The Vault Collection [Volume One] Read online

  “I love your dad and your uncle. They’re so nice.”

  I almost choked on my sip of wine. No one had ever referred to them as nice before. Then again, I’d never witnessed them trying to be so good-natured with a stranger before her. She seemed to have a way with the Marchetti men. I made a mental note to keep her away from my brothers for as long as possible.

  “Yeah, they’re great. They seem especially impressed with you, too.”

  “Were you close to your father when you were a kid?”

  “Our entire family has always been close. I have several brothers and one sister, so you can guess who got the special treatment.” I laughed, recalling how my brothers and I harassed my sister when our parents were away. “She paid for it when they weren’t around, though. We’re still expected to show up for dinner every Saturday. We don’t miss it without a good excuse. What about you? Brothers, sisters?”

  She shook her head. “I’m an only child. My parents had me later in life, but I was very close to them both. My dad died two years ago. But I’m still close to my mom. We don’t live too far apart, so I can check on her daily when I’m home.”

  “Must be hard on you both, losing your father.”

  “It was terrible. He seemed fine one minute, then a heart attack later, he was gone. My job is a challenge for both of us because I travel frequently. Mom’s health has declined in recent years, and I actually thought I’d lose her before my dad. When I’m away, a home health nurse is with her during the day, and a sitter stays with her at night.”

  “That must be rough on you—shouldering all that responsibility alone.”

  She shrugged it off. “At least I still have my mom, and I can afford to hire the best caregivers. I have it better than a lot of people do.”

  We finished our dinners on lighter topics of conversation and rose to leave. My father and Uncle Leo were also finished, so Jillian and I walked out with them. Benny, my driver, had arrived and was talking to Joe, my father’s driver, when we exited the building. The distinctive rumble of a car engine revving caught our attention just before Benny and Joe tackled us to the ground. Shots rang out, and bullets peppered the glass behind us, shattering it with a piercing clamor, before the car sped away.

  When we began untangling arms and legs, I realized Benny had covered me, but I had instinctively covered Jillian. Cocooned in my arms, her whole body shook from distress and fright. “I’ve got you, Jillian. You’re okay now.”

  She nodded but didn’t speak, her teeth chattering from the adrenaline free-flowing through her veins. I stood and helped her up, my arms encircled her as she buried her face in my chest. My hands stroked up and down her back, soothing and assuring her she was safe.

  My father met my livid gaze, his eyes burning with a mirrored vengeance. “Get her home. Leo and I will deal with this.”

  “Don’t we have to give a statement too?” She stammered her question, though I knew she was looking for a way out of it. The last thing she wanted was to stay there.

  “No, doll. My dad has a lot of friends in the police department. Once they have his and Uncle Leo’s statements, they won’t need ours.” I walked her to the car and helped her into the back seat. “Stay here. I’ll give my dad your number in case the police need to talk to you.”

  “Okay.” The fear in her eyes was palpable, and she had a hard time releasing my hand.

  “Benny, stand right here with her while I talk to my father.”

  Benny stepped into the open door and began talking to her about her job, trying to take her mind off the frightening event as best he could while he kept a constant vigil for her safety. I joined my father and Uncle Leo and explained everything that had happened up to that point, including the precarious position she’d be in at work the following day.

  “Let her go to work. Percy will be there to protect her, if needed. We’re not certain this attempt has anything to do with her yet, but we can’t rule it out either. They’ve been making obvious moves, like they’re taunting us. So, this could be related to something else. But if she changes her routine suddenly, they’ll know, and then she will be in danger. We’ll protect her for the time being, see if anyone makes another play. She should stay at your place tonight while we install extra security measures in her apartment.”

  “Yes, sir.” I didn’t argue with my father on business matters.

  His word was final, and he was the Boss of our family for a reason. I’d learned that the hard way many years ago, when I was a punk teenager who thought I knew better than my old man. Taking Jillian to my home tonight definitely wasn’t a hardship on me, though I wasn’t sure how I’d convince her to spend the night with someone she’d just met the day before.

  I slid into the back seat beside her and immediately recognized the signs of an imminent meltdown. Her bottom lip quivered, and her hands shook uncontrollably, even through the tight clasp she held them in. The shaking traveled throughout her whole body, from her arms and legs and through her torso. The warm and friendly smile that lit up her face was gone. Instead, her skin was pale, and her eyes were wide with fear, startling at the slightest sound. At the simple gesture of extending my arms out, she flew into my embrace.

  “Damon?”

  “Yeah, doll?”

  “I can’t stop shaking. Every time I close my eyes, I see the guns aiming at us all over again. Why would someone drive by and shoot at us like that?”

  I gently pulled her away from me, but I kept my hands on her shoulders. With a heavy sigh, I leaned my forehead against hers. “Jillian, you deserve answers to set your mind at ease, but I can’t give them. All I can do is ask you to trust me when I say my family won’t rest until we find out who did this.”

  “I won’t get a wink of sleep tonight. I can’t even imagine how scared I’ll be when I’m alone in that huge apartment.” She stuttered her words through her chattering teeth, and I knew the opportunity I was looking for had just presented itself.

  “You’re coming home with me tonight. You won’t be alone.” I brushed my fingertips along her jaw.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” She didn’t even hesitate to accept my offer. The fear that gripped her overrode any bout of modesty.

  “Of course not.”

  “Am I sleeping with you? Or do you have a spare bedroom?”

  “Doll, you’re definitely sleeping with me, even though I have more than a few spare bedrooms.”

  “Don’t tell your mom I asked that, though. Okay?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh over her request. “Okay, I won’t tell my mom you asked to sleep with me. But can I tell her you forgot your pajamas and had to sleep naked?”

  My attempt at humor helped, and she at least chuckled. “No, you can’t tell her that either. She’ll think I’m a terrible person.”

  “Doll, I’m a thirty-two-year-old grown man with older and younger brothers. My mother has no delusions that her sons are innocent little angels.”

  “That may be, but she’s still your mother. She doesn’t see you as a sexy, irresistible man.”

  “Irresistible, huh?” I looked down at her and wrapped my hand around the back of her neck. “Let’s put that theory to the test.”

  Chapter Four

  Jillian

  When he slanted his mouth over mine, I was instantly lost in him. The panic that had taken up residence in my chest evaporated when his lips touched mine. The terrifying scenes of the drive-by shooting I just survived drifted to the back of my mind, while more invigorating visions took the forefront. His tongue swiped across the part in my lips, and I readily submitted control to him.

  And he took it without hesitation.

  I wanted nothing more than to forget everything that happened on that sidewalk and get lost in him. Was I using an unhealthy coping mechanism to avoid processing my true feelings? Definitely. Pretending I wasn’t almost killed on the sidewalk of a busy street? Absolutely. My attempt to leave reality behind and let a handsome stranger take me home with
him should’ve triggered a warning in my mind, but I was scared out of my wits, and he made me feel safe again.

  Everything about the encounter was intoxicating. His scent. His tongue gliding along mine. His taste. The feel of his lips on mine. The way he held me in his arms. How he gripped my hair in his fist—possessive, dominant, daring. When he broke our kiss, my mind was hazy and my body was on fire. The way his hooded eyes darkened with desire when he looked at me obliterated any second thoughts I had.

  “Take us by Miss Hart’s apartment first, then we’re going to Cooper Square, Benny.”

  I’d only met him the day before, but I had no intentions of applying the brakes. I felt the wind off those bullets when they buzzed past me. A hair’s width difference and I would’ve been shot. A near-death experience gave me a new perspective on my career-driven life. I didn’t want to die with a single regret, and if I passed up a night with Damon, regret would’ve been all I felt.

  At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to surrender to his wishes, to give him all of me. After how he protected me during that terrifying incident and took care of me after they drove away, I thought maybe he was interested in more than a one-night stand. But if one night was all he gave me, I’d still happily take it. While I was in his arms, I hungrily accepted his kisses and caresses.

  We separated when Benny pulled up outside my building and cleared his throat to get our attention. Damon extended his hand to help me out of the car, and we walked inside together. He entered my apartment first, keeping me behind him as he checked the rooms for intruders. When he was sure we were alone, I grabbed a small bag and threw everything I’d need for work the next day into it in record time.

  We slid back into the back seat of his car, and our lips were again fused together after one heated look. When the car came to a stop again, Benny got out and opened the back door for us. I slid out behind Damon and looked up at the twelve-story brick building. I had no idea the unassuming outside would hold such opulence and luxury inside. We took a private elevator to the top of the building where Damon’s condo encompassed three entire floors with expansive patios on each level.

  As amazing as the entryway of the building was, it paled in comparison to the inside of his condo. Three floors of nothing but elegance and wealth, combined with the masculine air Damon projected naturally. The low lighting gave a stylish and romantic vibe. He removed his jacket and tie while I roamed around, taking in the enormous space.

  Damon appeared behind me from nowhere. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against him, my back to his chest. He slid his arms up, crisscrossing over my chest while his lips left a scorching hot trail down the side of my neck. “You taste as good as you smell. I can’t wait to taste you everywhere.”

  Chills ran down my spine and fanned out across my skin.

  “I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime to get you alone.”

  His hands slid down to palm my breasts, kneading the swells and pinching my nipples between his thumb and forefinger. My head fell back to his chest, pushing them farther into his hands.

  “Throughout dinner, all I could think about was how it’d feel to have your pussy wrapped around my cock.”

  A whimper escaped my throat.

  “On the ride over here, it took all my willpower not to rip your panties off and fuck you in the back seat of my car, even though we weren’t alone.”

  My breathing hitched. My arm reached up to the back of his neck. My hand cupped the back of his head. My fingers gripped his hair.

  “Now that you’re here, I’m about ten seconds away from wringing your body dry from repeated orgasms. So, tell me now, do you want me to stop?”

  “No.” My reply came out breathily, but it was all I could do to even speak. His words were my undoing, and his hands set my body on fire. His mouth on the sensitive skin of my neck removed any doubt lurking in the back of my mind. What he could do with that tongue in more intimate spots was just a heartbeat away.

  His fingers grasped the hem of my dress and pulled it over my head. Standing in nothing but my lacy white bra and matching thong, I turned slowly until I faced him. His eyes roamed over my body, heating me from my core with a simple look. He pulled down the cups of my bra, revealing my breasts before covering one with his mouth. His hands snaked around behind me and unhooked my bra, letting it fall from my arms. Then his hands glided down my back until his thumbs hooked into my panties. He slid them down my legs, and I stepped out of them, leaving my high heels in place.

  “I plan to fuck you all night long. Just when you think you’ve had enough, I’ll be back for more.”

  I’d never in my life felt so desired as I did standing naked in front of him while he licked his lips and devoured me with his eyes. He walked me backward to the couch and sat me down on the cool leather. With my ass perched on the edge, he knelt before me and buried his face between my legs. My body responded fiercely as his tongue and fingers fucked my pussy. My inner muscles clenched and quivered forcefully with each movement of his onslaught. With a primal scream, I gripped his hair and called out his name with the first orgasm.

  “You taste so fucking good, but I can’t wait to be inside you. My cock will be so deep in you, you’ll still feel me between your legs tomorrow.”

  “Yes.” My voice was raspy and wanton.

  His expensive clothes were quickly discarded and left in a heap on the floor, then he reclaimed his position kneeling in front of me. Sheathed and hard, he slid into my waiting sex. The walls of my pussy burned from the way he stretched me until my body acclimated to his size. I had no doubt I’d still feel his presence the following day. He grabbed the back of my head with one hand and pulled my face to meet his, then he pounded relentlessly into me. His other hand played with my clit, circling, swirling, and pushing my hot button until I came apart again. And again. With the incredible sensations pulsing through my entire body, I couldn’t even count how many times I came.

  “Fuck yeah,” he muttered, continuing his erotic barrage on my body. Then he suddenly stopped, walked me around to the back of the couch, and bent me over. “Hold on to something, doll.”

  Then he held on—to my long hair. He pulled it up in a ponytail in his hand and twisted the strands around his palm. As he pushed into me from behind, he pulled my hair then smacked my ass with the other hand. He rubbed the red out before he smacked it again. The pleasure and pain mixed, creating a vibrating sensation that ran through my veins and along every nerve ending. His occasional grunts and groans of pleasure only excited me more.

  “That’s it, doll. Soak me again. Your tight little cunt is driving me wild.”

  The more he talked dirty to me, the more turned on I became. A man I barely knew commanded my body better than any lover I’d known before. Whatever he ordered, my body obeyed without question or hesitation. His hold over me was all-consuming, and I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want our night together to be a one-night stand. A meaningless fling. I wanted to get to know the man behind the curtain of control…the man I knew most people had never met.

  “You feel too fucking good. I’m never letting you leave.”

  As if he read my mind.

  “Now that I’ve felt you wrapped around my cock, no other man will ever touch you. I’ve claimed you…all of you.” He ran his finger across the tight rim of muscle between my cheeks. “I can’t wait to take this virgin ass. To know it’s only mine. So fucking sexy.”

  The thought of anal sex had never appealed to me…before Damon. Before his words, his possessiveness, his desire to have all of me as his created a foreign but welcomed longing in me. As archaic as it sounded, the manly way he handled me, the dominating way he took what he wanted, and the thoughtful way he made sure I experienced more pleasure than I’d ever known made me feel more special than any declaration of love had in the past. No other lover compared to this man, in any way.

  “Give me one more, baby. I can’t hold out much fucking longer.” He thrust harder,
driving into me with a renewed ferocity until my screams of pleasure filled the room. I felt him pulsing inside me a moment later, followed by his growl of satisfaction. He helped me up then pulled me into a full-body embrace. “You are fucking amazing.”

  He knelt behind me, and I wondered what more he had in mind. His fingers gently wrapped around my ankle, and he tugged until I lifted it. One by one, he removed my shoes while his lips caressed the back of my thighs. When he rose, his mouth sought mine, his kisses more tender this time. We walked to the bathroom, naked and with our bodies still touching, until he moved one arm to start the shower.

  I thought we’d have another raucous round in the shower, but he had other plans. The powerful and commanding man washed me with such a gentle touch, I wondered if he was the same man I’d been warned about. The way he pampered me was just as intimate as the amazing sex we’d had.

  I wasn’t naïve—I knew the words that fell from a man’s mouth during vigorous sex weren’t exactly the truth. While I melted a little more with his every word, I didn’t believe we’d be together forever. But after the chaos of the night, the way he protected me, and then washed it all away, I wasn’t so sure I could simply walk away without a scratch.

  As I dried off, I heard drawers opening and closing from his bedroom. He appeared in the doorway, naked with beads of water still clinging to his skin. My eyes drank him in slowly—from the muscles that said he knew his way around a gym to the happy trail leading the way from his belly button all the way down. He purposely cleared his throat, drawing my attention and my line of sight back up to his eyes. With a smug grin that let me know he’d caught me looking, he handed me one of his T-shirts.

  “I didn’t see you grab any pajamas when you ransacked your bedroom. You can wear this for now. Let’s have a glass of wine together on the balcony.” He toweled off and slipped on a pair of shorts before we moved to the terrace that was as big as my entire apartment.