Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess Read online

  She understood, but didn’t agree. Frowning, she shook her head. “Nathan, it’s not the same,” she said firmly.

  “Yes, it is, Carter.”

  “You saved me, Nathan.”

  Nathan moved to stand up, but Carter quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “No, Nathan. Just listen to me, please,” she pleaded desperately through her tears.

  After a moment of hesitation, he obliged. He didn’t want to listen. He didn’t deserve to have Carter try to make him feel better about this when he knew the truth. Nathan had spent the last thirteen years blaming his father for the death of his mother, for putting his mother’s life in danger, for not protecting her. And he had done the exact same thing to the woman he loved, the woman he was about to marry. No, Nathan deserved this pain, and he wasn’t going to let Carter try and ease it. “There isn’t anything to say, Carter.”

  “Yes, there is!”

  “No, Carter, there isn’t.”

  “But you saved me, Nathan!”

  “No, I didn’t,” he said sharply. He couldn’t hear this anymore— it was too hard.

  “Just listen,” she said firmly, and Nathan gave up and sat back on the bed. But he was still unable to meet her eyes. “Nathan, look at me and listen to me. I’m your fiancée. You have to do what I say.” She said it softly, and Nathan felt like a bitch when a fucking tear escaped his eye, but he met her eyes as she asked. She gave him a sad smile and wiped his single tear. “You saved me, Nathan Salerno, long before the day that Mitchell tried to take our lives. I had lost everyone I loved, and I was alone, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I was unhappy and lonely. I thought I was going to die without ever experiencing life or real love. I thought I would have to hide forever, which is something I never wanted to do. Not even when I was a little girl. You have given me more than I ever thought I would have, Nathan. I would never ever regret the day you found me in Hope Beach. I will never regret the day you kissed me, the night we spent on that beach, the first time you told me you loved me, the first time we made love, the arguments we’ve had— or the day you asked me to be your wife.” She kissed his lips softly. “I would live through that one day a million times more if it meant I’d still have you when I woke up,” she whispered against his lips. “What happened to us was not your fault. Mitchell was filled with jealousy, greed, and hatred for us and our parents. What makes you think you deserved what he wanted to do to you? Nathan, we were both targeted because we were born. It’s as simple as that. He didn’t like the fact that we existed, and that you earned the power he wanted. This was neither of our faults. He wanted us dead for reasons we couldn’t control, so stop. Stop blaming yourself for this, and I won’t blame myself, either.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “We’re still here, Bubby, you and me. We’ll always be stronger than those who try to hurt us,” she whispered.

  Nathan stared at her, unable to speak. He felt like he was going to burst. It couldn’t be possible to love a person as much as he loved Carter. It hurt to love someone so much, but it was the type of hurt that Nathan wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. He had no idea what he had done in this life or a past one to deserve a woman like Carter, but he would never question it. Because he would go back and do it all again just to get right back here, right back to this moment when he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Carter was the love of his life. This woman was everything to him. She was his beating heart and the air he breathed. And right about now, he could only think of one thing to say to her—

  “Marry me.”

  “Yes,” Carter whispered without hesitation.

  He pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to wait,” he said honestly.

  “We don’t have to,” she said, kissing the side of his mouth.

  As if they had a mind of their own, Nathan’s hands began to roam Carter’s body. Trying to restrain himself, he stopped right before reaching her full breasts. Nathan silently reminded himself that Carter had just recovered from a head injury. The doctor clearly said her energy level was low, and she shouldn’t overexert herself.

  “We should go down stairs now, Carter. I’m sure everyone wants to know you’re okay,” he said. It had been too damn long since he’d been able to enjoy Carter’s perfect body. Being in a room alone with her and feeling all of these emotions was definitely not safe, especially with her legs wrapped around him like this. A few moves, and he’d be inside that warm, tight pussy of hers. Nathan bit back a groan.

  “No,” she whispered and ran her velvety tongue across his bottom lip, kissing him again.

  Dammit! Was he the only one trying to be responsible here? “Carter—”

  “I want you, Nathan. Now,” she said and slammed her mouth against his in a fervent kiss.

  Nathan groaned and wrapped his arms around her body, pressing her close to him as her hands entered his hair. Oh, no! No, no, no, no!

  She gripped a handful of his hair as their kiss deepened and became more passionate. A growl erupted from Nathan’s chest when Carter pressed closer to him. Her body began to grind against him and she moaned into his mouth.

  Shit! They needed to stop. He didn’t want to take it too far. There was no way she was ready for this.

  Reluctantly— very reluctantly— Nathan did something that he would bang his head against the wall for later. He pulled back from their kiss. He had hoped that would be enough, but it seemed his fiancée was too far gone. As soon as he broke their kiss, her soft, full lips moved to his face and then down to that spot on his neck she knew he loved.

  Nathan groaned loudly. “Carter.” Her name came out in a breathless whisper. God, it felt so good.

  Nathan needed to put a halt to this before he lost control, but Carter was relentless, showing no mercy! She moved so perfectly against him. He wanted to grab her hips and speed up her damn movements. But he couldn’t. They needed to stop. “Carter, we have to stop.” She didn’t listen. “Carter,” he pleaded. He needed her to stop because there was no way he was going to stop her. He was only a man for God’s sake! There was only so much he could do at this point.

  “I’m fine, Nathan,” she whispered as she continued her assault on his neck. Her hands moved from his hair to the buttons on his shirt.

  Nathan bit his lip hard. Visions of all the things he wanted to do to her right then assailed him. She wasn’t playing fair. “Carter, this isn’t the right time,” he said through clenched teeth. He didn’t want to say this shit because he wanted exactly what she wanted.

  “It is the right time.”

  “No, it’s not,” he said as firmly as he could.

  Carter stopped unbuttoning his shirt and looked him in the eyes. “Nathan,” she said in an exasperated tone. “If this were a movie, this would be the perfect time for you to fuck me.”

  Those two words almost did it— almost. Nathan closed his eyes and prayed for strength. He bit down on his bottom lip and gripped the bed hard. Don’t fuck her. Don’t fuck her. Don’t fuck her!

  She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Good, Nathan thought. Maybe she would get mad at him and walk away. He needed her to because there was no way in hell he could walk away from her. He was so fucking hard right now, he was pretty sure he couldn’t walk anyway.

  “You really don’t want to have sex?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.

  Nathan’s jaw clenched and he swallowed. Unable to speak because he was afraid the wrong words would come out of his mouth, Nathan shook his head no. He silently pleaded with her to have mercy on him.

  Carter laughed. It was the sexiest fucking laugh Nathan had ever heard in his life. He gripped the bed tighter.

  “I’m sorry, honey, but— did you mention that to him?” Carter asked, pointing to the large erection pressing against his pants.

  Nathan looked down, disappointed in his body’s betrayal. “Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t understand right from wrong. Mmm … Shit!” Nathan exclaimed when Carter grip
ped his dick and squeezed. His hips jerked forward as her hand began to rub him through his pants in the most amazing way.

  Carter chuckled softly, “Mmm … I think he knows what you want better than you do, Nathan.” She pressed her forehead against his. “Somebody in this room will come in the next sixty seconds, and since I have to wait …” Her words trailed off, and she shrugged as a mischievous smile appeared on her face. She sped up the motion of her hand.

  Nathan. Was. Lost. He ran his hand down his face and groaned as his head fell back in ecstasy, and a string of Russian curses fell from his lips. There was no way he was going to stop her now— it felt too amazing. Why the hell did it have to feel so amazing?

  Carter used her other hand to grip his hair and bring his face back to hers. Her eyes were wild with desire and lust, and it took everything Nathan had not to rip her clothes off at that moment. “You’re so sexy, Nathan.” Her hand sped up, and she pressed against him.

  Nathan gripped the bed harder. “Carter,” he growled. “Just like that, baby. Fuck!”

  Carter leaned forward and pressed her lips against his ear. “I swear to God, as soon as that doctor says you can, I want you to pin me to the nearest wall and fuck me.”

  That did it. Heat shot through Nathan’s entire body and he tensed, an orgasm hitting him by surprise. His hips jerked forward against her hand, and he bit down on his bottom lip, grunting as she made him come in his pants. Carter didn’t let up, either. She continued her assault until she knew he couldn’t take any more.

  Nathan fell back on the bed and threw one arm over his face as he caught his breath. Carter, still straddling his body, looked down at him with a smug smile.

  She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I’m sure you need some time to freshen up,” she said in a bright tone and crawled off the bed. She gave Nathan’s thigh a light slap. “See you downstairs, Bubby,” she sang as she skipped out of their bedroom.

  Nathan chuckled. What the hell just happened?

  4

  The Reunion

  Once Carter made it downstairs, she hesitated before going into the living room where she knew everyone would be. She needed to figure out how she was going to apologize for her episode yesterday. Carter was still semi-embarrassed about all of it. Of course, that shit would happen to her— she always seemed to find herself in embarrassing situations, and it really, really sucked. She was dreading this. She didn’t know what they would say and hoped to God they still liked her.

  Carter tiptoed toward the living room entrance, hiding behind the wall. Leaning over, she peeked in the room to see who was there.

  The Originals, Carter thought. Angelo, Cesare, Alessandro, and Bruno sat in the living room, hard at work once again. Déjà vu from the previous morning, except this time she knew who they were. She’d always referred to them as the Originals because they had created an empire, an organization, that was pretty incredible— like the original vampires on her favorite TV show. It was very “fan-girlish” of her, but she thought it was funny. And this way, she didn’t have to say all of their names. When they were all in a room together, all she had to say was Originals, and they knew to whom she was talking. It was genius.

  She took a long deep breath and prepared herself for whatever happened next. She walked through the large entrance into the living room and her eyes widened in amazement.

  This house is bad-ass.

  Carter couldn’t believe she lived here, that it was hers. Nathan had done a damn good job decorating. It was perfect. She slipped off one shoe, feeling the plush carpet against her toes. Damn, so soft. She wondered how much it had cost to get all of this finished so quickly. But then again there was no point in wondering. Nathan was the “spare no expense” type of spoiled rich kid. When he wanted something, he got it. For some reason, Carter thought that was the sexiest thing ever, but it might have been because she was hornier than ever right now. She still couldn’t believe Nathan had refused to give it up. He’d better be happy she dealt with it as nicely as she did. She had wanted to beat his ass, but that would have been wrong— he was just worried about her health. But she really did feel fine. Carter’s only discomfort right now was Doritos withdrawal. And speaking of Doritos—

  Carter’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard a throat being cleared. She looked up from where she had been staring deep in thought and tensed. Shit! She’d been caught up in her damn thoughts again. The originals were looking at her, brows furrowed and amusement in their eyes.

  Carter worried her bottom lip.

  Maybe she should open with a joke, try and lighten the mood a bit. No. She couldn’t do that. She was no comedian, and if they didn’t laugh, it would make this so much more awkward. Clasping her hands together in front of her, she slipped her shoe back on. Deciding to just go with being adorable, she smiled innocently. “Heeeyyy, Originals,” Carter sang, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Life’s crazy, huh?” Carter smiled. God, it was so embarrassing.

  The Originals chuckled and stood. Angelo was the first to extend his arms. Carter smiled wide, ran to him eagerly, and jumped into his arms. Angelo laughed as Carter hugged him tight and chanted I’m sorry over and over again.

  “Carterina, you don’t have to apologize,” he said as he continued to hug her.

  Carter pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Yes, I do. I’m always causing trouble.”

  Angelo chuckled and pinched her cheeks. “And you’re worth every bit of trouble you cause, child,” he teased. Then he pinched her nose.

  Carter giggled, squirmed out of his arms, and ran over to Alessandro. “Uncle!” she yelled excitedly and jumped into his arms. He hugged her and laughed softly.

  “Il mio bel po’ mia nipote. You gave us quite a scare,” he said softly. Carter loved Alessandro’s voice. It was as sweet as a lullaby, just like him. Well, to her he was sweet at least. But much like his son, Alessandro was a ticking time bomb. But Carter never had to worry about his or Lucca’s temper— they both seemed to have a soft spot for her, which she loved.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was being a total bitch.”

  Alessandro chuckled softly, “Carterina, stop apologizing for events you couldn’t control. We are all a bit more understanding than you think.”

  They broke their hug, and Carter smiled at him. “You are the most amazing man Alessandro Salerno.” She kissed him on the cheek “Now sit back down while I finish my hugs,” she commanded in a teasing tone.

  “As you wish, princess,” he said sweetly with a bow.

  Carter giggled and did a quick spin, turning toward the most challenging Original, Bruno. The class clown and the complete opposite of his quiet, laid-back son, Dante. Carter sighed, clasped her hands together, and narrowed her eyes on Bruno. “Go ahead, Bruno.”

  Bruno chuckled. “Why must you always assume I have something mean to say?”

  Carter pursed her lips. “Because you do always have something mean to say, Bruno.”

  Bruno feigned offense and gasped. “I do not!” he said, his hand on his chest, and Carter tried not to smile. “I would never. Now you have to apologize to me for two things.”

  Carter laughed. “So you want your apology, huh?”

  Bruno nodded. “I do. I was very much stressed yesterday when you tried to kill me …”

  Carter laughed louder.

  “I can’t even concentrate now on the very important financial work I have to do for business in Vegas.” He let out an exaggerated sigh. “If only I knew a math genius who could do this work ten times faster than I can. That genius would definitely get first pick of the new line coming to my jewelry store next w—”

  “For free?” Carter asked with raised eyebrows. Because she would definitely become the genius he needed if that were the case. Bruno had the best jewelry at his boutique in Las Vegas. Nathan had gotten her some of her best diamonds there.

  A wicked smile appeared on Bruno’s face, and he nodded his head. Carter squealed, ran to him,
and hugged him tight. He laughed.

  “You’re the best hustler in Vegas, Bruno,” Carter said with a sigh.

  Bruno chuckled. “I resent that. I’m not a hustler— I’m a business man.”

  Carter leaned back and pushed him until he fell back on the couch, laughing. “Business man, hustler— same thing, Bruno. You know that,” she said with a wink. “Now, if you’ll excuse me …” Carter locked eyes with Cesare Valente and smiled her sexiest smile. “… I need to have a talk with my sugar daddy.”

  The men burst into laughter. Cesare put his hands up as if it would keep Carter from advancing on him and fell back in his seat, shaking his head.

  Carter licked her lips and smoothed her hands down her pants. She adjusted her shirt to show a little cleavage and slowly removed the hair tie holding her long hair, never taking her eyes from his. His sky blue eyes were bright with amusement, and that sly Cesare Valente smile was ever-present on his drop-dead gorgeous face.

  There are some things that need to be understood about Cesare Valente. Carter had never in her entire life crushed so hard on a man over the age of forty until she had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Cesare Valente.

  When she had first met him, she could tell it was difficult for him to look at her or talk to her. Carter was positive it was because of Anastacia, but she quickly got to the point of not giving a shit. She had desperately wanted to get to know Kyle and Mickey’s dad, so she’d pretty much bulldozed her way into the man’s life and made him love her. It hadn’t taken Carter long to fall deeply in lust with Cesare. He was, hands down, the sexiest man to have ever walked this planet. His voice was silk, his crooked smile was sly, and there was a constant wicked smile ever present in those ridiculously beautiful eyes of his. Oh God his eyes! He had natural bedroom eyes. He constantly looked as if he was ready to screw.