Playing with Fire (6 page)

He’d like it when she went down on him. Quite a lot.

Nick groaned as she fondled his sac.

She laughed and lowered her head, rolling the tip of her tongue around the head of his penis. The slight salty taste of his semen was like an aphrodisiac and she was wet and ready again. This was a test of sorts; he would admit that too, she suspected. The first crucial encounter did not just involve exploring each other’s bodies but also a certain sense of communication that was unspoken but important.

That she’d fallen asleep in his bed after the events of the night before stunned her. Not just a little asleep, but dead asleep, and when she woke up she felt better than she had in a long time. There hadn’t been a push for sex either, which she appreciated. It hadn’t been the easiest of evenings, but quite frankly, bringing her to his place was better than having to get a hotel or go stay with people who would ask all kinds of questions. She’d been way too wiped out for that.

“Babe,” he whispered as she took him in her mouth, his fingers tangling in her still damp hair and his breath coming out in a low hiss. “Sweet Jesus.”

Sucking him deeper, she consciously relaxed the muscles in her throat, stroking his balls, and as predicted, he made an audible sound of enjoyment.

Circling his cock with her fingers, she began to pump it as she licked and sucked, and while he did last longer than most men, it still wasn’t more than a minute or two before he said hoarsely, “Unless you swallow, maybe you’d better … oh shit … stop.”

Once again a gentleman. At least he’d bothered to warn her.

She didn’t let every man she slept with come in her mouth, but sometimes it felt good to be bad so she let it happen. Not to mention she really owed him, so when he came she milked it, part of it revenge for how he’d kept at her so she’d barely been able to breathe after consecutive orgasms, and part of it to prove a point.

Meet Reign Supreme
.

When it was over he lifted her by her arms and rolled her to her back, pinning her down with his much larger body, their mouths inches apart. “If I can ever put two coherent thoughts together again, I’ll be surprised.” He nibbled on her neck, his dark hair like silk under her fingers. “Holy Mother of God, that was good. Give me about two minutes.”

It took three, but that did include him slipping on the condom, and Reign noted his fingers were trembling at least a little, which sure hadn’t happened when he killed the man in her bedroom. Then he’d been cold as ice.

He moved back over her, pressing her into the softness of the big bed, his knees nudging her legs apart. Those striking blue eyes held hers in a mesmerizing stare as he began to enter her. “I’ve eaten your pussy and you sure as hell have sucked me,” he whispered. “I think it is time for a nice long slow fuck, right?”

She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I don’t do anything slow.”

His mouth curved in a smile as he penetrated deeper, inching in but taking care, considering his size. “Why is it I believe that?”

Already aroused, her body accepted his entry with pure female enthusiasm, so he slid in the rest of the way until he was fully embedded and Reign nipped at his lower lip. He really
was
big.

Then he kissed her. He hadn’t before, which struck her as he slowly explored her mouth with his tongue, and a part of her wished he hadn’t. Sex was sex, but kissing implied something else. Still, she liked the warm feel of his mouth against hers.

That was more dangerous than how fast he could pull a gun and put a bullet in someone he couldn’t even see. Sex was fine. Kissing implied romance and she wasn’t interested in romance, especially with someone in his profession, and she wasn’t talking about investment banking. Besides, she’d known him less than a day.

“Are we waiting for some reason?” she whispered against his lips.

The worst part was that he got it. There was also some measure of surprise in his eyes that the kiss had even happened, and he slipped back into the persona of the man she’d met at the party, sophisticated and detached. The man who had killed someone the night before, after he’d taken a woman he’d just met home and never really blinked an eye.

“I never keep a lady waiting.” Nick slid backward and then thrust into her willing body, the movement deliberate, his hands braced on either side of her shoulders as he filled her again in an erotic glide. “Remember my agenda? You came, and then I came, and now we need to do it together. You definitely took the edge off, sweetheart. I can last all morning.”

It turned out he was a man of his word.

Chapter

F
IVE

Reign took a bite of shrimp salad. “I was actually sore the next day.”

“Seriously?” Giovanna leaned over the table.

With a shrug, Reign took a sip of wine. “Let’s just say the phrase ‘not all men are created equal’ has meaning when it comes to Nick Fattelli.”

“Introduce me?”

“Not on your life.”

Her friend smiled mischievously, tossing back her hair, the bustle of the elegant restaurant in the background. They were at a table near the back, the glass windows showing the pedestrians passing on the street, everyone in a hurry, but then again, this was New York. Hurry was the order of the day. She leaned back in her chair. “Okay, now I
really
need to meet him.”

Gio was a beauty with a voluptuous figure and an engaging laugh. Nick would probably love her—all men did, but at the moment Reign was not inclined to share. “Maybe down the line. Let’s see how it goes. Fair enough? If it doesn’t work out, you can have him.”

“You like this one, huh?”

She wished it wasn’t true. “I need a little time to decide, that’s all.”

“Possessive? That’s not you.”

“Possessive for
now
.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “I’m playing this one day at a time. Vince is always my top priority.”

“He’s registered and everything, right?”

“NYU and my family pulled no strings. He made it on his own.” She was really proud of him.

“Good for him.” Giovanna glanced down at the tabletop and then looked up. “The shooting … everyone knows about it. You think they were after Vince?”

“I don’t know. He’s his father’s son.” Reign blew out a breath and stabbed a piece of avocado with emphasis. “He has a grandfather and several uncles in prison.… If whoever set it up wanted to get something from any of them, that would be the way to do it. I’m telling you that would be a
mistake
. My father would pull in every single debt he’s owed, so would his other grandfather. My son means everything to both of them. It isn’t wise to screw round with either one of our families, much less both.”

“I don’t disagree.” Gio lifted a dark, perfectly plucked brow. “I would go out on a limb and say it isn’t worth it to screw with
you
either. Word has it there was someone in your closet and he was actually shot through the door.”

The network of information never failed to amaze her.

“He pointed a gun at the wrong guy,” Reign confirmed. The avocado suddenly was tasteless. She set aside her fork.

“Apparently, since the shooter is dead.”

“It bothers me.” She only admitted it with a measure of reluctance. “Nick’s very able to take care of himself. I’m not fooling myself there.”

“Too able?” It was asked delicately, but Gio knew the Life.

“Probably. And they still haven’t identified the intruder as far as I know. Maybe it’s just really what they think. He broke in. We came home. The intruder panicked and found the first place to hide, then realized we were going to be in the bedroom for quite some time, and tried to scare us by taking a shot.”

“That was his
big
mistake.” Gio finished the last bite of her veal and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. It was a gorgeous day outside, with sunny skies and the temperature already in the upper seventies. People passed their window, some talking and laughing, some frowning, at least half of them on their phones. “But, how did he get past the alarm?”

“The whole system was disabled. Otherwise I would have just slept in the spare room. Nick insisted I go home with him.”

Her friend slid her empty plate to the side. “That’s a good sign. At least he’s thoughtful. You know you could have stayed with me.”

Thoughtful? Generous enough in bed maybe, but Reign had no idea if he was thoughtful. “Gio, he killed a man in my bedroom. It was self-defense, I’ll grant that, and
I
certainly wasn’t carrying a weapon, but still. ‘Dangerous’ might be a better word. And to be honest, he kind of took over the situation.”

All the way around. Not just because he obviously could use a gun with precision and react to a situation with a cool head, but because he’d handled the aftermath so well.

Giovanna gave a small laugh, but her eyes were serious. “Honey, it sounds to me like he was all that came between you and potential disaster.”

“I don’t disagree.”

“What about Sal?”

Giovanna was one of the few people who knew about their affair. Reign took in a long breath. “I haven’t talked to him in weeks.”

“He’s crazy about you.” Gio and Salvatore Ariano were also old friends.

Very carefully, Reign chose her words. “I’m just not sure that’s a life path I want to take, get me? Sal is picket fences and more kids, and I just think I’m past it. I’m busy. My career is on the verge of something big. Vince is almost in college. Sal needs to find the nice sweet girl next door. I’m not her. There’s nothing sweet about me.”

“But what if he wants the sexy, naughty girl whose name alone would give his father a heart attack and make his family disown him.”

“Kind of at an impasse, aren’t we?” Reign picked up a breadstick and took a bite off the end, even though she’d only managed to eat half of her salad. “Exactly my point.”

“Now see, you do care. You’re protecting him.”

“He hardly needs
me
to protect him. He’s a perfectly capable young man and knows how this all works.”

“How does love work? Wow me with your expertise, because if I recall correctly, the only time you tried it, you fucked up your choice of men pretty bad.” Gio’s tone was not critical, but pragmatic.

Were it anyone else making that comment, Reign would really be offended. She was actually pretty offended now, but this was Gio—and she had a legitimate point.

After a moment, she said quietly, “I am uninterested in the drama bullshit between Sal’s family and mine, but if he pushes our relationship, I have a feeling he’ll get hurt, and I’ll be—at the end of it—the one responsible. I adore my father, but I can’t talk to him on this subject. Sal also wants more than I can give, so there. It’s all settled.”

“In
your
mind. What about his?”

Reign looked away at where the window reflected the sunlight. “He’s younger by a decent amount of years and he doesn’t have a son. You’ve seen him. He could really have his choice of any woman. I’ve made up my mind not because of him, but for his own good.”

“I don’t think he’d agree.”

“I lived through Ray’s lies and cheating, my father’s trial—my trust in men is shaky at best.” Reign shook her head. “Sal needs someone with a less jaded outlook on life.”

Gio stirred her tea. “The man who went to law school so he could represent his family in court? Yeah, don’t sell him short. He’s more of a realist than you give him credit for.”

“I don’t mean to sound superficial, but considering he’s a good-looking guy, which he sure is, he doesn’t need me because—can I point out again—he could have anyone.”

“You know, Reign, and I’m just putting this out there, maybe you should let him decide. Yeah, he’s a good-looking guy, and yes, he’s in law school, and yes, there’s all that stuff between your families, but you know, he’s nice. And that hair … I’ve got to love the dark blond hair, but he still has that Italian nose.”

Sal
was
actually blond, which wasn’t as much of a surprise as some people might believe. His family was from the northern part of Italy, up near countries like Switzerland and Austria, and there was certainly some of that ethnic background in his blood. Flippantly, she responded, “You want to date him?”

“Hell yes.” Giovanna sounded quite sincere but laughed to temper the moment. “I always have. But he doesn’t seem interested, so we are just friends instead. I think we’ve known each other too long.”

Well, shit
.

Reign folded her arms. “Salvatore is off the table for me, so go for it. Mr. Fattelli is one of those men who can play the game. Sal doesn’t play games at all.”

“Life isn’t a game, Reign. No one should know that more than you.” Giovanna drained her glass and stood, her scarlet dress swirling around her calves. “I gotta run. Thanks for lunch.”

*   *   *

Nick walked into the office at exactly four o’clock.

That was by his Rolex, and the thing had damn better keep accurate time.

“Have a seat.” Carl Denton was thin, balding, of indeterminate middle age, and this particular afternoon he wore a suit that cost more than most people pay for their car.

“Mr. Denton.” He took the indicated chair and settled in. “Thanks for seeing me.”

“No problem, but I have a board meeting in fifteen minutes.” Denton smiled like a shark, but that was appropriate; he was one.

“You know who I am?”

Denton said conversationally, “Yes, I do. Investment banking, correct?”

Very funny. Denton knew he was a man of varied skills. “I’d like some information.”

“I don’t ever—”

“Oh yes you do. Though we haven’t met face to face, you once engaged my, shall we say, special talents. I always do my homework. Can we agree the job was done swiftly and discreetly and your messy little problem went away?” Nick kept his voice pleasant. For whatever reason, when he spoke in that reasonable tone, people got edgy. “I am sure everyone in the business knows I shot a man in Reign Grazi’s bedroom a few nights ago, and I know it was a hired hit that didn’t go as it was intended. My question is simple. We have a family thing going on here, or is this outside?”