Playing with Fire (14 page)

She didn’t resist and fit against him … perfectly. “Are we in some kind of hurry?”

“For the first time, maybe.”

Her lashes lowered. “Arrogant, aren’t you?”

But she kissed him. He was a little surprised that it was not strictly hot and passionate on her side, when he knew firsthand she was a very sexual woman, but more sweet and almost romantic. A feather brush of her lips first, then greater pressure but still gentle, and he had to do everything in his power not to take over but let her control the pace.

When she broke away, she murmured, “That was a thank you for a nice evening when I would have sworn that to be impossible.”

“It’s about to get nicer.” Nick decided to go theatrical and picked her up so swiftly her purse fell from her hands and hit the floor of the foyer. “I just need a convenient horizontal surface to get the party started.”

“You
are
in a hurry.”

“Seems that way. I have this vague memory of the most incredible sex of my life and need to refresh it.”

“Why do I doubt your memory is ever vague?”

She was all too right. In his position, one slip and he might be dead.

Ignoring the observation seemed best. He carried her into his bedroom and deposited her on the bed. “While I love your dress, let’s move on to the good part, agreed?”

“Don’t go crazy and I did mention it was just finished, right? It unzips on the side. Let me do it.” She slipped the zipper down and Nick watched the sensuous movement of her hand with a satisfying sense that whatever was about to happen, he was going to enjoy it very, very much.

She slid it down and shimmied out of it. “Built-in bra. Much easier, and I know you find underwear to be an annoyance. Besides, I have the advantage of having a lot of my clothes custom made just for me when I do a design.”

“How did I know you were naked under that dress?” He had been imagining it all evening and had the hard-on to prove it.

“Good guess?”

It was true. She was nude, having already kicked off her heels.

Nick had to admit his urgency level was pretty high. He ran a finger around her nipple. “I highly approve.”

“Of my dress?”

“That too.”

“Thought you might.”

“Ever think about getting a Brazilian wax?” His gaze was moved lower. “If so, don’t do it. I find it an affront to mess with perfection, and though your tits and ass would be quite the attraction on a crowded beach in a thong bikini, I’d rather be the only man looking at your body.”

“It’s always sounded kind of painful anyway.” Reign wiggled backward on the bed. “You got it.”

For how long?

Nick shed his clothes as swiftly as possible and joined her, pinning her down. He rubbed his cock against the warmth between her legs. “I’m already pretty primed,” he admitted. “That damned dress. You did that on purpose.”

“Is it a crime to try and look nice?”

No, it wasn’t, but it was almost a crime for her to be so attractive. He just wasn’t used to losing any measure of control, but …

One moment later, with no foreplay except her earlier kiss, he had a condom on and was spreading her legs wider with his knees. “It has to be now,” he told her without apology. “I can’t wait.”

“Then don’t.” It was an audacious reply matched by the willing position of her body.

His entire life his mother had carefully explained to him that when he met the right woman, he would know it.

No. This was sex, not anything more, and that was just how Reign wanted it. Wasn’t it?

Involved. He was too involved.

“I’ve changed my mind. I want to have your breasts in my hands.” He urged her over to her stomach. “New position. Do you mind?”

To her credit, she did go to her hands and knees, all that long black hair spilling over her back. “No.”

Even as he entered her, he had to wonder briefly about the man who would walk away from this particular woman. Artistic, gifted with a unique beauty, and that fascinating sense of independence.…

Her ex-husband was an idiot.

Of course, Reign was still not perfect, but then again, no one was.

Stubborn. Beyond that. Far too private … he’d give on that score, since he was too, and maybe she’d earned it. Intelligent. Sexy. Interesting.

Nick knew he was losing his train of thought. She was tight and hot and he was finally inside her after a long evening of imagining how good it was going to be. Introspection could wait for later. Right now he needed to make love to her.

Dangerous thinking
. Right now he needed to satisfy them both in a sexual way, keep her safe, and wake up in the morning with her in his arms.

Oh shit. That
was
making love.

Reign arched her spine in response when his hands slid to her breasts and he pushed deep inside her. He kissed the back of her shoulder. “Damn, you feel so tight and hot.”

“Dirty talk. Nice. Always spices it up. Keep it up.”

Nick laughed and began to move. “I think we’re past that. You have a really great firm ass.”

“Go faster.” It was an order.

“No worries.” He held her in place and started to really thrust because it wasn’t going to take long.

And it didn’t. He lost it quickly, his climax swift and so pleasurable he had to prevent himself from collapsing on top of her but stayed on his knees, letting it happen and then begin to fade.

When he slipped out of her lissome body and dropped down on the bed, he muttered, “I think I owe you for that one. Ask for whatever you want.”

“I think you’ll come up with something.” Her hand swept his chest, and Reign rolled on top of him, her mouth warm as she kissed him. “Just make it good.”

It was good already having her naked and willing in his arms. That would motivate any man.

“You have doubts?” His voice was amused, but that had been a fairly fast race to the finish and he held her loosely against him.

“I have doubts about every single man I meet.”

Was she serious? It gave him pause. “Reign.”

“No. You have to prove yourself to me.”

It certainly sounded like she meant it.

“I suppose to a certain extent I feel the same way,” he admitted, reaching up to touch her face. “Trust is a hard-earned commodity. You and I are alike in a lot of ways. We were both born into a certain kind of lifestyle. This life was chosen for us in my opinion, without our specific consent.”

Reign’s eyes held a reflective look. “I love my family. I’d do anything for them. The same for my close friends.”

“Salvatore Ariano included?”

“Do you really want to talk about another man right now while we’re in bed together?” She reached down and gently squeezed his thigh, then moved her hand to his cock. Her fingers circled and exerted a little pressure. “Let me see if I can get you interested again because I’m feeling a little left out right now.”

Nick said in a thick voice, “You won’t be for long if you keep doing that.”

*   *   *

It was flattering she could make a man like Nick lose control. Reign doubted it happened very often, and his attraction to her seemed both genuine and intense. She lay back against the pillows and savored the stroke of his hands over her shoulders and breasts, as they moved down her torso to her hips and thighs. The touch was erotically delicate and very arousing.

“This one is for you, but I hope you don’t mind if I enjoy it too,” he murmured against her nipple before he took it into his mouth and began to suckle. The swirl of his tongue sent nice tingles of pleasure through her whole body.

“Please do,” she managed to say, threading her fingers through his hair.

“Such a generous woman.” He moved his mouth to the other breast, taking time to lick the valley between them.

The sensation was enough to make her give a low moan, and Nick raised his head to smile for a moment. “You like that. Continue?”

“Stop and you’ll really regret it, Fattelli.”

“How come it is that every time you use my last name, I feel like I’m being threatened?”

“Are you afraid of me?” Reign playfully rubbed the back of his calf with her foot.

“Oh yeah,” he said softly, holding her gaze before he lowered his dark head again to her breast as his fingers slipped into her pussy.

The dual sensation was nice but not as good as having him inside her.

Wait for it
.…

At that last crucial moment, she ordered, “Now.”

He rose above her and ripped open another foil packet with his teeth. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“Then we really do need to get to know each other better, Nicky.”

“My intention,” he said silkily as he entered her, his muscular arms braced on either side of her body.

It was her turn to lose it quickly, but then again, he’d done a good job of making sure she was ready for it.

They were starting to get to know each other’s bodies. He knew just the right angle, and he wasn’t shy without actually being rough in any way. He moved and she moved with him, and at the end of it they were both panting and apparently speechless, because the room was quiet except for a vague echo of the traffic on the street far below.

Reign’s hand clasped his taut buttock. “Hmm. Let’s do that again sometime.”

“I’m kind of thinking we will.”

The weight of his body was pleasant and she was in a good place, satisfied and tired. Dinner had been at a trendy place that made it hard to carry on a conversation but had excellent food, and she really hadn’t eaten much lately. No prices on the menu, and the seafood had been so fresh she was sure it had been incredibly expensive, but he hadn’t blinked an eye.

Paid with cash always, she noticed.

But he would. Cautious man.

Nick smoothed her hair. “Can I tell you a story?”

“Hmm. Bedtime story? That’s an interesting line I haven’t heard yet.”

He was still in the cradle of her thighs, but his face had taken on a curiously unreadable expression. “Once upon a time, there was gorgeous Italian girl with an unusual name.”

When she opened her mouth to say something, he stopped her with fingertips to her lips. “No comments please. I’m telling the story.”

“Fine.” Reign was amused in a languid way. That had been quite an orgasm. “But this seems like an interesting position for this story.”

“I like it right where I am.” He nibbled on her earlobe. “Can I go on?”

There was something in his voice that suddenly made her wonder if she really wanted to hear it, but she agreed. “Go on.”

“One day a very bad man asked another man if he might be willing to take money for killing the pretty Italian lady. He recognized her family name, but didn’t know much about her, so he hesitated. This might sound odd, but he has a certain code, and unless he agrees the target deserves it, he won’t take the job.”

“This isn’t exactly a bedtime story.” Reign tensed. “Get off me.”

Nick didn’t budge. “Relax. Listen. I’m trying to explain something to you.”

“Is that why we met? Because you were hired to
kill
me?” Shoving at his shoulders was like trying to move a solid brick wall. He wouldn’t give an inch.

“I just pointed out I said no thanks.”

“Is there a reason I should believe you? Damn you, I hate liars.” Her eyes filled with unwanted tears and she blinked them back. Sal had called her guarded. She was, but not guarded enough apparently. It was galling to realize her defenses weren’t as solid as she thought they were.

Nick emphatically shook his head. “Reign, stop it. I haven’t lied to you one time. I’m sure you get that the end of the story is that the man decided to protect her instead. A new role for him, but he’s pretty into it.”

There was no question she’d be foolish to buy into the sincerity in his eyes, but then again, she should have listened to her instincts before and right now the vibe was positive. With Ray she’d never really trusted him, and it had been just a feeling. She whispered, “Don’t lie to me. Please.”

“Once again, I never have. In fact, I was just very honest with you.” Nick slowly withdrew and rolled to his back, naked and very male but she wasn’t intimidated for some reason; maybe the thoughtful frown between his brows. “I can’t figure this situation out. You can’t either, and you are an intelligent woman. Please see it from my side.”

It was possible no two people ever needed to talk about anything more.

Tightly, she said, “Fine. We need to talk about it. I can’t believe you ever—”

“I didn’t know you. From the very beginning I wondered why the hell anyone would want to take you out. It makes no sense. That’s why when Joey Carre got me an invitation to the party, I accepted. I wanted to meet you.”

The ripple of muscle as he turned on his side was impressive, and she was reminded again of how vulnerable she was, which was actually reassuring in a convoluted way. If he had wanted to hurt her, he’d had enough opportunities and certainly the strength to do it.

Okay, maybe he meant it.

Fuck,
she trusted him.

In an unsteady voice, she told him, “If you ever, ever betray me—”

“I’m not going to do that. We’ve established it.” He stroked her bare hip. “Reign, let’s face it, I’ve had a lot of chances. I have one now. I’m interested in the hit on an intellectual basis, not a monetary one. So talk to me. Let’s really try to figure out why. I’m telling you, there’s an answer, we just can’t see it yet.”

Chapter

T
HIRTEEN

That didn’t go well.

Damn
. The voice inside his head had told Nick he should just keep his mouth shut.

But his heart said unless he was honest with her, she’d never quite understand how much danger she was in, and Reign was not someone who worried about herself first.

Look at the situation: Her son, safely away on Long Island. Her sister, on her way to the Hamptons.

Look at her. In
his
bed.

“Do not go all Italian on me,” he said as calmly as possible as she sat up in a flurry of shining dark hair. “I’m very much interested in figuring this out. No one takes a hit out on someone else without some sort of profit on the other end. It’s business or revenge. There are no other motives. So please tamp down that impulse you have to do me bodily damage and accept that I’m not going to hurt you, but someone else wants to do so.”