The Hermit (Mafia Empire Book 1)

After all the traveling, I take a long relaxing bath and put on extra lotion to combat the dry air from the plane.

I decide to wear a bohemian-style dress that reminds me of the one Cassia wore to the meeting. It’s just not as long but instead reaches to above my knees.

When I’m done getting dressed, I send a message to Ciara.

Grace: This is my new number. How are you? Are you enjoying your travels? Do you need anything?

I sit and stare at the screen, tapping on it every time it starts to go dark. After what seems like forever, she finally reads the message and types out a reply.

Ciara: I’m good. Don’t worry about me, I don’t need anything. How are you? Are you home? Sorry, I missed the funeral. I miss you!

Grace: I didn’t attend the funeral. Uncle Gerry arranged everything. I’m still with Dominik in Slovakia.

I think about it for a few seconds before telling her the truth.

Grace: I’m married to Dominik. The wedding was the morning after you left. But don’t worry! He’s actually an amazing person, and he treats me so well.

Ciara: Oh my God! You’re married? I can’t believe Dad forced you again. I’m so sorry, but I’m glad to hear Dominik treats you well. I’m so sorry though. I feel rotten.

Grace: Don’t feel bad. He’s so good to me, and I’m even falling in love with him. I think I can be really happy with him.

Ciara: I’m so happy for you. I have to go. I love you, Grace. So, so, so much!

Grace: I love you too. Let me know if you need anything.

Letting out a sigh, I reread our messages before I set the phone down.

Barefoot and feeling a little better after the chat with Ciara, I leave my room so I can make myself a cup of coffee. If Dominik is downstairs, I’ll prepare green tea for him.

As I take the stairs down to the first floor, I see flickering lights, and when I reach the bottom, my mouth drops open.

There are candles everywhere and it makes the living room look magical.

Suddenly, a song starts to play, then Dominik steps into my line of sight.

“We never got to dance on our wedding day.”

He’s only wearing a pair of sweatpants and seeing his bare chest, I let out a chuckle as I walk toward him. “You’re shirtless tonight. Lucky me.”

Then the lyrics of the song start, and my smile quickly vanishes.

There’s a serious expression on Dominik’s face as he takes my hand. He pulls me into his arms, and when he begins to steer me across the floor, I’m filled with an emotion so strong it knocks the breath from my lungs.

Suddenly, he twirls me away from him, and when he pulls me back and I slam into his chest, his mouth takes mine in a kiss that has my abdomen clenching so hard it borders on painful.

My heart leaps to my throat, and it takes a moment for my brain to catch up.

Keeping an arm locked around my back, his free hand settles against the side of my head while his tongue invades my mouth.

I swear I see stars from how intense the kiss feels, and I’m hardly able to return it.

Somehow, I manage to lift my hands to his shoulders, and feeling his warm skin beneath my fingers, tingles explode through me.

I groan into his mouth as I tilt my head, and moving my hands up to his jaw, I begin to kiss him with the same passion he’s giving me.

Dominik’s body presses against mine, forcing me to bend backward while his tongue dominates mine with desperate hunger.

Only when my lips are tingling and my mind’s clouded with desire does he ease up on me. When he lifts his head and our eyes lock, I see desire making his eyes look like clear blue water.

Never have I seen anything hotter than the man holding me.

Breaths rush over my swollen lips as I stare up at him, then I admit, “I’m ninety-nine percent sure.”

The corner of his mouth lifts in a sexy smirk. “What can I do to make it one hundred percent?”

Shaking my head, I say, “Nothing. It’s up to me to take the final step.”

I push up on my tiptoes and frame his jaw with my hands again. Taking the final step, I whisper against his lips, “I’m ready, Dominik.”

I press my mouth to his and kiss him with the love blossoming in my heart.

Somewhere between being flung out of a high rise by Dominik and having him hold me like I’m precious, I fell irrevocably in love with him.

He takes hold of my hips, and when he lifts me against his body, I quickly wrap my legs around his waist. He breaks the kiss as he carries me out onto the veranda, where he’s laid out blankets.

When he lays me down on my back and I see the stars shining above us, it feels like my heart bursts wide open. Every wall I’ve ever put up to protect myself from the world crumbles to dust.

My gaze moves, and it locks with Dominik’s as he keeps himself braced over me, his eyes searching mine for the slightest sign of fear or panic.

Reaching up, I place my hands on his chest, soaking in the feel of how solid he is beneath my palms.

“If at any point you need me to stop, just say so.”

I nod, thankful for this man who’s done nothing but take my feelings into consideration since we got married.

Wanting to encourage him, I reach down, and taking hold of my dress, I pull it up. I have to wiggle to get it over my torso and head and finally drop it somewhere to my left.

Dominik’s eyes drifts slowly over my bra and panties before he places a hand on my side. “Sakra, si krásna, moja žena.”

Just as I’m about to ask what it means, he translates, “Damn, you’re beautiful, my wife.”

A smile spreads across my face, and reaching for him again, I brush my fingertips from his pecks down to the words tattooed on his abs.

He lowers his head, and his mouth nips at mine before he groans, “Môj.” Then he gives me one hell of a hot kiss that quickly has me gasping for air while trying to meet his pace.

When he grabs hold of my bra and yanks the cup away from my left breast, I arch my back, and while I lose his mouth to my nipple, I quickly unhook the strap so he can tug the lace away and toss it to the side.

Dominik sucks and bites my left nipple before switching to the right one, groaning as if he’s tasting the most delicious thing ever.

Starting to feel feverish with need, I whimper, and it has him abandoning my breasts and moving down. He grips hold of my panties, and way too slowly, drags them down my legs.

There’s a tightening of nerves in my stomach when I lie naked beneath him, but not wanting to let anything ruin this moment, I ignore it.

“So fucking beautiful,” Dominik breathes in total reverence.

He lays down partially on top of me, and feeling his chest touch my left breast has tingles racing over me.

He presses a gentle kiss to my mouth, then locks eyes with me. “Thank you for trying so hard to make this marriage work. I know I forced you, but I did it because you deserved so much better, and I couldn’t leave you in Ireland. I wanted you here with me where you could heal, and nothing could hurt you again.”

His words make emotion push up my throat, and my eyes start to sting with unshed tears. My voice is hoarse as I admit, “If I had known who you really were when we met, I would’ve run into your arms and begged you never to let go.” My hands move up to rest on either side of his neck over the wings of the angel tattooed on his skin. “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be in hell.”

Dominik closes the distance between us, and his mouth meets mine with so much tenderness I can’t keep a tear from spiraling over my temple and into my hair.

As he deepens the kiss and his tongue massages mine with hard strokes, a fire ignites between us, and I get swept up completely in him.

A breeze plays around us, cooling my skin a little. Then Dominik moves his hand down, and his fingers brush through my slit, his touch setting me on fire.

His kisses turn urgent as his finger circles my opening, and when he pushes inside me, I’m inundated with sensations that have my back arching and my nails digging into his skin.

He instantly breaks the kiss to look at my face, and seeing my reaction is from pleasure, the corner of his mouth lifts. He starts to alternate between massaging and fingering me, his eyes taking mine prisoner.

I move my hands up and down his chest, reveling in how amazing he feels before I push my hand into his sweatpants.

The moment my fingers wrap around his hard cock, his expression grows strained.

For a second, I worry that I accidentally hurt him, but then he groans, “Christ, that feels fucking good.”

Before I can do anything else, he pulls away from my hand and moves down my body until his broad shoulders force my legs to open so wide my thighs burn a little.

The burn is quickly forgotten when his tongue sweeps over my clit. I’m still looking up at the stars, and when he sucks hard, they blur from the dizzying pleasure rushing through my body.

The orgasm is unexpected and so intense that, for the first time, a scream is torn from me in pure ecstasy, the sound echoing in the mountains.

I’m stunned out of my everloving mind because I didn’t know pleasure like this existed.

Dominik moves, and as my orgasm still ripples through me, I can only watch as he pushes his sweatpants down.

When he’s completely naked, and I see every beautiful inch of his muscled body, there’s only an intense sense of safety.

“You said you want children,” he says, his voice a little breathless and hoarse.

“Yes.”

“Are you on any kind of contraception?”

I shake my head. “Not for the past year. It screws with my periods and makes them worse.”

As he crawls over me again, I lift my arms and frame his jaw so I can pull him to me.

With his eyes burning into mine, he says, “I can’t wait to have you pregnant with our child, Grace.”

When our mouths fuse together, I know this moment will always be one of the most precious in my life.

Dominik settles himself over my body, and resting his left forearm beside my head, he reaches down between us with his free hand.

When he positions his cock at my entrance, anticipation builds in my chest until it feels like I might explode. He pushes against me, and when he can only manage to enter me an inch, I lift my hips, hoping it will help.

“You’re big,” I whisper against his mouth.

“I’ll take it slow,” he says, his voice rough and sounding downright predatory. “Tell me the second I hurt you.”

I nod and press kisses along his jaw, loving how his bristles scratch my lips.

His free hand grips my ass, and he pushes his knee beneath my thigh. When he thrusts inside me, he goes much deeper, and it starts to burn.

Not wanting to ruin this moment, I mask the pain and kiss and suck my way down his neck.

With one last thrust, he buries himself to the hilt, and even though there’s a sharp ache, I’m too absorbed by the hot expression on his face to care.

“If you look any hotter, I’m going to spontaneously combust,” I say, my hips gyrating to create some much-needed friction.

Dominik chuckles while asking, “You okay?”

“Yes, and I’ll be even better if you move.”

When he pulls out and thrusts back inside me, I realize the gravity of this moment.

For the first time in my life, I’m making love to a man.

It’s not against my will and violent.

We’re making love.

Dominik stills again and tilts his head. “What’s that look on your face?”

I swallow hard, and when he starts to frown, I quickly say, “I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and it’s overwhelmingly good.”

Relief eases the tension from his features, and he presses a tender kiss to my mouth. He draws out again, and this time, when he enters me, it’s slow and deep. His cock hits a spot that sends tingles of pleasure darting through my body.

“Oh God,” I whimper, my body arching into his.

Dominik’s mouth slams down on mine, and I’m swept up in a wild kiss as he starts to increase his pace, creating a fire deep inside of me.

I move my hands up and down his back, loving the feel of his muscles rippling beneath his warm skin.

He hits the same spot as earlier, and I cry into his mouth.

His thrusts grow rougher, and he breaks the kiss to growl, “Scream for me again.”

“Dominik,” I whimper as I cling to him for dear life, all the sensations too much to handle.

His body moves like a force hell-bent on owning every inch of me, and there’s nothing I can do but submit.

“Jebat,” he curses, his voice strained, and then I don’t know if I’m coming or going as his cock hammers into me.

Every muscle in my body tenses, and all of a sudden, there’s an explosion of lights, sounds, and pleasure.

So much pleasure.

My head tilts backward, and the scream tearing loose from me takes flight into the night.

The moment is so intense tears spill from my eyes, and all I can do is feel as I convulse as if I’m being electrocuted.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Dominik murmurs, his tone filled with awe. “Môj.” He thrusts into me twice more before his body jerks and his own orgasm hits. “Moja navždy.”

I manage to open my eyes just in time and watch as his features tense with pleasure. His eyes lock with mine as he empties himself deep inside me.

When my pleasure starts to fade, he moves again, and it makes residual sparks of ecstasy dart through me. When I jerk with each slow thrust, it makes him smirk at me because he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Slowly, our movements still until we’re just staring at each other, then Dominik whispers, “Mine.” He presses a kiss to my mouth. “Forever mine.”

I nod because I know if Dominik says I’m his, it’s not negotiable.

He’s claimed me, and it’s for life.