Bound By Blood: Anthology by Cora Reilly

 

Mauro

Stella fell asleep, her body softening against mine. Sleep was out of the question for me. My body thrummed with adrenaline and worse, desire. Feeling Stella’s body so close to mine, her firm, little butt pressed against my crotch, my dick was getting ready to rumble.

I tried to bring at least a few inches between my hardening cock and Stella’s ass, but the wall behind me made that impossible.

With a sigh, I tried to get some rest. Stella was oblivious to my body’s reaction to her closeness. She released a small sigh and moved closer to me once more, bumping into my cock. Knowing it was a losing battle, I wrapped my arm more tightly around her middle and settled comfortably against her.

I must have fallen asleep because sometime later I startled awake. Stella stirred at my sudden move. She had turned around while we were both asleep and now faced my way. She blinked up at me, disoriented, her face so close to mine our lips were almost touching. I’d never woken beside a woman. It was too intimate and too risky for someone as distrustful as me.

“What’s wrong?” Stella mumbled, yawning before flashing me an embarrassed smile. She shifted and dug my morning erection into her lower belly, causing me to groan. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. Even in the dim light of the gas lantern, her embarrassment was unmistakable.

I had no way of pulling back with the wall against my back. Gritting my teeth, I pushed up on my elbow. “Can you sit up? I need to check on the door. A noise woke me.”

It was a fucking lie. I wasn’t sure what had woken me from my dream—a dream with Stella in a leading role. Stella scrambled back and sat up, slanting me a quizzical look. I slipped out of the bunk and stood, glad to be rid of her tantalizing warmth. Her gaze darted to my sweatpants then jerked back up and she got even redder, which seemed hardly possible. I stifled a laugh. She pointedly avoided looking at me after that and I went over to the door, peering up. It was still safely locked. I didn’t hear a sound above our heads.

“You’re not thinking about opening it, right?”

Stella stood and came over to me, her arms wrapped around her chest.

“No,” I said. The silence above could be a trap. The attackers could be lying in wake. Even though I was a good shot, it would be near impossible to win against several opponents.

Stella yawned again.

“Why don’t you try to sleep again? It’s still early.”

“Won’t you join me?”

I shook my head. “I’m not tired.” In truth, I just needed some distance between us.

Nodding, she returned to the bed and closed her eyes.

I watched her for a few seconds. We’d have to spend at least two more nights down here. Two nights in which I needed to get a grip on myself.

Stella

When I asked Mauro the next evening if we could share a bunk again because I couldn’t fall asleep alone in my cold bed, he hesitated. Maybe he was embarrassed because of what had happened this morning? It surprised me. Mauro didn’t strike me as someone who was easily embarrassed. And a morning erection was pretty common from what I knew.

Still, a silly part of me hoped he’d been hard because of me and not a dream of another woman.

Eventually he nodded and lifted the blankets. With a smile, I slipped under them and settled with my back against his chest. I wasn’t tired. Locked in the panic room, we hadn’t done much all day, except to eat and talk about Mauro’s past missions or funny childhood memories. Mauro wasn’t asleep either. Sometimes I wondered how he’d react if I told him about my feelings. If he’d laugh at me, it would maybe end my crush, but I was too scared of it.

Mauro’s hand on my hip shifted, and I realized his thumb was lightly tracing my skin over my shirt. The touch sent a tingling straight to my core. I bet he didn’t even realize what he was doing, probably lost in thought.

I wanted him even closer. I shifted until our bodies were completely flush, and then something hard pressed into my butt.

I’d never been with a man, not even been allowed to be alone with anyone who wasn’t family or an elderly bodyguard, but I wasn’t oblivious or completely unworldly.

Did I… did I actually turn him on?

The thought was exhilarating and delusional at once. Mauro wasn’t into me. But the firm pressure against my lower back told a different story.

I should have ignored it, but I simply could not. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I rolled over until his bulge bumped into my lower belly. Mauro gritted his teeth and I let out a surprised gasp at the harsh look on his face. “Mauro?”

My voice shook with… nerves? Triumph? Excitement? Too much was happening in my body all at once to figure it out. His mouth was set in a tight line, his brows furrowed as he glared down at me. He looked angry, not aroused, but somehow that made him look even hotter.

Mauro

Stella sounded terrified, and what else would she be? She was stuck down here in this windowless prison with me and I was sporting the fucking king of all erections. Feeling Stella’s firm butt rubbing all over my dick had fired up all of my fantasies. First this morning and now.

Now she peered up at my face curiously, as if she was trying to figure me out. Fuck. I swallowed hard and shifted, trying to bring at least a bit of space between our bodies. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Why did it happen?”

If she hadn’t figured it out by herself, I wouldn’t tell her. As long as she remained in her oblivious bubble, the better for us.

“Try to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” I probably wouldn’t catch any sleep tonight anyway, not with Stella’s body so close to mine and my dick eager to claim her.

She pursed her lips. “Mauro, why—”

“Sleep,” I growled.

Stella settled against the pillow but kept her eyes open. I needed her to stop thinking about my fucking erection and why I’d gotten it.

“If the attackers get down here, they’re going to rape me, and torture and kill you.”

Tension shot through my body at her sudden topic change. The thought of anyone hurting Stella like that turned my stomach to stone. I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her. I wrapped an arm around her. “No. They can’t get down here.”

But they had managed to shut off our entire security system. What if they hacked the panic room system as well? It was a closed system, but what did I know? Fuck.

“Do you think it’s the Russians?”

“It could be the Outfit.” It was telling that I wished it was them. They never touched women. Stella would be safe even if they got down here. Their boss, Cavallaro, had a strict policy regarding harming innocent women. Me, they’d dismember and kill, of course.

“It’s sad that yesterday wasn’t even my worst birthday.”

My hold on her tightened, knowing what she was referring to. Her dad had died a day before her sixth birthday. “You’ll get your present once we’re out here.”

“What did you get for me?”

“That’s a secret.”

She cast her eyes up and something in them went straight to my dick. Maybe it was the dim light, but desire and need reflected on her beautiful face. “If we never get out of here alive, I won’t get a birthday present from you.”

“We’re not going to die,” I said firmly.

“But we could.”

She inched closer, her breasts brushing my chest. What was she doing?

She lifted her face, her lips coming closer to mine. I needed to stop her, but I didn’t move a single muscle. “There’s one thing I’ve wanted to do for a long time…”

She took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to my mouth. Her eyes widened. Her lips were satin-soft and she smelled absolutely delicious. I lost it. My arm tightened around her and I pulled her against me, then really kissed her. My tongue plunged into her mouth, discovering her, tasting her, losing myself in the sensation. I slipped my hand under her T-shirt and stroked her back. She shivered, her eyes fluttering shut, her body completely motionless in my embrace. Her tongue met mine and she moaned into my mouth, an eager sound straight out of my dreams. My brain short-circuited. I rolled on top of her, settling between her thighs, feeling the heat of her center through our clothes. My dick twitched and I kissed her even harder, cupping her head.

I jerked back when I realized what I was doing.

She’d given me a shy, innocent kiss, and I’d taken it up another level. Fuck, I’d dragged her from the ground floor to the fucking top level of the Empire State Building with me.

Stella was innocent. I was supposed to protect her, not manhandle her when she was at my mercy.

Maybe it was cabin fever. I shoved myself off her and stood, trying to rearrange my dick so it was less obvious. As if that still mattered. I’d dry-humped her like a fucking dog. Turning my back on her, I took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry,” I got out.

“Don’t go,” she whispered.

“There’s nowhere I could go.”

“I mean, come back.”

I slanted her a look. She was propped up on her forearm, her hair all over the place and her lips swollen from our kiss. Fuck, she looked absolutely irresistible. Better than in my fantasy.

“Stella—”

“I don’t want to stop kissing you.”

I blinked, not sure if this, too, was part of my overeager mind.

I stepped up to the bed and leaned over her, my arm braced beside her head. Narrowing my eyes, I said, “You know the rules. You know what it means to break them.”

“I don’t care.”

Neither did I. But I should. I damn well should.

She curled her hand around my neck, trying to pull me back down. I resisted. My eyes trailed down her body, lingering on my boxers, which looked fucking perfect on her. “If you knew what I’ve done to you in my fantasies…”

She took a deep breath, then licked her lips in the most tantalizing way possible. “What did you do?”

Nerves and excitement rang in her voice.

“I could show you,” I said. What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t. That was the problem.

She gave a tiny nod. I still didn’t trust my eyes. I leaned down, claiming her lips again, and like last time, she kissed me back. I slid my palm up her thigh, needing to feel proof of her desire for me. Stella didn’t wear underwear beneath my shorts and my fingertips brushed her pussy lips.

She was completely soaked. My fingers glided smoothly over her folds and I groaned, completely lost in the sensation. I’d imagined this moment so often.

“Are you wet for me?” I growled.

Stella blinked at me, lips parted. Small pants fell from her mouth as I traced her pussy lightly, spreading her wetness.

“Tell me, is this…” I slid my pointer finger along her slit, gathering her juices and holding it up for her to see. “…because you want me?”

“Yes,” she admitted breathlessly. “I’ve wanted you for so long.” A dark blush stained her cheeks, but she held my gaze.

I groaned because she’d torn down my last defense. If she’d been hesitant, I would have kept my distance, but like this, with the prospect of dying in this hellhole? I had no power to resist.

I knelt down in front of the bunk and dragged her toward the edge, my fingers stroking up her soft thighs. I hooked my hands in her boxer shorts and slid them down, catching a whiff of her musky-sweet aroma. My cock twitched with need. Fuck.

“I’m going to give you a good lick before I show you how to blow me,” I rasped. I wanted more than that. I wanted to bury myself in her heat, wanted to mark her as mine, but I couldn’t.

I didn’t wait for her reply. I parted her wide and dragged my tongue from her opening up to her clit. Stella bucked up with a hoarse moan. Her hand flew to the top of my head, her fingers raking through my hair. I smiled against her pussy, ignoring my warning voice. In this moment, I didn’t want to consider the consequences of our actions. The outside world and its rules seemed light-years away.

She said my name over and over again as I licked her. Stella was my forbidden treat. Sweet as sin. A forbidden delight I wasn’t allowed to have and she tasted all the better because of it. Her throaty moans, her fingers tangling in my hair, her dripping arousal drove me near insane with desire. For the first time since losing my virginity at fourteen, I felt like I might come in my pants.

“Oh Mauro,” she said, her hips bucking, pressing her pussy closer to my open mouth. I dipped my tongue into her, wishing my cock could do the same.

“Do you like my tongue in your pussy?” I rasped.

“Yes.”

Her voice dripped with desire, with the need to come. I circled her opening then dove back in. Slipping my hands beneath her ass cheeks, I lifted her for better access, burying my face in her lap.

Every moan, every twitch of her body as I devoured her pussy made my dick swell more. Soon, Stella writhed beneath me, her cries bouncing off the walls as she arched up. I groaned against her as she came, feeling fucking triumphant about giving her first orgasm to her.

I didn’t want anyone else to see her like this—ever.

Stella

I tried to catch my breath, staring up at the underside of the top bunk. Whenever I’d tried to imagine how it would feel to have Mauro go down on me, it hadn’t been nearly as intense. I tilted my head. Mauro was still wedged between my thighs, his tongue trailing over my sensitive flesh lazily. It was almost too much, and yet still too good to stop him. Mauro looked up, meeting my gaze. With a dark smile, he parted me and took a deliberate lick. I flushed, torn between embarrassment and arousal.

“Are you ready to return the favor?” he asked in a growl.

Biting my lip, I nodded. Mauro pressed a kiss to my sensitive flesh, then to my hipbone before he stood. The bulge in his sweatpants was huge. Standing right in front of the bunk, he removed his shirt and dragged down his sweatpants. His erection bounced when it caught on the waistband. My eyes grew wide at his size.

I stared, lying frozen on my back.

Mauro tensed. “Stella? You don’t have to do—”

“I want to,” I choked out and slowly sat up. Now his erection was only a few inches from my face. He cupped my head with one hand while he braced himself against the top bunk with the other. His six-pack flexed and pure hunger reflected in his eyes.

Under his lustful gaze, I curled my fingers around his base, surprised at how wide he was.

“Take me into your mouth,” he rasped.

I parted my lips and cupped his tip. Taking my time to discover every inch of him with my lips and tongue, I relished in the small impatient thrusts of his hips, in his sharp breaths. Soon he began to pump into my mouth lightly. “Fuck, I want to fuck your mouth.”

He looked on the verge of losing control, dark and irresistible. I wanted him to lose himself with me. “Then do it,” I whispered, wanting to show him that I wasn’t the little kid he needed to protect anymore.

His eyes flashed with need. I cupped his ass, feeling a rush of heat between my legs. He gripped the board of the top bunk and began to thrust his hips, slow at first, then faster and harder.

I clung to his ass as he took my mouth. His eyes burned into mine, his expression twisted with pleasure, his muscles flexing with every slam. I had trouble taking in even half of him, but he didn’t seem to mind, judging from his grunts and moans.

Soon his movements became jerkier. He moved back without warning. “On your knees!” he barked.

Rattled, I scrambled onto my knees. I didn’t get the chance to wonder what was going to happen because I felt something wet and sticky hit my ass cheek followed by Mauro’s groan. I twisted my head around. Mauro’s eyes were closed as he pumped his erection slowly, spurting his release all over my ass. My core clenched at the sight.

I’d never thought this would turn me on, but it did.

Mauro opened his eyes and frowned. He reached for his shirt and cleaned himself with it, then my ass. “Are you all right?” His voice was rough with a hint of concern in it.

“Better than all right,” I admitted with an embarrassed laugh.

Mauro was bent over me to clean me. He dropped his shirt on the floor. “Is that so?”

I nodded, rolling onto my back so Mauro hovered over me, gloriously naked. “I thought you’d sleep with me when you asked me to get on my knees.”

Mauro’s eyes darkened. He cupped my cheek. “You know the rules,” he said gruffly, then added in an even lower voice. “And when I take your virginity, I won’t do it from behind. I want to see your face when I claim you.”

When, not if.

Maybe Mauro realized his choice of words too because he frowned.

He stretched out beside me, stroking my hair with an unreadable expression. “How will I stay away from you now that I know how sweet you taste? I want to eat you out again.”

“I’m not stopping you,” I joked. “There isn’t much we can do down here.”

Mauro chuckled. His eyes taking in every inch of my face until I had to look away, suddenly shy. It still seemed surreal what we’d just done. With Mauro I’d felt safe, I still did. He kissed me. I tasted myself on his lips. Pressing even closer to his strong body, I knew I wanted to be with him. Not just in this panic room.

I fell asleep in his arms not long after, feeling protected and in love.

“I won’t ever let you go.”

Seconds before I drifted off, Mauro murmured those words against my skin.

Mauro jerked behind me and practically leaped over my body, grabbing his guns from the floor. It took me a moment to understand why.

The lock of the trapdoor had clicked. With a creak, the thing opened. Mauro grabbed my arm and pushed me behind him, his guns aimed at the ladder.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest.

“Mauro?” a man called.

Mauro relaxed, lowering the gun. “Stella and I are down here.”

“Don’t shoot. I’m coming down now.”

I slumped against his back, finally recognizing the voice of one of Father’s men. Realizing I wasn’t wearing anything beneath the T-shirt, I quickly slipped into the discarded boxers. Luckily, Mauro had put on his sweatpants before we’d fallen asleep.

“We’re safe,” I said, relieved.

Mauro turned to me with a small smile. “We are.”

This panic room had become our respite from reality, our own pleasurable, safe haven. It had brought us closer, not just physically.

I wanted a future with Mauro, and I would get it.