Marrying the Mob Prince

KNOX

Got you.

Steve Hennessy, the forty-year-old heir of the Hennessy hotel chain, apparently moonlighted as a trafficker. Piece of shit. I’d done business with his father-I’d bought out his shitty startup and fired the trust fund leech-because he’d slandered me in an interview. Not satisfied with ruining his pipe dream, I’d targeted his privileged sons. Digging up dirt on those Harvard motherfuckers was among one of the most satisfying moments in my life.

It took a while for his family’s reputation to recover. After his oldest son went to jail for possession of child pornography, Steve Hennessey drifted out of the public eye. A few years later, though, and everybody seemed to forget that Junior was a pedophile. Strange how memories faded once money exchanged hands. Hennessey had a lot of things going on-a new wife, more real estate properties, and of course, dabbling in his hobby at Sanctum.

Uncovering the traffickers’ identities took several weeks. I studied camera feeds and wrote down license plate numbers. I called cab companies. Impersonated a client. The breadcrumbs led me to Hennessey. Within a few hours of sending him a “security alert” from his email provider, I gained access to his account. I found his home address and drove there, where I used one of my programs to hack into his Wi-Fi network, giving me remote control of his computer, his house, and his wife’s phone activity.

I texted her a picture from the “Hidden” folder of his phone, which showed him engaged in fellatio with a girl half his age. I found the blackmail on me, deleted it, set his thermostat to eighty-five degrees, and logged out.

That was enough for now.

I had endless patience. You needed that when you handled hundreds of employees and your entire company’s future hung on the precipice of a multimillion-dollar deal that seemed more likely to never happen with each passing day. Zenocorp’s CEO was still being an utter ass.

“Hamilton,” I barked, leaning into my Herman Miller chair. “Sign the fucking non-disclosure. Why are you dragging your feet on this?”

My earpiece echoed with his sigh.

“Because,” he muttered in his Oxford British accent, “we don’t give that proprietary info to anyone, not even our partners.”

“This is a win-win situation for both of us.”

“Knox, I’m not my father. You’re hiding something big.”

I flipped off my phone. “Sorry to disappoint, but this is a run-of-the-mill client.”

“Then why was your project manager so cagey about the details?”

“Because I am ruthless with my employees and squeeze the worth out of every single person. I don’t give second chances, and I demand perfection. That’s why they’re scared to piss me off.”

“You sound like an asshole, and I’m reluctant to do business with assholes. And I don’t like the thought of never being able to use what we’ve learned from Black Prism in any future projects.”

“Hamilton, this is a routine non-disclosure. We just want to upgrade, and we need more information on how your hardware works.” I heaved an enormous groan when he didn’t respond. “I’ll throw in an extra five million.”

“Ten,” he countered.

A drop in the bucket compared to the three hundred million I’d make. But it was crucial that Hamilton believe he’d screwed me, so I paused before saying, “You love digging the knife in, don’t you? All right. I’ll adjust the paperwork and send it over, but I want it signed today.”

“Sounds good.”

I hung up, smirking. I won. We were back on track to meet the proposal deadline, and I couldn’t wait to laugh at Hamilton’s apoplectic voicemail when he discovered I’d fucked him over. Ruining my relationship with Zenocorp was a risk, but the government deal would rocket us past last year’s profits-

My pen was skipping, so I yanked open my side drawer to get another one and was startled to see a package. I picked up a clear bag of chocolate truffles wrapped in red, silver, and pink. A red ribbon cinched it shut. I turned it over, reading the heart-shaped label stuck to the packaging: Chocolate is Love.

I tugged at the ribbon and opened the bag, fishing out a pink-wrapped truffle. I unwrapped the chocolate and ate. Something inside the candy fizzed. Pop Rocks. The pressurized carbon dioxide dancing over my tongue triggered memories of little black bags and strawberry-red powder. I smiled, fingering the red ribbon.

Indie must’ve put it there. I checked my watch-February 14. Heat scorched my stunned face. I’d never been in this position before. I didn’t observe holidays and couldn’t remember when someone had given me a gift that wasn’t a discount on member services. And I hadn’t gotten her anything. Shit. I couldn’t go up there empty-handed.

I racked my brain for gifts. Flowers and chocolates? Too cliche. Dinner? An idea struck my head, and I texted my overeager assistant the basics of my plans.

Val: I’m on it.

Perfect.

A blender screamed upstairs.

I stood and followed the noise, finding Indie in a state of disarray. She stood behind the metallic counter in a crop top. A milky concoction whirled inside the blender. While it pulsed, she sliced cucumbers and doled hummus on a plate. She turned it off and sucked the paste off with an indecent moan.

My chest heated. “The way you look at food makes me jealous.”

Walking into this scene of domestic bliss felt like I’d stumbled into another man’s life. I’d never experienced this…takeover of my space. Curiously, I didn’t mind the empty glasses she left everywhere. Or that she’d stuffed the pantry with junk. I even cherished the potato chip bags she stuffed in my office trash can, because imagining the absence of them stabbed my gut.

Indie beamed. “Hey. Are you hungry?”

I went to her side, sliding my arms around her waist. “That depends. What are you offering?”

Indie lowered her gaze and blushed. “An afternoon snack.”

“I believe it’s called a delight.”

Indie snorted. She poured the goop into two glasses. Smiling, she picked up the glasses and gestured for me to bring the platter of snacks. I slid it over the coffee table and sank into the couch after she led me into the living room. She joined me, her legs colliding with mine.

“What is this?” I pointed at the glass she’d placed on the coffee table.

“It’s a protein shake. Almond milk, ice, peanut butter, dark chocolate, and pretzels.”

I lifted a brow. “Pretzels?”

“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”

“Pretzels don’t go with milk.”

“They do. Trust me.” She held up her glass, tapping it against mine when I picked mine up. “Cheers.”

I brought it to my lips and sipped. The sweetness danced pleasantly with the bits of salt. “I’m not into desserts, but this isn’t bad.”

She bent over the huge platter filled with meat and cheese. She assembled a sandwich and gave it to me. Warmth touched my cheeks.

“You’re spoiling me, Indie.”

Her grin tightened something in my chest. “Only because you’re ill.”

“I’m not ill.”

I’d stopped our exercise session early this morning after I pulled a muscle in my lower back. Really, it was nothing. Indie had been fussing over me all day, like I was recovering from surgery or something.

“Knox, you can’t sit like that. You’ll make it worse.” She wrenched on my arm until I obliged, leaning forward. Then she forced a lumbar pillow behind me. “You don’t want to mess around with a back injury. I slipped a disc once and it hurt for a year.”

“Jesus, that long?”

“Yeah. And I couldn’t do much. It was miserable. I shelled out for a physical therapist, and they had me do all kinds of core strengthening exercises.”

I devoured the sandwich over a plate that Indie took away once I finished. She stroked my thigh, the soothing gesture so alien to me. I’d never been taken care of like this, and it made me uncomfortable. I locked eyes with her, consumed with an urge to dominate her.

I patted my lap and beckoned her.

“I can’t. I’ll hurt your back.”

“Indie, I’m two hundred and thirty pounds of muscle and sex appeal. You’re not going to hurt me.”

Laughing, she crawled on top of me. “Okay, but tell me if it starts aching.”

She didn’t resist when I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Her head dropped onto my shoulder. My neck tickled with her soft breathing. Something heavy lifted from my chest.

Finally.

I held her tightly. Holding her was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. It felt perfect. My eyes closed, lost in the sensation. I’d never let her go again. I couldn’t forget how much I needed this peace.

“Did you find the chocolate?” she murmured.

“I did. Thank you. That was nice of you.”

She beamed, shrugging. “I felt like you needed a reward. You’ve been so affectionate lately. I know it doesn’t come naturally to you, but I love it so much.”

I checked my watch to see if Val had texted me. Nothing. I dropped my arm around Indie’s back. “Don’t you go to the farmer’s market on Mondays?”

She nuzzled my neck. “Staying in with you appealed to me more.”

The hole inside my chest yawned, but I ignored it, desperate to bring this conversation to a level that I understood.

“Because you want me,” I purred, my hand sliding under her shirt. “You love having your ass spanked and your pretty pussy filled with cum. Don’t you? You can’t get enough of me. Say it, Indie.”

“You have such a dirty mouth.” Her thighs clenched around my hips.

I fingered her chin so that our eyes clashed. “Remember what you said to me the other day? It was right after I gave you the birth control pill. In a very suggestive tone, you said, ‘I need something to wash this down.'”

She blushed fiercely.

It was the filthiest thing I’d ever heard her say. And I’d loved it.

My cock hardened instantly with the dirty mental image of Indie swallowing me down with that blue pill.

She dipped her gaze, the blush creeping across her cheeks. “Okay, fine. I love sex, but I’m not here for that. I don’t like leaving you alone when you’re injured. You’re surrounded by employees. I can’t see any of them ever visiting you in the hospital. Except Valerie.” She kneaded my shoulders, working the knots from my muscle. “You have no siblings…no family.”

My lips twitched with the need to smile. “So…I’m charity?”

“I just want to be there for you.”

Her happy glow warmed me more than her sweet words, which I latched onto desperately. My heart pounded. Did she mean that?

“I’ll be there for you, too. Always.” I kissed her open mouth, and the pounding of my heart finally quieted. The scent of her hair intoxicated me. Her hands on my neck sent an involuntary thrill deep in my chest. I flicked my tongue against her lip. I delved inside and ravished her little mouth.

Fuck the pain away.

If Indie wanted to adopt my philosophy, so be it. Especially if it got me a blowjob. Indie slid off my lap and knelt on the floor. Her hands glided down my abdomen, rolling back my T-shirt. She gave me a coquettish wink as she caressed my abs.

“May I express my appreciation for you?”

I nodded. “You may.”

Blood throbbed in my temples as she unzipped my jeans. Fuck. Keeping myself composed was impossible. All she had to do was pucker her lips. I was like a teenage boy, instantly hard. She took out my cock. Her tongue darted out with a teasing lick. Heat enveloped my cock as her mouth closed around it, her tongue riding my shaft. My cheeks burned as she made the sloppiest sounds. My fingers dove into a tangle of hair. She squirmed as I slowly sank into her pink mouth.

When she gagged I pulled her off me. “Do you like sucking my cock?”

“Yes.” She gasped. “I like it.”

“Good. Your jaw will get quite the workout within the next few months. I need to defile your body before I get you pregnant.”

I thrust into her mouth. She made a delicious sound as I rocked my hips. Fuck, that was hot. She stared at me, the challenge in her eye stroking my cock. Her tongue swirled. Liquid heat lashed the sensitive head, and I groaned. My skin flushed as she sucked me off, sliding down my painfully hard dick to play with my balls. She sucked the base of my cock and glided to the head.

I sat upright. Watching her suck me off struck me with a lightning bolt of lust. I fisted her hair and went to town, hammering her mouth. My senses were on fire with her agonized gurgling and the wet heat gripping me. Heat consumed me as I filled her with cum. A flood of euphoria drowned me as I thrust, and I stilled, relishing in the visual of my cock in her mouth. She swallowed my cum and even went back to lick a stray drop that rolled down my shaft. Somehow, after she’d cleaned me up I was still hard. That never happened.

Indie’s mouth made a wet pop as she lifted her head. She wiped her upper lip, then tore off her clothes. My cock saluted the sudden appearance of her full tits. I palmed them as she straddled me. Eyes burning, she cupped my head and kissed me. Slow and sweet. Drugging. The sort of kiss that soothed my tired soul. My mouth moved down her cheek, to her jawline, to the breasts that tickled my chest. I nipped her skin until I brushed her nipple. I circled it with my tongue before closing on her, sucking.

She trembled. “Please, Knox.”

Yes.

I was addicted to her begging sighs. “Use your words, killer.”

“I need you,” she murmured, mindless with desire. “Kiss me. Fuck me.”

I twisted my body and reclined her on the couch. One shove and my jeans were below my knees. I shoved her thighs apart, positioned myself between them and plunged into her.

Amazing.

The slick heat gripping my cock was too fucking good. It erased all doubt that we weren’t a perfect match. I would marry this woman. I would give her a baby. When she gasped like that, as though surprised that we fit together, it resonated in my soul-made me hopeful.

Blood throbbed in my cock, the skin so tight it ached. Fucking her raw was a better drug than Ecstasy. I caressed the beautiful hollows of her back and seized her ass as I rammed home. A brightness sprang into her gaze as I filled her.

She groaned.

I pounded her, muffling her whining by pressing her head into the sofa’s end pillow. I caressed her soft skin before grabbing her hips and pulling back with quick jerks. Heat raged through me as she chased my hips. She cried out, bucking into me. My thighs trembled. The release came in a flood of nirvana as I fucked her with cum. Her body quivered from my two last, hard thrusts.

I sank into a peaceful bliss, collapsing on top of her. “God, Indie. Fuck. You made me come so hard, I can’t think straight.”

She linked her arms around my neck, and stretched languidly. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“It’d be great if you paused your plans for St. Luke’s.”

I licked my lips, shrugging. “Sure.”

In the split second it took to realize she’d manipulated me into changing my plans, I’d already agreed. Well, fuck. I searched inwardly for outrage, but found only a lazy contentment. She’d crossed the line. And I didn’t care.

This was confusing.

“Thank you.” Indie pressed her lips into my neck, staggering the blood flow to my head. “Thank you so much. You won’t regret it.”

Then she kissed me hard on the mouth, and I lost all will to take it back. “I’ll tell you what, Indie. Fuck me like this every day, and I’ll do whatever the hell you want. Want me to save the whales? Done. If you want a stuffed bald eagle for your desk, that’s fine, too.”

“I don’t want a stuffed bald eagle. I want you.”

I’ll admit, she did that well.

But I believed her. She had a pure heart, which was why I couldn’t get mad at her for taking advantage of my euphoric state. The only thing she’d asked of me was to save a goddamn church. The earnest beauty of that made me cherish her even more. She spoke from the heart and nowhere else, unlike everyone else in my life.

We need to get married.

My post-nut clarity had never been louder. I felt a wave of fear, lust, and optimism. It alarmed me that it revolved around one woman. Which wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t have a mind of her own.

She could get hurt. She could leave me.

Suddenly, the idea was intolerable, like inhaling black smoke.

I had to lock her down.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Soon.