Chapter 22: Veiled Vows: Chapter 22

“Roman? Where the hell are you?” My father’s voice rises like the bark of a dog from the speaker phone on my desk. “You were supposed to meet with Alto about the Yakuza, and I find out that not only were you a no-show, but the Yakuza bastard Alto was supposed to meet didn’t turn up either?”

I’m half listening as a message pops up from Jasmine asking if she can come and see me. I text her the address of my current residence—my city apartment—and tell her to drop by whenever she has time. Then I set my phone down and stare blankly at the speakerphone.

“Well?” Santino demands. “The fuck is going on?”

It’s difficult to mask my sigh, but I manage it with a cough. “I’m staying in the city, remember? It’s August, and what always happens in August?”

Santino grumbles slightly. “Casino changeover.”

“Exactly, and last year we lost three truckloads of money to the Russians because we reacted too slowly. So I’m staying here for a few weeks to make sure we have eyes everywhere.”

Santino doesn’t reply immediately, but I can almost hear the cogs in his head turning as he searches for a reason to justify his anger. Failing to come up with one, he sighs loudly. “And the Yakuza?”

“Alto was taking too long, so I went to the general directly. We had sushi and I’ve got a meeting with the Chairman.”

“What?!”

“It’s like I told you, Father. I get shit done.”

“When is this meeting?”

“Soon. The Chairman is out of the county, but he’ll be back next week and then we’ll set a date and time.”

Silence drags on for a long moment, then Santino clears his throat and I hear glass clinking. “Good work, son.” Then the line goes dead.

Hearing my father call me son should fill me with delight and pride, but it just makes my stomach flip in disgust. I’ve spent most of my life worming closer to that monster, and finally my goal is within touching distance.

But now I have Jasmine to think about.

Beautiful, distracting Jasmine. Telling her the truth about my mother was a risk, but she met the story with such support that I’m sure she’ll have no problem with my end goal for my family. But what if our plans stop aligning? She’s been cagey about her true plans for her family outside of finding her rescuer, who turned out to be me.

What are the chances?

After she detailed the story to me, I spent a long time trying to recall more details about that night. What was such a pivotal moment in her life was a blip in mine. And I’m paying for it now because every second my mind is empty, I’m thinking about her.

A knock at the door distracts me from mulling over the details once more. Experience has me picking up my gun as I head toward the door, dressed in just loose cotton pants since it’s so late. I haven’t ordered takeout, so unless there’s a problem with security, this is an uninvited guest. Tension ripples across my shoulders and I clench my jaw as I reach the door and peer through the peephole.

Jasmine?

I slide the locks back quickly and open the door, keeping the gun in view so she doesn’t think I’m up to anything sinister. “Jasmine? Everything alright?”

She stands there in a tan, double-breasted jacket with her hair scooped up in a loose updo and bright red heels on her feet. When our eyes meet, her dark red lips pull into a warm smile. “I need your help.”

“Anything,” I say without thinking, motioning her inside. “What’s wrong?”

Closing the door behind her, I lead her through to the open-plan lounge that rests against a giant wall of windows overlooking the city. She gasps slightly at the sight and glances over her shoulder at me. Her dark-lined eyes narrow slightly.

“I didn’t know you had a place in the city.”

“It’s the only thing that’s entirely mine,” I reply. “All in my name. All my own money.”

“Wow. It’s …” She glances around the white and black decor, taking in the leather couches, the fluffy white rug spread across the floor, and the adjacent red and gray kitchen. “It all looks brand new.”

“I don’t spend much time here,” I admit as concern grows in my chest. “But what are you doing here? Where are your guards?”

“I gave them the slip.” She turns to face me, and her warm smile turns coy. “I need your help.”

“You said that.” I walk closer. “What do you need?”

Jasmine then grasps her coat and opens it smoothly, revealing her completely naked body. “You.”

Her coat falls from her bare shoulders as she walks toward me with long, slow steps. One hand presses against the middle of my chest, and she walks me backward until the edge of the couch forces me to fall. I land with a grunt, mind blank and utterly stunned.

Holy shit.

That’s a whole lot of woman.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and coming back from Catherine’s place I thought, why not turn my thoughts into reality?”

“Did you leave your clothes with your guards?” I manage to say after forcing my throat to work.

Her smile pulls up to one side as she stands before me with her hands on her shapely hips. “Something like that.”

I can’t take my eyes off her. From her breasts down to the slope of her abdomen and to the soft curls of dark hair trimmed neatly between her thighs, she’s an absolute vision. Then Jasmine drops to her knees and yanks down my soft pants, clearing all thoughts from my mind in one move.

I am a simple man.

Her luscious red lips part and her delicate pink tongue darts out to lick up the shaft of my soft cock. One lick and tightness grips my lower abdomen. Another lick and a flood of heat rushes south so fast I’m lightheaded. She kisses my shaft and leaves a perfect red lipstick stain, then she takes me in hand and drags her tongue slowly from the crest of my balls up to the rapidly swelling tip of my cock.

I’m hard in seconds and Jasmine smirks proudly. “You have no idea how good it feels when a man gets hard so fucking fast,” she says, her voice low.

“You have no idea how sexy you are,” I say, my voice low.

“Oh, I do know,” she grins, looking up at me from under her dark lashes. “I know exactly how good I look.”

It takes one hell of a woman to look so fucking sexy in just red heels, and Jasmine is like a fantasy pouring herself into my lap. Her red lips stretch around my crown and she kisses me once more, then she dips her head and takes my cock into her hot mouth. I reach for her instinctively and she pulls off my cock with a sudden pop.

“No touching,” she instructs. “Not if you want me to finish.”

Our eyes meet. “Understood.”

It’s torture. Her tongue presses constantly against the underside of my cock, she leaves crimson lipstick against my balls and pelvis when she takes my entire cock into her mouth and throat. She hums, and the vibrations drive me insane. When she hollows her cheeks and sucks it’s like she’s trying to suck the cum right out of my dick, and it takes all my restraint and control to keep my hands to myself.

I’m close, so fucking close. Keeping my hips still means every other part of me is twitching and writhing back and forth. I clutch the cushions beneath me, throw my head back with a moan, and tighten my stomach as pleasure courses through me like a current. Then Jasmine pulls off my cock once more and breathlessly looks up at me.

“Say my name,” she gasp, her voice husky. “I want to hear you say it.”

“Jasmine.”

“Again.”

“Jasmine.”

“Again.”

“Jas—ah!” She lowers herself once more, and as my cock slides into her tight, hot throat, she grips my balls with one hand and I come so hard my eyes roll back in my head. “Ja—asmine!”

It’s the strongest orgasm of my life. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. My skin is on fire, my cock throbs, and my balls ache, but it’s amazing and exhilarating all at the same time. I’m suspending for what feels like forever and Jasmine continues to suck on my cock until things turn a touch painful from overstimulation.

Only then does she pull off with a wet pop and lick her ruined lips.

“Holy shit,” I gasp. “You were …”

“Amazing?” She lightly dabs the corner of her mouth and brushes some tears from her lashes. “I know.”

I surge forward and clasp the side of her neck with my hand and pull her in for a messy, wet kiss. We share my taste when my tongue invades her mouth and she clutches at my arm with both hands, moaning softly.

“Wanna sleep over?”