“I thought we were going for a walk?” My brow furrowed as Joseph led me into the massive garage, but I didn’t hesitate to follow where he led.
His sensual lips tilted in a crooked, heart-stopping smile, and the bright fluorescent light glittered across his aquamarine eyes. “I have something a little more exciting in mind.”
His warm hand enfolded mine, tethering me close to his powerful body. He practically glowed with excited anticipation, and I was so entranced by his magnetic energy that I barely noticed the rows of luxury cars, motorcycles, and ATVs.
“Marco lets me keep some of my favorites here,” Joseph explained, gesturing toward several vehicles that were probably obscenely expensive. “The storage conditions are ideal, and the garage would be half-empty otherwise. He doesn’t really care about cars like I do.”
Joseph led me past at least half a dozen sports cars, telling me details about make, model, horsepower, zero-to-sixty, and a lot of other jargon I didn’t really understand. He was basically speaking a different language, but I didn’t mind one bit. Just seeing him light up with enthusiasm as he gushed about his treasured possessions was brilliant enough to ensnare my full attention.
After several minutes, he paused and shot me a wry grin. “Sorry, I got carried away. Do you know much about cars? I can get pretty geeky about this stuff, and I don’t want to bore you.”
A giddy laugh bubbled from my chest, his effervescent energy catching. I never would’ve associated the term geeky with gorgeous, self-assured Joseph. But there was something absolutely adorable and achingly endearing about his boyish excitement. This garage was like his own personal playground, and I could listen to him talk about engine types and specs all day, even if I didn’t really understand what any of it meant.
“I’m not bored,” I promised. “Not at all. I’m happy that you’re sharing this with me. It obviously means a lot to you.” I went up on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek, his rough stubble stimulating my sensitive lips. “And that means a lot to me,” I added on a murmur.
I love you. I couldn’t say it. Not now. Not yet.
When Marco had kidnapped me and told me that Joseph was a mobster, I’d realized that I didn’t really know Joseph at all. But the more time I spent with him on this estate, the more I was coming to understand that maybe I’d known the truth of his soul from the very beginning: Joseph was a good man, and he practically worshipped me.
I locked my deeper feelings for him behind a bright smile, barely managing to contain the confession of love. There was so much I still didn’t know about this beautiful, powerful man who’d stormed into my life and swept me off my feet.
But he was sharing with me now. He was showing me not only his deeper nature, but aspects of his personality that made me even more enamored with him. Suddenly, I was greedy to learn everything that Joseph cared about, everything that made him glow like my own personal sun.
“Will you tell me more about what the terminology means?” I asked. “I don’t know much about cars, but I’d like to learn.”
He lifted our interlocked hands and brushed a kiss over my knuckles. Despite the chaste gesture of affection, his flame-blue eyes blazed with hunger. “We’ll start your education in the finer points of auto mechanics some other time. We haven’t even gotten to what I really wanted to show you.”
He tugged me toward a shiny silver car at the front of the garage. Based on the overall shape of the vehicle, even my untrained eye could tell it was an older model. The lines were slightly blockier than Joseph’s other cars, the body crafted in bold planes rather than sensual curves.
His long fingers trailed lovingly over the chrome wing mirror, an echo of the reverent way he caressed my skin when we were in bed together. “This is a ’69 Chevy Camaro ZL1. I managed to buy it at auction last year. I’ve wanted one of these babies since I was sixteen, and now, she’s all mine.”
“What’s so special about this one?” I asked. “What does it do?”
One corner of his sinful mouth ticked up. “This beast has more than five-hundred horsepower, and it’s a drag racing legend. Chevy wasn’t supposed to put its biggest engine in this model, but a few were manufactured at special request.”
His hands suddenly bracketed my hips, and he lifted me to sit on the hood. He stepped in close, forcing my thighs to part. I gasped at the thick, hard bulge pressing against my core. If it weren’t for the barriers of his rough jeans and my thin yoga pants, nothing would’ve prevented him from driving into my slick heat.
My hands clutched at his shoulders, anchoring me to him. His big palm spanned the small of my back and pinned me tighter. His free hand tangled in my hair, fisting the silky locks at my nape. My head tipped back, and I parted my lips in anticipation of his fierce kiss.
But he held me locked in place, restraining me exactly where he wanted me. His gemstone eyes glittered, and his heated words teased across my mouth. “There were only sixty-nine of these ’69 Camaro ZLIs ever manufactured. I was a teenager when I first found out about this beauty. What do you think I imagined when I fantasized about owning this car?”
His hips rocked deeper into mine, making his dirty thoughts obvious. It should’ve been silly to think about Joseph getting hot and bothered over the term sixty-nine. But there was nothing silly about his hard body and burning stare, and my blood heated to thrum a sizzling tempo between my legs.
“I’m going to fuck you right here, angel.” The low, rumbling promise vibrated against my lips before rolling deeper into my trembling body. “Taking you over the hood of this car is going to surpass every fantasy I’ve ever managed to imagine.” He nipped at my lips, eliciting a gasp as my sensitive nerve endings lit up at the little bite of pain. “Because my brain was never capable of dreaming up anything as perfect as you, Ashlyn.” His cock jerked against my core, and he groaned. “Fuck, I need you so bad, angel. You have no idea…”
“I think I do,” I insisted breathily, squirming in his restraining hold as I mindlessly sought more stimulation. “I need you too, Joseph. Please…”
He tugged sharply on my hair, forcing me down. He captured my shocked cry on a fierce kiss, the sound of my pained desire mingling with his hungry growl as his tongue surged into my mouth to claim me in harsh, domineering strokes. His massive chest pressed down on mine, and I relished the reassuring weight that both caged and sheltered me.
My pants grew damp with my arousal, and my peaked nipples throbbed for attention. I writhed, struggling to rub the needy buds against his muscular pecs. His big hands captured my wrists, squeezing in reprimand as he pinned them above my head. I whined and wiggled beneath him, becoming drunk on his power over me. Mindlessly, wantonly, I continued to struggle. Not because I wanted to resist him, but because I reveled in the release I found when he exerted his iron control. He took full command of my body, my pleasure. My utter helplessness under his domineering hands sent me flying high, freeing me in a way I never could’ve imagined before I met him.
My intoxicated haze immediately evaporated when I felt a grating crunch beneath my right shoulder blade. The scratching sound was barely audible, but the harsh scrape resounded in my bones; the small metal clasp on the thin strap of my camisole had gouged a shallow line into the Camaro’s shiny silver paint.
I tore my lips from Joseph’s on a horrified gasp, my surge of panic intense enough to give me strength to break away.
“Oh my god,” I half-moaned. “I scratched your fancy car.”
I tried to sit up, struggling in earnest. I couldn’t remain on this hood for one more heartbeat in case the thundering against my ribs somehow caused the metal clasp to slip again.
Joseph’s sensual lips tugged down in a forbidding frown. Keeping my wrists pinned with one hand, his other settled on my throat. His thumb hooked beneath my jaw to hold my face captive, so I had no choice but to stare up into his stunning eyes. The raw, wild hunger that flared in their pale blue depths drew a shudder from my chest.
Another tiny scratch beneath my shoulder caused my entire body to lock up, and my teeth clenched almost hard enough to crack. “I’m so sorry.” I didn’t dare release more than a whispered apology.
His dark lashes narrowed. “You think I give a fuck about the paint job?” he demanded, his voice soft and silky smooth. It was somehow more intimidating than if he’d snarled at me. “I want to leave marks of what I’m going to do to you. I want a permanent reminder of how I’m going to fuck you over the hood of this car until you scream my name. And if you keep trying to deny me, I’ll force you to come so many times that you’ll weep and beg before I finally show mercy.”
My core throbbed with a painful ache as relentless desire pulsed through me in response to his sensual threat. The wave of lust was so intense that my thighs shook around his hips. His hard length jerked, and he bit out a curse.
A whimper slipped up my throat as the tiny metal clasps on my camisole marred the paint a third time. No matter how hot Joseph’s dirty words made me, I couldn’t shake the spike of guilt at every scratch. He’d wanted this car since he was sixteen years old. There were only sixty-nine ZL1s like it in existence.
My teeth sank into my lower lip. Joseph was almost feral with desire right now, but what about later? Once this lust-drunk fever passed, he might regret the damage.
His dark brows drew together in a forbidding slash. “Stop worrying, angel. I want to leave these marks. I got this baby for just under a million at auction, but it’ll be infinitely more valuable to me after I finish with you today.”
“A million dollars?!” I squeaked, starting to freak out.
This was too much. It was insane to even contemplate devaluing the rare car further, no matter what Joseph said. There was no way he wouldn’t regret this later.
He cocked his head at me, his burning gaze tracing the taut, anxious lines of my drawn features. After several breathless seconds, he gave me a tight nod.
“You just need to get in the right headspace,” he declared, decisive. “I can fix that.”
Cold air slapped my skin when he suddenly stood, separating our heated bodies. I stared at him for a moment, stunned at his capitulation. I’d expected my unyielding lover to forcibly seduce me, not back off.
I hastily pushed off the hood before he could change his mind, shivering at the coolness that kissed my burning flesh.
Joseph immediately wrapped a corded arm around me, rubbing his calloused hand over my pebbled skin. I leaned into him, addicted to his warmth and strength.
“We’re going for a little joyride,” he informed me, ushering me to the passenger seat. “Once we get your adrenaline pumping, you’ll be too giddy to worry about anything other than pleasing me.”
The velvety words enfolded me: a promise and a warning. Joseph had been demanding in bed before, and our sexual relationship had become more deviant since he’d brought me to the estate. But something darker had settled over him, something that made me tremble even as it tempted me.
When he directed me to slide into the white leather seat, his hands lingered around my body. He drew the seatbelt over my chest and around my waist. Once I was securely buckled in place, he fisted the belt at my shoulder and side, pulling the straps tight. My head dropped back on a moan at the feel of the firm restraints; both thrilling and perversely comforting. Wordlessly, Joseph reminded me that he was still fully in control of my body, even if he had paused his wickedest intentions for me.
His crystalline eyes sparkled, mesmerizing me. His entrancing stare glowed with something between awe and fierce possessiveness, and my breath stuttered as his power completely overwhelmed me.
When I was practically quivering, he finally pulled away with a satisfied smirk. He shut my door before prowling around the car, all predatory grace as he crossed to the wall where dozens of keys hung in neat rows. He snagged the ones he needed and returned, pressing a button on the keyring as he slid into the driver’s seat.
The huge garage doors began to lift, and the midday sunlight poured inside to glint over the Camaro’s shiny silver paint. I winced at the sight of the tiny scratches on the hood, but Joseph immediately snagged my full attention. He revved the engine, and the car snarled like a beast pacing at the bars of its cage. The fierce rumble made the Camaro vibrate almost violently, and the sensation rolled relentlessly through my core.
His cruelly pleased grin was sharp enough to cut into my chest and rob my breath.
I wiggled in my seat, and his low chuckle only added to the rumbling between my legs. He wasn’t even touching me, but still he toyed with me, keeping me firmly in his thrall.
I was still staring at him with my lips parted when he slammed down on the gas. My shocked shriek was lost in the squeal of the tires against asphalt, and the beast lurched forward, leaving my stomach a few seconds behind.
The sudden surge of speed made my head spin, the insanely rapid acceleration beyond disorienting. My hands scrambled for something solid, and my fingers locked around the sides of the leather seat.
Joseph’s delighted laugh boomed through the car, flooding the small space with rich, pure joy that was more powerful than the roaring engine.
I tore my eyes from the dizzying blur of greenery outside and focused on him. He glowed with the same excited energy that’d emanated from him in the garage, but exponentially brighter. His gaze was fixed on the long, straight driveway as he handled the car with the confidence of years of experience. He wasn’t chuckling with wicked amusement anymore; his carefree laugh was a sound of almost childlike thrill. I stared at his handsome profile, utterly entranced by this incandescent display of happiness.
When he was in my arms, I’d seen Joseph both peacefully content and darkly pleased. But now, he was allowing me to see the purest parts of his heart. The sight of his unabashed joy warmed me all the way down to my toes, and a giddy laugh bubbled from my own chest as his levity swept me up along with him.
His wide, silly grin broadened, but he didn’t take his eyes from the road to glance in my direction. Even though we were going so fast that I didn’t dare check the speedometer, a sense of safety wrapped around me. Joseph wouldn’t risk me for even one second by diverting his attention.
“Brace yourself, angel. Ready to drift?”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before turning the rosewood steering wheel sharply to the left. I squealed along with the tires as the back end of the car spun out at the speedy turn.
My shriek broke into a delighted laugh that danced with Joseph’s as he leaned into the turn, steering us around the enormous fountain at the center of the circular driveway in front of the mansion.
Acrid smoke from the burning rubber tires billowed around us, but sudden movement to the right of the speeding car caught my attention. Through the gray haze, I made out Marco’s hulking form storming from the mansion. He waved his brawny arms over his head, and his mouth moved as though he was shouting. I couldn’t hear his words over the roar of the engine, but the harsh tilt of his dark brows and his rippling muscles clearly communicated fury.
Joseph must’ve spotted him too, because the car slowed. Despite the obvious immediacy of Marco’s inaudible shouting, Joseph ensured that I didn’t so much as jolt in my seat as we rolled to a gentle stop.
The car had barely stopped moving before Marco was at my door. He wrenched it open and leaned over me to unbuckle my seatbelt. Rage tensed his every movement, but his massive hands were gentle on my waist as he lifted me out of the car and carefully set me down on my feet.
Once I found my balance, he didn’t withdraw his touch. Everything was happening so fast that my brain couldn’t catch up, and I stared at him in silent bewilderment as his hands glided over my body, checking every inch of me. His flinty black eyes raked across my skin, leaving fiery trails in their wake.
“Are you okay, princess?” he murmured, his voice as smooth and gentle as his hands. The contradiction of his tenderness with his ferocity was almost hypnotic.
The slam of Joseph’s car door snapped me back to full awareness, and I jolted away from Marco. Shock blanked my mind again when his corded arm settled over my shoulders, and his bulky frame practically curved around me like a protective shield.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he snarled at Joseph.
I tried to edge away, but his massive arm flexed around me. He wasn’t holding me harshly, but the warning to stay put was clear.
Joseph stomped towards us, his eyes chips of blue ice. “What the fuck, Marco? Back off.”
Marco’s blocky jaw hardened to granite, and he fixed his sharp, obsidian stare on the man I loved.
I shifted, uneasy in his iron grip. He didn’t even seem to register my small show of resistance; his full, furious attention remained riveted on Joseph.
“Are you insane?” he barked. “You know how dangerous that shit is. You shouldn’t be drag racing with Ashlyn in the car.”
Joseph halted mere feet from us, rocking back slightly as though he’d hit a brick wall. He sucked in a hissed breath between his clenched teeth, and he managed to restrain himself from physically removing me from his friend’s arms.
“I know what I’m doing,” Joseph seethed. “You know I’m an experienced driver. And I’d never risk Ashlyn.”
“He didn’t take his eyes off the road for even a second,” I chimed in, my voice oddly small and high-pitched. “I didn’t feel unsafe at all. I was having fun.”
Joseph shot me a grateful half-smile, and my swift defense of his actions seemed to melt most of his icy anger toward his friend.
His posture relaxed slightly when he turned his attention back on Marco. “I get why you’re upset. Seriously, I do. I should’ve let you know what I planned before we took a joyride.”
“It was a spontaneous thing,” I added quickly. “That wasn’t what we were…”
I trailed off, my cheeks burning. I was so intent on defusing the situation that I’d almost blabbed to Marco about what Joseph had really wanted to do with me in the garage.
Joseph’s smile took on a wicked twist, but he kept his focus on his friend’s thunderous expression. “I’d never put Ashlyn at risk. You know that, right?”
Marco’s hard features remained stony for several more heartbeats, but eventually, he drew in a shaky breath. His onyx eyes turned on me, bottomless dark pools that threatened to swallow me up.
“You really are okay, princess?” His voice took on that achingly tender tone again.
I nodded, eager to reassure him.
He blew out a heavy sigh, and his big hand brushed up and down my arm once before he finally released me.
“Lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes,” he announced before turning on his heel and stalking into the house.
I jumped when Joseph’s warm hand spanned the small of my back. “Sorry about that, angel. I should’ve realized Marco might freak out about racing if I didn’t give him advance warning.” He shot me a crooked smile that made my toes curl. “You make it difficult to think straight sometimes.”
I winced, remembering his reckless disregard for the scratches on his precious car. My eyes had barely darted to the shiny silver hood before he hooked his thumb beneath my jaw and captured my face. He forced me to meet his glittering gaze, commanding my full attention.
“We’re going to finish ruining that paint job later,” he swore. “And if I hear even one word of protest about scratching the car—if your pretty little body even tenses up with worry—I’ll make you suffer that much longer before I finally show mercy.”
His dark promise teased over my sensitized flesh, stimulating my senses like a caress. The almost painful desire he’d awakened in me when he’d pinned me to the hood of the car began to stir once again.
He brushed a quick, regretful kiss over my lips before stepping away. “Later,” he said firmly, as though speaking to himself as much as to me. “I don’t think Marco could hold his temper in check if we get anywhere near that car again today. I’d hate to ruin the experience if he came storming back out here and ripped me off you.”
My brow furrowed. I didn’t understand why Joseph was being so weirdly accepting of his friend’s overbearing aggression. “Would he really be that upset?”
The lust drained from Joseph’s eyes, and his mouth took on a sad twist. “Marco was in a serious accident when he was seventeen. He wrapped his Ferrari around a tree and was in the hospital for a week. He’s always been cool with my drag racing, but I should’ve anticipated that he’d freak about you being in the car with me. I know he seems scary when he gets intense like that, but he was actually scared. But don’t tell him that I told you that.”
“About the accident, or about the fact that he was scared?” Joseph had always kept Marco’s secrets before, rebuffing my questions about some of his strangest behavior—like his refusal to get the pool filled for me. Maybe it wasn’t okay that Joseph was sharing this more intimate admission about his friend without his knowledge.
“Both. I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to be afraid of him, but he probably wouldn’t want you to know about that stuff. And if he did, he’d want to tell you himself.”
I nodded, understanding. Marco was a hard man in a hard world. He’d shown me a shockingly tender facet of his personality, but he probably wasn’t used to betraying any vulnerability. Maybe not even to Joseph.
“I’m not afraid of him,” I declared. “Not anymore.”
“You’re not?” Joseph looked skeptical, but hopeful. “I know that was pretty intense, how he pulled you out of the car like that.”
“He was just worried about my safety,” I countered. “I get that now. He came to check on me when I had that nightmare, and he got me away from that man at the restaurant last night.” I swallowed down the flutter of fear elicited by the memory of the scarred man’s hand on my face. “If Marco was in a bad car accident as a teen, I can understand how that might’ve made his reaction a little irrational. Trauma can bring out strong emotions, especially if you’re not prepared for a possible trigger.” I squeezed Joseph’s hand. “Thank you for sharing that with me. It helps me understand. I know Marco just wants to protect me.”
Joseph pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m glad to hear that, angel.”
I offered him a bright smile, putting the disconcerting encounter firmly behind us. “We should probably go inside. Marco will be annoyed if we’re late for lunch.”
Joseph chuckled. “You’re definitely starting to understand him.” He shot one last, regretful glance at the Camaro in the driveway. “But I will be fucking you over the hood of that car later, and we’re going to mark the ever-living hell out of the paint.”