REMEDY: A Mafia Romance (Return to Us Trilogy Book 3) (15 page)

"Fuck!" Uncle Bernie winces and throws his left arm. Jacade blocks it and stands up from the wall. With a fluid swipe, Jacade works his arm under Uncle Bernie's shoulder. He presses down and Uncle Bernie buckles forward.

"Is that all you got, pops?"

"Jacade." Aunt Helen warns him to stop, but I think it's too late.

Uncle Bernie struggles to break free, but Jacade tightens his hold and Uncle Bernie grimaces in pain. Jacade presses his lips together and jams his knee into Uncle Bernie's stomach. Oh no.

"Ugh!" Uncle Bernie groans and collapses.

Jacade drops him to the floor. Aunt Helen pushes her way between them. Jacade holds his shoulders back and breathes fire down on Uncle Bernie at his feet.

"I don't care who you are now, Trip. Back off!" Her astringent order startles me.

Jacade glares at Aunt Helen and huffs out a harsh breath. Uncle Bernie sits back on his ankles and coughs. His breathing is short and ragged.

I wish I felt pity for him, but I don't. He's lied to all of us at some point.

"Maybe you can borrow your woman's balls when you come at me again," Jacade sneers as they stare each other down.

"Aunt Helen…" I reach one hand out to her.

"Ivy, not now." She holds her palms up to me. Her crimson face emphasizes the grooves in her forehead. "I need to get out of here." She scans the room.

I should tell her I'm sorry. I didn't intend to wreck her marriage. But she needed to know.

Jacade seizes me by the shoulders and pushes me toward his office. His hands squeeze tight, and his breath heaves in my ear.

He locks the door to his office and faces me with clenched fists, a storm brewing in his eyes.

"When I tell you to stay out of it." His chest rises and falls with harsh movements. "You stay out of it."

"What was I supposed to do?" I shrug and drop my arms to my sides.

"You're supposed to listen to me the first fucking time!" He marches to the desk. He kicks the office chair to the side, crashing it against the wall.

"Why are you mad? I'm the one who'll have to deal with the family drama."

He tents his fingers on the desk and glares at me. "When the fuck are you going to get it, Ivy?" His nostrils flare. "Do I need to drill into your skull and scream into the open cavity? Your actions affect me. My actions affect you!"

He yanks the drawer open and rummages through the mess. He tosses a box of staples onto the desk.

Umm, staples? Why does he need those?

I cross my arms over my chest. I understand why he's irritated, but he's not my warden. He doesn't get to tell me what I can and cannot do.

"I texted you what I was about to do."

He pauses and stares at me. "And I told you not to do it." A wood knob protrudes between his index and middle fingers. "Fuck, Ivy! You just ruined his marriage."

"I didn't ruin it. He did."

He slams the desk drawer, and I jump back.

"Come here." He grinds his teeth.

No way. Uh uh. Not going over there.

"Ivy, don't make me come get you." He enunciates his words.

Shoot. I've roused the panther.

"Come here."

I press my lips together and stay rooted.

He growls and stalks to me. If I run, he'll catch me. I can't fight him, he's too strong. He hovers over me. I cower under the blanket of his wrath.

"You say you want me and this life." His eyes are on fire. "You've agreed to my terms, so when I tell you to do something, you do it."

"This is about my family, Jacade."

"No. I'm your family. From this point on, it's only about you and me."

There's nothing I can say to that. I chose this life. He gave me time, and my decision was to be with him.

"Put your hands on the desk."

My mouth drops open as I stare at the sea of flames in his eyes. Sweat beads on my trembling thighs. My incensed beast focusing all his ire on me kindles a dangerous ember deep in my belly. What's he going to do? He wouldn't hurt me, would he?

I pivot on my heels and fan my fingers on the desk.

His palms skim up my calves to my knees. He hitches the hem of my skirt above my hips, baring my garter and thong. The cool air kisses my bare skin.

"Jesus, Ivy."

I hold my breath as his warm hand caresses my ass.

Smack
!

A painful thwack lands on my left butt cheek! The sting radiates down my leg. I gasp and shoot up. I angle my chin over my shoulder and scowl at him.

"What do you think you—"

He pinches his thumb and index finger into the back of my neck and forces me back down to the desk.

Smack
!

"Ow! Jacade!" Fire flares on my right butt cheek, the bite much more intense than the last hit. I grunt and wait for the pain to dissipate. His hand lingers on my ass. Something hard presses into the flesh. What the hell?

Smack
!

He hits my left butt cheek just south of the previous impact site. The unfamiliar press to my skin follows again. What is he—

Smack
! Then a press.

Smack
! Then a press.

My fingers squeak on the varnish. He grunts and breathes heavily behind me. His strength, his silent intensity, being bared before him like this. There's no humiliation here. He's in command and I'm taking it. My clit throbs against the thin lining of my thong.

I lower my head to the desk and rest on my elbows, my behind bent high in the air.

Smack
! Press.

Smack
! Press.

Inhale. Exhale. A bonfire blazes on my ass. Nothing else exists except the scorching conflagration on my backside.

"Never disobey me. Understood?" God, the rasp in his voice is so sexy.

I nod.

"Words, Ivy." He sighs.

"Yes, Sir."

"Ah, good girl."

Smack
! Press.

Smack
! Press.

The rough fabric of his dress pants scratches my backside. His fingers dig into my hips like torches. He yanks me up against him and wedges his erection into the crack of my ass. Our bodies lunge forward over the desk with his powerful thrust. He pulls me back into position, jamming the cold metal of his belt buckle into my spine. His hand caresses my burning behind, easing the pain and fueling my desire.

"Please. Touch me, Jacade.
"

He slides his hand around my hip and into my thong, smashing my clit with his palm. His long middle finger teases my entrance.

"Ugh!" I moan and my breaths evaporate.

He slides his hand deeper, shoving two fingers inside me. He drags it back up and mashes his palm into my clit again.

God. Heaven.

My knees buckle, but he catches me with an arm slanted across my chest. His hand on my shoulder tugs my body back against him.

"I've got you." He growls in my ear and softens his touch. A shocking, gentle touch compared to the aggressive swats and rubbing he just doled out.

He pulls his hand out of my panties, and I whimper.

"Just a second, baby. I know."

His leather belt skims my ass as he loosens it. He drapes the belt over my shoulder, the cool buckle on the small of my back. The smell of warm leather emits from the pointed end near my face. Slippery oil drips down my backside and into my crack. I gasp when his fingers trace down the crack of my ass and wiggle inside.

"Oh god."

"That's right."

He removes his fingers, and his tip presses at my back entrance. He groans and stretches me as he slides inside.

"Fuck, so tight."

He pushes my shoulder blades down so I'm flush with the desk and my hips angle higher. With a primal moan, he jabs his rock-hard cock into me. His hips scrape against my glowing ass.

"My god!" It's too much. I can't take it.

"Hush."

He returns his hand to my front and presses my clit with his palm. His long fingers reach deep and sink inside my pussy. He's got me pinned from all sides. All I can do is relax and experience the new sensations. He grunts as he rocks into me from behind, rubbing my clit with brutal precision and reaching into my sex. Prisms of light explode in my brain. My orgasm flings me off a bluff and into freefall.

Jacade sucks in a sharp breath and exhales a long, deep moan in my ear. He pumps into me as he comes. He slows and stays rooted. He bends over my back and kisses my ear, my shoulder. I turn my head and catch his lips and he kisses me, hot and wet over my shoulder.

God. Yum.

He pulls out and lowers me to the desk. My harsh breaths mist on the polished wood. He massages my backside with tender strokes.

He turns me and gathers me into a bear hug. His hooded eyes warm my soul. The panther has vanished and peacefully snoozes.

"Look at you. Red cheeks and ass, your hair wild, your face satisfied, trusting, in love. I'll always remember you like this. Sated, stunning, full of my come." He bends to kiss me, grabbing my butt cheek and pressing his forehead to mine.

"Uh, wow," is all I can manage to say.

"You did well." He sucks on my bottom lip.

"I need to use the restroom." I extract myself from his embrace. As I walk away, I shake my tushie at him, and he growls.

In the bathroom, I collect myself and inspect the damage on my behind. I stand on my tippy toes and look over my shoulder into the mirror.

Oh. My. God.

My butt cheeks are fire-engine red with fine writing speckled all over. What the hell?

I swivel from side to side. He spanked me with his signature stamp in his hand!

Smack!
Press
.

He branded me!

I yank open the door. He stands in the doorway with a sly grin and lazy eyes. He raises a rubber stamp with a wooden handle in his right hand.

"You trademarked my ass!" My shrill voice resonates off the tile.

"I prefer to call it
declaring my property
." The corner of his mouth quirks up.

I flail my arms in the air. "I'm not cattle, Jacade! You can't just…just… You can't mark me!"

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him.

"Be thankful I didn't use ink," he mutters in my ear.

I bury my head in his chest. "Oh my god."

He lifts the stapler in his left hand. "Hold your skirt together. I'll fix it."

Clip, clip
.

I giggle as two staples fall to the floor.

I do as I'm told. He drops to his knees in front of me and staples my torn skirt closed. He puts the stapler on the floor and pulls me to him by my butt cheeks. He kisses my navel and squeezes my ass. The rawness is wearing off, but the tingles remain. My god, this man. I wrap my hands around his head, throw my head back, and laugh.

He stands and smiles at me. "Let's go for a walk. Not safe to talk here."

He grabs my coat off the rack in my office and guides me with his hand on the small of my back. We both smirk as we trek down the elevator to the street. We've left our mark all over this place, and something as simple as walking outside creates a cacophony of illicit encounters.

We hit the sidewalk, and he takes my hand.

"There's more you need to know." His face is dark and serious.

"All right. I can handle it."

"Well, this will hurt. I'm tired of seeing pain on your face. But this one wasn't me." He glances at me.

"Who was it?"

"Your uncle." He presses his lips together.

"What did he do besides cheating on my aunt?"

With a quick glance around to make sure we're not being followed, he stops me under a tree and pushes my back up against the trunk. He lowers his face to stare into my eyes. "He told Gerry you're his daughter."