Ruthless: A Dark Mafia Romance by Piper Stone – Extended Preview

Rules. The asshole had spit the barrage of bullshit out of his mouth as if he’d practiced it. Did he really think I was going to do as he asked? He was in his element, far more dominating than he’d been at my house. I didn’t want to admit defeat, but knowing I was back in Chicago left me cold and anxious. I hated the city almost as much as I loathed the man who sat stroking me like I was a prized pet, purring at his feet.

That was never going to happen.

And he had the audacity to cut a deal.

I was repulsed, anxiety tipping the scales. His heated gaze lingered, much like it had before, making my skin tingle, white-hot heat searing every inch. Even his breathing was far too intimate. I could feel him losing control, his eyes more like liquid pools of fire. God, I hated him.

Then why was I still so attracted to Gio, his sexual innuendos keeping my nipples erect and aching? I just noticed the five o’clock shadow as he’d had before, adding to his dark and dangerous appearance. I thought of him as being perfect and immaculate, every hair in place, his expensive suits no doubt tailor made for his near perfect physique. Tonight he was mussed, unshaven and his thick hair unruly, his casual shirt clinging to his broad, sculpted chest in the most provocative manner. Fuck, my mouth was dry, a tickle in my throat threatening to give me away.

He slid his finger along the side of my face, flicking the tip back and forth across my earlobe. Exhaling, he continued the trail, gently tracing my jaw then down my neck, encircling the bones in my shoulder. My skin seemed extra sensitive, much like my emotions.

“Don’t,” I dared whisper. There was no more saying no to this man. I’d accepted the deal.

“Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you now?”

“No,” I managed, taking several deep breaths as he moved his finger between my cleavage, allowing more pressure. My legs dangled to the side, my bare feet barely touching the floor. Instead of being uncomfortable, I was content in the position.

Shameful girl. Sinful girl.

The chastising words did little to stop my body’s reactions.

“Pleasure and pain.”

I was drawn into the intense memory inside the bathroom, the experience still leaving quivers. I envisioned the rope wound around my small wrists, keeping me exactly where he wanted me.

His cologne was intoxicating, filling my nostrils until my mouth finally watered. In his black jeans and tight midnight Henley, he had the same rugged handsomeness as before, only the recent assassination attempt had hardened him even more. His once dancing green eyes were black as coal, full of the need for revenge as well as his profound lust for me.

Carnal lust, the kind predicated by an unhealthy obsession.

This man I feared the most.

Gio kept me on his lap, allowing me to fully understand his continued desire as his cock pressed between my naked thighs, the dress remaining bunched at my hips. His words haunted me, a less than poignant reminder of just how dangerous he truly was. Was there an actual contract on my life? I would never know, but in just saying the words, I had a better understanding of my position.

I’d gotten into bed with the Mafia.

“You really are a beautiful woman.” Sliding his hand underneath the bodice of my dress, he rubbed three fingers back and forth across my nipple.

I shuddered, hearing my own heart beating.

“And very special to me.” Gio pinched, twisting as he lifted his gaze, his nostrils flaring.

The pain was delicious. “Yes, sir.”

He lifted a single eyebrow as he tugged first one strap of the dress down then the other, taking his time before exposing my breasts. “A woman as gorgeous as you should never be allowed to wear clothing. Spectacular.”

And I felt more gorgeous than I ever had before.

He eased his hand behind my neck, his strong fingers spreading open as he leaned me back, issuing a series of savage and very guttural sounds. His hot breath was like molten lava, the heat skittering across my skin.

I closed my eyes, pretending that this was any other man, but the feel of his throbbing cock pressing into me was the kind of powerful draw that had pulled me into him before. Even through the thickness of the denim, I felt every pulse. I was so wet, my pussy clenching, and I felt the longing to ride him like a wild stallion. I was mortified as my own desires, the shame branding a scar into my chest. Even the wafting of my feminine wiles was another admittance of my body’s acquiescence. I wasn’t the same woman from a week before, already broken into something else. He’d captured me long before he took me from my home, mesmerizing me with his control.

I was his toy. His obsession.

Another growl was followed by his tongue slicing back and forth across my hardened bud. He cupped my breast, squeezing as he licked, the husky sounds erupting from his throat feral in nature. Moving his mouth to my other breast, he engulfed my nipple, taking the tender flesh between his teeth and biting down.

“Oh!” The strangled sound left my mouth before I could stop myself, tingling sensations like bottle rockets rushing throughout every cell. I was entrenched in his masterful hands once again, unable to stop my body’s reaction.

He pinched my aureole with enough pressure I yelped, chuckling darkly as he eased back. “You respond to my every touch.”

“Yes, I…”

Yanking me up, our lips were just touching, our heavy breaths cascading across each other. I slid my arms around his shoulders, craving more of his touch. Nothing about this was right, but everything was exactly what I craved. He intertwined his fingers in my hair as he held me, darting his tongue around my lips. “I want you.”

There was nothing left to say, no words that would stop the madness. He crushed his lips over mine and pulled me in closer, the kiss becoming a passionate roar. The moment he thrust his tongue inside, I quivered uncontrollably, my muscles tensing. How could a simple kiss become such an act of ownership? But with every passing second, there was no doubt what he wanted.

Every inch of me, body and soul.

I clung to him, running my fingers through his thick mane of hair as our tongues entwined, dancing back and forth in the sweetest rhapsody. I could feel his heart beating as ragged as mine as I pressed my hand against his chest, clutching his shirt. My legs were straddled around him and I began to rock, moving forward and backward until the friction lit me on fire.

The intimate moment became more savage, his muscles tensing as he held me. A sudden yank brought my head to an awkward angle as he nipped my bottom lip and chin, moving to suck on my neck right at my pulse of life. Whether the action was a reminder or merely a threat of his capabilities, I had no idea, but with every trace of his tongue and every touch of his fingers, I lost the ability to focus.

You can’t like this. You can’t want this.

I thought the mantra over and over again, hating myself for not shutting down.

I realized his hands had moved to the hem of my dress, breaking the kiss long enough to tug then yank the material over my head, tossing it all the way across the room. I was naked in his arms, a wafting chill sweeping over my body.

His expression carnal, he rubbed his palms down the length of my spine. “I need to be inside of you.” The command wasn’t to be questioned.

He rubbed his thumb back and forth across my lips, painting them with his own body’s stain.

I couldn’t speak, stars floating in front of my eyes.

“Undress me.”

Easing off his lap, I kept my eyes locked onto his as I unfastened his belt, chills continuing to trickle down my arms and legs from the feel of the leather stroking against my fingers. He would use this again, spanking me at will for the slightest infraction.

Like a bad little girl.

Gio leaned back in the chair, his chest rising and falling. His expression was dangerously sullen, darkness sweeping over him leaving shadows flittered around his face. The effect was ominous. The man was going to devour me. When I jerked the button, struggling with the zipper, he chuckled again, allowing the sound to linger. He pinched and twisted my nipple before pointing to the space below him.

I eased onto the floor, crawling between his legs and removing his boots. I ran my fingers up along the insides of his cloth-covered thighs, peeling apart the flaps and drinking in his scent. He was rugged yet refined, a dichotomy of the male species. I couldn’t take my eyes off his as I struggled to lower his jeans, tugging past his chiseled hips. The second I did, he yanked his shirt over his head, leaving me breathless with anticipation.

As well as anxiety.

For accepting this deal, one with the devil himself, I knew I’d lose what was left of my humanity.

He leaned over, taking both sides of my face into his hands. “You will learn that submitting will set you free.” A curl on his upper lip, he slid his hands down my arms, guiding one of my hands to his thick cock. “Do you see what you do to me?”

“Yes.” There was a part of my mind that would forever fight what I’d allowed to happen, another letting go because I simply didn’t have the choice. I twisted my hand around and around his shaft, pumping up and down. The thickness filled my hand, my skin sliding over the bulging veins as his cock throbbed. I slid my other hand between his legs, fondling his tight balls.

“Mmmm…” His look intimidating, he took several deep breaths as I rolled his testicles between my fingers.

The expression on his face darkening, he allowed my actions for a few seconds before reaching down and lifting me with ease. I felt small in his hands, frail even though I was considered tall. Every muscle teemed as he held me aloft, licking his lips in appreciation. When he thrust me all the way down, his cock filling me, he threw his head back and roared. “Fuck!”

The fire had been ignited once again, explosive heat searing into every cell and muscle. I whimpered, my muscles stretching to accept the thick invasion. I was shaken to the core, every emotion shoved into overdrive. He kept his hands on my hips, forcing me to rock, to ride him hard and fast. I shifted, using my strong leg muscles, pretending I hated this, even as my body responded. So wet. So hot.

He leaned back again, tilting his head from side to side, watching my every move. A smile crossed his face mere seconds before he jerked up, forcing my legs around his hips, his throbbing cock still buried deep inside. A laugh bubbled to his lips, almost demonic in nature as he jutted his pelvis forward and backward, fucking me savagely. “Remember. You’re not in control.”

Leaning over, he raked his hands across the table. I was shocked at the move, glasses and plates tumbling to the floor, shattering in hundreds of pieces. Gulping for air, a tremor of fear created goosebumps. He laid me down, lifting my legs and placing both feet on one shoulder. “Now, I fuck you.” He slammed his cock in and out, plunging in brutal actions. He rubbed my legs with one hand as his powerful motions drove in a crazed manner. Even his eyes appeared dilated, hypnotizing in ways I couldn’t understand.

I was thrown into a wild ride of pure ecstasy, his forceful motions pushing me up and down on the table. I was nothing but a rag doll. He yanked me up, my bottom completely off the table and the switch in the angle drove me almost instantly into a ravaging climax.

“Oh. Oh!” I tossed my head back and forth, taking deep breaths as my vision became blurred. Everything about this man was unbridled, his actions crazed and frenetic. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the sensations, but they came fast and furious, my toes and legs tingling.

“I want you to come. You need to come for me when I tell you and how often I command,” he demanded, powering his cock harder and faster.

I wanted to scream out, to deny him anything that might allude to submission, but my body refused to comply. He brought me to a climax then pulled back, shifting the angle again.

And waiting. The fucker was making me beg for it, pleading him to allow the pleasure.

“I want to come.”

“Will you do so when I say?” Gio smacked my bottom several times, sharp and crisp. He rubbed his fingers across my exposed pussy lips, dipping his finger beside his cock.

“Yes. Yes!” I became the crazy one, moaning and clenching my pussy. As he began again, the rhythm picking up in speed, I slapped my hands over my head, struggling to hold on.

“Come for me, my little Minx. Come!” His command reverberated into my ears, rocketing my entire body into that perfect place of raw ecstasy.

The orgasm came in wave after wave, stealing my breath. I opened my mouth in a silent scream, tossing my arms over my head. I was sent to a place of the sublime, fire twisting through my muscles. “Oh. Oh. Oh!” The scream jetted out as I came again, my toes curling.

He waited until I’d stopped shaking, continuously pumping then taking a giant stride backward. “This is only the beginning.”

I stared at him with hazy eyes, struggling to focus and my legs dangling off the table. What the fuck was he doing? Panting, I licked my dry lips, confused. I glared at him, studying the returned arrogance, the curled lip.

Everything was in slow motion as he turned me over, smacking my ass with several rapid swats, one coming after the other. He pulled the strands of hair from my face, lowering down until he could whisper in my ear, “No other man will ever touch you again.”

And I knew they wouldn’t. He would kill anyone who tried.

The coldness of the wooden table was comforting as he placed the tip of his cock at my asshole. I fought the smile and failed, clawing the edges of the table as he slowly slid his shaft inside, past the tight ring of muscle. The pain was excruciating but with every inch pushed further inside, the anguish shifted, morphing into something that I’d yet to experience with him. There was no way of describing the fire burning from deep within or the command he had of my body. I was his for the taking.

I was his for the owning.

And even though my mind fought against everything that was happening, I let myself go, if only for this moment in time.

Gio kept a rhythm, driving in slow and even motions, filling me so completely. I heard his savage growls, the guttural nature of his breathing. He was lost in his own ecstasy, his ravaging actions shoving me against the table. Seconds later, he fisted my hair, holding on as if needed, never breaking his orchestrated actions.

There was no way of knowing how long the explosive session lasted, but when he came, erupting deep inside, I was simply in a vacuum state, my mind frozen in time. I knew he’d kissed my shoulder, moving his lips down the center of my back.

I could still feel his scalding breath, quivering every time he danced his fingers along my skin. I was lulled into relaxation, finally able to concentrate on the explosive music. So passionate. So erotic. He’d planned this so well, the pure seduction.

A smile crossed my face. The man had won this round, peeling away yet another layer.

Damn his soul to hell for eternity.

At some point, he gathered me into his arms, cradling me against his chest, humming softly as he headed out of the dining room.

I was exhausted, unable to think in any clear manner. He kissed the top of my head as he walked through the house, heading up the stairs and into what he called my room. I anticipated he’d position me in the center of the bed, but I was wrong. In the gentlest manner, he eased me down onto the seat of the toilet, brushing the hair out of my eyes and kissing my lips.

“Be patient, my sweet girl.” His voice echoed in the dense space. So masculine. So certain of his command.

I was vaguely aware he started the water in the tub, kneeling down and placing his hand in the water every few seconds. His gaze was never far away, darting glance after glance. Was he terrified I even had the strength to run?

My vision was still hazy, the same chill covering my body. I studied him, the man who’d stolen me from my work, my home and my life. His back was riddled with scars, wounds from a battle that no one should have to endure. Everything about him was roughhewn, but there was a level of tenderness to him, one so easy to hold onto. I bit back a series of strangled cries, uncertain of how he’d react.

The fear remained, heightened from the realization of what I was facing, but there was more. A need. I had a desire of my own, perhaps to get through to the man I’d been allowed to see at least a few times. He was horrible, a killer, but in a small portion of my mind, he was also my hero.

Whether or not there was a contract on my life suddenly didn’t matter. What did was the way he handled me, cared for me. No one in his world would understand this weakness. I was a thing, a possession, yet I knew I was so much more.

I was his deadly little secret.

There would be those who used me against him. Would either one of us be strong enough for the fight?

I watched as he opened a small bottle, pouring a long string of liquid and stirring the water until the puffy white cloud seemed to overtake the bathtub. Why did he care? Why was he treating me with such tenderness? I would never receive an answer, nor should I ever ask lest I break the final bubble between us. When he seemed satisfied, he turned off the water, turning slightly and offering a smile.

I wasn’t certain if he expected a response or a thank you, but I gave him neither. If he was annoyed, he didn’t show it, the dimples on his cheeks even more incredibly handsome.

Boyish grin.

Dancing eyes.

Disheveled hair.

Like this, he could be the boy next door instead of a ruthless killer. The irony was laughable.

“I don’t think it’s too hot.” Gio moved to crouch beside me, taking my hand into his. When I didn’t respond, he lifted me, his rugged arms holding me in a manner I’d never been held before.

I pressed my hand against his chest, the electricity all consuming. Any attempt was futile. Ridiculous.

Slowly lowering me into the water, he made certain that my head was positioned on the edge of the tub, testing the water once again. “How does that feel?”

“Fine.” The single word was almost inaudible.

This time, he sighed, the light finally leaving his eyes, the harsh glare returning. He rose to his feet, peering down in an authoritative manner. “You will rest the remainder of the night and stay in your room.”

“And what if I don’t?” Of course, he was going to lock me in.

“If you attempt to leave this house, you will be punished. If you attempt to try and find help in any manner, you will be punished. Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. Ever. Trust. If I feel I can trust you then you will be rewarded. And if not, the discipline you will endure will be the most painful of your life.” His eyes were black as coal, anger setting his jaw to stone.

I nodded, trying to maintain my composure.

He kept the hard gaze pinned on me, disappointment crossing his face. “Tomorrow we will begin your training.”