Page 61 of Merciless Queen
“Well hey there, gorgeous.” I heard a slurred rasp come from behind me as palms grabbed my ass.
My breath stalled in my lungs as I was pushed up against the wall. I grunted when he crushed my body with his. He reeked of liquor, and he was sloppy. For once, I was not paralyzed in fear. I was more pissed that I let my guard down at a party.
I stomped my heel onto his foot, and he screeched out a curse. I elbowed him in the nose, and he called me a bitch, but before I could do anything else, he grabbed my wrists, pulling me to him before slamming us against the wall once more, this time his front crushing mine. His erection was digging into my stomach, and my stomach rolled. Images flashed in the back of my mind, and I squeezed my eyes closed. I was not going back to that place, not now—not ever.
A gun cocked and my angel—or, rather, my devil—spoke. “Unhand my wife or your brains will paint the wall.”
The man stumbled back, and I lunged into Caterina’s arms. A few seconds later, two big, terrifying men grabbed the asshole and dragged him down the hall. All the liquor in his system was gone as he let them drag him.
Caterina holstered her gun and brushed the stray strands from my face. She called meher wife. I didn’t know why that made me happy, because we didn’t have to pretend there. She didn’t have to say anything to get him off of me, but she did.My wife.I was her wife.
“Thank you for the hospitality, but I should get her home before I have to kill someone at your party.”
“Of course,” Izara said. “I apologize about him. We’re normally good about drunks. You two are welcome to our home whenever. I would like you in Mallory’s life and our children’s, as well.”
“Thank you.” Mallory put her number in my phone before we left their gorgeous home.
Somewhere along the way I ended up passing out, but I swear I heard Caterina tell me she loved me, and felt the phantom touch of a kiss on my forehead.
CHAPTER 48
Caterina
My father was goingto kill me, but I was falling in love with Harlow. He fell madly in love with my mother, so I knew he didn’t truly hate the idea of love. He was terrified of the heartbreak and losing the woman he fell in love with again. Hell, it terrified me knowing Vincenzo was still out there and targeting Harlow.
I needed to tell him to get the stick out of his ass and get with Serena. One, so she could leave me alone about my relationship with Harlow, and two, because the stubborn bastard still had feelings for her, regardless of us having a one-night stand. I could see the rage in my father’s eyes when I informed him. Maybe I needed to play Cupid and lock them in the basement until they kissed and made up. And by kiss, I meant fuck like bunnies and confess their love.
When I killed Vincenzo, I thought he’d be more open to a relationship again. There were always going to be threats to us since power and money spoke louder than anything. We would always be intimidating to everyone, but others wouldn’t be as big of a threat as Vincenzo Mancini. Not when we had allies like the Petrovs.
Vincenzo had not left his house, which meant he had not had the chance to kill anyone or do another shipment of girls. He was plotting. He was planning something, and we needed to be prepared for anything. Harlow’s training was going well, and she was gaining her upper body strength back. She said she’d be ready if Vincenzo came for her, but Serena let it slip to me that if she ever got the chance to confront the man, she might not have been as ready as she thought. Vincenzo ruined her life, hurt her beyond comparison, and seeing him could’ve triggered her.
I never planned on her being with him ever again. Whatever it took, I would burn the world for her. I never planned to fall in love with her, either. I made it my goal to be a distant, cold-hearted bitch, but it didn’t work out that way. Even my ice queen persona that affected everyone around me, she never broke. Even my fucking dogs liked her. They didn’t attack her or rip out her jugular. They acted like newborn pups. It still boggled my mind, even months later. A fairytale love was hard to believe in this life, but I thought my boys knew before I did that Harlow was meant to be mine. My father talked about my mom being his angel, and I thought that was what Harlow was for me.
My angel in a dark world. A beacon of light not just for my world, but for my heart, as well. I never knew what love felt like, and now I never wanted to lose it. It terrified me, and that was hard to admit. I loved her. I wanted a life with her that wasn’t pretend. Anyone could take her away from me, and I could turn into my father.
There was a small knock on my office door, and Harlow stepped in, freshly showered in a baggy t-shirt that fell below her thighs and hung off her left shoulder. She smelled like my lavender and vanilla body wash. She looked beautiful.
“Hi.” She smiled. “I wanted to see you after my session with Natalya. She has to return to New York, so I have to practice with you until she can come back.”
I smirked. “Does she know we won’t be completing any training?”
She walked up to me as I scooted back in my chair. Harlow pushed me back and straddled my hips. “And why is that, Mrs. Moretti?”
“Well, it seems I have this beautiful woman who sleeps in my bed and shares my last name. And seeing her in her tight workout clothes does something to me.”
“Oh yeah?” She kissed me deeply.
I slipped my hand behind her, cupping her bare ass as she moaned against me. Our lips danced and tongues fought as her body moved against mine. My jeans were rubbing against her sensitive spots, making her body quiver. It had come to my attention that I’d never fucked anyone in my home office before. And now I needed to do just that, and then I’d have to take her to the club and fuck her there, too—only if she liked the idea of being caught.
I ripped my lips from hers. “Someone needy today, hm?”
She smirked, lust filling her eyes. “If you weren’t so good with your mouth, then I wouldn’t be addicted.”
I sucked on her throat and she moaned, which sent pleasure soaring to my core. Fuck. There was so much I wanted to do with this beautiful woman. I was so tempted to bend her over my desk and fuck her until she was screaming my name and coming all over my fingers. God, I needed to be a better woman, but I could honestly ask for forgiveness later tonight when I was buried between her legs, devouring her sweet cunt.
“Harlow, if you don’t stop, you’ll make me do things I might regret later.”
“Uh huh, I want you.”
