Plain Jane and the Mafia Beast Read online

  “I cannot believe you don’t own a TV.”

  “I went into your apartment, remember. You don’t own one.”

  “I don’t need one.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “What do you do all day when you’re on your downtime?”

  “I sit in silence, read a book, work out.”

  “Where do you work out?”

  “In my basement. I have a gym.”

  “It’s not a special torture chamber?”

  “Nope, I leave that to my bedroom.” He winked at her, and her cheeks were red once again. “You’ve never been flirted with.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Why are you asking me that?”

  “I’m not. I’m stating it.”

  “We were talking about the television and your lack of one.”

  “You ever been stripped naked, kissed over every inch of your flesh? Had your legs spread open and someone lick your pussy?”

  He saw her hands clench at her sides.

  “Do we have to talk about this?”

  “Why not? I want to talk about it.”

  “Just because you want to talk about it doesn’t mean we should. I’m not comfortable with this.”

  “Then tell me why your nipples are hard as fucking pebbles pressing against the front of the shirt you’re wearing.”

  She glanced down at her body. “I’m cold.”

  “It’s a hot day. I’ve had to open a window.”

  “There’s a draft?”

  He smiled. “Come on, Arika. We’re two people here.”

  “I’ve never been with a man. I wasn’t lying to you when I admitted that. I’ve not had sex, ever.”

  “Not once?”

  “No.” She gritted her teeth as she spoke.

  Her reactions to his questions were so cute. He would gladly sit and watch her all day.

  “You’ve not been with a man, ever?”

  “Do you like me to keep on repeating myself?”

  “Yes.”

  “No. You’re the first person to ever see me naked or to get me dressed. Just you.”

  “I rather like that.” He moved from the far end of the sofa, close to her. Placing his finger against her hand, he stroked up and down.

  She no longer flinched at his touch.

  Instead, she looked down.

  “You ever thought about what a man could do for you? How he could strip you naked, worship your body, fuck you until you forget your own name?”

  “I’ve thought about it a lot. Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, so there’s no point in thinking about it.” She pulled her hand away

  He could push the issue, but instead, he rested his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes.

  “Do you ever think of taking a woman hard?”

  This got his attention.

  Lifting his head, he saw her looking at him. The fire in her eyes caught him completely off guard.

  “I have taken women hard.”

  She licked her lips, looking past his shoulder. “You’ve had women on their knees before you, lips open, forcing them to take your cock to the back of their throat until they gag. Holding their hair in your grip so they know who has control and who doesn’t.” She tilted her head to the side, and he didn’t know how she could look so innocent with the words spilling from her lips.

  “I’ve done that.”

  Her gaze came back to his.

  “I’ve also had it where I’ve kept hold of their hair and forced them to take my cock even though I’m too big. I need a woman to be soaking wet, otherwise there is always a bite of pain when I fuck them. When I thrust inside that first time, if they’re not dripping then they feel every single inch of me. The tighter the cunt, the more pain.” He leaned in close, liking the game they were playing. “You know what else I love?”

  She didn’t pull away. “What?”

  “I love when they scream my name, beg for more, and I smack their ass, leaving my mark for them to see when they look in the mirror. There’s nothing better than leaving a brand on their skin.”

  He was sure he caught a moan from her lips.

  “I’m thirsty. Want a drink?”

  “Love one.”

  He got off the sofa and walked into his kitchen. His dick was rock-hard, and all he could think about was wrapping her long brown hair around his fist, forcing her to open her lips to take him. If she didn’t do a good job, he’d smack her ass, letting her know he wasn’t happy with the mediocre job she’d done.

  She’s a virgin.

  There was no doubt in his mind that she was a virgin, completely untouched, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t needy. That she didn’t imagine his cock filling every single one of her holes, or that she craved that kind of attention.

  She’d never been wanted before.

  No one paid her any attention.

  Even Daniel had said there was no appeal to her, that he considered her way too plain to even look at twice.

  Vincenzo didn’t think of her as plain.

  Far from it.

  He thought she was a beautiful woman, through and through. She wasn’t beautiful in the sense that she’d turn heads to look at. There’s no way he’d even pretend that she was. No, to him, she held something in her eyes. In the way she walked.

  Her life hadn’t been easy, but rather than roll over and die, she’d forced herself to get back up. To keep on fighting. To do whatever it took to live another day.

  Filling a kettle with water, he placed it on the stove.

  Gripping the edge of the counter, he could imagine her on her knees, waiting for him, her pussy wet.

  There was something in her eyes, a power at times she didn’t know she possessed.

  What would it be like to take a virgin, to give her everything? To show her what she’d been missing? Her first time wouldn’t be some fumbling in the back of a car by some teenage boy only interested in getting his dick wet.

  Arika wasn’t like other women.

  She had a power that she didn’t even realize that she had. He saw it every single time he looked at her.

  Maybe it was just him that saw it though.

  There was so much he could do with her, show her.

  She’d gotten over her fear of him, and in turn, he’d come to trust her. It had only been a few days, but her need to survive helped their situation a whole lot.

  He made them both a cup of coffee, and once his dick was under control, he walked back into the room.

  She sat in the same place, head back on the sofa, looking so calm. Her hands rested on her thighs. The shorts she wore showed her pale skin that hadn’t been touched by the sun.

  The rest was doing her good as well.

  He noticed she smiled a lot more, and there didn’t seem to be that worry or stress in her gaze.

  Her boss had wanted to fire her, had even said that he wouldn’t pay for a waitress that wasn’t there. Vincenzo had paid him well to not only keep her on, but to also pay her while she wasn’t turning up, with a hefty amount for the boss himself. He always got what he wanted, and if money hadn’t done the trick, next would have been a whole lot of violence.

  As a kid, he’d been prone to pain and torture before considering other methods. Getting older, he took different approaches depending on the person.

  “Thank you,” she said, taking the cup from him.

  There was a pinch to her lips as she held it but nothing like it was when she first arrived.

  “You’re a handy man to have around,” she said. “Cook, clean, make drinks.”

  “I’ve lived alone for a long time. You learn these skills as you go.”

  She chuckled. “You wouldn’t pay to have someone come and clean or fix your meals?”

  “No. I like doing stuff by myself. I’ve enjoyed your company a lot the past few days, Arika.”

  “Thank you. I rather like being with you too.”

  ****

  “I won’t bite, you know. There’s no dungeon down here
,” Vincenzo said.

  Arika rolled her eyes. “I’m not worried about that. These steps seem kind of steep, and I’m, you know, not wanting to hurt myself more.”

  The pain with moving had been getting less every passing day. She didn’t know how long she’d been with him as she lost count, each day blending into the other, and the truth was, she didn’t want their time to end.

  With no pain, it meant she’d be going home.

  She couldn’t even believe that she was sad about that. Vincenzo wasn’t always home. He still went out and had a job to do. There were times he returned in different clothes, and she knew without a doubt he’d been doing something bad. She never asked about it though. Did that make her a bad person because she didn’t want to know? It’s not like knowing would do anything different. She couldn’t change what he did or who he did it to.

  He never brought it home.

  She winced.

  There it was again. When did she start thinking of this place as home? This was not her home. She’d have to go back to her apartment soon.

  Rent was due.

  She had to go to work.

  Vincenzo would be a thing of the past.

  Gripping the railing, she started down into the basement. She didn’t want to sit on her own upstairs while he worked out, so she’d asked if she could come and sit with him.

  She liked being in his company … a lot.

  With each step she took down to his basement, she saw more of his home gym. There was lots of equipment, from weights to running machines. In the far corner she saw a mannequin set up with points on it, and knives lined up on the walls. Clearly target practice.

  The gym screamed danger, violence, and control.

  “Take a seat.”

  “You’re not going to make me work out.”

  “Not in your condition.”

  She nibbled her lip, feeling guilty. “About that, I need to tell you something.”

  “It’s not hurting as much for you to get around.”

  She took a seat in the corner, watching as he stretched out on the mat. His clothes were skin-tight. His muscles seemed to bulge, and they looked so tempting, so hot, so sexy. She couldn’t look away as he held his arm across his body, then the other way. He bent down, touching his toes, and then he grabbed a skipping rope. Who could have thought that a man jumping up and down, never once missing a beat, could be sexy?

  The control.

  The energy.

  Just every single part of him turned her on. With him counting, she glanced down his body, and with the clothes being really tight, she caught sight of his … bulge.

  What was happening to her? Since coming to know him, she’d found herself more and more obsessed with sex.

  It wasn’t like she wasn’t aware of desire and needs and wants. She had them. There was no denying her own needs, but this was more than that. Between work, school, and just living life, she’d never given it much thought. The only time she allowed herself to think about those kinds of possibilities were in the few moments before sleep took her. When her body seemed to want something.

  Vincenzo was a large man.

  There were times she imagined his arms around her, holding her in place as he took her. More than anything she wanted to know what it would be like to have him between her legs, taking her, wanting her, showing her exactly what it was like to be a woman.

  Pushing those thoughts aside, she focused on his words.

  “Yeah, it’s not taking me as long. The pain is minimal. I’ll be able to go back to work. You know, get on my own two feet again.”

  “I already figured that.” He put the skipping rope down, and she watched him sit back on a bench that had weights above him and start to push them up into the air.

  His arms thickened, veins popping out.

  He looked so fucking hot.

  “Would you like me to walk home?”

  “I’ll take you back to your place, Arika. You don’t need to worry about that. You’re not ready yet, but in a day or so, you’ll be fit and ready to go back home.”

  She didn’t like that but didn’t say anything. Pushing some hair behind her ear, she watched him continue to pump up the weights. After she counted to twenty, he placed them back on the pole above him.

  He got up and added more weights, then did exactly the same.

  After he’d done that, he moved toward the running machine. He didn’t hold onto the bars. He clicked in whatever he needed and the conveyor belt thingy started moving, and he ran.

  She watched his feet then his body as moved.

  He wasn’t going anywhere, but watching him turned her on.

  As she pressed her hands together, he stayed running for about ten minutes. He moved to a bench, sat down, and lifted up some large barbells, his elbow resting on his thigh as he pulled them up.

  “You do this regularly.”

  “I’ve got no choice. I have to be at the peak of fitness.”

  “No room for error.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you go to a shooting range as well?” she asked.

  He looked up at her. “Not for a long time. I no longer need practice. My aim is impeccable.”

  Pressing her thighs together, she watched him change arms and repeat the exercise. Again, his routine wasn’t over as he picked up a set of knives and stood back. She watched as he threw them, hitting every single cross on the mannequin.

  “You ever thrown them at a person before?” she asked.

  “Yes, and moving targets. I’m a good shot.”

  “That thing’s not alive so it doesn’t really count.”

  “Want to stand in?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Stand in place of the mannequin. I won’t hit you, I promise.”

  “No, that’s fine.”

  “You don’t trust me.”

  “Trust is earned.”

  “You’re still breathing.”

  “I got shot.”

  “Not by me. Come on, Arika. Live on the dangerous side.”

  “This is crazy.” Even as she said it she got to her feet and made her way over to the wall.

  Hands clenched into fists, she stood perfectly still, staring at him.

  “You can’t move.”

  “Believe me, I won’t.”

  “Or flinch.”

  She gritted her teeth. Flinching wasn’t something she could guarantee.

  “You know what, this is crazy. I shouldn’t do this.”

  He threw a knife, and she gasped.

  She’d felt it as it passed over her, the air whooshing the fine hairs on her arms.

  “Don’t look so impressed,” he said. “You still want to move?”

  She didn’t budge.

  He threw another knife, this time going past the opposite arm and landing far from her.

  “You know, none of these are hitting a target,” she said.

  Vincenzo chuckled. “The point of them is to not hit a target, Arika. You don’t want me to actually get you, do you?”

  She stared at him as he threw another knife. He wouldn’t hit her.

  With each knife that he threw, she felt herself trusting him more and more.

  He could have left her for dead.

  According to Daniel, he should have.

  He hadn’t killed her.

  Vincenzo had done everything he could to keep her alive. On the last knife, he threw it and it went between her thighs.

  She stood still as he walked up to her. His body seemed tense.

  When he was close, she had no choice but to tilt her head back to look at him. He was something else.

  Her tits felt heavy, and her pussy pulsed. She wanted him more than anything else.

  “I don’t know what I’ve got to do to prove to you that I’ll protect you, Arika. I will never, ever hurt you.”

  He bent down, and she watched his hand reach the floor between her thighs and pick up a knife. He held it up for her to see.

  Tucking
some hair behind her ear, she nodded. “I’ll just go and sit.”

  On shaky legs, she went back to her corner and waited as he picked up the knives. He continued to do his workout routine while she watched and waited for him to finish.

  Nothing can come of this.

  In a few days you’ll be home and he’ll forget about you.

  She hated the shot of pain that struck her at knowing she wouldn’t be seeing him again. That he was going to move on and it wouldn’t be with her.

  Get over yourself.

  He’s a monster.

  A killer.

  Trained to hurt traitors.

  Then why did she hope that one day she’d see him again?

  Chapter Six

  The doctor had given Arika the all-clear, which was why Vincenzo was standing in her apartment watching her. Her bag was on the main coffee table, and he hated that she looked a little lost. The clothes she wore were the ones he’d given her.

  She glanced around the space that made up her apartment. It didn’t even begin to compare to his suburban life.

  “You really didn’t have to follow me up here. I can take care of myself.”

  “Says the girl that got shot.”

  “I wouldn’t have been shot if your partner knew what he was doing and had much better aim.”

  “I’ll be sure to remind him of that.”

  “That would be good.”

  “In the meantime, don’t go near any open alleyways. Just avoid them.”

  “I’ll do that. Not too keen on alleyways anyway. Will I see you again?” she asked.

  She wasn’t looking at him, and he watched her.

  They were both prolonging this meeting, and that wasn’t good for either of them. This wouldn’t ever work. She wasn’t fit to be in his world.

  “No, that’s not going to happen.”

  “You’re not going to stop by the diner.”

  “No.”

  “Oh.”

  “It’s better this way.”

  “That’s fine. I understand. You’ve done more than enough to help me. I get it.”

  “I doubt that you even know what you’re talking about.”

  “That’s kind of rude.” She stared at the floor.

  She composed herself and then smiled at him.

  It didn’t quite reach her eyes, and he hated himself for hurting her, but there was no other way.

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I know you didn’t have to.”