“Miss me?” he asked.
“So bad,” she nodded and bit down on her bottom lip when he rubbed his erection into her pussy. His gaze lowered to her body. She could tell his only hesitation was regarding where he wanted to fuck her, with her on her back or on her stomach. The choice excited her so much she nearly voiced a request that he turn her over and enter her from behind. She was wetting the front of his silk trousers with her moist readiness. He brought his face in to run his tongue over her jugular. The heady fragrance of his aftershave overwhelmed her.
“Mmm, Gio, baby. You’re killing me,” she moaned.
He parted her thighs and sat back. Dazed she opened her eyes. He helped her sit upright. Had he changed his mind? She groaned in disappointment. But his next move revealed his true intentions. Her thighs were pushed further apart. Mirabella lifted her left leg and dropped it over his shoulder. She scooted her ass to the edge of the seat so her vagina was flush and on display. The first lick of his tongue, flattened, swiping over her sex, caused her to visibly quiver. Her left shoe dropped off her foot. God help her but there was no turning back now. If he didn’t give her what she’d been craving for close to a week she’d scream.
She was his. She gripped the back of the seat to hold on. The sweet tangy scent of her pussy was edged with her natural spice. He loved the smell of his wife. He buried his head between her thighs and used his tongue to deliver soft strokes to coax her clit into his mouth. Her unique flavor rolled over his taste buds and became the sweetest nectar he’d tasted that day. He sucked hard with tugs on her clit until she climaxed. He eased his hands under her bottom to lift her pussy. It pulsed against his mouth and spilled her essence.
In an instant she lost her head. She scrambled to regain her senses. “Wait! Gio?” What just happened? Her mind couldn’t comprehend. The only reason she got a brief reprieve was because he was trying to unbuckle his belt. She closed her thighs. At least her dress was up at her waist, and she was wetting the back of the seat. Of course he ignored her. He came for her again and she had to scoot to the door to escape him. He was so swift, and his hands so strong, he forced her to recline.
“Okay!” she said in a panic. “Okay, baby. Wait a second!” If she didn’t think of something quick she’d miss the boxing match. She really wanted to make up with him. But she wanted them to have fun for the evening. Not exhaust themselves by fucking on the side of the road and then returning home to the drama. There had to be a compromise. He held her in his sights like a predator ready to pounce. She smiled for him. “A quickie, promise me.” She put up a finger to warn him to obey. “And you can’t come inside me. Use ah… oh shoot!” She reached for the towel under the ice bucket. Lucky for them the limo had one and plenty of napkins. “Promise me?”
He gave her a sly smile and nodded he’d behave. Mirabella pulled her dress over her head and tried to be careful of her hair. Giovanni unzipped himself.
“Take off your shirt, honey. I don’t want you sweaty before we get to the fight.”
He obeyed. He struggled with his diamond cufflinks so she assisted. They both did so with increasing hurry. She looked out the window and saw several of the men coming out of their cars to question the driver. Thank God the limousine tint prevented them from peering inside.
“This is crazy. This is crazy,” she kept mumbling. Mirabella put Giovanni’s diamond cufflinks she bought him last year for his birthday on top of her folded dress. Giovanni was kissing her stomach before sucking her nipples before she was ready. She tried to shift into a better position but it was useless. He wanted to pin her down where he could fuck her deep. He was too big of a man for his aggression. She figured if she gave in he’d not take too long. It was a costly mistake.
He cupped her vagina and she let out a shaky breath. All doubts were cast away. She gyrated against his hand while kissing him. There was nothing she wanted more than him inside of her. He eased up her.
“If you give me more time I can…” he began.
“Nice try,” she chuckled. “You have ten minutes, Casanova.”
He groaned. “I’m a man not a rabbit!”
Mirabella laughed. He dragged her underneath him. He stared into her eyes and her heart nearly exploded it was so filled with love for him. She grabbed his head and pulled it down to her. The kiss was scorching hot with intensity. And when he thrust into her, she was overwhelmed by his power and need. He pushed his hips forward and sank deeper. Mirabella bit his bottom lip. It felt so good.
She relaxed against the cool leather seat and wrapped her legs around his waist. He pumped into her—short, forceful thrusts that were uncomfortable. Mirabella tilted her hips up to help him deepen his thrusts. Giovanni grunted against her ear. Her bottom maneuvers were doing it for him. She could tell. Mirabella smiled and suffered a strange pang of guilt mixed in with her happiness. If she had allowed her man’s touch in the past week, he wouldn’t be so attention starved for her now. Giovanni liked to watch the way he went and in and out of her and curse in Sicilian as he did. It was such a turn on. She drifted on his gruff words and gave herself over to him.
“We need to leave,” she tried to sex him into releasing. He looked at her again and then smiled. He dropped down on her and pinned her hips beneath him. At first Mirabella enjoyed it. And then his hurried passion indicated disaster. “Gio! Don’t! Please don’t!”
He grunted and released inside of her. Mirabella rolled her eyes and shook her head. He lifted his head and gave her a wolfish grin. “Sorry, Bella. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Get up. Get off me.” She hit at his back. He lifted off her. Mirabella reached for the paper towel and did her best to clean them both. It was a disaster. Thankfully her dress and his pants didn’t get the stains of their sex on them. But the back seat of the limo was wet from their passion. It took longer than she wished to dry up every trace. However, she managed the deed and they both dressed between kisses and smiles. He was happy. She was happy. They were back on track. She was forced to use her little compact mirror to reapply her makeup. It didn’t give her a good view of her hair. Giovanni rolled down the window and gestured with his hand that the men should get rolling. They were back on the road.
“Are we late?” she asked.
“Of course,” he smiled. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I want to revisit our special place. Stay the night near the bay.” He was talking about the apartment he owned that faced the bay of Napoli. They stayed there when she returned to Sorrento after being gone for two years. It was there they made up.
“Private?” she asked. “Sounds sweet.”
He playfully growled in his throat. Mirabella laughed as if tickled. She leaned over and rubbed her nose against his cheek. “I’ve missed you, Gio. This week has been horrible.”
“You have all night to make it up to me,” he said.
“Me? I did nothing wrong!” she exclaimed.
He settled back with a pleased smile to his face.
“You’re so spoiled, Gio,” she laughed and snuggled against him for the rest of the ride.
**
“Cecilia, may I speak with you?” Marietta asked.
The young woman’s head turned from the crib. She laid Gianni down. Gino was asleep in the crib next to Gianni. Eve sat in her bed, flipping the pages of her favorite book, with her dolls tucked in next to her. She playfully read the pages to her dolls.
“Yes of course,
signora
,” Cecilia said. “Evie, time for sleep.”
“Noooooo! I’m not done,” Eve whined.
“
Scusami tanto
,” Cecilia turned off the bedside lamp. “Please, princess, let’s go to sleep now. No fussing.”
The sun had set. It was the non-negotiable bedtime for the kids. Cecilia made sure the nightlight was on near the cribs. Though the kids could have separate rooms, Mirabella decided that the boys and Eve would share one for now.
Marietta observed Cecilia’s duties as an
au pair
from the door. When Eve was nestled in her bed with her doll in her arms, Cecilia left the kids’ side. Not before. She smiled sweetly at Marietta and pulled the door to the kids’ room closed behind her. She had a baby monitor in her hand. They faced each other in the dark hall.
“What can I do for you?” Cecilia asked.
Marietta removed the gun from behind her back. She pointed it at Cecilia. “You’re going to take me to my husband.”
“I—” Cecilia dropped the monitor. It smashed on the floor and the batteries spilled out.
“Your car is here. We’ll use it.”
“But I can’t. I have to see to the kids. I work tonight. I can’t leave.”
“We’ll go to Zia and tell her you have an emergency. She’ll check on the kids. Then you pull your car to the side of Melanzana near the wine cellar doors. I’ll get in the back and—”
“
Signora,
please! I can’t help. I don’t know anything—”
“SHUT UP!” Marietta said through clenched teeth. “Don’t lie to me. I heard Nico tell you he’s with a whore named Maria.”
Cecilia’s eyes watered. She nodded and bit on her lip. Marietta held the gun on her. Cecilia stared at the weapon for a minute and then found her voice. “It’s not a whore, it’s a brothel. He may be staying in one of the rooms. Nico said he’d go back for him when he sobered. So he’s going to bring him here.”
“We’re going! Move! Now!”
“But,
signora
, even if we get out of the gates we can’t walk into Maria’s. It’s forbidden for women like yourself to be seen there.” Cecilia pleaded. “That place is the devil’s den, you’re Lorenzo’s wife. You have respect. They don’t.”
“I’ve waited all day for him to come home. You’re taking me. Move!”
Cecilia nodded. She started to walk down the hall, nervously wringing her hands and crying. Marietta slipped the gun into her purse to keep it unseen.
**
Castel Sant'Elmo
dated back to the 14
th
century. The medieval castle eventually evolved into a military fortress overlooking the gulf of Naples. It was so overwhelmingly massive her breath was caught in her lungs as they passed through the gates. There were plenty of street vendors and musicians entertaining the crowds. What if Ciro became the next ‘knockout king’ and fought his way up the ranks all the way to challenge Mike Tyson? Mirabella hadn’t exaggerated when she told her husband she was about to explode with excitement. She first became interested in boxing when she was sixteen. She and her cousin Latoya sneaked away to a gym where they secretly watched young men train. One in particular was her favorite. He discovered them climbing the gate after his training session. Latoya got across and away. Mirabella didn’t. She was certain he would turn her over to her grandfather. He was older than her, and everyone knew her grandparents. Instead Cedric took her into the gym and let her sit on the bench to watch him train. He got a kick out of her enthusiasm. Cedric became her first love and her worst nightmare. She didn’t think of him often. She didn’t think of Kei and their failed love affair often either. In her life she’d only had to kiss two frogs before finding her prince. The painful lessons were worth it.
Hand in hand she walked with Giovanni. Their arrival drew the open stares of many. He had at least thirty of his men with them for the evening. The men walked ahead and behind them down the long parapet. She felt like a prizefighter on the way to the ring. And the further they went down to the lower chambers, the larger the crowds they had to push through. She held tight to Giovanni’s hand. A strangling feeling of claustrophobia descended on her. Those that could step out of their way did so. Others made an overzealous effort to greet them and were shoved aside.
It was a mix of people from all walks of life, but what struck her as surprising was the large number of Asians in attendance. All over the UK the Chinese boxer was taking down opponents. His fans had come in droves to the event.
“How did you get Ciro in the ring with Chao Lee?” Mirabella asked. Giovanni kept walking. He didn’t answer. She should know better than to ask the ‘how’ about anything her husband dabbled in. Still Ciro had to leap over several higher ranked contenders to get a chance at this fight.
“Gio? Mira?” Dominic walked up and greeted them. Renaldo was with him. Domi wore a dark tailored suit, and looked a lot more distinguished and hardened than she ever envisioned him before. It was funny how differently all of the men appeared to her when they were in public. Very serious and very composed. He kissed Mirabella on both cheeks. “Come with me, we’ve reserved seats.”
They were walked into the auditorium. At the center was a boxing ring and a fight was in progress. Mirabella could tell it wasn’t the main event. That didn’t subdue the audience. Men and women were yelling and shouting after every landed punch. She was rising on her toes to see over her husband’s broad shoulders, and still couldn’t. The Battaglias had reserved seating. She saw a few people with their cameras snapping her picture. She tried to be gracious and smile. She didn’t want the attention. Just a night of fun and normalcy with the man she loved.
“Ringside seats,” Mirabella said as she took her position next to her husband.
“Only the best for you.” He winked.