Unwilling Pawn by Measha Stone

Chapter 19

Christian

It was two days after the walk in the park when Amelia finally decided to allow my men to accompany her outside of the penthouse. Maybe she thought I’d give in if she barricaded herself inside, but she’d learned quickly I was a man of my word. She wouldn’t be leaving without someone to help her navigate and to keep her safe.

Back in Chicago, Lukas warned me Sebastian was beyond reason. He’d lost almost everything, and he’d put his eyes on me for revenge. As much as I longed for the day I could finally put that bastard down, I wouldn’t allow him to put Amelia in danger. And until I knew the situation was fully under control, she would be protected.

I walked into our bedroom and found Amelia sliding her feet into her white walking shoes. She’d put on a pair of black capri slacks with a coral-colored blouse. Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail and wound into a thick bun, much like the first night I’d seen her. Though that time there wasn’t a small bruise just below her earlobe where my fingers had tightened around her neck the night before.

The woman had yet to disappoint me. Every time I thought I’d brought her to the limit of what she would tolerate, she took me another yard. It was magnificent.

“Anthony will take you wherever you want to go,” I said to her as I leaned against the doorframe of the bedroom.

She startled, then looked over her shoulder at me, a small smile tugged on the edges of her lips. “I wanted to visit the Museum of Natural History. And maybe stop at the YMCA down the street to see if they have need of any piano lessons. I know they do mostly sports stuff, but maybe they have some educational classes too.”

“Should I have him get the car? He was under the impression you wanted to walk.”

“I do.” She turned toward me, buttoning the last button of her blouse. “It’s nice out. Warm, but not muggy. It’s not as humid here as Chicago.”

I laughed. “It’s been nice this week, but I promise you it gets just as bad here, sometimes worse.”

“Either way, while it’s nice, I want to be outside.”

She walked to the nightstand on her side of our bed and picked up a thin strapped watch. Her things had finally arrived yesterday, and she’d spent most of the night unpacking.

“Before you go, I have something for you.” I went to the closet, where I kept my special toys. “Well, two things.” I grinned, walking back into the room.

I opened my palm and showed her the steel butt plug standing erect. Her eyes widened, and her hands went straight to her ass.

“No.” She shook her head. “No way.”

I shrugged. “It’s going in one way or another, Amelia. Either you be a good girl and I can make it easier, or you can be naughty and have a sore ass to go along with your sore asshole.”

She frowned. As much as my girl was showing me how much she enjoyed the bites of pain I gave her, she really did not enjoy punishments of any sort. Mostly, I assumed, because she wasn’t allowed any touching or coming afterward. It was all the workup with none of the reward.

“You’re going to make me wear that while I’m out with one of your guys?”

“Anthony doesn’t need to know. I won’t tell him if you don’t.” I pointed to the bed. “Now, bend over for me. There’s something else I want to give you, but not until you have this in place.”

She squared up with me, like she was going to fight me on this. But she’d lost most of these sorts of battles, and in the end she really won. Maybe it finally hit her, the path of least resistance got her exactly where she wanted to be.

“Can you at least tell me why I have to wear this?” she asked, unbuttoning her capris and pushing them, along with her black lace thong, down her shapely ass.

“Because soon, very soon, I’m going to fuck your ass. My fingers are one thing, but my cock is something very different.” I pulled her ass cheek to the side and squirted a dollop of lubricant over the tight ring of muscle. Instantly she clenched. “Relax or it’s going to hurt when I put it in.”

She grumbled, but with her face in the mattress I couldn’t make it out.

“Push back at me, baby.” I pressed the rounded tip of the plug against her asshole. “More,” I said, advancing the plug past her ring of muscle. “Good girl, almost there.” I kept furthering the plug inside, watching her ass stretch around the steel bulb as it grew wider and wider. The image of it being my own thick cock being swallowed by her ass got my cock as hard as the plug itself.

“It hurts,” she whined and leaned forward.

“You’re doing good. Almost there.” I touched the small of her back, it was enough to keep her from pulling away from me. My girl, as much as she protested, loved being my obedient little wife. At least when she was being fucked.

With one more push, the base of the plug was in place and her ass gripped the narrow end.

“There.” I dropped the bottle of lube to the bed and pulled up her panties along with her pants.

“That’s it?” She stood up from the bed and buttoned her pants. Disappointment dripped from her question.

I laughed. “I have a meeting soon, and you have plans. And I have one more thing to give you.”

“What?” She followed me out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the living room at the front of the penthouse. It was set off from the main corridor, but it would carry the sound perfectly throughout the floor.

I stopped just outside the entranceway to the living room. It had taken some doing, getting her surprise in place while she was sleeping last night. But money talks.

“Are you sore?” I asked giving her hips a pointed look.

She blushed so prettily I wanted to shove her to her knees and stick my cock right down her sweet throat. But I refrained. We were on a schedule here.

“It feels weird, but I’ll get used to it,” she conceded.

“You like it.” I grinned. She read like an open book, no matter how hard she tried to conceal herself from me, her emotions played right across her gentle features.

“What did you want to give me?” she sighed and looked toward the living room.

“Go on in and see.” I stepped out of her way. She shot me a side glance of suspicion as she passed me.

“Oh.” She froze the moment her eyes landed on the piano. “Christian.” She hurried toward it, as though it would disappear if she waited too long to touch it. “It’s too much.” She shook her head, running her fingertips over the edge of the lid. “It’s too much.”

I cupped her elbow, drawing her attention toward me then gestured toward the seat. “I wanted to bring your piano from your father’s house, but I like this one better.” I lifted the fall board, exposing the keyboard.

“The piano at my father’s house belonged to his mother. He wouldn’t have parted with it.” She looked up at me through lowered eyelashes. “How did you know which piano to buy?”

I lifted a shoulder. “That was easy. You seemed to like the one at Alderman Kozak’s house, so I got that one.”

Her eyes widened. “You didn’t make him give this to you, did you?”

I laughed. “No, Amelia.” I walked around behind her and came to stand on the other side of the piano. “My talents are a little more skilled than bullying or petty theft. I have enough money to buy whatever I need on my own. Besides, his was used. This one is brand new.” I leaned my forearms against the edge and looked down at her.

Her fingers petted the keys as though she were introducing herself to them.

“It’s a beautiful piano,” she said softly.

“Play something for me,” I said, moving away from the piano to give her space. This was her space. Somewhere she could unleash her thoughts and emotions into the keys and strings of the instrument that would help her work out all of her troubles. I was a visitor there, and I would respect that for her.

She swung her legs forward and took her position as I sank into the armchair I’d had moved into the corner of the room for just these moments. Where I sat, I could make out her features and follow along with her while her fingers bounced and danced along the keyboard.

Within a few notes, she was lost to me, swept away by the music. She liked playing modern pieces, songs I’d heard Hanna playing on the radio, but today she must have felt more classical. The tension in her shoulders eased away as she played.

There was nothing more beautiful than her right at that moment. A picture of peace. Of pure beauty. At one point I’d thought to leave her in Chicago and visit every couple of months. Watching her now made me wonder what the hell I could have been thinking. A short visit every few months would never be enough.

A lifetime might not be.

“Shit.” She missed a note and pulled her hands away from the keyboard, yanking me from my own daydream.

“Just skip it and keep going,” I said from the corner.

“It’s a wonderful piano.” She brought her happy eyes to mine. “Thank you.”

Heat blasted through my chest. I nodded as I stood up from my chair. I needed to get across town for a meeting. I had a family to run, an empire to lead, I didn’t have time for piano recitals in the middle of the morning.

“Since we married so quickly there wasn’t time for an appropriate ceremony or celebration. We’ll be having a reception in two weeks.” I tugged on my sleeve.

She frowned. “A reception for who?”

“Business associates, politicians, and of course my family.”

“Isn’t it dangerous having your business associates and people like politicians mixing like that?” she asked.

“The Kaczmarek family owns several lucrative businesses, Amelia,” I say, realizing she barely knows me at all. Why wouldn’t she think my life was full of underground businesses and illegal ventures. “Here in New York, we own a construction company as well as a small chain of gas stations.” All completely legal on the front end, basically untouchable if we do everything right.

“And the political angle?” she asked, getting up from the piano seat.

“Politicians can be useful in a lot of ways. My family can be helpful to them as well.” Especially during election seasons. “So, I invite them to functions and cater to them when needed. It’s the price I pay to play in their world.” I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “And to keep them out of mine.”

“I remember my mother planning events for my dad,” she said after a long pause. “If you can give me the guest list, I’m sure I can manage putting something together.”

“We have a party planner.” I smiled as the relief washed over her features.

“So, is this to warm me up to the idea that I have to play the pretty little wife in a few weeks for you?” She swept her hand over the piano.

“This gift has two functions.” I nudged her chin upward with my knuckle. “One is so you have somewhere to work out your frustrations. As much as I love smacking your ass every time you get restless, there are times when I won’t be here to do it.” I grinned at the light pink blossom on her cheeks. The woman was just too easy to provoke. “The second reason is completely selfish. I enjoy listening to you play.”

A deep voice called from the foyer, “Christian, are you ready?”

I brushed the back of my hand across her cheek. “I have meetings all day today. The plug stays in until you’re home from the museum.”

She pinched her lips together. Had she forgotten already that it was there?

“There you are,” Richie appeared in the doorway. “I was calling you.”

I raised my brow. “Since when do I answer to a dog whistle?”

Richie winced. “Sorry. The car’s ready.”

“Then let’s go.” I gave his shoulder a shove and threw a wink over my shoulder at Amelia.

It felt good. Her smile and her little wave as I walked out, it left me light and ready to take on the bastards I had on my schedule for the day.

But I should have known.

Monsters like me should never play too long in the sunlight.