Taboo Flames (The Sicilian Sins #2)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Giovanni

T hat catchphrase is one I’ll recognize anywhere. Several times, I’ve made fun of the person who said it. The little girl I’ve observed growing up from a distance without even paying her much serious attention.

I will have to pay the price in hell if Leonardo can see me now and know the disgusting and depraved thinking I had about his baby sister.

For what reason did I kiss her? And why do I have this overwhelming urge to do it again, for heaven's sake?

My type has always been very clear: seasoned and experienced women who know exactly what I want from them and also want the same, and women who are open about their sexuality and are eager to explore their bodily desires with me.

I don’t care to begin fumbling with women who don’t know what they’re doing in bed or, worse, those who need convincing to be in my bed.

But the problem isn’t the kiss. The issue here is that I want to do it again. And again. And again. Even though I know who she is, I want to wash my mouth of the taste of her, although I know it won’t help.

She’s a kid, and I’ve just taken advantage of her. Why the hell did I decide to flirt with a stranger at a masked party anyway? I feel like the worst kind of bastard on earth for what I’ve just done.

Aurora and I aren’t even supposed to cross paths at all, which begs the question: what in God’s name is she doing here? Who let her come here unsupervised?

Regardless, the blame is solely at my feet. I’m the adult here, more experienced and worldly. I should have been the one with some iota of self-control.

“You’re leaving. Now,” I tell her in a stern voice.

She laughs mockingly. “You must be joking.”

“You know damn well I’m not joking. You know how protective your brother is of you. You’re out here alone without any bodyguards. What if one of your brother’s enemies uses you to get back at your family?”

“It is none of your business what happens to me. I am an adult.” She raises one perfectly shaped brow at me. “So you can cool it with the macho bullshit. It doesn’t do anything for me.”

“Rory! Don’t mess with me right now. This is not a request. Either you walk out on your own, or I’ll carry you out,” I tell her in a low voice.

Her blue eyes go wide. “Y—you can’t do that,” she splutters. “You can’t just manhandle me like that. That’s called bullying. I have a right to be here. I’m not a child.”

“What you are is bait. I could have killed you if I were an enemy. You made it pretty easy by following a masked stranger to a secluded place. Don’t you have any sense?”

“Go to hell,” she spits.

“You have five seconds to decide.”

“I just got here. I’ve barely been here for half an hour. A time that, if I seem to remember correctly, you completely monopolized.”

“Five.”

“What about my friend? She’ll look for me. I can’t just leave her.”

“Four.”

Her face twists into a glare. “You’re such an asshole, you know that, right?”

“I have been called far worse, but thanks.”

“And I think you’re a terrible kisser too,” she says smugly, thinking that it’d hurt my feelings or something. She is such a silly child.

“Three.”

She must see the seriousness in my gaze because she just huffs and marches past me toward the staircase leading down from the roof.

I grab her elbow as soon as we make it back into the ballroom and steer her to the exit. I don’t trust Aurora not to disappear into the crowd, and I wasn’t really in the mood to hunt through this throng of people for one woman.

“Looks like your goons got tired of looking for you,” I observe as we make our way through the room.

“They must have seen something vile in you that made them go in the opposite direction,” she says sweetly. “Pity I didn't see it sooner.”

I ignore her tirade, eager to get her in a cab and wash my hands off of her. Aurora was undeterred by my silence, though. The girl never shuts up, and I’m sure my ears will be bleeding by the end of the night.

I almost groan in relief when her ride pulls up as soon as we get to the curb. I hold the door open for her and wait until she’s settled inside before turning to the driver.

“Hello, Angelo. Remember me?” I don’t wait for a reply before continuing, “I never knew you existed before today, but it doesn’t change the fact that I can make you a part of the past. Make sure she goes straight home and nowhere else. I know what you look like now, so you can be sure there’s nothing else I can’t find out about you. Fail to drive her home intact, and I’ll find you. And trust me, I’ll take great pleasure in dismembering you. Are we clear?”

He swallows nervously. “Yes, sir.”

I flash him a smile full of teeth and then press several hundred-dollar bills into his hands. “Great. I’m glad we have an understanding.”

A moment later, the car zooms away, but not before Aurora pokes her hand out the window and flips me off. My hands itch to drag her over my lap and show her exactly what happens to girls who like being little brats.

But I suppress my anger. After tonight, she won’t be my problem anymore. But that doesn’t mean I won’t keep an eye on her. I hadn’t even realized she was back. I barely notice her when I visit Leonardo, and she’s home for the holidays. But now that I’ve seen her again, I have a sinking feeling I won’t be able to maintain my previous distance from her.

“Carlos,” I call out.

One of my men materializes from where he has been standing in the shadows of the street. I had been anticipating trouble tonight, so I stationed three of them as lookouts for any sign of trouble.

Not that I can’t take care of myself, of course. I’m more than capable of making sure that anybody who crosses me will never live to tell the tale.

“Sir,” he replies.

“Keep an eye on her.”

He doesn’t voice his surprise at a man of his training and caliber being relegated to babysitting duties. He simply nods and walks off in the opposite direction.

I should forget all about Aurora and go back to me of an hour or so ago who didn’t know that my best friend’s little sister’s lip gloss was orange-flavored. The me who didn’t know what her little throaty moans sounded like.

The me that knows stupid thoughts like that will get my head on a spike. I believe in brotherhood and loyalty more than anything else, and what I’m doing right now is the complete opposite of being loyal to my best friend, and I hate myself for it.

There are a billion women on the planet, and I can have any of them except her.

Aurora should not exist to me…not even in my thoughts.

But that kiss keeps replaying in my mind, tormenting me. And I hate myself even more because I know I am going to be replaying that kiss in my mind for the rest of the night.

Of all the terrible things I’ve done in the course of my life, thinking about that kiss is by far the worst of them.

With an irritated sigh, I walk back to the party, anger sizzling through my blood.

Hours later, a new day begins at dawn, and I’m seated behind my large oak desk. I’ve just successfully put Aurora out of my mind when the obnoxious little thing in question comes barging into my office.

I ignore her furious expression, my gaze roaming down her body leisurely. She’s in a yellow silk blouse, blue skinny jeans, and pointy heels. I envision her legs in just those heels wrapped around my hips while I pound into her.

Damn, she’s a temptation I can’t afford, but I’m definitely going to hell already anyway, so I’ll indulge.

Aurora, with her angelic face and siren body, is too much of an invitation for any red-blooded male. And I’m very male—one getting incredibly hard by the mere sight of her.

I immediately push the image of her out of my mind and try to think of gruesome things—blood, death, anything at all—that can bring me back to my senses.

This is Aurora, god damn Vitale, not just some other chick.

She’s not just off limits. She’s so far from being a plausibility that she might as well exist on another planet. I’m not even supposed to think she’s beautiful. I’m not supposed to think anything of her at all.

And she’s not supposed to be here.

“If you’re quite done staring at me like a creep—” she begins.

“Not yet,” I cut her off, just because I know it’ll infuriate her further, and I see I’m right when her face turns tomato red. A few moments later, I say, “Okay, now I’m done. And while I’m still smiling, do explain why you have the guts to barge into my office like some psycho.” I lean back into my chair and try not to show how much her presence is affecting me.

“Call off your watchdog, Gio!” she seethes.

I don’t show my surprise at the fact that she was able to discover Carlos’s presence in such a short time. She is indeed a true blood of the mafioso. “No.”

“No?” she echoes, her voice high. “Did you seriously just say no? I don’t need a freaking babysitter, and even if I did, I’m more than capable of hiring myself a bodyguard. You’re not my guardian. You have no right to do this.”

“In Leo’s absence, it’s my duty to?—”

She lets out an unladylike snort. “We both know this has nothing to do with your so-called duty of keeping me safe. You’re just a raging, controlling, grade-A asshole.”

“The babysitter stays regardless,” I tell her.

“Didn’t you just hear anything I said?” she cries out.

“I did. I’m just choosing to ignore all of it. Now, if you’re done interrupting my day?—”

“Oh, I’m so not done. In fact, I’ve barely begun,” she interrupts.

She stomps forward and sits on my desk, pushing my files to the floor in the process. My lips curl up in amusement, which surprises me. I try to remind myself that I should be angry about her not only barging in here but talking back to me in such a callous manner.

Instead, like some depraved horn dog, all I can think about is how I want to bend her over this desk and fuck the attitude out of her.

I grasp at the beads of the chaplet wrapped around my wrist to keep myself from reaching out for her. I can practically hear my resolve cracking.

“You have to call Carlos off, or I won’t leave.”

Her eyes flash down to my lap just then, and I watch her eyes widen as she sees the now very noticeable bulge in the front of my slacks.

“You seem distracted, princess. Cat’s got your tongue?” I tease.

“No,” she says, trying to sound nonchalant, but I see the way she licks her lips. “Do you get off from annoying me? Or is it just that you were born a conceited, self-absorbed jerk? I’m trying to have an important discussion here, Gio…”

I chuckle. “You’re the one who is trying to have an important discussion. I’m not all that interested in anything that comes out of that bratty mouth of yours.”

Except when it’s moaning my name or making gagging sounds when it’s wrapped around my dick.

Shit. Now I’m picturing her on her knees, sucking my achingly hard cock into oblivion.

This isn’t going well. I need her out of here now.

She rolls her eyes at me. “So now I’m a brat? You didn’t seem to think so when you had your tongue down my throat last night…”

“Trust me. It is an action I fully regret.” Liar. I’m this close to spreading those gorgeous legs and sinking my tongue into her wet heat.

God help me. Why did he have to punish me this way?

I can have any woman I want. Any, at the snap of my finger. Why did it have to be the only one I had absolutely no business being with?

I shouldn’t even look at her twice, but I find myself having the twisted desire to ravish her completely. Entirely. Savagely.

To have her writhing and shaking in every position her tight little body can take me.

And the sickest part of it is, I know that once I have a taste of her, I won’t stop until I’ve successfully ruined her for any other man on the face of this earth.

If she had any sense, she’d turn around and walk right out the door, praying fervently that I forget her. But I have a feeling it’s slowly becoming too late. Aurora has engraved herself into my psyche, and the only way to exorcise her from my mind is to have my fill of her.

“You can’t treat me like a kid. If I were anyone else, you would have taken me home last night. So why this whole front now? That’s messed up,” she says.

“You’re right,” I concede.

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “I am?”

I bite back my smile, choosing to shrug instead. “Yes, you are. It’s just hard to see you as an adult when I’ve always known you as Leo’s baby sister.”

“So you’ll call Carlos off?” she asks suspiciously.

She has every reason to be suspicious, especially because I have no plans of removing Carlos from her tail.

“Yes,” I lie smoothly.

Satisfied with my answer, she beams and then hops down from the desk with a triumphant smile. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

“Hmm,” I say noncommittally.

“Okay, bye.” She gives me a small wave before hurrying away, her ass molded to perfection in the tight jeans she has on, which keeps my attention far longer than I would have liked.

As soon as she’s out of sight, I dial Carlos’s number.

“Where is she headed?”

“Not home,” he reports.

My hands clench into fists when my mind drifts off to her on the way to some loser guy’s house. Not that it bothers me anyway.

“If you see so much as the wrong breeze blowing against her, you call me right away,” I instruct before hanging up.

A few hours later, I’m trying to concentrate on work, but my attention has been shot to hell by Aurora’s presence in my office earlier this morning. Fifteen minutes later, when I’m redoing a simple summation because I messed it up the first two times, my computer pings with a message.

I open it absentmindedly and frown at the photo attachments from Carlos. Part of me was considering not opening them since knowing more about Aurora won’t do my still-hard cock any favors.

But I’m a glutton for punishment, so I load the pictures and promptly lose my breath.

The pictures show a very scantily clad Aurora about to get into a white sports car. The black leather skirt she has on barely covers her ass, and it looks like it’s been painted on, while the halter-neck zebra top has a neckline almost to her belly button.

No fucking way.

I leap to my feet, dialing Carlos while I hastily pull on my jacket. “Where is she going dressed like that?” I snap.

“A concert, sir. She doesn’t seem too eager to go, but her snobby friends roped her into it a few days ago.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be disturbed by such trivial matters.” I see red.

“Nothing about Aurora is trivial, Carlos. Don’t ever imply that.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll make sure she is safe while keeping a reasonable distance. I’m sending you her live location now. I have it handled, sir.”

“If you did, she’d be in her bedroom watching TikTok on her phone right now,” I retort. “Just send me the live location. I’ll be there ASAP.”

Why am I asking for the address? I’m not even sure. I just know I won’t be able to concentrate on anything if I’m not certain she’s fine.

I knew Aurora was going to be trouble. I just didn’t know she’d be this much trouble. Not only am I leaving work in the middle of a very busy day, but I’m also about to drive to God knows where to get an errant, stubborn woman.

All my sins are finally catching up to me in the form of Aurora Vitale. If not, then why the hell do I seem to worry about her so much?

I don’t know much about the girl, but I know a lot about hanging with the wrong crowd. She doesn’t seem like the type to dress provocatively and act like a brat. She’s clearly rebelling. And something about this whole act makes me uneasy. I just need to be sure she’s fine.

I’ll leave once I check.

I just hope I can control myself once I see her again.

Well, only one way to find out.

This is going to be so much fun.

The thirty-minute drive out of town to the stadium, where the music concert is being held, takes me less than twenty-five minutes. Carlos is waiting for me in the parking lot when I arrive.

“Where is she?” I growl.

“I don’t have eyes on her at the moment, but she was with that group a second ago,” he reports before adding hurriedly, “I’ll find her.”

I glance at the group of scantily dressed girls off to one corner with plastic cups in their hands. None of them pique my interest, but I gravitate toward them, intent on asking them about Aurora’s whereabouts.

“You’re sure he’s going to keep to his words?” I hear one of the girls ask. “Cause I really wanna be there at the beginning of their tour, but their tickets cost an arm and a leg.”

“Or approximately one of Aurora Vitale’s purses,” another one of the girls sneers.

“Ugh, she’s the worst,” the third one pipes up. “I wonder what Ju-Ko sees in her.”

“Those band boys would fuck anything,” the first girl argues.

The second girl snorts. “But for real, you’ve got to admit that Ju-Ko put in a lot of effort for tonight. He offered us free front-row tickets for their next concert just for an opportunity with Aurora. Those seats are their money makers.”

“Oh God, I can’t wait…. We should ditch her as soon as the first set ends. I’m sure she can find her way back. I don’t want to be stuck in the car with her the whole way back again.”

“Don’t be stupid, Isa,” one of the girls chided. “If she could get us free tickets to this show, I wonder what else she could do for us. I say we continue sucking up to her. She’s a walking ATM and access card. She can get us into all of the best part?—”

I tune them out as I see a familiar golden head of hair heading toward the back of the stage. I tense as I see some skinny guy catch up to her and sling an arm over her shoulder.

I’m guessing that’s the not-so-famous Ju-Ko. The bastard’s about to lose that arm. I go off after them, weaving through the crowd of drugged-out girls who stare at me like I’m their next meal.

“Hey, you can’t be back here,” a suited man, presumably some sort of manager, tells me. Just then, Carlos appears like some sort of ever-present shadow and presses a thick wad of cash into the man’s hand.

“Oh, I guess you can head right in,” the manager says, giving me a wink that I ignore.

By the time I spy Aurora again, she’s disappearing into a room at the far end of the hall with the band kid. I head toward the room, but I’m immediately blocked by a towering, muscled man in all black.

“Fuck off, dude,” he commands, holding out his hand to stop me.

Without missing a beat, I grab the hand, twist it, and yank until I hear the satisfying snap of bone and the man’s howl of agony. I don’t hang around to enjoy the sound of his suffering, knowing that every second wasted is a second where that kid can have his hands all over what belongs to me.

Dashing to the room that Aurora disappeared into at the far end of the hall, I draw my leg backward and drive it into the bottom of the door. The wood shatters on impact, the door flying off its hinges.

The scene that greets me is of Aurora pressed to the wall with the wannabe emo kid pressed against her. He jerks away from her at the sound of my entrance, and before he can say something stupid, I grab him by the collar of his shirt and hurl him into the wall farthest from me.

There is a scream and a thud, which I ignore, choosing to face a wide-eyed Aurora instead.

“Hello, princess.”

Several emotions flicker behind her eyes—confusion, fear, terror—before settling on my personal favorite: anger.

“Oh my God. Are you stalking me?” she roars.

“I’ll give you the grace of one question, so choose your next words carefully, doll,” I tell her.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Retrieving my property,” I say nonchalantly.

Anger flashes in her eyes. “News flash, we’re in the twenty-first century. Nobody can own anybody, and even if I were to be owned by somebody, it wouldn’t be you.”

“It’s unfortunate then that you don’t have a choice,” I say with a smirk. “Now, you can either walk out on your own, straight to my car in the parking lot, or I can throw you over my shoulder and let you flash your panties at anyone who’s not already seen it, considering you’re wearing a skirt that’s all of two inches long. Ball’s in your court, princess.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Right then, I take one step toward her, my eyes glaring in response to show that I most definitely will.

She opens her mouth to argue again but thinks better of it. Instead, she hikes her purse up her shoulders and begins to walk past me, but just as she’s a hairsbreadth away, she stands on her tiptoes and whispers into my ear, “I didn’t flash anyone my panties, Gio. Because I’m not wearing any.”

Then she strides out the door, leaving me with thoughts of her bare pussy and an erection hard enough to pound nails.

I laugh, shaking my head.

It seems the little kitty is finally learning how to play this game.

The drive back to her house is silent, and I’m stuck wondering if I’ll find her pleasantly wet if I trailed my hand up the inside of her thighs. She spends the whole drive glaring out of the window, intent on not looking at me.

I didn’t pay her any attention, though. My mind is elsewhere—or trying to be—as I’m fully aware of her scent now covering the small space we’re in.

As soon as I round the driveway of her house, she wrenches the door open, eager to get as far away from me as possible.

“One more thing, princess,” I call out as she moves to climb the front steps. “You should make better friends.”

I don't wait for her to argue, knowing she surely would. Instead, I throw the car in reverse and burn rubber out of there.