28 Seconds: A House of Valentine Novella (15 page)

“You are the daughter of Franco and Teresa Valentine. You are fiercely loyal and protective. You are clever, and compassionate, damn sexy and yes, a little bit broken. You are the girl who protected your mother when she needed you most. You are the woman that will see your father through, and you are,” he whispered, “the absolute love of my life.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tony and Al were waiting for us at the door as soon as we arrived. “Slight change of plans.”

Cole groaned. “What does that mean?”

“Franco’s cleared out the Knife & Fork for the family meal. It was apparently Ariana’s favorite place?”

It was a question but I didn’t know the answer to it. As usual, though, Cole did.

“In the history of time, no toddler has ever loved Knife & Fork. I’m guessing more people have been added to the guest list?”

“Yes. Still a private room for the family but the people who arrived for the memorial will be there as well. He’s had Bridgett get formal attire for everyone and wants us all for a chat in about an hour. The security councils will meet pre-dawn tomorrow to finalize details for the service.”

“Fine, fine, whatever.” Cole glanced at the shopping and garment bags piled in the foyer. “Bring all that shit up.”

I frowned at the packages and tried to grab a few, but Al laughed at me and gently pushed my hand away. “Us, not you.”

I shoved a handful into Cole’s arms and then took a few myself. “I may be new, but I’m not new enough to mistake you for a maid.”

“Don’t even say it, Tony,” Cole grumbled with a smile. “Spitfire, I know. Hand me a few more.”

They were all chuckling at me as I tromped up the stairwell, loaded down with a mass of bags.

“I’m gonna get a quick shower.” Cole began stripping off his outerwear then held up his arm for me to remove his watch and cufflinks. I undid each, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively which earned me a cocky grin in return. My hand brushed across his Valentine mark before putting his watch aside. I turned to Tony, trying to shake off the sexual tension I could feel building.

“Do the other families brand people, too?”

“They mark each other but everyone has their own way. Some use tattoos, some use knives or I know the Gorettis, fucking lunatics that they are, shoot their people to leave the mark of a bullet wound.”

Al stepped in, dropping another shopping bag on the bed. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.”

“Cole,” Tony called, “do you get that same tingly feeling on the back of your neck whenever your girl here says those words?”

“It is a little terrifying, isn’t it?” Cole chuckled as he began unbuttoning his shirt.

“I would say have fun but you’ve only got an hour so…” Tony shrugged, “do with it what you will.”

“Out, Tony.”

He gave a mock salute followed by a tiny wink. “Yes, ma’am.”

I riffled through a few of the garment bags. I have to admit either my father or Bridgett had exceptionally good taste: top end dresses in a style that was classy but still a little sexy. Unfortunately, every single one was sleeveless.

“Nothing to your liking?” Cole asked, slinking up behind me. “You’ve never struck me as the high maintenance type.”

“I can’t wear these,” I admitted. “They’re beautiful but, could we find something with a little less skin showing, maybe?”

“I rather like your skin showing,” he said, nuzzling my neck. “But, yes. If you want to be demure tonight then I’ll have Bridgett find a shawl or jacket or something for you.”

“Thanks.” I turned in his arms, my lips doing a slow dance across his chest. Each defined muscle, each curve of skin...I wanted to memorize them all.

“28 seconds…”

I buried my teeth into his skin to cut him off. “I think I’ve had enough soul searching conversations already today.” He made no comment and had no protest when I began undoing his fly, one button at a time. He was impossibly hard already, his cock fully erect and standing out long from his body. I shifted down to my knees, kissing each defined edge of his abs on my way down. “How about, instead, we make a much better memory.”

“Ariana-”

I bent forward, letting my tongue run up one side of his shaft and then the other. I circled the tip, uncertain of the pressure, and then traced the cleft that led to his opening. He gave a violent shudder and I stopped, eying him with uncertainty.

“Good thing,” he mumbled. “Good thing.”

I laughed and then wet him all over again before taking a gentle suck of the tip. His hands moved to the back of my head, tangling in my hair, and he pulled my mouth to cover his shaft. “Circle your tongue.”

As he continued to slide in and out of my mouth, I swirled my tongue around him, causing a guttural moan to build somewhere deep within him. “Flick me along...christ, yes, just like that.” I let my fingernails trace light against the stubble of his crotch, wrapping down to cup his tightening balls. “Faster, baby girl, take me faster.” I began moving my mouth, bouncing up and down against his cock.

His moans became lower, desperate, and I knew he almost there. I could feel my own wetness sliding down my thighs and I reached one hand down to stroke myself as I continued to suck him off. His liquids started to trickle into my mouth just as spasms rocked my own body. I lurched my hands up to grip his ass, desperate to have him deep inside me. I took him down my throat and a string of curse words came just as he exploded in my mouth, a fountain of salty semen nearly choking me.

“Sorry, sorry,” he chastised himself and readjusted both of us. “I meant to pull out but you got me there so fucking fast...no warning. So sorry, Ariana. You can spit, it’s okay. Most women don’t like-”

I swallowed him down, silencing his apologies, and then returned my mouth to his cock, sliding my tongue against the last of his pulses. When he was finally soft and clean, I slid up his body to kiss him hard on the lips. “I am not most women and I can’t imagine wasting a single part of you.”

His kiss was still intense, his breathing ragged, but his voice held a tranquil passion. “The more I learn of you, each minute I spend with you, is somehow more breathtaking and astonishing than the last.”

“Devastating, Cole. Don’t forget devastating.”

“I’m willing to risk it,” he chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Does the idea of falling in love with me terrify you that much?”

“Yes.”

He hadn’t expected an honest answer and he tilted his head back to survey me. “Why?”

“Because I lose everyone I love, Cole.”

“Stop worrying so much, Ariana, and let yourself to be happy. Otherwise, everything else is pointless.” He gave me a sweet, tender kiss and then tugged at my arm. “Come on, shower time.”

“No-”

“What?” he hesitated, eying me.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” I smiled and allowed him to lead me to the bathroom.

I made a point of climbing in after him, turning my back to him as we stood under the stream. Hiding something was damn hard when you were completely naked. He had himself clean and his hair washed in minutes and the smell of seawater steamed into my senses. He turned, slipping his hands around my waist.

“Your turn,” he murmured, nuzzling my neck.

I nodded and tried to slide by him but he was much more observant than I gave him credit for. “Are you suddenly shy?”

I smiled, stretching up to wrap my arms around his neck and gave him a lingering kiss.

“No, not shy,” he chuckled. “But we are, regrettably, under a time crunch.”

“How regrettable?”

“You
are
very intoxicating,” he said, taking my forearm and starting to pull it around his waist. Halfway there, he caught the wince. “Ariana?”

“Go on,” I gave him a playful shove, “I need to get cleaned up.”

But it was too late...he’d noticed the pink tinged water in his hand and had twisted my arm out of the water stream to get a better look. The marks were once again bleeding, the jagged flesh around them swollen to a puffy pink.

“These are knife wounds. Ariana, these are knife wounds.” His fingers tightened painfully on my wrist. “Where did these come from?”

“The man, at the church, he had a knife-”

“At the church? Are you fucking kidding me? Why haven’t you said something?”

I dropped my eyes, uncertain of which Cole I was even dealing with...the angry one or the tender, caring one. “I was afraid for you to see.”

He exhaled, long and deep. “Ariana, did you do this to yourself? The knife we found at the chapel-”

“No! Of course not.”

“You’ve been through hell. If this is your way of coping-”

“No,” I shoved him away, indignant, and stepped out of the shower to find a towel. “Fuck you, no.”

He was beside me in seconds, wrapping a towel around his waist. “It’s a reasonable question. A lot of people cut-”

“You are not Al. You are not reasonable.”

“Wait,” he managed, and this time I knew for certain his temper was flaring. “You hid this from me, me specifically...on purpose?”

“You held a gun on a priest, for chrissakes. It’s not inconceivable that you would run off and start a war over this.”

He looked at me as if I’d suddenly sprouted antlers. “Well, of course I will.”

“Cole-”

“If you didn’t do this-”

“I didn’t.”

“Then it’s another family trying to send a message. It’s an open threat that your place as the Valentine heir is not respected. Of course we’ll go to war over that. It’s not just you, Ariana. If it was done to anyone in the family, it would bring war.”

“But it didn’t happen to anyone. It happened to me.”

“And you are a Valentine just like the rest of us and it’s about time you accepted it.”

He stormed off and was halfway dressed by the time I was brave enough to join him in the bedroom. He was rolling his shirt sleeves and nodded to a chair across the room.

“Sit down.”

A command. I did as told and waited as he finished dressing. He finally stepped toward me, dropping to one knee and tossing a first aid kit to the floor. He grabbed my arm carefully, stretching it out over my thigh and tightened his grip - an unspoken order not to move. He cleaned and bandaged the wound then shoved everything back in the kit. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs. We’re already late.”

I nodded, trying not to show the crazy emotions that swelled due to his silent treatment. He headed to the door, hesitated with his hand on the knob, and then took a step back. His fingers brushed my hair and he leaned down to kiss the top of my head. His voice was an apologetic promise that made my heart skip: “I love you, Ariana, but if you don’t tell your father, I will.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“That took longer than expected,” Cole scolded, but his hand slipped to the small of my back, welcoming me into their circle. There was no hesitation in his moves, no leftover ill feelings from my subterfuge. He understood my reasons and he’d told me my choices...there would be no compromise.

Ignoring my father’s steady glare, I twisted and pulled Cole’s arm to rest under my shirt on my stomach. When I entwined my fingers with his, his body tensed against mine.

“Another one already?” he asked, low against my ear

I nodded.

He checked his watch, opened his mouth to say something but then reconsidered. His fingers began reassuring strokes on my skin as he turned back to the men. “So, what did your tests determine?”

“There are no prints.”

“Not even Ariana’s?” my father asked, dragging his eyes away from me and Cole.

“No, not even hers.”

I had to fight the urge to say “I told you so.”

“The x-rays showed nothing out of the ordinary. Expensive as hell, though. It’s custom.”

“If it’s custom, then there is a creator somewhere that knows his own work. Find him.”

“Yes, Mr. Valentine.”

I let my fingers drift over the plastic bag, smoothing out the creases to get a better look. It was a beautiful craftsmanship...someone would be missing it. The scroll work was flourished with deep pits and grooves showing the detailed relief.

“Did you black light it?” A couple of the men stopped talking and I realized I had interrupted their discussion. “Sorry,” I mumbled, stepping back to Cole’s side.

Franco waved off my apology. “We don’t do the women are silent thing in this house. Your mother made certain of that. If you have something to say, speak up.”

“I was just wondering if you tested it with a black light. Even if someone wiped it clean, the grooves are too deep on the design. Without a tool, you’d never be able to clean them out. But a black light-”

“Would pick up any traces of drugs, poisons, or bodily fluids,” Cole finished.