Page 42 of Captive Rival: Armani
He stirs in his sleep, reaching for me and pulling me close. I snuggle my back against his chest, but I don’t feel tired. My mind is whirling.
How would Armani’s life be different if his mother and sister had lived? Would he be a completely different person? It’s obvious that his childhood affected him deeply, viscerally—and the loss of his mom and sister seemed to set things in motion. They were the buffer between him, his brothers, and their father. Everything he’s been through, for better or worse, has shaped the man he is today.
At the same time, am I supposed to ignore his dark side simply because he had a shitty childhood? Armani takes revenge as if it were nothing. He doesn’t think twice about offing someone who has done his family wrong. He’s deadly and dangerous and he knows nothing of humility.
But who am I to judge? I watched him kill a man and it thrilled me that he got his revenge. I screw him every chance I get because I can’t get enough of him, body and soul. And honestly? His dark past is something I’m honored he shared with me, whether he did so intentionally or not.
There’s no sugarcoating it. Armani Bellanti is a murderer. A criminal. A mobster.
And he’s the man I’ve fallen completely in love with.
15
ARMANI
It’stime to check in with Clayton, because so far I haven’t heard a peep from him—and that’s not like my brother-in-law. The radio silence has me uneasy. When it comes to the mafia, no news is rarely good news.
Usually, it’s an indication that your enemy has the upper hand.
I rose with the sun today, like usual, and once I’m dressed and showered, I take a few minutes to check on Candi’s stitches. Her wound looks like it’s healing well, which is a relief. Not that I doubted my skills, but being this far from the mainland presents certain logistical challenges, so it’s good to know my patient is in top form. I change out her gauze and tell her to relax when she mumbles drowsily at me.
“It isn’t even seven yet,” I add. “And you’re on vacation. You can sleep in.”
Not that I don’t have an ulterior motive for keeping her in bed—because I have to make that call, and the less effort I have to put into hiding the sat phone from Candi, the better.
“Where are you going?” she asks, propping herself up on her elbows to look at me.
“Hush now,” I tell her, cupping her chin and rubbing my thumb over her plush lips. “Just lie back and close your eyes and I’ll reward you.”
She smirks but does as she’s asked.
Whipping the blankets off her feet, I go around to the bottom of the bed, grab her by the ankles, and tug her toward me until her ass is right at the edge of the mattress. I gently position her legs so they’re wide apart and dangling almost to the floor and then I kneel, burying my face between her thighs. My tongue quickly finds her clit, and I give it a few strong, hard licks before sucking it into my mouth and slowly circling it with my tongue.
“Ahh,” she sighs.
I pull back just long enough to mock-scold her. “Those eyes better be closed.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Satisfied, I dive back in, dipping a finger inside her hole. I pump into her wetness with my finger, keeping time with the lapping of my tongue on her swollen nub.
“Armani,” she moans, the sound of her pleasure making my cock go stiff against my fly. “Yes. Just like that.”
When she grabs the back of my head and starts thrusting against my mouth, I know she’s getting close, so I add a second finger. It only takes a few minutes before she’s panting out her orgasm, groaning softly as she clenches around me, frantically digging her nails into my hair.
Gasping for an entirely different reason, I finally come up for air and start kissing and nibbling my way down her inner thigh, over her knee, down her calf. Then I get her tucked back in with the pillows freshly fluffed behind her head, the blankets tucked tightly around her.
“I’m taking a walk,” I say, which isn’t a total lie. “Get some rest.”
“You’ll come get me when breakfast is ready?” she murmurs, pulling the covers up to her chin.
“Of course.”
I leave then, without saying goodbye. As if to prove to myself that I’m less invested in her than I am. Ha. I’ve been feeling edgy overall the past few days, but something between Candi and me has felt subtly off-balance lately as well. Our dynamic has shifted. Not necessarily in a negative way, but…I haven’t quite wrapped my head around it. And if I’m honest, I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing anymore. Whatwe’redoing. Things have gotten complicated.
Shaking my head, I try to banish the turmoil. I don’t have time to think about Candi right now.
My brother-in-law picks up on the first ring, even though it’s after 10 p.m. in California.
