“Thirty minutes to ball drop, Zio. What are you doing out here?”


    Luca was standing on the balcony of a private room at Cardo. It was New Year’s Eve and the party was getting too loud and too festive for my uncle. Since he arrivedst week for Christmas, it had been gut-wrenching to witness his struggle. He smiled only for his son, and at times, sadness would cloud his features. It didn’t take a genius to guess he was thinking of Natalya and wishing she was at his side. The second Elias was out of sight, Luca’s face transformed into a remote, chilly mask.


    I debated whether it was wise to secretly feed that cam sighting of Natalya to his hacker team back in November. It might not even be Natalya, just someone who looked like her. Now, weekster, and without further leads, I worried about Luca’s sanity.


    He turned to face me. “I checked on Elias.”


    Luca had brought his longtime housekeeper, Martha, and his soldier, Tony, to help look after Elias. For this visit, they stayed over at Sera and Matteo’s Fifth Avenue penthouse so Elias and Gio could hang out together. “He should be asleep by now, right?”


    “No, Samantha insisted on a pillow fort. They are watching the ball drop, too.”


    Second to Luca, my cousin Renz and his wife, Liz, took some convincing to leave their seven-year-old, Samantha, on New Year’s Eve to celebrate with adults.


    “I shouldn’t have left Elias at all,” Luca grumbled. He checked his watch.


    “He’ll be fine. Even Matteo and Sera were relieved to have an evening out.”


    Luca’s mouth twitched as he nced past my shoulder. “Sure about that?”


    I turned around to see Matteo, Sera, and Liz already wearing their coats.


    “Ready, Zio?” Sera asked. “Renz is waiting with the Expedition.”


    “Why are you guys leaving before the ball drops?” I nced at Matteo. “Didn’t you say you were looking forward to adult time?”


    Luca pped my shoulder. “When you have a kid, you’ll understand.” Then, addressing the trio, he said, “Give me a few minutes. I have something to say to Dom.”


    I stiffened, wondering if he found out about who was behind the cam sightings. Matteo’s eyes briefly shifted to mine, and I figured he was thinking the same. Matteo was the head of the Archer Syndicate, so it was his head on the tter if Luca found out we’d been manipting the information.


    “Don’t take too long,” Sera said. “The penthouse is five minutes away, but traffic?—”


    “I know,” Luca said. “Go on…”


    When they disappeared, Luca faced me. “So, I was meaning to ask you, have you considered any of the arranged marriage contracts yet?”


    “Did Ma get to you?” And why was he bringing it up now?


    “She’s mentioned it, and I told her you will look into it when you’re ready.” His gaze bored into me. “But now I wonder if it’s because of that redhead you’ve been eye-fucking all evening.”


    Goddammit.


    I thought I’d been careful by not singling out Sloane for attention and I was sure I would have seeded if Ma hadn’t nted the idea in Luca’s head. Presented with a problem, he became a truth-seeking missile with a nose for bullshit. He’d also be shrewder and more ruthless with each passing year. All my efforts were concentrated on avoiding detection that I was helping him find Natalya.


    Our goals were different.


    His end goal was Natalya. Full stop.


    The Syndicate’s goal was to thwart human trafficking but it so happened that our goals intersected. Ourtest intel indicated that the head of the most powerful mafia in Italy was connected to Natalya’s disappearance.


    “I hear she cleans for the Zahkarov bratva,” he said.


    Not to mention, I was also working on Grigori.


    I nodded, my chest screwing tight. If Luca had suspicions, who else did?


    “I’m thest person to lecture you about conflict of interest, especially with those vis involved that Lottie wants you to get back.”


    “And do you want them back?” I challenged.


    His phone buzzed and he looked at the message. “I got to go.” His eyes were somber when they met mine. “Do you love her?”


    His question shocked me, and I was a little disconcerted. Luca was thest person I expected to ask me this. “Sloane and I are not like that.” Did I just admit to Luca that there was something going on between me and Sloane?


    “She’s your mistress, then?”


    If it were anyone but Luca, I would tell him to fuck off.


    “No. She’s too independent to be anyone’s mistress. Look, I’m notfortable discussing her.”


    “Fair,” he replied and made a move to leave, but paused and turned back to me. “But let me be your cautionary tale, Dom. You’re my nephew. I don’t want you to end up stuck in purgatory like I am. In our world, you make a choice. You protect that choice with your life, capisce?”


    For the first time, I saw the glistening regret in his eyes and itmunicated the raw anguish he was experiencing tonight, the devastation Natalya’s disappearance had inflicted on him that he couldn’t move past, two years on. “Zio.”


    “I gotta go.” His voice was gruff with emotion and I watched him go, shoulders drooped and defeated. A far cry from the proud Chicago boss I had known him to be. Luca would need a minute or two to collect himself before he faced the rest of the family.


    I returned to the festivities. At least some of the De Lis were still here. Cesar and Ava were standing beside Pop and Ma. Beside them stood my sister Lucy, who seemed bored. She arrived for Christmas and was staying until the New Year.


    Nico and Ivy were in a huddle with Bianca, Sloane, and Divina, the wife of Sandro’s underboss, Tommy. I was d Sloane could join us tonight. I’d been dropping hints to Bianca to invite her to the family gatherings.


    This past Christmas, the De Lis and McGraths went on a Christmas lights tour of Manhattan. Sera organized the event and rented limousines, mainly to cheer up Luca and Elias, but Sloane was invited, too. The tour ended up at the De Li mansion where Sloane and I snuck a hookup in the second-floor powder room. We nearly got caught by my mother, but that was the thrill.


    We’d been better aboutmunicating. I texted her daily. She’d been busy with her nursing exams and I’d been fine with her one-word replies.


    I wasn’t a texting guy. I lurked mostly in the family group chats. Sloane would send me a random meme. The queens of memes were Ivy and Bianca and they would send it to our family chat. Sometimes I’d forward one to Sloane, too.


    Sloane caught my eyes across the room. I grinned. I hadn’t been nning on kissing her at midnight because I wanted to keep an eye on Luca. But now I was free.


    Me


    Want to watch the ball drop in the Lava room?


    She nced at her phone and texted back.


    Firecat


    You’re free now?


    Yeah, Luca went home to be with Elias.


    Aww…


    My eyes scanned the room, making sure Ma wasn’t looking for me. Sloane excused herself. Bianca said something to her, but Sloane yelled something back and walked away. It was seven minutes to midnight. We walked parallel to each other. God, she was breathtaking. I couldn’t wait to wrap all that red hair around my fist. She was wearing that ck dress the night I behaved like a jealous boyfriend. I didn’t dwell too much on my reaction. I was possessive of her. End of. I wasn’t sure where our affair was heading. I’d take the mind-blowing sex for now. Plus, that husky voice of hers got me hard in an instant and it also had the power to lull me into a deep, dreamless sleep. I slept better when I was with her and woke up refreshed.


    I didn’t see myself giving up Sloane anytime soon.


    “Dom,” a low voice spoke in front of me while I was busy looking to my left, fantasizing about the ways I would bend Sloane like a pretzel.


    Shit. Sandro. Tommy was standing right beside him.


    “Where are you going?” he asked. “It’s almost midnight.”


    Instead of answering him, I stopped a server handing out champagne. “Where are your drinks, man?” I handed them each a flute. I didn’t need one for myself because I had a bottle chilling in the Lava room.


    “Go.” I pushed them toward Bianca and Divina. “Enjoy the evening with your wives.”


    “I saw Luca…” Sandro started.


    “Later, man. Gotta check and make sure everything goes off without a hitch.”


    Confetti, balloons, and streamers were set to fall at the stroke of midnight, but I didn’t really give a shit other than their release camouged our escape. As I reached the corridors that led to different rooms, the sound from the party receded. Most of the guests had already taken their ces. I’d already done my host speech. The DJ and emcee were entertaining the crowd with a banging ylist. My job was done.


    I caught a sh of ck. I crossed the carpeted path connecting to the parallel hallway and slipped up to Sloane.


    A vision of shapely legs and a short skirt made me salivate. I’d been semi-hard all night thinking about starting the new year buried inside her tight, warm pussy. Fuck me. I wanted to do filthy things to her.


    She paused at the end of the hall beside a bank of elevators and peeked to where she was expecting me. I crept up behind her, snatched her around the waist, and pped a palm over her mouth.


    She squeaked.


    I moved my other hand from her waist to grab a tit and squeezed. “Gotcha, baby.”


    I hauled her towards the elevators. If anyone were viewing the CCTV, they would see me kidnapping Sloane and dragging her away, and maybe I’d earn my title as most eligible viin.


    Once inside, I spun her around and pressed her against the wall.


    “What are you doing?” she whispered into my mouth.


    “I’ve been dying to be inside you all evening.” I punched the number for the floor above us. My hand snaked under her dress, straight for her hot soaked center, and plunged in. “You’re dripping all over my fingers, Firecat.”


    The short ride interrupted my exploration, but the caveman in me wanted to dominate. When the doors slid open, I tossed her over my shoulder.


    “Dom, what the…” She pounded my back.


    My hand caressed her round ass.


    Mine.


    Sloane onceined about her curvy ass, but I debunked her of that notion by leaving possessive marks on it with my teeth and fingers. After sex, it was one of my favorite activities to do while I recharged and then fucked her all over again.


    The Lava room was two doors from the elevator. A floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the celebration below. With the change of ns, I was restrategizing the many ways I was going to worship her body. I entered the room, kicked the door closed, and lowered her.


    I checked my watch.


    Five minutes until midnight. I sauntered to the ice bucket of chilled champagne. “Take off your underwear and face the window with your legs apart.”


    Sloane crossed her arms. “Make me.”


    Electricity pinged between us. Oh, baby, wanna y? I’m game. Amusement curved my lips as my gaze shifted to hers. “You want it rough?”


    “I got all wet when you surprised me from behind and covered my mouth.”


    My movements froze while the predatory instincts I’d been harboring toward her all evening heated my veins. I lowered the champagne and prowled toward her. Her throat bobbed.<fn322b> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? findnovel</fn322b>


    “Do we need a safe word?”


    “Or I can just kick you in the balls.”


    That sass. I would take pleasure in choking her with my cock, but I was desperate to have the walls of her cunt strangling the life out of it instead. Tense need stiffened my posture.


    “Just so we’re clear, you want me to force you?”


    “Yes. It’s called consensual nonconsent.”


    I asionally went to sex clubs and became familiar with this kink. I chuckled and her mouth was forming a smile when I surprised her and spun her around. Pushing her toward the couch, I shoved her to her knees and bent her at the waist so her upper body was syed across the couch. Capturing her wrists in one hand, I unbuckled my belt and whipped it off. She tried to buck me off, but having people in this position was second nature to me and it wasn’t always a sexual scenario. I leaned over her. “If I’d known you had the rape kink, I would have prepared better.”


    “Fuck you.”


    She continued to struggle, and I lined my erection between her shapely ass, letting her feel how much she aroused me. “Soon, baby.”


    I looped her wrists together behind her back. I was so hard for her, I could rub myself ande right there, but why deny her a fantasy?


    I got up to get the champagne.


    Sloane knee-walked a turn so she could re at me.


    “What?” I smirked. “I was getting the champagne.”


    Three minutes to midnight. “You look so pretty on your knees.”


    “Go to hell.”


    “Tsk, tsk, suchnguage.”


    I tipped the bottle and drizzled it all over her.


    “Ahhh…shit, Dom, that’s cold!”


    “It’s not. Stop being a wimp and you’re supposed to be scared or pissed.”


    She red up at me. I lowered my hand and thumbed her fat bottom lip.


    “Baby, how I want to shove my cock in your mouth right now and have you gagging, but that’ll have to wait. I’m going to lick every inch of you, starting with your cunt.” Then I yanked her up. “Now, let’s wee the new year while you scream my name.”


    I positioned her against the window. It had a reflective coating that wouldn’t allow anyone from the outside to look in, so anyone in the celebratory room who looked up wouldn’t see Sloane spread-eagled with me feasting on her from behind. But with her hands bound behind her back, it presented me with a problem.


    “Now, how do I get the dress off?”


    Her eyes widened and her mouth parted. “Don’t you dare.”


    “Shh…this is your fantasy, remember?” I was going by instinct now. The instinct to give her what she needed. The instinct to deliver on her kink. I reached for the knife in my ankle sheath. Fear momentarily passed over her features before her eyes shed with rebellion.


    That’s my girl.


    My fingers grasped the neckline of her dress and, making sure I shot her a viin-worthy smile, I sliced the fabric in two, exposing her tits and those pouty nipples.


    “No bra.”


    “You asshole.”


    “Ah…ah…don’t move.” I traced the tip of the knife down her neck. Her pulse fluttering madly sent a gaping hunger inside me; I was drooling for a taste of her defiant fear. I tossed the knife away. There was more of this game to explore, but making her bleed wasn’t on the agenda tonight. I sucked on a nipple.


    “Get off me!” She fought and I bit her on the side of her breast. Leaving marks was my kink, but only with Sloane. I was self-aware enough to admit that I wanted to remind her she was mine because I didn’t see her as often as I’d like. Her knee came up and I knocked it away.


    The crowd below us roared. Less than two minutes to make here.


    I spun her away from me and ttened her chest against the ss.


    “Are you sure they can’t see us?”


    “What do you think?” I rasped by her ear.


    “Dom.”


    “You’re at my mercy, got it?” I stabbed two fingers into her pussy. “Fuck, baby, you’re soaked. Really, really soaked.”


    “Get off me!” She punched her hips back, then she immediately went ck. “Shit, did I scream too loud?”


    I chuckled. “One of these days, I’m going to get you to a cabin in the woods and live out whatever fantasy you want.”


    As much as she was enjoying this, she hadn’tpletely surrendered her inhibitions yet. “Let go.” The scent of her excitement hit my nose, and I forgot our game. Dropping to my knees, I dragged my nose up her thigh, letting my tongue lick up the traces of her arousal. I nipped the fat lips of her pussy.


    “Ahhh, please…”


    “Please what?” I murmured, inhaling her deeply. God, I’d been dreaming of this all night long. “Please let you go? Please make youe?”


    “Make mee…”


    “You’ve been a brat, haven’t you?” I tongued her onest time before I discarded that flimsy fabric she called underwear. Without wasting another second, I buried my face between her legs and got lost in the pleasure of her taste.


    My God, she was delicious.


    Tongue plunging inside her, I unleashed my hunger and ate and ate, licking every drop she gave up. The revelry below us grew louder, and I wished I could hear Sloane’s cries as I made here. Her clit was swollen and she gushed all over my tongue. I licked every drop before realizing the countdown had begun.


    I rose to my full height and freed her wrists, then I gently turned her around.


    We stared at each other. She was panting. Her mascara had smeared, but she was still the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen.


    Tenderness and an unnamed emotion tugged at my chest.


    The count hit one, and cheers erupted. “Happy New Year!”


    “Happy New Year, baby,” I murmured against her lips.


    “Happy New Year,” she whispered back.


    Then we kissed, gentle, and then deep. I unzipped my trousers and freed my cock, then lifted Sloane against the window and fucked her.