Page 19 of Wanton

"Fuck," he growls, dragging me out of my chair and into his arms. His hands grip my ass hard, as if he has every right to touch me like no one else ever has.

I should stop him, but I don’t want to. Instead, I wrap my legs around his waist, gasping when the hard ridge of his erection settles between my thighs.

"Feel it,principessa," he breathes against my lips. "You're responsible for it."

"Luca," I groan. "I…I…" I don't know what I'm trying to say. I don't know what I'm doing. I just know that my body burns like the surface of the sun, and it's not nearly hot enough to satisfy me.

"Work your hips, Callandria. Get nice and acquainted with what belongs to you. You'll be choking on all nine inches soon,bella." He bites my lip, dragging it through his teeth as he grinds me against his erection. "You may be aprincipessa, but in my bed, you'll be my little fuck doll,piccolina."

"Bastardo," I moan without heat, my core clenching at the filthy way he speaks to me.

"Yes, and you fucking love it," he growls, jostling me against him again. His erection grinds against my clit, and I see stars. "I bet your little panties are soaked right now because I'm a bastard. You love me filthy,bella. You love fighting me." He presses his lips to my ear. "And you fucking love the thought of belonging to a man who would kill for you, no questions asked."

I want to deny him. I want to call him a liar and say it isn't true, but God help me…I think maybe it is. I don't want to be a pawn. I don't want to be aprincipessawith no choices and no freedom. I want to be the reason someone is willing to risk everything. No, not someone. This man. I want to be the reasonthisman risks everything.

Maybe we aren't so different after all.

"Fucking come,bella. Now." He sinks his teeth into my throat, delivering a stinging bite that delivers a pulse straight to my clit. And then he sucks hard, putting his mark on me.

I cry out in bliss, in defiance…I hardly know which I feel. But my body bows to him. And I submit.

The orgasm crashes through me in a powerful wave, knocking my defenses asunder.

He slips beneath them, leaving a brand on my soul.

"I met with my brothers today."

I glance at him, startled. It's the first words he's spoken since he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and helped me back into my chair half an hour ago. I haven't spoken either. I don't even know where to begin.

"Oh," I say.

"They don't want a war either."

"You think my family does?"

He's silent for a moment as he stirs the sauce. "I think Tommaso left them no choice," he says after a moment. "Your father can't show weakness if he wants to secure the title. If he does nothing to retaliate for Tommaso's murder, he risks losing the vote to someone else. His only other option is to strengthen the family another way, by forging an alliance that dramatically improves their position. If he does that, they may be willing to overlook the fact that he let Tommaso's murder go unpunished, given the untenable position Tommaso put them in."

I turn this information over in my mind, not sure where to fit it. Surprised he gave it to me at all. It's more than I expected.

"A Valentino alliance would improve their position," I state. It's not really a question. Everyone knows the Valentinos are the most powerful family in Chicago. They're also the only family with no recent blood-ties to any of the other families. As it stands, their empire ends with Rafe, Luca, and Gabriel. Any family who manages to hitch themselves to that cart stands to inherit the kingdom, or a massive portion of it, anyway.

"Yes." His clipped tone gives me pause.

"There's something you aren't telling me."

He turns the sauce off, removing it from the heat before slowly turning to face me. "Your father would be aligning himself with the family that virtually destroyed his,bella," he says quietly. "It won't be pretty. The others will see it as something akin to a hostile takeover. He'll lose respect, be seen as a mouthpiece for the Valentinos."

I flinch.

"This is what it means to bemafioso,bella. This is whatOmertàdemands of us," he says quietly. "We do what we must to protect the family, even when we don't like it."

"Is that what you do? Protect your family?"

Luca nods. "The only fucking reason I took the vow was to keep Rafe and Gabriel alive." He chuckles ruefully. "They have not made it easy. Rafe is Rafe. He breathes and has a target on his back. And Gabriel has a hard-on for fast cars and living on the edge."

"You're the reasonable brother?" I ask, doubt heavy in my voice.

He hears it and smiles. "No. That would be Nico, Rafe's twin. The only one smart enough to get the fuck out," he murmurs, a shadow passing through his expression.