, he says, “I’m planning on taking my clothes off and then getting in there with you. You want me to stop, just say the word and I will.” He takes off his shirt to reveal a muscled, toned chest.
I know that I should feel more than just angry right now, I should feel scared too. But I look at him standing half-naked in front of me, and all I can feel is more turned on than I’ve ever felt in my life.
In another few moments he’s naked, me silently watching the proceedings, giving out a little gasp when his massive rigid cock appears for the first time. Without saying a word, Gabriel walks around the side of the bathtub and stands so closely in front of me that he’s practically pressing his swollen dick against my body. And even though I want to tell him to get the hell away from me, because that’s what the fierce, stubborn girl inside of me is shouting inside my head, I find myself wanting him more than I can stand.
I stand up and face him motionless, naked and my hair dripping wet down my back. The cold air makes me shiver but Gabriel’s close proximity makes me feel as if I’m burning my own heat from the inside. I open my mouth to say something to him, but no words come out. When he leans forward and hooks his hand behind my neck to pull my mouth to his, I don’t fight it at all. In the reckless moment of sudden passion, I discard what remains of my better judgement and kiss him back. God, how I kiss him back.
Gabriel’s tongue encircles my own and I feel myself being drawn into him—this man who’s been off in my peripheral vision for most of my life, this man I was sent to target, this man I simply could not pull the trigger on. Passion climbs within me as he lifts me up and carries me out to the bedroom, not taking his mouth from mine as he sets me down on the top of his bed. I run my fingers through his ebony hair as he climbs over me. The controlling, alpha-malecapoof the Adamiborgatatrembles at my touch, as if he’s finally more man than god for a moment.
Everything right now is carnal pleasure and unabashed anticipation. Titles no longer apply. Here we are nothing more than two people wanting desperately to have each other. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of my mind, trying its best to swim away, I know I should pause and think about what I’m doing. But I don’t want to think about it. I only want this.
