I Want To Be Yours (4 page)

He looked down at his hard length, coated with her juices, disappearing in her enthralling core. The contrast of his skin against her much darker one was so erotic, he was without words. For the first time since his teens, he found himself in danger of erupting before his partner. He gritted his teeth in determination to withstand the acute tingling at the base of his spine.

He was elated at the feel of her body trembling beneath him, her vaginal walls contracting and tightening around him. Lifting her legs higher around his waist, she whimpered and keened mindlessly as he stroked even more deeply in her.

She kissed him anywhere she could reach: his lips, his chin, his neck, his nipples. Her complete surrender to him was an aphrodisiac. He couldn’t get enough of her. It was the most pleasurably erotic experience of his life.

He took her tight nipple in his mouth, mindlessly sucking from one breast to the other. As his thrusts became more powerful, more out of control, their passion raged unrestrained.

“I can’t, Nico. Please help me.” Mari seemed terrified of what was happening to her. Nico could see her pulse beating frantically. She was violently quivering and digging her nails into his back.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, just let go,” Nico whispered encouragingly, completely fascinated with her beautiful brown skin as it glowed, flushed with passion. He wanted to mark her, stamp all over her body “the property of Niccolo Darian!” He sank his face into the curve of her neck, grasped her with his teeth, and gently marked her skin.

He rocked into her with tender precision. Her soft, wet tissues engulfed him, gripping his pulsing length with a devastating effect on his senses. Tremors gripped his limbs and his spine tingled with desire.

“So damn good!” He praised her hoarsely. His lips claimed hers, and his tongue drove deep, drinking in her sweetness. His engorged shaft found her cluster of nerves, ruthlessly hitting just there, over and over again. The two of them shattered simultaneously in orgasmic euphoria. His roar echoed throughout the huge office and he collapsed on top of her.

Mari moaned, helpless. Tears ran down her cheeks and dampened her hair as she convulsed around him.

Nico kissed her deeply as her muscles continued to contract and squeeze his length. He was again humbled by her complete trust, and was immensely pleased by her sensual response to him, even as he found himself embarrassingly weak from his release. He couldn’t seem to prevent himself from crushing her beneath him.

She didn’t seem to mind. She held him tightly against her damp skin as the tremors ebbed inside of her.

They remained motionless for a few minutes before Nico gently disengaged their joined bodies and stepped back from her.

“Did I hurt you?” he inquired while helping her up and assisting her to find the clothes they’d carelessly discarded. “I should have been gentler with you.”

“I’m fine.” Mari wouldn’t meet his eyes.

Her response didn’t surprise him. He knew she would be a little shy after this dramatic change in their relationship.

“Fuck. I forgot protection.”

“I’m at a safe time of the month, I think,” she said, still not looking at him.

“I can assure you that I’m clean. I just got tested in my physical a month ago, and I haven’t slept with that bitch in almost six months.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said softly, apparently determined to dismiss his concerns.

She tried to tidy her appearance and kept glancing at him from underneath her long lashes. He stepped into the
en-suite
bathroom of his office to retrieve a cloth to take care of her. He was primitively pleased that she was his alone. After originally setting out to fuck her only to forget the ugliness of the day, he was ill-prepared for the emotional impact of truly making love with her. He could still feel her silky walls clutching around his semi-hard cock. His body was already clamoring to be lost in her heat again.

Nico returned from the bathroom with a warm, damp cloth, hoping to convince her to come up to the penthouse for the rest of the night.

She was gone.

Nico swore.

Still unsteady on his feet from the amount of alcohol in his system, he tidied his clothes as best he could and went to search for her.

He went to her office first. Finding it empty, he returned to his office and called security in the garage. They confirmed that she had left the building. Just then, his mobile rang. He fished it out of his trouser pocket and impatiently stabbed the connect button.

“Where are you, darling? You didn’t give me a chance to tell you our good news.” On hearing Celina’s voice, he stiffened in rage. For the thousandth time that day, he asked himself how he could have been so blind.

“What the fuck do you want? I don’t have time for your shit!” he said coldly. Nico was determined this would be the last time Celina would disrupt his life. No longer would she have direct access to him.

“Too bad, you bastard, I’m pregnant. Can you guess who the proud papa is?” She laughed wickedly and hung up.

Nico destroyed the few pieces of glassware that remained on the bar. That bitch was pure poison.

Chapter Three

Mari made it
home and ran into her flat as if Satan himself was chasing her. She locked the door and leaned her back against it with a sigh of relief. As she slid inelegantly to the floor, her eyes filled with tears and her limbs trembled with aftershocks.

What was she going to do? Mari never ran away from a challenge, but she had to admit that this was an extraordinary circumstance. Running never solved anything, but she’d had to get away, she had to think. Being around Nico was not conducive to effective or intelligent personal decision-making, especially when her well-being was at stake. She could still feel his gentle exploration of her flesh, could feel his thick length in her still-pulsing core.

She gingerly got up on unsteady legs and ambled along to her bedroom. It seemed like every muscle in her body ached. Making her shower as hot as she could take it, Mari soaped and scrubbed her skin, hoping to diminish her awakened desire for Nico.

An hour later she reentered her bedroom to a ringing telephone. She hesitated for a moment, already anticipating who it was, but reminded herself that she wasn’t a coward.

“H-hello?”

“Why did you leave like that? You left before we had a chance to talk.” Nico began without even returning her greeting.

“There was nothing left to say,” Mari said in a small voice, the energy draining from her. She sat wearily on the edge of her bed.

“Look, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have touched you, given my situation.” He gritted the words out, regret evident in his voice. “There’s no excuse for my selfishness. But I could have sworn I wasn’t alone in wanting to make love tonight.”

As he sighed again, Mari pictured him raking his fingers in agitation through his hair, as she’d seen him do so many times in the past. She should feel some sympathy for him, but right then she was too utterly exhausted and devastated by her own actions.

“Nico, I don’t regret for a second what happened tonight. It was the single most beautiful experience of my life. I love you and will always love you. But I can’t ignore the fact that you’re married, and my boss.” Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks as her heart broke into tiny pieces. “No, I can’t ignore those facts and still respect myself.”

He didn’t respond immediately to her impassioned statement. She tried desperately to control her anguish at his telling silence. She knew he didn’t love her, but the proof of it completely obliterated her. Her tears poured unreservedly down her face.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t want your love, but I’d be a bastard if I allowed you to think that I could ever love you in return. I like you, respect you. I’m in complete lust with you. But I don’t love you.”

Mari gripped the phone in anguish.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

He sighed on the other end of the line. Completely unable to utter a sound without falling apart, she didn’t reply.

“I know you’re not the kind of woman to handle a no-strings-attached affair. I don’t want to give up the pleasure you give me, but you need to come into this knowing the score. I’m not sure I’ll ever marry again, and you need to accept that. ” He grew quiet, the silence heavy with tense emotion. “Fuck! I’m sorry for being such a sodding bastard! But you’re mine now, and I will come for you when I’ve gotten Celina out of my life. Somehow, we’ll make this shit work.”

More tears streamed down her face. Just listening to his voice was destroying her.

“If you meant what you said about loving me, will you wait for me? Christ! Forget I asked that. You’d better wait for me!”

She could only whimper softly in distress. No words could pass her blocked vocal cords.

“I’m sorry, kid. I don’t deserve you, and bloody well know it.” Nico continued, seemingly obvious to the destruction he was inflicting. “I don’t wish to make this more difficult than it has to be. I respect your position and will honor your decision for now.”

He waited for her response. When none was forthcoming, he sighed in resignation. “Take care,
cara mia
. Thank you for being there for me, and giving me such a beautiful gift. I will always cherish that.” The phone went dead as Nico terminated the call.

Her cell fell from her lifeless fingers to the thick carpet. She had loved Nico for so long. She felt hopeless, devastated, defeated. Succumbing to the oppressive weight of her emotions, she sank heavily into softness of her bed, her body curled into a fetal position as sobs wracked her frame. Yearning for a love destined to be unrequited, she mourned the loss of their short, bittersweet relationship.

Mari knew she had done the right thing. An affair between them could go nowhere.

Five years earlier

“I wouldn’t purchase at that price if I were you,” Mari advised, brazenly looking over the stranger’s shoulder.

“What? Are you bloody reading my confidential correspondence and stupid enough to admit your guilt?” Nico asked coldly, while turning and pinning her with a steely, silver stare.

Mari stared back at him, thoroughly captivated by his British accent.

Bloody
! She was hard pressed to keep a straight face. She hadn’t heard a British accent in so long.

Mari was sitting across the aisle from him in the first-class cabin. She grinned, completely unfazed by his anger. He gave her a disgruntled look and returned to reading the documents in his hand.

Mari wasn’t put out. This guy was seriously hot! The slick, midnight black hair, angular masculine features, piercing silver eyes… She would guess his height to be well over six feet, and from the unbuttoned stark white dress-shirt, the tie carelessly undone, Mari guessed he was also the silent, brooding, rich type.

He shook his head disbelievingly, as if he was finding it difficult to dislodge the image of the girl who couldn’t possibly be more than seventeen, eighteen years old. Mari grinned again and could only guess what impression her appearance was having on him.

She was dressed in snug-fitting blue jeans and a white school jersey with Duke University printed across her chest, which was cut-off at the midriff to reveal a smooth, flat abdomen. She had long, black hair that often fell untidily in her face. She was gifted with creamy, honeyed skin and was above average height for a woman. Mari had been stared at more times than she liked by members of the opposite sex. It was the reason she had taken self-defense classes in her early teens.

“Nothing else to do,” she voiced cheekily. “Sir, seriously, that prospectus has more holes in it than a colander.”

Nico’s lips twisted in distaste at her unsolicited advice. “Excuse me? Not only have I not asked for your opinion, you’re availing yourself of a very confidential and private document. If you don’t cease and desist, I’ll ensure you’re prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” He grumbled to himself. “This is the absolute last time that I travel on a commercial airline.”

“It’s your money,” Mari shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and returned to the laptop in front of her, cursing him under her breath all the while.
Pompous, arrogant, stiff-shirt!
What do I care if he wants to waste his money? He probably deserves it anyway, the jerk! He may be the most beautiful male on the planet, with the sexiest, huskiest, most cultured voice I’ve ever heard in my life, but that doesn’t give him a license to be an utter ass.

“I can hear you,” Nico said irritably. Then he sighed. “I must be losing my mind.” He looked at her expectantly, obviously not wanting to ask, but he was just too intrigued. “Okay, I’ll bite. What are you talking about?”

“Well.” Mari got up, immediately forgetting her annoyance with him, and came over to sit on the arm of his seat. He was even more beautiful close up. She marveled at her cool demeanor, in crazy contrast to the relentless butterflies in her stomach. The masculine heat emanating from his body sent her pulse racing.

Lord have mercy on me!

She ignored her lustful thoughts and took the pen from his grasp, surprising him. She began circling the discrepancies, making concise notations beside each one she’d noted from her seat. Then, just as abruptly as she’d approached him, she rose again and returned to her seat, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Nico simply looked back at her in stunned silence. His gaze darkened with what Mari thought may have been admiration, but he so quickly shielded his eyes, she could not quite be sure. He looked back at the report and read her highlighted sections and notes.

When she thought his focus was elsewhere, Mari gazed at him in abject wonderment. Had he experienced the same instantaneous jolt of desire as she had, at the brief brush of her hip against his arm?

She sighed wistfully. There was nothing about her that would affect a man of his sophistication. He probably dated models, actresses, and socialites—way out of her league. Mari knew she looked like she had only recently left high school, certainly not like someone who’d just recently graduated university. Besides, even if he took an interest in her, she wouldn’t have the first clue of how to handle a man like him anyway. Her innocence was probably written all over her face. It was ridiculous to harbor any hope of mutual attraction.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked irritably.

Mari turned her head and looked at him with a wicked grin. “I’m Mari. And you are?”

He ignored her question and looked at her with seething annoyance.

It was only then she spied the ring on his finger. The crushing loss momentarily stunned her. She had to fight hard to regain her cheerful demeanor.

Appearing completely oblivious of his growing temper, she went on as if they’d been having a friendly chat. “Wait, don’t tell me.” Mari leaned in closer to him and whispered impishly, “I can hack into the airline flight log and find out for myself.”

“What’s with you and illegal activity? Do you make a habit of breaking the law?”

“Yeah, but I know how to not get caught. I was taught by the best!” Mari remembered McKenna fondly.

“Where are you from? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that accent before.”

“I’m from Bermuda,” she replied.

“Why are you going to London?”

“You ask a lot of questions for a guy who don’t like to answer any.”

Mari would never forget Nico’s stunned expression at her ability: hacking into the airline flight log took her less than ten minutes. They spent the rest of the flight viewing the personal details of every passenger on board. They were even able to correctly identify the air marshals on board. Nico was duly impressed, and told her so.

After confessing she was able to dissect the prospectus he had been reading by researching the company, the owners, and its management team, Nico wanted to hire her on the spot. But Mari admitted she was already being headhunted and was interviewing with the company that was paying her first class ticket to London. She thought it was only fair she honor that commitment before she contemplated making another.

Nico waved away her protest and insisted she meet with his second-in-command. He gave her a letter with specific instructions of her job description, to be presented at the interview.

Despite the generous offer given by the other company wanting to hire her, Mari had signed on with the Darian Group within a week. Although Nico’s offer was extremely generous, there was no way she could give up an opportunity to work for her first crush. Nico had made a huge impression on her.

She had worked first in various capacities as a junior executive, before being promoted to technical lead on special projects.

She’d easily relocated to London from the United States because she had no ties there. She had no ties anywhere, and her aunts and cousins in Bermuda didn’t count. They hadn’t wanted her. No one had wanted her after her mother’s death when she was eleven years old.

Her mother had had very little time for her. She’d been the mistress of a very prominent, wealthy white politician, and Mari had been the product of their liaison. She’d learned at an early age not to expect to be acknowledged by her father, who was married with three children with his wife.

While her mother relished her position as mistress, Mari had to cower in shame, never to be given any status in his life. Even when her father came to visit their house—which he’d financed—he never greeted her. Even after her mother’s untimely death in a car accident, her father simply paid her aunt, her mother’s sister, to take care of her. He paid for her essentials and education, but she had no further contact with him.

She had everything a child could ever ask for: the best private schools, designer clothes, the latest electronics, everything except the love and attention of her parents. Her aunt’s only interest seemed to be in gaining more funds from her father on the pretext of childcare.

Mari met Ian McKenna, a computer science teacher and retired Interpol agent, in secondary school when she was twelve years old. For the first time in her life, an adult took an avid interest in her, without wanting anything from her wealthy father. She expressed her gratitude by applying herself to her studies and doing everything possible to increase her chances of becoming an Interpol agent, as McKenna promised she could be. However, when she was fifteen years old, McKenna died suddenly from an aggressive case of prostate cancer.

Her aspirations to become part of the agency ground to dust and her sense of purpose halted. Mari went through an angry, rebellious stage, and it was only due to oppressive treatment by her aunt and cousins that forced her reevaluate her future. She refused to give them the satisfaction of failing, as they all seemed to want. Remembering McKenna’s faith in her and how he’d trained her himself, personally taking an active interest in the direction of her studies with the goal to obtain further formal training from the agency, she refocused her dark energy and continued her studies. Gaining acceptance into Duke University when she was sixteen years old, she graduated in three years with dual degrees in electrical and computer engineering.