Blame It on the Shame (Blame It on the Shame: Lou-Lou and Ricardo's Story #1) (25 page)

Oh dear god who art in heaven, I'm pretty sure his cock is pierced.

I bite my lip to suppress a moan. Before I can stop myself, I'm sweeping my shorts and panties to the side because I need to find a way to relieve this ache.

Doing this while he's sleeping next to me is almost as good as the real thing.

Yeah right...who am I kidding?

It's a piss poor substitute but since I can't have everything...it's better than nothing.

I'm half astonished and half embarrassed when I slip a finger inside myself and discover how wet I am.

It goes without saying that I've never been wet like this. I've also never been evoked to touch myself before.

And because I'm a
masochist
, I gyrate my hips against him again.

Only this time, I hear a low and husky groan that sends bolts of desire straight to my sex.

Embarrassed beyond all belief, I quickly remove my hand.

He leans into my neck and inhales deeply. His stubble prickles my skin making my nipples pucker.

“Figures you'd smell like vanilla
and
cherries,” he rasps.

I want to tell him it's just my body wash but his fingers begin stroking down the side of my waist and I forget the entire English language.

His lips skim the spot just under my ear and he inhales me again. “Why'd you stop playing with your pussy?” he growls low and deep.

I blush a thousand shades of red due to his accusation and his words.

“Me? What?
No
. I wasn't—” I start to say, until he grabs me and flips me so I'm under him.

His eyes darken. “You weren't touching yourself?”

I shake my head and swallow hard because I don't trust myself to speak right now.

His lips hover over my ear. “You sure about that?” He licks the shell of my ear and I arch against him. “Are you absolutely positive you weren't touching yourself while thinking about all the things I could do to you?” I shiver and his voice drops to a whisper. “All the things I
want
to do to you.”

The only answer I can muster is a whimper.

He reaches for my hand and gives me a cocky smirk. “What did I tell you about lying to me, Lou-Lou?”

I open my mouth but slam it shut because my body won't let me speak and ruin this.

“Last chance,” he warns before bringing my hand to his mouth.

A moan escapes my lips when he sucks on the finger that was inside me.

I can't even be embarrassed anymore because all I feel is this impenetrable desire he's igniting in me.

He groans and closes his eyes. My eyes dance over his rock hard abs and muscular thighs which are unfortunately covered by a pair of boxers.

“Fuck,” he rasps while sucking my finger again.

Before I can stop myself I whisper, “How do I taste?”

He props himself up on his forearms and his breath tickles my ear. “Fucking incredible.” He licks and nips at my neck. “But—” His eyes rake up and down my body. “That's the thing about forbidden fruit. It always tastes the sweetest.”

I mewl when our hips brush and I feel his dick pressing against my stomach. Our eyes lock and he shifts and thrusts into me. “Tell me you want this. Tell me you want
me
, Lou-Lou.”

I can't lie to him.

“I w—”

The sound of my phone ringing catches both of us off guard.

There's only two people who have this number—Ricardo who's very much in front of me right now and Bruno.

Ricardo narrows his eyes. “You gonna answer that?”

“I have to.” I reach for my phone and bring it to my ear. “Hello.”

“Bambina,” his gritty voice greets me.

Ricardo makes no move to adjust himself or move from his position. He's watching my every move intently, appearing to be fighting the urge to jump through the phone and kill DeLuca on the other line.

“Hey. How's Italy?”

“Don't know,” he answers. “Because I'm sitting outside your apartment complex. You have three minutes to meet me down here or I'm coming up to get you.”

My eyes open wide and nerves scrape up and down my spine. I push Ricardo off me. “I'll be down there in two.”

“I'm in the town car.”

“Okay—see you soon.” I ignore the look Ricardo's giving me and scramble out of bed.

“See you soon
what
?”

“I'll see you soon, Mio amore,” I say before I hang up.

Ricardo reaches for my arm but I twist out of his grasp. “He's here. Like
downstairs
here. I have to go.”

He grabs his own phone off the nightstand. “I'll call him and make something up. I'll cover for you. You don't have to see him right now.”

“Are you out of your mind?” I scream. “Of course, I have to see him. He's downstairs right
now
. He's expecting me to meet him down there in two—” I look at the clock on the nightstand. “
One
minute.”

I reach for the doorknob but he spins me around to face him.

“I
can
get you out of seeing him.” He holds my gaze. “You have a choice to make. You either want to stay up here with
me
or you want to go downstairs to see
him
.” His jaw tics. “What do you
want
, Lou-Lou?”

If only it were that simple. I close my eyes and recall all the reasons this can't be.

“I'm sorry. This was a mis—” I pause because I can't bring myself to say that lie. “I
have
to go see him,” I finish.

He yanks the door open, his expression hard and unyielding.

My stomach sinks and I open my mouth to somehow fix this but he cuts me off. “Go. Just go.”

With a heart full of lead I run out the door and downstairs.

I see the town car circling the parking lot and breathe a sigh of relief that it has tinted windows.

I wouldn't even begin to know how to explain this to Tyrone or Jackson if they spotted me.

Come to think of it, it's a little risky DeLuca's even here right now.

Tyrone and Jackson seeing me with
him
would blow his whole plan to smithereens.

And there's no way in hell they
wouldn't
tell Ricardo about seeing me with him, since according to Ricardo they both know he works for DeLuca. And if that happens, it would definitely put the kibosh on Ricardo and I working together. They'd think I was setting him up and if Ricardo continued 'seeing me' anyway, they'd think he was crazy and wonder what was
really
going on.

Christ this whole situation is such a mess
.

The car stops and I pull open the door. With sweaty palms, I slide into the backseat. DeLuca pushes the button and the divider separating us from the driver goes up.

He appraises me and lifts an eyebrow.

Oh, god. He must smell the almost sex I was about to have coming off me
.

I'm dead.

“I take it you just crawled out of bed?”

Yes...yes I did. Your son's bed.

“I—” My voice comes out like a squeak and he pins me with a stare.

I
never
act this nervous around him.

But then again, I've never had anything I'd actually
miss
if he killed me. Never had anything I was willing to protect with my own life before.

His eyes drop down to my chest and I swear he's calculating my breaths...deciding which one will be my last.

The corners of his lips turn up. “You're still wearing your pajamas.”

“Huh?”

I look down at my tank top and silk sleep shorts. “Oh, yeah. Wow, would you look at that.”

If he notices the sudden relief in my voice, he doesn't let on.

Instead, his eyes flash and he licks his lips.

Oh, no.

Yeah, Bruno wasn't 'on' to me at all...he's fucking
turned
on by me.

My stomach resembles the titanic being submerged into the Atlantic.

He pats his thigh, summoning me to him.

Bile burns my throat and I try to think of a way to get out of having his hands on me.

His touch will undo Ricardo's...his touch will make my skin crawl.

He snaps his fingers. “
Now.
”

I hang my head and close my eyes as he proceeds to reach across the seat and haul me onto his lap.

He grabs my thigh and I snap my head up. “What the
fuck
is going on with you, Lucianna?”

I wince when he tightens his hold on me. “Nothing,” I say.

His grip becomes so tight I know it's going to leave a bruise. “Y-you're hurting me, Bruno.”

“That's the
point
. Now tell me why you're acting so strange?”

I need to think of something...fast.

“Because I can't take having your hands on me when I'm supposed to be seducing Tyrone and Jackson.”

He narrows his eyes and I quickly twist on his lap and grab his cheeks. “It makes me feel like I'm disrespecting you and what
we
have. It makes me feel wrong because I belong to you and
only
you, mio amore.”

I add a sniffle for dramatic effect.

His eyes soften and he pulls me into a hug. “I'm so sorry my beautiful, Lucianna,” he says. “I didn't take into consideration how hard this would be for you.”

My cheek rubs against the material of his suit and I stifle a gag. “It's so hard, I hate it.” I add another sniffle. “I love you so much, Bruno.”

He stills himself. “Are you
crying
?”

Shit
...I took it too far. I never cry...or at least, I didn't. Bruno knows this.

I look down and sure enough, there really is a damp spot forming on his suit jacket because of my tears.

This is bad...real bad.

“I'm sorry. I didn't—”

He puts his finger over my lips and studies my face. “You really do love me, don't you, Bambina?”

“
So
much,” I lie.

My self-preservation is back with a vengeance...but it's not only myself I'm worried about anymore.

He reaches for my hand and kisses the underside of my wrist. “I guess it's a good thing I came here to see you this morning after all.”

“What do you mean?
Not
that I'm not happy you did.”

He pulls out a thick and gaudy gold bracelet loaded with diamonds. I never wear jewelry—I hate it and that's something
he
should know. Every trinket he's ever given me ends up in a jewelry box.

And if I did wear jewelry? I most definitely would
not
wear this hideous monstrosity.

He fastens the bracelet around my wrist and kisses it. “You don't have to seduce them anymore. Happy birthday, Bambina.”

Before I can question him further, he's fastening a diamond and gold choker around my neck as well.

Great, this must be my fucking collar
.

“Do you like it? I picked it up for you in Italy.”

I finger the choker on my neck...fitting name for it because it's definitely choking me right now. “It's beautiful. But um...my birthday isn't for another 3 days.”

He sighs. “I
know
that. I know
every
single thing about you. However, this was the only time I could get away from conducting my business in Italy. I'll be going back shortly.”

“Oh?” I question. “What exactly are you doing there, anyway?”

I cover my mouth when I realize my mistake. “Sorry, mio amore. It's none of my business.”

He smirks. “You know, you're more obedient now. I think I like the effects you being here is having on you after all.” My cheeks burn and anger flares but I stuff it down.

If he likes me being here he'll let me stay longer.

I mentally smack myself when I realize what he said before. “So, you don't want me to seduce Jackson and Tyrone anymore? Does that mean I'll be going back to the Hamptons tonight?”

I try to make myself sound happy at the prospect but it feels like the choker tightens around my neck.

He takes a cigar out of his pocket and lights it. “I need you to stay here for a little while longer. But your sole focus won't be seducing
them
anymore.”

“Wait...am I supposed to seduce them or not? I'm confused.”

He rolls the cigar around before taking a puff. “I don't want you to change your behavior...I still want you to flirt with them and rile them up. I just don't want you dropping to your knees for them, understand me?”