Mauro’s scent engulfed me, his warmth was everywhere. And the feel of his body shielding mine, it was better than anything I’d ever felt. Despite my worry about what was going on in the house, I drifted off, knowing Mauro would keep me safe.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mauro
Stella fell asleep, her body softening against mine. Sleep was out of the question for me. My body thrummed with adrenaline and worse, desire. Feeling Stella’s body so close to mine, her firm, little butt pressed against my crotch, my dick was getting ready to rumble.
I tried to bring at least a few inches between my hardening cock and Stella’s ass, but the wall behind me made that impossible.
With a sigh, I tried to get some rest. Stella was oblivious to my body’s reaction to her closeness. She released a small sigh and moved closer to me once more, bumping into my cock. Knowing it was a losing battle, I wrapped my arm more tightly around her middle and settled comfortably against her.
I must have fallen asleep because sometime later I startled awake. Stella stirred at my sudden move. She had turned around while we were both asleep and now faced my way. She blinked up at me, disoriented, her face so close to mine our lips were almost touching. I’d never woken beside a woman. It was too intimate and too risky for someone as distrustful as me.
“What’s wrong?” Stella mumbled, yawning before flashing me an embarrassed smile. She shifted and dug my morning erection into her lower belly, causing me to groan. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. Even in the dim light of the gas lantern, her embarrassment was unmistakable.
I had no way of pulling back with the wall against my back. Gritting my teeth, I pushed up on my elbow. “Can you sit up? I need to check on the door. A noise woke me.”
It was a fucking lie. I wasn’t sure what had woken me from my dream—a dream with Stella in a leading role. Stella scrambled back and sat up, slanting me a quizzical look. I slipped out of the bunk and stood, glad to be rid of her tantalizing warmth. Her gaze darted to my sweatpants then jerked back up and she got even redder, which seemed hardly possible. I stifled a laugh. She pointedly avoided looking at me after that and I went over to the door, peering up. It was still safely locked. I didn’t hear a sound above our heads.
“You’re not thinking about opening it, right?”
Stella stood and came over to me, her arms wrapped around her chest.
“No,” I said. The silence above could be a trap. The attackers could be lying in wake. Even though I was a good shot, it would be near impossible to win against several opponents.
Stella yawned again.
“Why don’t you try to sleep again? It’s still early.”
“Won’t you join me?”
I shook my head. “I’m not tired.” In truth, I just needed some distance between us.
Nodding, she returned to the bed and closed her eyes.
I watched her for a few seconds. We’d have to spend at least two more nights down here. Two nights in which I needed to get a grip on myself.
Stella
When I asked Mauro the next evening if we could share a bunk again because I couldn’t fall asleep alone in my cold bed, he hesitated. Maybe he was embarrassed because of what had happened this morning? It surprised me. Mauro didn’t strike me as someone who was easily embarrassed. And a morning erection was pretty common from what I knew.
Still, a silly part of me hoped he’d been hard because of me and not a dream of another woman.
Eventually he nodded and lifted the blankets. With a smile, I slipped under them and settled with my back against his chest. I wasn’t tired. Locked in the panic room, we hadn’t done much all day, except to eat and talk about Mauro’s past missions or funny childhood memories. Mauro wasn’t asleep either. Sometimes I wondered how he’d react if I told him about my feelings. If he’d laugh at me, it would maybe end my crush, but I was too scared of it.
Mauro’s hand on my hip shifted, and I realized his thumb was lightly tracing my skin over my shirt. The touch sent a tingling straight to my core. I bet he didn’t even realize what he was doing, probably lost in thought.
I wanted him even closer. I shifted until our bodies were completely flush, and then something hard pressed into my butt.
I’d never been with a man, not even been allowed to be alone with anyone who wasn’t family or an elderly bodyguard, but I wasn’t oblivious or completely unworldly.
Did I… did I actually turn him on?
The thought was exhilarating and delusional at once. Mauro wasn’t into me. But the firm pressure against my lower back told a different story.
I should have ignored it, but I simply could not. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I rolled over until his bulge bumped into my lower belly. Mauro gritted his teeth and I let out a surprised gasp at the harsh look on his face. “Mauro?”
My voice shook with… nerves? Triumph? Excitement? Too much was happening in my body all at once to figure it out. His mouth was set in a tight line, his brows furrowed as he glared down at me. He looked angry, not aroused, but somehow that made him look even hotter.
Mauro
Stella sounded terrified, and what else would she be? She was stuck down here in this windowless prison with me and I was sporting the fucking king of all erections. Feeling Stella’s firm butt rubbing all over my dick had fired up all of my fantasies. First this morning and now.
Now she peered up at my face curiously, as if she was trying to figure me out. Fuck. I swallowed hard and shifted, trying to bring at least a bit of space between our bodies. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Why did it happen?”
If she hadn’t figured it out by herself, I wouldn’t tell her. As long as she remained in her oblivious bubble, the better for us.
“Try to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” I probably wouldn’t catch any sleep tonight anyway, not with Stella’s body so close to mine and my dick eager to claim her.
She pursed her lips. “Mauro, why—”
“Sleep,” I growled.
Stella settled against the pillow but kept her eyes open. I needed her to stop thinking about my fucking erection and why I’d gotten it.
“If the attackers get down here, they’re going to rape me, and torture and kill you.”
Tension shot through my body at her sudden topic change. The thought of anyone hurting Stella like that turned my stomach to stone. I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her. I wrapped an arm around her. “No. They can’t get down here.”
But they had managed to shut off our entire security system. What if they hacked the panic room system as well? It was a closed system, but what did I know? Fuck.
“Do you think it’s the Russians?”
“It could be the Outfit.” It was telling that I wished it was them. They never touched women. Stella would be safe even if they got down here. Their boss, Cavallaro, had a strict policy regarding harming innocent women. Me, they’d dismember and kill, of course.
“It’s sad that yesterday wasn’t even my worst birthday.”
My hold on her tightened, knowing what she was referring to. Her dad had died a day before her sixth birthday. “You’ll get your present once we’re out here.”