Wedded Or Worse Read online

  “Yes, mama, I’m on assignment,” he said into the cellphone pressed to his ear. He wasn’t a spoiled mama’s boy, but he was completely devoted to Mira Santori. The Santoris loved hard and fought hard for each other, and they completely surrounded their own. “Mama, you know I can’t talk about the case,” he groaned, closing his eyes. His hand rubbed over his face while he listened. “Yes… Yes, Wyn is with me. She’s been assigned to this, as well.”

  He paused as she spoke again, and I tried not to focus on his call, even though we were in close quarters in this small hotel room—with one bed! I glossed my lips then checked my hair one last time as it tumbled over my shoulders in a riot of fat curls.

  “Yes, I know Angelo will be pissed, but I can’t control our assignments.” He pulled the phone from his ear, shaking his head slightly before pressing it back. I fought my grin. Mira was an angel, but she could give you hell. “I know, I know… You think I should work for Dad. Have you ever considered there’s a reason I don’t?” She said something, and he grimaced. “Mama, don’t. You know I love you both. This has nothing to do with that.”

  Unable to waste any more time with my pretend primping, I turned and leaned against the dresser. My arms and ankles crossed as I watched him. An amused grin curved my lips, and when he looked at me, he couldn’t help but grin back.

  “I’ve gotta go,” he said into the phone. “Of course, I’ll keep Wyn safe. Love you and Dad, too.”

  He disconnected the call and tossed the cell onto the bed. Standing, he closed the few steps separating us. His body caged mine against the dresser while he leaned in.

  “You look gorgeous, amore mio,” he murmured into my neck as he pressed a kiss to my fluttering pulse.

  I couldn’t hold back my small pleasured sound as a shiver worked through me and my fingers curled on his biceps. How many lonely days had I dreamed about a moment like this before I’d ruthlessly started shoving away the fantasy? Having him this close, breathing in his dark, wholly masculine scent, it was everything. My core clenched, my breasts feeling uncomfortable in my bra. I fought to keep from arching into him and unleashing everything I’d kept under steely control for so long.

  “You look pretty gorgeous, too,” I breathed. “You were made to wear suits like that one. Not all men can pull one off with such total elegance.”

  Lame…

  “You’ve been looking at other men?” he growled.

  “I have eyes,” I huffed. “I didn’t say I wanted any of them. And what if I did? You weren’t giving me the time of day.”

  Perhaps a dangerous conversation to have while we were chest to chest, his body taking up my personal space and forcing me to lean back slightly. His arm wrapped behind my lower back, supporting me and keeping me trapped close to him.

  “You had all my time. You just didn’t know it. I would have ended any man who thought he could have you.”

  “You know, for a cop, you’re awfully violent.”

  His lips pressed behind my ear before brushing the shell, his warm breath sending shivers through me. “Only with you, tesoro. I would guard you with my life.”

  It made me happy that he called me by his family’s endearments, ones he’d learned from his father. His love, his princess, his treasure. He called me all those. Maverick was fully American, as was his father, but the Italian ran deep in their clan. Almost as deep as their unwavering possessiveness and determination.

  And I knew he wasn’t lying about protecting me, protecting what he considered his, which made this assignment a little less nerve wracking for me. But I knew there were some things out of his control.

  “Are you ready for our date?” he asked, stepping back suddenly and leaving me off-balance as the cool air replaced his body heat. “I’m looking forward to having this time with you, to finally have you on my arm for the world to see.”

  “Arm candy?” I teased.

  “I’m sure there’s none sweeter. I can’t wait to have a taste. The wait has been an eternity.”

  My thighs pressed together as I covertly tried to breathe. “Plenty of women would have helped you slake that need.”

  “None of them were you. I would never.” He slashed a hand through the air before he grabbed mine. I stared wide-eyed at him when he pressed my palm to his rigid length. Reflexively, my fingers curled on the wide shaft before I caught myself. Mav growled, lifting my hand away and kissing the inside of my wrist. His teeth grazed over the sensitive flesh, making me shiver again. “That’s all for you,” he vowed, the words as reverent as a prayer. “Only for you.”

  I nodded, a little overwhelmed by him, by this one-eighty change in our dynamic, and by my intense desire for him.

  My gaze skittered toward the bed, the only bed in the room, and he groaned. “Come on, principessa. Let’s get out of here before I ruin all my good intentions of treating you to the first date you deserve, and instead give you the first date both our bodies ache for.”

  The tip of my tongue flicked along my bottom lip before I drew the plump flesh between my teeth and nodded.

  Chapter Four

  ~ Maverick ~

  Swaying to the music, I sank into the pleasure of holding Wyn in my arms. I’d taken her to a swanky five-star restaurant tonight, and honest to God Michelin-rated place. Afterward, I’d brought her to an equally glitzy club for drinks and dancing. Tomorrow, we’d start hitting the places the victims of the extortions had visited before they’d been targeted, all high-profile touristy spots. My soul itched and railed against it. I didn’t want to do anything that would put Wyn in danger.

  I hugged her closer, knowing it was my job. We had a case, people to save from this sadistic game. Bringing her hand to my lips, I pressed a kiss to the ring, the fact it had a tracker in it a small comfort in the face of our circumstances.

  Wyn rubbed my shoulder, apparently picking up on my tension. “Everything will be fine,” she whispered.

  My head shook, my smile more grimace than anything. “Were you able to dig up anything?” I knew she’d hit her computers before we’d left, using her sixth sense along with the information that had been sent to the precinct.

  “Nothing substantial. All the couples were newlyweds on vacation—some on their honeymoons. All were affluent with nothing shady in their backgrounds. Mr. and Mrs. American Pie, you know? Then some assholes decided to decimate everything. There are men in jail for crimes they never wanted to commit, things they had no desire to do, but felt no choice in if they wanted to save their wives. Careers obliterated, relationships crumbled under the stress. I can’t fix what’s happened, but I want retribution for them. I only wish…”

  “What, amore?”

  “I wish I could nail these guys from behind my computer screen. I’m not made for detective work. It scares me some.”

  My forehead pressed to hers. “I know.”

  It scared me, too, even if I didn’t say so. Being a detective was normally a bit boring. It was rare to be involved in anything that got my adrenaline pumping. Equally rare for me to be undercover. And this case…it worried me like none ever had.

  “It’ll be okay,” I promised. I felt as if I were saying the same thing over and over, to reassure her, to reassure myself. It had to be, though. I couldn’t bear life without her. If I lost her, they might as well toss me into a cell, too.

  We danced in silence, my hand at the small of her back, holding her close. My other clasped hers while her fingers curled around my nape. Our bodies moved together, a faint echo of how I longed to have her. Need flooded through me, the proof of it becoming achingly painful and more difficult to disguise with each brush of our hips.

  The music changed to something faster, but I didn’t shift our positions. Partly because I wanted her close, and partly because I was going to have to hope my suit coat hid what was happening beneath my belt. I knew Wyn was fully aware.

  “I’m ready to go home,” she murmured, starry eyes gazing up at me as they reflected the club’s lights. She gave a
half-laugh. “Back to the hotel, anyway.”

  I nodded, stepping back slightly then guiding her off the dance floor with our fingers linked. It had gotten packed with people over the last hour, and I didn’t want to lose her in the crowd or have some asshole think he could waylay her for a dance.

  I was anxious to get back to the hotel, too. In both a good and a bad way. I looked forward to holding Wyn in my arms while we slept. At the same time, it would be hell. I wasn’t sure I’d get any sleep.

  The drive back was silent, our fingers still twined. Wyn wasn’t pulling away at all, which was good for my nerves. I needed her, even if it was just holding her body to mine.

  As soon as we entered the room, she kicked off her shoes and flung herself into hugging me. Her head pressed to my chest, her ear over my heart while I held her close. She had to hear it hammering against my breastbone, feel it pulsing against her cheek.

  My lips pressed to the top of her head while I toed off my shoes, too. Drawing away, she turned her back to me and pulled her hair over her shoulder. “Unzip me?” she said, gazing over her shoulder at me, her eyes partially shuttered by her lashes.

  “Wyn,” I breathed, half in protest. I needed to do the right thing by her. Not rush. Not push.

  On the other hand, she seemed intent on pushing me. “All this time, Maverick. After waiting all this time… I want you. I’ve always wanted you. I need you.”

  There wasn’t much fight in me when it came to what she wanted. Wyn asked, and I gladly gave. Even this, when her plans differed from mine. I couldn’t argue, though. Need galloped through me, too.

  Stepping close, I pressed my lips to her shoulder while I found the tab of her zip and slowly dragged it down…all the way down over the curve of her ass. My God, it was torture, and the way she groaned, I wondered if it was for her, as well.

  Wyn shrugged her shoulders and let the dress tumble to her feet. With none of the shyness you’d expect from a virgin, she turned to me, clad only in the scraps of silk and lace that matched her dress. A goddess. One hundred percent ethereal being…

  Her hands went for my belt as I stared, unmoving. She had it open before I even got my brain online enough to do anything. Quickly, I shrugged off my coat then tugged open my shirt. If any buttons went flying, I didn’t care.

  I nearly lost it at the sensation of my zipper lowering. Wyn’s fingers fisted to either side of my waistband while I discarded my shirt and T-shirt. Her stare remained firmly on the ridge within my boxer-briefs.

  “Touch me,” I rasped.

  Her gaze shot up to mine, but then her small hand reached inside to cover me. I groaned, pressing into the touch. “You’ll undo me, tesoro,” I gritted.

  “Good.”

  With a chuckle, I shoved down my pants and stepped free of them and my socks while she rubbed up and down my length. She shriek-laughed as I swept her up into my arms and strode to the bed. The wicked hand went behind my neck with its mate.

  “Shh… You’ll disturb our neighbors,” I teased before my lips covered hers. I crawled over her, and she spread her thighs welcoming me into the cradle of her body. Her panties and my boxer-briefs still kept us separated, and I damned that fabric, even as I made no move to remove it. My full intent lay in the way our mouth’s meshed, teeth and tongues, hard and soft, gentle and wild.

  My hands slipped behind her back and released the clasp of her bra. Wyn wiggled free, and I immediately palmed one firm mound of flesh.

  “Feels so good,” I muttered against her lips.

  “Yeah.” Her fingers speared into my wild curls and drew me back while I explored the softness of her breast and the dichotomy of her firm, pliant nipple. Wyn moaned, arching into it as I circled the flesh then pulled at the tip. Her center pressed to my rock-hard length, her heat practically burning me. Even through our thin layers, I could tell she was wet. For me.

  Tearing my mouth from hers, my nose dragged between her breasts, inhaling the floral scent she’d dabbed there, before I covered one nipple with my ravenous mouth, needing to taste her. Nothing less than devouring would satisfy me. She was temptation in a sweet package, and I could only imagine the flavor that would meet me when I slipped off those delicate panties and feasted there.

  Wyn cried out, and even though I’d teased her about the neighbors earlier, I really didn’t care. I wanted everyone to hear her while I made her mine. I wanted them to be jealous that Wyn belonged to me and only me. Her fingers pulled at my hair when I popped off that tip and moved to the other, learning the nubby texture with my mouth.

  “Maverick,” she gasped, pleading. I needed to take my time with her, though. For both our sakes. If I rushed now, it would be over too fast.

  “I’ve got you, amore.”

  Chapter Five

  ~ Maverick ~

  “You do. I’m yours. I’m yours,” she chanted. She was. Finally. I didn’t hasten my devotion at her breasts, licking and sucking both, going back and forth until the reddened tips glistened from my attention. Only then did I kiss my way down her creamy skin, over her ever-so-slightly convex belly that she sucked in, reacting to my mouth on her. My tongue circled her cute bellybutton before journeying lower.

  My shoulders between her thighs, I gazed up at her.

  “Yes?” I prompted.

  Her fingers buried in my hair while her other hand fluttered over her cheek and neck. “Yes, God, yes,” she urged. Her hips lifted, silently telling me to get on with it.

  At your command, tesoro mio. Ready and willing to worship at your altar.

  I breathed in her heady, tangy scent while I drew down the scrap of silk, unbelievably turned on by the sight of them tangled around her knees. I considered leaving them there, but I wanted her legs free to wrap around my head while I feasted on her. With a toss, my prize landed atop my pants.

  “Keeping those,” I told her.

  “Whatever. Just… Get. To. It,” she demanded.

  Smiling, I dragged my curled finger along her bare crease. She waxed, which was a surprise, and it left her dewy folds exposed to me. I almost came just from the sight of her inner lips trying to peek out from between her plump outer labia.

  “Fuck, that’s beautiful,” I breathed, feeling her warm, velvet-smooth flesh. My thumb traced her crease this time, pressing a little harder than my finger had, gathering her moisture on the tip.

  I brought it to my lips and sucked away her essence. My cock throbbed at her flavor. “Fuck, Wynter…”

  “Yes,” she hissed. “Fucking fuck Wynter.”

  I chuckled. “Not yet. I need my candy first.”

  She moaned, her fingers in my hair pushing me closer. I didn’t waste time now. Parting her plump center with my thumbs, I dragged my tongue along her slit and gathered the cream I’d been craving for oh…about eight years…maybe a little longer. Completely worth the wait. My eyes rolled back in my head while I licked and sucked with no real finesse. I knew it, but as Wyn writhed beneath me, she didn’t seem to care.

  When I pressed a finger into her, her walls clenched around it, her hips thrusting higher as more of her arousal flooded my tongue. And I felt like a god that I could do this to her. With more restraint than I showed while devouring her, I worked my finger in and out, imagining how she’d strangle my cock…said erection thumped against the mattress. Not a good thought. It would only push me closer to coming.

  Finding her clit with my lips, I sucked hard, and she bucked, possibly yanking out some of my hair. It was the sweetest of pains. I didn’t stop as her walls fluttered around my driving finger. I added another to the vise, rubbing against a part of her passage that drew a prolonged yell from her.

  Who’d have thought? My Wyn was a screamer when she climaxed. I liked it. As she started to settle, I shoved down my briefs and crawled over her. Kissing her fiercely, letting her taste herself on me, I wrapped my fingers around my length. The head dripped with precum, and I dragged it up and down her slit, intermingling her arousal with mine. We moaned together w
hen I lodged my glans at her opening.

  “Wyn,” I whispered.

  Her glossy eyes opened to stare at me. Nothing but pleasure lingered in the dazed depths.

  “You’re mine. Forever mine. I’ll never give you up, Never. Not ever.”

  “Not ever,” she echoed. Her fingers cupped my cheek, and I turned my head to kiss her palm. When I turned back, she smiled at me. “Always yours. Always have been. Always will be. Have the ring to prove it.”

  “You do.” I chuckled, happy that we could be lighthearted with each other, even in a moment like this. The action throbbed my tip against her, and I shuddered, clenching as I fought for control. Even so, I felt come leaking onto her. We were far from over, though.

  “I need inside you,” I groaned.

  Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. “I need that so, so much.”

  Slowly, I pressed forward, inwardly wincing at the knowledge I’d cause her pain. “Amore,” I whispered. “Tesoro mio. Principessa mio.”

  “Principe mio,” she whispered back, just before her face squinched. I froze, but her nails dug divots into my back. “Keep going.”

  I surged forward, and we both gasped, both freezing again, held on the precipice of something even greater than this mind-blowing moment. Her walls squeezed tight around me, and despite all my self-warnings, I momentarily closed my eyes and savored it.

  She blurred, shimmering, when I looked down at her again, my emotions overflowing. “I love you,” I said, the fervent words as close to a prayer as they were to a declaration. I’d told her a million times in Italian, in endearments, but now… I needed to let this raw passion pour out.

  “I love you,” she returned. “I love you more than you could ever know.”