Nobody's Angel (27 page)

“I was in the shower, Mama. Sorry I missed your calls.”

Ah. Lying to her mama. Not acceptable. Marc would find it difficult to respect a woman who would lie to her mama. Especially an Italian mama.

Time for some fun and games. Scooting back on the mattress, he got on his knees and positioned himself behind her, leaning forward and trailing kisses down her spine. When he brushed his lips and scruff against her love handle, she jumped. He loved playing with her ticklish areas.

He continued to explore her body, licking the dimple at the base of her back. She scooted away toward the edge. Kneeling upright again, he moved closer and skimmed his fingertips over her shoulders and down her arms. The bruising on her shoulders had darkened overnight. His gut twisted as his anger toward Sir Asshole sprung to life again. But he tamped that emotion down—for now. The man would be taken care of in due time. Right now, his focus should be on Angelina and her needs.

“Yeah, I went to bed early last night, Mama. Rough day.”

Yes, and she also was too tied up to return your call, Mama
.

That she was still able to carry on a normal conversation, told him he wasn’t paying close enough attention to her. He needed to ramp it up. Placing one leg on either side of her again, he positioned his hips against her backside and adjusted his erect cock against the crack of her ass. Too bad he still wore his pants. If not, he would definitely have had her squirming.

When she tried to stand up to get away from him, he wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her in place. He brushed his lips lightly over one of her bruises. She gasped and Marc pulled back. Had he hurt her? His thumb reached around to feel her erect nipple and he smiled. No, she probably hadn’t gasped in pain.

“It was nothing, Mama. I’m fine. I, um, just saw a spider, that’s all.”

Marc’s fingers danced a mock
Tarantella
from her elbow to her shoulders and then along the long, slim column of her neck before gliding down to cup her breast. She leaned back against him, throwing her head back to give him better access.

Ah, I have you now, my pet
.

He released her waist, no longer concerned she would flee, and brought that hand up to cup her other breast.

“Sorry, Mama. I can’t make dinner today. Um, I have to work.”

He pinched her nipples hard for lying to her mama and her thighs clamped together in response. Did her mother hear that sexy hitch in her breathing?

“I know. But, something’s come up.”

Marc’s cock throbbed against her ass. Well, she wasn’t lying to her mama about that.

“I have to go to, uh…Denver today…for a class.”

Marc grinned. That could be arranged. His playroom certainly could be converted easily for a classroom scene. He already had the principal’s desk in there.

“No, I’ll be gone all week.”

Thoughts of her restrained on his spanking horse sent his cock into spasms. She pressed her ass against him in an automatic response, before scooting away again, closer to the edge of the bed.

“I promise I’ll be there next Sunday. Tell the boys hi for me.”

He slid his right hand down over her mons and his fingers slipped between the folds to encircle her clit. “Oh, yesss! I mean, yes, I will, Mama.” She tried to elbow him away. “Love you, too. Bye.”

He pulled his hand back. Why was he trying to start something with her this morning. Their “demonstration” was over. What had gotten into him? She wouldn’t be in his playroom, today or ever. He just needed to get her to a safe place. Maybe he should make sure she stayed with Luke. It would give the two of them a chance to get to know each other better.

Now why did that thought bother him?

She disconnected the call and stood up, spinning around to glare down at him, gritting her teeth. “There’s a special place in hell for a man who would seduce a woman while she’s talking to her mama.”

“Oh, I assure you,
il diavolo
long ago reserved a special place for me,
bella
, for sins far worse than that one.”

Memories of the fight he and Gino had had before his older brother deployed to Afghanistan flashed across his mind. He’d let a woman come between him and his own brother—and had never seen his brother alive again. A sin he’d never be forgiven for.

He didn’t need to add one more to the list. Angelina deserved better than him. Yet, no sooner had the thought flashed across his brain than he reached up to catch her, pulling her onto his chest as he lay down. He rolled them until he lay on his left side and she on her back, then draped his leg over hers to keep her in place. Spreading her knees, he buried his middle finger into her pussy. She gave a breathless gasp as she tossed the phone to the bottom of the bed.

Dio
, she was wet. He wet his thumb in her juices and slid it up to her clit, making slow, circular motions. Her pelvis bucked against his hand. The urge to bury himself inside her gripped him. He took a deep breath and tamped down his desire. Hearing her breathing increase, he rammed his finger inside her harder. Then two fingers.

“Oh, yes, Marc. Don’t stop!”

“How do you address me?”

She gasped for breath and opened her eyes. “You’re not my Dom now. Are you?”

There was a certain wishfulness in her question, which pleased him.

Shit
. She’d done it again, slipped under his defenses. He didn’t need a sub. He just needed to keep this woman safe. He needed to get her to Denver.

“
Cara
, I was pleased to hear you tell your mama you will come to Denver with us today.” His thumb encircled her clit again.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it. I just needed to give Mama a plausible excuse.” Her voice hitched as he felt her clit harden. “No one misses Mama’s Sunday dinners. But I still can’t go to Denver with you.”

“I am very disappointed in you, pet.” He felt her body tense against his and she opened her eyes, furrowing her brows. He fought the urge to grin at her stricken expression. She’d make some Dom a fine submissive someday.

“I am not your submissive.”

“Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”

She glanced away.

I’m sorry I can’t be what you need, cara
.

“But if you don’t come to Denver for the week, you will have lied to your Mama. For that, while I’m still your Dom, I will have to punish you even more severely than I did just a few hours ago.”

* * *

Angelina’s attention was riveted once more to Marc’s gaze. Punish her? Was he serious? She wasn’t a child. Yet, her clit pulsed to life as she contemplated how he would punish her. Another spanking? Bare-handed or using an implement like a paddle, belt, or hairbrush? Or perhaps depriving her of the mind-blowing orgasms she’d been experiencing since last night? Or even torturing her with a rapid succession of orgasms?

Well, she’d read enough BDSM novels to know the possibilities were endless. Some involved pain. Some involved depriving a sub of something she wanted. Others, humiliation. And why did she feel her pussy contracting and getting even wetter just thinking about his punishing her again?

But he’s not my Dom!

Her conscience battled silently. She’d never lied to Mama before.

Mama would understand this time.

No, Marc’s right. You can’t lie to your mama
.

Oh, God. She knew she needed to lay low for a week or so until things blew over with Allen. But she had no place to stay in Denver. No way was she moving in with Marc or Luke for a week. This weekend was extremely out of character for her. She’d never slept with a man in this bed before, for starters.

And certainly had never been tied to Nonna’s bed with real or imaginary restraints—or both. Would she be able to go back to her safe, normal life after they left? Did she even want to? But why did they have to live in Denver, of all places? She’d managed to avoid Denver, except for that one disastrous nighttime visit last month, for seven years.

No, she wasn’t going to Denver.

“I’m not sure I even want to know what all just went through that busy mind of yours, pet. You exhaust me trying to read your conflicting expressions.”

Ah, so that’s how he knew what she was thinking so often.

She breathed a heavy sigh. “Marc, if I show up at Mama’s with a bruised cheek—something I can’t hide as easily as the bruises on my shoulders—my brothers will be all over me to identify who hit me. I don’t want any—or more likely
all
—of them going to jail defending my honor. They’re Old World that way.”

Marc brushed her hair away from her shoulder and breast. “As am I,
cara
.”

She narrowed her gaze at him to see if he were serious. “I told you I don’t want you or Luke going after Allen, either. I’ve taken care of him.”

He smiled in an enigmatic way that gave her zero confidence he’d paid any attention to her warning.
Dio, save me from overprotective men, especially of the Italian variety
.

Maybe if she agreed to go to Denver with them, she could diffuse the situation. Surely they’d forget about going after Allen in a week’s time. And her brothers wouldn’t accidently learn about the attack.

A sudden thought occurred to her. Had Luke slept in the living room last night—or had he gone after Allen? Macho Texans weren’t any less overprotective of women than were Italians.

“Where did Luke sleep last night?”

Momentarily surprised by the question, he answered finally, “The wingback chair in the living room. Why?”

She didn’t see any indication he was lying to her. If he were going to lie, wouldn’t he say the sofa? Who would sleep in a chair? And didn’t Marc say that Doms do not lie to their subs?

But he’s not my Dom!

Or was he?
Mio Dio
, she realized he’d been in control of her emotions, her body, sometimes even her thoughts, since last night.

And, dear Lord, she’d enjoyed it.

The thought of her boring, vanilla life stretching out before her turned her stomach. She knew what she wanted and how to get it.

Angelina wrenched herself away from him and scooted off the other side of the bed. “Excuse me a minute.” She walked around the bed and picked up her phone, then walked into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, she returned to find Marc still lying in bed, his arm flung over his eyes. The angry scar on his side caused an ache in her heart making her want to kiss it better, but she knew she couldn’t.

He turned and looked up at her, then quirked an eyebrow at her. The expression sent butterflies loose in her tummy. God, he was handsome.

Steeling herself, she announced, “Let’s join Luke in the kitchen and get something to eat. It’s going to be a long drive.”

“You’re coming with us.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, but only because I want to learn more about BDSM and being submissive.” She paused, then went in for the kill. “I want you to be my Dom this week…Master.”

He stared at her as if she’d blindsided him with a two-by-four to the temple. She wasn’t sure why, but she knew that one night as his submissive wasn’t enough. She wanted to know more. And she wanted Marc to be the one to teach her. Well, for the most part.

After some kind of internal battle, he nodded, his expression grim. “Very well, pet. But you won’t be staying with me in Denver. Luke will have that honor.”

Angelina smiled, but didn’t correct him. She knew exactly where she would be staying—the perfect place to face her demons and learn more about BDSM.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and towered over her. “The first rule you need to learn—never address me as Master again.”

* * *

Marc enjoyed having Angelina’s head resting on his shoulder most of the drive to Denver. He looked down at her, watching her breasts jiggle in the vee of her blouse as the SUV bounced along. She’d fallen asleep soon after they’d left Aspen Corners and, if he were smart, he’d have gotten some shut-eye himself.

But his head—both of them, to be honest—refused to give him any rest. Her turning the tables on him this morning still rankled him. He couldn’t turn her down because he needed to get her out of Denver. But calling him Master couldn’t have put a bigger damper on the words she’d just spoken—that she wanted him to train her.

She didn’t mean anything by it, though, he realized quickly.

He looked at her eyelashes fanned beneath her eyes. Having her so close and not being able to do anything about it, drove his cock to distraction. Which, of course, short-circuited his other head. Nothing to do on this ride but think about her, because he and Luke didn’t want to talk and disturb her sleep.

But they’d be entering the city limits soon, so she’d have to wake up soon anyway. He reached over and began stroking her thigh. She moaned in her sleep. His cock grew even harder, if that were possible.

“Mmm,” Angelina spread her thighs apart and let her head loll against the back of the seat. Her eyes remained closed, giving the appearance she was sleeping, but he knew she was faking. Well, he knew one thing she’d better not fake with him this week. His fingers glided along her velvety skin of her inner thighs until he reached the short curls covering her pussy.

Very good, pet.
No panties.

He just realized her pussy had been clean-shaven at the club a month ago. She’d let it grow out since. He’d prefer to see her clean shaven. Marc slid his middle finger between her folds and into her wet opening. She gasped as he entered her without hindrance.
Dio
, she was so wet for him already. He withdrew his finger and drew circles around the hood of her clit. Her breathing grew more shallow and rapid.

“Who is touching you?”

“Marc,” she whispered, her eyes remaining closed.

His finger stopped its motion. “Wrong answer, pet.”

She grimaced in frustration, opened her eyes, and her sleepy gaze met his. “Sir.”

His gut clenched at the word. God, he hadn’t thought he would hear her say it again after their demonstration had ended. “Tell me what you need,
bella.
”

“More.”

“More what?”