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  Word must spread fast in this family, or maybe Bianca’s talked about me with her grandmother. Lord knows, in my family, if Betty knows something, the entire world has the information because the woman is shit at keeping secrets.

  “I am.” I can’t wipe the dumb smile off my face knowing someone’s been talking to her grandmother about me.

  “I knew you’d come,” she whispers as her fingertips slide to my mouth, outlining the edges of my lips. “The ancestors told me about you.”

  I don’t move. Ancestors? Either her age has affected her brain, or she’s talking to spirits. One makes me sad, and the other scares the shit out of me.

  When I was fourteen, my friends dared me to go into this tiny mystic shop a couple streets over from the bar. Me being the man, of course, I walked in there without a problem. My head held high, shoulders back, thinking that shit was going to be a breeze and I’d end up with a few laughs. Just like any teenage punk who wanders into a place like that.

  Until Bianca’s abuela, I hadn’t thought about the words that woman spoke to me almost a decade ago.

  “You will fall madly in love with the brown-eyed girl next door.”

  Then, I was pretty sure Margaret Alfonsi was not going to be the future Mrs. Vincent Gallo. She was barely five feet tall but so skinny, her kneecaps looked like weapons. She had buck teeth, which could be adorable on some people, just not her. But the real issue with Margaret wasn’t her face or body—it was her shitty attitude. She was the meanest girl on the street. She had to be, with the way the other kids picked on her. If you said anything to Margaret that seemed even remotely unfriendly, she’d hit you straight in the balls with those bony-ass kneecaps of hers.

  “Abuela, don’t scare him.” Bianca places her hand on my shoulder and moves to my side.

  I peer up at her with the hint of a smile and cover her hand with mine. “I’m fine, baby, let her speak.”

  “You care for my Bianca?” She pulls my face closer before dropping her hands back to my shoulders.

  “I do.”

  “She’s a headstrong and stubborn girl. Much like her abuela.”

  I laugh softly. Grandma isn’t lying. Bianca has both those qualities, but I couldn’t imagine her any other way. A weak woman isn’t what I’m after. I want someone who’s going to challenge me, and so far, Bianca’s done that at every turn.

  “She will need a firm hand and caring heart to watch over her.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Mi amor was my rock, holding me in place and keeping me tethered to this earth. You must be that for Bianca.”

  But for some odd reason, which is totally fucked up, my mind goes straight to sex. Holding Bianca in place as she rides my cock from above. And the firm hand part? Yeah, I’m totally thinking about smacking that ass.

  I shake my head when Bianca smacks my shoulder like she can read my damn mind. “Vinnie,” she whispers. “Don’t go there.”

  Yeah. She totally read my mind. Of course, she would. She writes the dirtiest words about women being controlled and sexually dominated. There’s no way her mind didn’t shift a little with the firm hand comment.

  “Yes,” her grandmother says and touches my face again, bringing my attention back to her and away from my dirty thoughts. “You will make a fine father to my great-grandchildren.”

  “Will we have a lot?” I’m totally buying into her ancestor talk, and I’m also indulging the woman.

  Bianca’s foot starts to tap like she’s dancing behind me. I reach back, wrapping my hand around her ankle to stop her. She grunts, and her shadow looms a little large over me. “Ridiculous,” she whispers, knowing her abuela can’t hear her, but I totally can.

  “Many children. Many, many children.” Her lips turn up into a satisfied smile. “The family legacy will continue through you,” she says with a tight squeeze of my shoulders.

  “Abuela.” Bianca leans over and kisses her grandmother’s cheek. “We’re being summoned by Luis. We’ll be back, though.”

  I glance around the room, and Luis’s not even looking in our direction. I guess the conversation about children and a future has Bianca on edge and looking for an escape route.

  Abuela stares at Bianca. “Don’t lie, dear. It’s not very nice.”

  I laugh quietly as I climb to my feet, and Bianca looks like a deer in headlights. Even though her grandmother can’t see well, she knows when someone’s bullshitting her, especially her granddaughter.

  “I…” Bianca starts to say, but I figure I’ll rescue her from this situation.

  “Abuela, do you mind if I take Bianca to get a drink?” I ask, trying to get her the exit she wants and save face with her grandmother.

  “I don’t mind.” She eases back into her chair and toys with the wedding ring she still wears on her finger. “Bring this old lady a tequila when you come back.”

  Bianca slides her hand into mine and pulls me toward the bar before I can say another word to her grandmother. “She’s not totally with it,” she tells me when we’re only a few feet away.

  “She’s fine.”

  “No.” Bianca shakes her head. “She’s not. Didn’t you hear the things she was saying?”

  I stop walking and tug on her hand, making her body lurch backward and collide with my chest. “Baby.” I wrap an arm around her middle, gazing at this beautiful and exasperating creature. “Sometimes, the oldest people among us speak the most truth.”

  She gawks at me, blinking repeatedly as she stills in my arms. “You don’t honestly believe anything she just said, do you?”

  I lean forward, burying my face in her neck. “About the ancestors or the babies?”

  She tips her head back as my lips press into her skin. “Both,” she says breathlessly, and I know I’ve got her.

  I nibble the spot right near her shoulder blade because I know she makes the hottest sound when I touch her there. “I very much believe her words.” My hand slides to her stomach, splaying across her dress. “I’d love nothing more than to see your belly big and carrying my babies.”

  As the words come out of my mouth, I regret them. There’re no takebacks. No turning back time. I’ve never said those words.

  Fuck, I’ve never even thought them about anyone.

  Never.

  Ever.

  No fucking way.

  I’m a player.

  A baller.

  A man without a tether and have been very much enjoying my easy lifestyle until Bianca.

  Bianca stiffens, and the tiny moans she was making cease. “I need a drink,” she says as she pushes out of my arms. “Maybe ten.”

  I follow behind her, this time not reaching for her but having a mild anxiety attack instead. How could I have been so stupid as to say I want my babies in her belly? Like, I’m not even dating the woman.

  Hell, this was all supposed to be a trick to get her family off her back and my coach off mine. But somewhere in the last week, lines have blurred.

  Maybe it’s the fact that she’s not that interested. Or at least, she pretends she isn’t. When she was in my lap, riding me like we were buck naked, she was very much interested in everything I had to offer and could give.

  “Two shots of tequila,” she tells the bartender, holding up two fingers.

  I rub the back of my neck, hoping we’ll both get so drunk, the entire night will become a blur. “I’m not a huge tequila fan.” I stand next to her, watching the bartender as he grabs the bottle.

  She stares in my direction, but there’s no happiness on her face. I don’t see anger either, but I can’t nail down the exact emotion because she’s so good at hiding how she’s feeling. “They aren’t for you.”

  As soon as the bartender pours the first, Bianca has it in her hands and slams it down. She doesn’t even wince as she plops the shot glass back on the bar. My stomach turns at the very thought of tequila. We’re not friends anymore. I always end up on the floor or with some chick I’d never sleep with sober after I’ve had one
too many shots of that shit.

  I pull the empty glass away from Bianca after she points at it like she wants a refill. “Slow down.”

  “Slow down?” she asks, her chest heaving. “Slow down?” Her voice is louder now, and people around us are starting to stare.

  “Shh, baby.”

  “Baby?” She grunts and reaches for the second shot.

  I pull the glass from her hand and set it back on the bar. Wrapping my fingers around her upper arms, I pull her close and lower my voice. “Look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t touched yourself while thinking of me.”

  She narrows her eyes, and she doesn’t speak. She’s breathing faster, but her eyes never leave mine.

  I move my lips to her ear. “Tell me you haven’t moaned my name while dreaming of my cock buried so deep inside your tight, needy pussy you can’t breathe.”

  She turns her face, her mouth almost touching mine.

  I lick my lips, and her eyes follow. “If I touched you right now, put my hand up that pretty little dress of yours, would you be wet for me?”

  A blush creeps across her cheeks at my words, but I don’t stop.

  “I’m hard for you. So fucking hard. I ache to be inside you, Bianca.”

  13

  Bianca

  Vinnie holds my hand as he stalks through the ballroom like a man possessed. I don’t say anything as we walk, still processing everything he just said to me. My mind and body are too consumed by lust to think about much else. My six-month sex hiatus is blowing up in my face.

  “In here.” He pulls me inside the empty coat room before I can object.

  What is it about this guy that has me acting so unlike myself? I’ve never had any problem resisting men. Then Vinnie Gallo happened. Six-plus feet of solid muscle, green eyes, and tanned skin and I’m ready to jump into bed with him with barely a moment’s hesitation.

  He locks the door and stalks toward me with hunger in his eyes. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  I stand here like I’m helpless, playing with the hem of my dress. “This isn’t a good idea,” I whisper and try to swallow down the need that’s building inside me. “We shouldn’t.”

  He wraps his fingers around my chin. “Tell me you don’t want me, and we’ll stop.” His green eyes bore into me, challenging me to lie.

  God, I want him. I want him so fucking bad, my entire body is vibrating with need. I stare at him, unable to form words as my heart hammers in my chest like I’m running a marathon. Before I can say anything, his lips crash down on mine, sealing away any doubt I have left.

  I place my fingers against his abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple and flex underneath his shirt. The kiss deepens, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. He’s literally rendered me breathless. Like something out of an old movie or one of my romance novels.

  My knees weaken, but Vinnie wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer and keeping me upright.

  I slide my hands around to his back, finding the deep ridges near his spine, and anchor myself to him. He grunts, and my pussy contracts from the sound and the way his tongue sweeps along mine. Like it needs to remind me of how immensely empty and lonely my mouth has been.

  He digs his teeth into my bottom lip and tugs as he grips my ass, grinding against me. I moan, loving the way he feels against my body and how infinitely small I feel in his hands.

  “Hands or mouth?” he asks against my lips.

  I open my eyes, finding him staring at me with those blazing green eyes, just as breathless as I am. “Both,” I whisper, wanting everything he’s willing to give.

  He instantly drops to his knees with his hands sliding up my legs, pushing my dress up around my waist. I glance down, unable to take my eyes off him. A satisfied grin spreads across his face when I’m fully exposed.

  “No panties, baby? You wanted my mouth on your beautiful pussy, didn’t you?”

  I bite my lip, trying to pull off the innocent look, but God…I wanted this more than anything. He’s so close, I can feel his warm breath caressing my bare skin.

  His tongue darts out, sweeping across his irresistibly full lips as he lifts my leg over his shoulder. I hold my breath, leaning back against the wall for support and praying I can stay upright. Besides grinding against his cock separated by two pairs of sweat pants, my body hasn’t been touched by another person in so long, I know it’s not going to take much to get me off.

  “She wants me,” he says as he brings his face closer to me like he’s talking to my pussy. His gaze flicks up, and my breath hitches as the overhead light shines on his face, making his green eyes almost glow.

  As his lips press against my skin, my body rocks backward and I move my hips toward him, begging for more. I feel my eyes roll back. I can’t keep them open. The pleasure is too much and yet not enough.

  “So wet for me,” he murmurs against my skin before his tongue sweeps across my clit.

  Every fiber in my body comes alive as my body jolts. I forget everything else except this moment, his lips and tongue, and the orgasm I so badly crave. My fingers tangle in the hair on top of his head, holding him there, making sure he doesn’t stop.

  I rock into his face as he seals his lips around me. He grips my thigh as I try to balance on one leg when all I really want to do is climb on top of his shoulders and ride his face to ecstasy.

  He strokes his fingers between my legs, front to back, sending an entirely new, magical sensation through my body.

  “So wet,” he says again like I don’t know I’m practically dripping with need.

  “Shh,” I whisper in the darkened room, wanting his mouth busy with my body and not with words. “Don’t talk.”

  “My baby’s bossy.”

  I don’t need to look down to know there’s a smile on his face. I can feel his lips curve up against my sensitive skin. I don’t correct him that I’m not his baby. I’ll be whatever he wants me to be as long as he doesn’t stop again.

  A single finger rubs against my opening, circling the sensitive skin so slowly, I almost start to beg to be filled. Inch by inch, he pushes the tip inside me, torturing me. I moan as he pulls his finger back out a bit, crooking it inside and rubbing against my G-spot. I want more. I need more.

  As if he can read my mind, he adds a second finger, filling me so completely, my pussy contracts at the pleasure of being stuffed again.

  His mouth works in perfect rhythm with his hand, sucking, flicking, fucking my pussy and clit in just the right way. I can’t stop the orgasm from coming, when all I want to do is extend the pleasure and bask in the ecstasy only his body can deliver.

  “Yes! Yes!” I ride his face and fingers like I’m a cowboy at the rodeo. “Just like that,” I cry out as my toes curl uncontrollably. “I’m coming. Oh God, I’m coming.”

  Vinnie doesn’t stop. He doesn’t slow down. He picks up the pace, thrusting his fingers deeper and harder inside my pussy than he was before. Colors flash in the darkness as my body stiffens and a wave of pleasure crashes over me, sucking all the air from my lungs. Thankfully, his face is buried because the look on my face is anything but pretty as my mouth hangs open, and I gasp for air that won’t come.

  My entire body convulses, my pussy contracting over and over again, milking his fingers and prolonging the orgasm. Just when I think the orgasm is nearing the end, Vinnie curls those luscious fingers inside me again, rubbing my G-spot relentlessly until another tsunami of pleasure bursts free.

  I grip his hair tightly, keeping me upright as I gasp for air and try to fill my lungs again. My body twitches. The aftershocks of an orgasm I haven’t felt in…well, forever because no one gives oral like Vinnie, vibrate through my system.

  “Fuck,” he says against my skin, fingers still deep inside.

  I stand there, one foot on the floor, the other flung over his shoulder, unable to breathe and not speaking. Who can talk after something like that?

  Sure as fuck not me.

  Opening one eye, I glance down at his beaut
iful face, his lips glistening with my orgasm.

  “You’re so hot, baby. You needed that.”

  I don’t argue because, hello…orgasm brain. He could say just about anything, and I’d agree with him. I am too busy riding out the aftereffects to care about anything or to even form a sentence.

  He places two fingers on his tongue, sucking them between his lips. He moans as he licks my juices off his skin, closing his eyes as if he’s savoring every drop.

  “So sweet.” He smiles. “So fucking sweet.”

  I’m dumbfounded and mute as he places my foot back on the floor and grips my sides, sliding his hands up my body as he stands. I just stand there and blink, staring at this beautiful man who gave me a world-rocking orgasm.

  “You okay?” he asks as his eyes darken.

  I nod.

  “You sure?”

  I nod again and start to kneel when he wraps his hands around my arms and hauls me upward. “No, baby. Not here.”

  I blink a few times and stare because I was going to return the favor. It’s only fair.

  “I needed you to relax, and now you’re perfect.”

  My lips part like I’m going to say something, but again, nothing comes. He backs up, looking at my face before he trails his eyes down my body.

  “You look so beautiful right now,” he says as he straightens the bottom of my dress, but he keeps his eyes locked on me. “Pink cheeks with a sheen of sweat I put on your skin.”

  I’m pretty sure my pink cheeks just turned the brightest shade of red. The hunger in his eyes is still there from earlier, burning brighter than before he gave me the amazing orgasm.

  “We’d better go back to the party,” I say, finally finding my words. “I’m sure people are looking for us.”

  My mind is a mess of emotions. Sex does that. What started out as an exchange of personal favors has turned into two orgasms, awakening feelings inside me I thought I had long since buried.

  Maybe it’s the way he looks at me. Maybe it’s the way his body gives mine pleasure. Whatever it is, Vinnie has me practically wrapped around his finger.

  As we exit the coat room, I look around, seeing if anyone spots us. No one’s looking, of course. They’re too busy talking and celebrating my parents’ anniversary to even notice we snuck away.