Double Blind (28 page)

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“I love every part of you. I just sometimes want you to be gentle.”

He sits on me, his fingers brushing over my breasts to my fragile neck. It still hurts to swallow. His expression unreadable, I help him lower his briefs until he’s freed. I grab him in my hands, the thick, warm length hardening in my grasp. The turmoil in his eyes builds up and then I let go of him. He lowers himself between my legs. The anticipation ramps up in my belly, my legs hitch up to his shoulders. He’s holding back with every ounce of self-restraint. Vince does it for me because he loves me, and I need this.

Even when Vince is trying to be soft, he shoves between my legs with one swift stroke. I gasp as I feel every inch of him sliding deeper and filling me up completely. He buries himself to the hilt and his face trembles above me with the effort of not rutting me like a madman, or slapping, spanking, and pulling my hair. Vince pulls out torturously and buries himself back in.

“Faster, Vince.”

He obeys, his hips riding me at a quicker pace. He breathes deeply and his hands anchor on my shoulders, pulling me against his thrusts. We’ve never done vanilla. It’s different. It feels slow and sensual. I feel safe. My hands twine in his hair and then they move to his muscular shoulders and back. I love every part of him.

His throbbing length rides against my clit, giving me eye-rolling pleasure. I yank his head down and seek his parted lips, kissing him with a frenzy that makes him dig into me just a little bit harder.

I touch his face, which is screwed up in concentration. The monster rustles behind his eyes impatiently, but Vince shoves him aside. Frustration and love shines through his eyes as he looks down at me. He’d do anything for me. Vince lowers himself, and he makes sounds that I’ve never heard before—deep-throated gasps and sighs. Our lips meet while he thrusts forward. We kiss, gasping together as our bodies join. His hand snakes under my head and he yanks my hair, unable to fend off the monster any longer. My body slams into the bed as he fist pulls hard, nearly tearing out my hair. An impatient, growling noise leaves his throat and he rams me hard.

I tighten my core, biting his shoulder as the pain in my hair intensifies. Vince can’t slow down, his breaths have that familiar, urgent quality and mine are just as frantic. I feel him pulsing inside me, and then finally he lets out a guttural groan and his hips thrust hard into me. I fall apart in his arms and his hand is still tight in my hair as his chest heaves against my breasts. His hips pulse a few more times as my body explodes. My back arches as my pussy contracts around him, releasing a wave of pleasure that makes me sink into the sheets.

Vince kisses my neck over and over, still breathing heavily. My hands move from his damp back to the back of his neck. He pulls back, looking at me under heavily lidded eyes. He wears a satisfied, sleepy smile on his face and kisses me on the nose.

“I love you, Vince. I can’t believe that I get to keep you forever.”

He smiles at that and rolls over so that his head lies on the pillow. I turn towards him and his arm wraps around my waist, pulling me close.

“I get to keep
you
. You’re just along for the ride.”

“One day that smart mouth will get you in trouble.”

His eyes light up like a hound scenting prey. “Oh, yeah?” He rolls back over me and takes my arms, pinning them above my head with one hand. The other trails softly down my neck and chest. “What kind of trouble?”

I can’t think when he’s touching me like that. My skin heats up and my wrists twist in his grasp. Suddenly, he drops down and gives me a tender kiss, one that makes me want more.

He lets my arms go, stroking my cheek with a thumb. Suddenly, his voice is serious. “I don’t think I would’ve lived very long if I hadn’t met you. I owe you everything, Adriana.”

Tears spring into my eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I was a careless guy. I would’ve been killed eventually. I know that.”

I can’t say anything. I’m stunned to hear him admit this.

“When I met you, I started caring about the future. I started to feel…afraid.” He looks away, almost as if embarrassed by the admission that he was scared of gunshots and knives aimed at himself. “You make me want to be a better man.”

He brings me into his chest as happy tears spill from my eyes. I look over his shoulder, to the bright sunshine now streaming into our room. It fills me up with hope.

VINCENT

The city sprawls out underneath me. The delivery trucks move to and from their destinations like the micro machines I used to play with as a boy. It used to puzzle me. To enthrall me. How could so many people live in such a small place?

Before, I didn’t understand that the city was mine. With the Rizzos gone, I’m staking out my claim. Anyone who has business with me knows to be on time, or I’ll break their fucking legs. Anyone who so much as sneers at me loses their teeth. I will not allow anything like the Rizzos to happen again, and this is how you do it.

Jack promoted me to underboss. I get a cut from all the
capos
, now. No more running bullshit errands—I spend most of my time making phone calls. The feds are watching us so closely, he sends me out to give his orders. I’ll deal directly with the other bosses until the heat cools on our backs.

Fucking Carmine.

Last I heard, he was trying to give orders from his jail cell.

Just because you shot Tony Rizzo, don
’
t make you Tony Rizzo.

I slip a phone out of my pocket, my thumb hovering over a name. Looking around, I don’t see my wife. She’s finally happy again, but there’s still an undercurrent of sadness in her eyes. There’s still the fact that that piece of human filth killed her father, and her mother is gone, too.

But I can bring her back. I could tell her that the Rizzos are gone. It’s safe for her.

Jack won’t like it.

I play with it in my hands, debating, deciding. She wants her mother back, I know it, and I can’t forget the way she begged me to take care of her daughter.

Finally, I open the phone and click on her name. It rings three times before she picks up.

“
Yeah?
”

“It’s me. Vincent.”

She sucks in breath. “
You told me you would never call unless
—”

“Adriana’s fine. We actually—we’re married.”

A moment of stunned silence follows my words.

“
Congratulations.
” There’s another beat of silence. “
Can I talk to her, please?
”

I shut my eyes against the pain in her voice. “Listen, I called because something changed. It’s safe for you to come back to New York, if you want.”

“
What? Are you sure?
”

“Yes, I’m sure. Come home and visit your daughter. I know she misses you.”

I hold the phone away from my ear as she breaks into sobs.

“
Thank you. Oh, Vince, that
’
s all I wanted
—”

Shut up.

“I still haven’t forgotten what you tried to do to me. Our prior conditions still apply. No begging her for money. Your debts with the Rizzos are done.”

“
I just want to see my daughter again.
”

“You will. I’ll see you later. Goodbye.”

I close my eyes for a moment as I end the call, wondering if I’ve made a huge mistake. When I open them, I hear a noise. Crying.

Adriana stands behind me, holding her hands to her face as tears stream down her face. “You called my mom?”

Ah, shit.

“Yeah.”

She lunges at me and throws her arms around my neck, sobbing into my shoulder. “I can’t believe you’d do that for me.”

I sigh into her body, my arms wrapping around her waist. My heart clenches and releases. I’m just so relieved that it was the right decision. “I’m your husband. Of course, I would.”

Her burning face pulls back and she seizes my hair. “I love you so fucking much.”

She kisses me with a ferocity that surprises me and simultaneously makes my pants feel tight. My arms loop around her and I pick her up, placing her against the glass as her legs wind around me. She nearly yanks my hair out as she kisses me, but I respond just as passionately. My heart hammers against my chest. She moans into my mouth as I seize her lips and bite them.

“You fucking better.”

# # #

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About the Author

Vanessa Waltz loves to write dark, New Adult romances. She lives in the Bay Area with two crazy cats. To be the first to know about her new releases, please join her newsletter (no spam, ever).

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Table of Contents

VINCENT

ADRIANA

VINCENT

ADRIANA

CARMINE

VINCENT

ADRIANA

CARMINE

VINCENT

ADRIANA

CARMINE

ADRIANA

VINCENT