Take the Money and Come

Chapter 8: Close Calls

Chapter 8: Close CallsHis hands stayed firmly on her hips as he continued to move until Sarah was fully back inside the suite. Once there, he spun Sarah behind him, surveying the suite for any signs of danger, his free hand reaching for the Glock at his waist. Nico's heart was pounding in his ears in response to the look on her face as she came barreling out of the room. He hadn't even once considered the potential danger he could be putting her in, bringing her back to his hotel suite and then leaving her there unattended. He'd been so caught up in her and so overwhelmed with arousal that he hadn't even thought about making sure she was safe while he was gone.

Finding no danger, his gut reassuring him that there was no threat there, he pulled Sarah back around to him, his eyes searching for any sign of injury. She looked completely unscathed, and it was only then that he could breath a sigh of relief.

“What's wrong, Sarah. Are you alright?” he asked urgently.

She stared up at him but said nothing at first. He caught sight of a card on the small table next to the door from the corner of his eye and he recognized it instantly. He had no idea what the agents had said to her, likely nothing terribly incriminating, more insinuative. Oh, this was going to take some smooth-talking, but fortunately Nico was an expert in all things evil.

“Oh, did the FBI agents spook you? Don't worry, Sarah. The threat I received was harmless, just some weaselly, disgruntled ex-employee, that's all,” he spoke soothingly, figuring the agents had mentioned something about her being in danger. The lie tasted bitter in his mouth; he hadn't wanted this with Sarah.

She was silent for another moment, and then he heard her sigh in relief and simultaneously her shoulders relaxed. The lie had worked, not that he was surprised. Nico could give Satan himself lessons in deception. But the false alarm did make him start to think. He'd been selfish, looking to extend whatever this was with Sarah for his own gain. What if it hadn't been FBI agents showing up at his door this morning? What if Sarah had gotten hurt, or worse?

“Sorry, I just panicked I guess. Those agents sounded very concerned and I didn't know what to think. So, are you in any danger? If the FBI is getting involved, perhaps this threat is more serious than you think.”

“No, it's fine. It's just standard procedure.” He didn't exactly lie this time; what the FBI agents were doing was, no doubt, standard protocol. He'd had enough run-ins with them over the years to know. “In the mood for breakfast?” he queried and Sarah nodded vigorously. She started making her way over to the kitchen but Nico headed in the opposite direction, reaching for the hotel room phone and ordering room service.

He smiled, actually looking chagrined. “Sorry, there's really no food in there,” he told her as she opened the refrigerator door.

A bottle of wine, a can of whipped cream and a sweetened almond oil; the ultimate combination for a sensual evening, but not much in the way of breakfast. She nodded, understanding the purpose of the items there and fighting against a wave of jealousy. Nico had likely “entertained” dozens of women here—or more. Even worse, it was unlikely any of them had passed out on him after a couple glasses of wine. She forced the thought from her mind, remembering that “entertainment” was precisely why Nico had interested her in the first place, and here they were after two attempts. If it weren't for her painfully empty stomach, she would have dragged him into the bedroom right then and there. But, she needed sustenance and so she sat down at the breakfast bar off of the kitchen and waited for food to arrive.

“So, tell me about this charity you're involved in,” he urged in between bites once their breakfast had arrived.

“It's not a huge organization, just local, really, but it helps out in a variety of ways,” Sarah explained, a gentle smile on her face. “When I first started out there, it was a childcare and homework center for underprivileged kids, but working with the other volunteers, we managed to arrange a breakfast program for underprivileged kids, a health care clinic and a counseling center. If there's a family in need, we'll also organize a fundraiser. I guess we just try to help out in any way we can. Next on the list is an after school program that gives the kids alternatives to keep them out of trouble—sports, arts...that sort of thing. A lot of us are investing our own money to make the programs viable, so it's somewhat slow-going. Like I said, it's not something on a grand scale, but it makes a big difference to the kids in the area.”

“Wow!” Nico spoke in awe. He had assumed she donated a couple hours of her time to some charity, but it sounded like something she was deeply vested in. Sarah really cared about the good work she was doing and the children it affected. He most certainly did not want to compare his own life to hers in that moment.

“So, how about you tell me about your brother,” Sarah asked. He could tell by the look in her eyes that what she was really saying was, “I told you something personal, now it's your turn.” He smiled, figuring he could give her that much.

“Lorenzo is two years younger than I am. We were really close growing up and I guess it kind of stuck. I'd be there for him in a heartbeat, just like I know he'd be there for me.” “We work together,” Nico chose his words carefully. “So, we end up spending a lot of time together.”

Even though his words were guarded, it felt good to be able to talk to Sarah; share something about himself with her. Strange—he'd never cared about sharing himself with any woman before, at least not in any way that didn't involve swapping bodily fluids.

“You and your parents aren't close though,” she stated rather than inquired.

“I guess there's just a lot of friction there; my father and I see some things differently. But in my family, what my father wants is precisely what he gets. So, there's a lot of biting my tongue.” Nico searched his memories for an example that didn't give too much away. “I remember when I was a kid, I was hellbent determined to start a band. My father insisted it wasted too much of my time...I'll let you guess which one of us won out?” Nico smiled.

He didn't bother elaborating about anything else he'd had to do over the years because of his father. Besides, as he sat there next to Sarah, family and responsibility was becoming the furthest thing from his mind. She was alert...and sober...and her hair slightly mussed, looked like she'd just emerged from an energetic s*x session rather than sleep. His thoughts brought him back to the night prior, Sarah laid out before him on the restaurant's table. He had been so close, and if it wasn't for the phone call he received last night, Nico figured there was no way he would have made it through the night. But now, he didn't have to wait any longer. He could have Sarah right there on the breakfast bar. He turned to her then, pushing his plate out of the way before reaching for her. His hands around her waist, he lifted her, setting her down on the breakfast bar directly in front of him.

Sarah had wondered all through breakfast how to go about picking up where they'd left off last night, but now that she was sitting in front of him, he'd made it simple. Her lips descended on his instantly. The fiery need that had coursed through her since the moment she first laid eyes on Nico, rushed through her veins anew. She found the hem of his shirt fast, yanking it up over his head. Her hands returned to travel over every exposed part of him she could reach, enthralled with the solid muscle beneath her fingers. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had been burning for too long; his hands were on her before his shirt had hit the ground, grazing over her hips, her waist, her ribs. She whimpered quietly as his hands circumvented her breasts, and he smiled devilishly, no doubt knowing exactly how to tease her to the brink of insanity. His hands moved up her arms, over her shoulders to her neck, and the feel of his fingers loosely encircling her neck drove her to new heights, the erotic position making her clit throb with desire.

His mouth replaced his hands a moment later, kissing a trail from her neck, down her collarbone to the upper swells of her breasts. Once there, he hooked his fingers in the bust of her strapless dress, pulling downward slowly and kissing every inch of flesh he exposed. But after a moment, even he couldn't seem to stand the slow torture he was inflicting, her breasts springing free quickly as he yanked the dress down to her waist in one quick movement. His mouth and his fingers found her at once, his hands squeezing her t**s firmly while his mouth sucked one n****e into his mouth and then the other. She moaned as her hand came between them, moving down to rub his rock hard c**k through his jeans. She needed to feel him, his hard length in her hand. Fumbling with his fly, she had nearly reached her goal when Nico's phone sounded from his pocket.

Sarah's expression suddenly turned to one of frustration and then disappointment. She already knew what was going to happen next, Nico surmised. He groaned, sharing in her frustration. Exhaling hard, he grabbed the phone from his pocket. He stood, moving away from the breakfast bar to prevent Sarah from overhearing whatever dark conversation was about to ensue.

Ten minutes later, he was standing at the door, apologizing once more for another hasty retreat. “What would you say to an intimate dinner here tonight?” he queried huskily, his mouth just a hair's breadth from her ear. His hands encircled her waist, pulling her hard against him. God, he didn't want to leave. All he wanted to do was bury himself deep inside her. He'd never wanted a woman so bad. Forcing himself to release his hold on her, he kissed her lips one last time and then headed out the door before his heated body forced him to change his mind.

Maybe being called away wasn't the worst thing, he wondered a few minutes later as he headed out of the hotel parking lot. This thing with Sarah was definitely getting out of hand. He needed time to think about what he was doing here. Perhaps it would be best if he just sent Sarah on her way. He could always point her in the direction of some man who could give her a decent ride without jeopardizing her safety. His body warred against his mind, and he didn't know if he possessed the strength to be that “good.” Hell, he wasn't sure if any man possessed that kind of strength. He was already coming to see that Sarah was definitely one of a kind and what man didn't want to possess something that rare—even just once.

Damn, life was a whole lot less complicated when all he was after from a woman was a few hours of pleasure. This newfound interest in having Sarah see him as something other than what he was...Well, it was pointless and stupid, that's what it was. Regardless of whether Sarah thought he was a saint or the devil didn't change a thing. He was a capo in la Cosa Nostra, soon expected to take on the role of capo bastone, the underboss, or second in command and subordinate to only one man: his Family's capo famiglia—Nico's father. It didn't matter what Sarah thought because it didn't change a damn thing. If she knew even the slightest bit about who he really was, she'd be out the door—and probably on the phone to those FBI agents who stopped by.

It was time to end this charade. All she'd wanted from him was s*x, so what exactly was he waiting for? Tonight he'd have Sarah, and tomorrow he'd leave her, and this ridiculous notion he's had behind. And with his mind made up, he turned his attention to the distasteful task at hand; a soldier in the Family had been speaking to the Feds, and it was Nico's responsibility to make certain that...mistake... wasn't made again. A shiver of disgust ran down his spine as he opened the door in front of him. God, what he would give to be anywhere else right then.