The Devil I Crave (Devil's Knights 2)

Breathing hard, I pressed my palm to the wall in front of me. A rough hand slid down my stomach and over the front of my shorts. My nipples stiffened against the fabric, painfully sore as he rubbed my clit. I grabbed his hand and shoved my shorts and panties to the side.

His tongue glided across the back of my neck, his teeth grazing my hot flesh as he plunged two fingers inside me. I moaned against his hand. He fucked me harder with his fingers. Rocking my hips to meet each of his thrusts, he stretched me out, rubbing against my inner walls.

I licked his hand, and he groaned in my ear. He liked it. So I did it again, tasting his skin.

Heat spread down my arms, igniting a fire inside me, bringing me back to life. I closed my eyes and listened to the moans and groans in the room, riding out my high as I came on his fingers. Out of breath and desperate for air, I tugged on his hand. He lowered his hand to my hip. Both of us struggled to catch our breaths.

I stared at the wall, wondering if I should acknowledge what we just did. What difference did it make? We were both consenting adults.

“Marcello,” I whispered.

I knew it was him.

And I didn’t care.

Fuck Luca and his games.

Luca had a specific scent, one I had burned into my memory. Salt and sandalwood. The brothers had many similarities, from their good looks to their height. But I would always know Luca without seeing him. This was his fault for leaving me with his brother. For not giving a fuck about me.

“Don’t say a word,” he said before sucking my earlobe into his mouth.

He slid my panties and shorts back into place, still holding onto me. We stood there for a moment, my back to him, our hearts beating as one. Marcello reached for the knob and pulled the door shut. I spun around and leaned my back against the wall, staring up at him. He was as tall as Luca and just as handsome. If only he would smile. Neither of them did more than smirk or frown.

I grabbed hold of his waistband and pulled him toward me.

Marcello clutched my wrist. “What are you doing, Alex?”

“I need more.”

“Alex,” he groaned.

“You started this… and you need to finish.”

He removed my hands from his waistband. His eyes flicked up and down the length of my body. Marcello licked his lips, studied my curves as if committing them to memory.

“Luca’s fucking another woman right now.”

He shook his head, and a dark lock fell onto his forehead. “That’s Damian’s bedroom.”

I had no idea Damian slept on this floor. I’d assumed it was Luca since he would never fuck a whore in his bed. And since I was pissed at his absence, I wanted to believe he was out cheating on me instead of working, like Marcello said.

My jaw dropped. “I thought…”

“I know what you thought.” An evil grin graced his full lips. “Never assume, Alex. Doesn’t matter, anyway. You’re not just his, you belong to the Knights.”

* * *

A few days later, Marcello stepped into my office at Wellington Architecture and Design. He hung in the doorway, staring at me with those pretty blue eyes. Lonely boy. A part of me felt more connected to Marcello. The walls between us had lowered, but they were still there.

He was still Luca’s brother.

And I had a choice to make.

“Kali is here,” Marcello said as he approached the drafting table.

I dropped the charcoal pencil. “Tell her I’ll be ready in a minute. I just need to clean up.”

He extended his hand.

I slipped my fingers between his, loving the feel of his rough skin against mine. “Have you seen Luca?”

He released my hand, the energy between us shifting in an instant.

“Where is he?”

No answer.

“Please, Marcello. It’s been days.”

His expression was blank, unreadable.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

He turned his head toward the door. “You shouldn’t keep your friend waiting.”

I tugged on his silky tie, forcing him to look at me. His hand fell to my waist, and a moment of silence passed between us.

“Marcello, please. This is driving me crazy. Why is he ignoring me?”

He dropped his hand and sighed. “Stop asking questions. You don’t want the answers to them.”

Then, he walked out of my office, shattering my heart into pieces.

* * *

Lunch with Kali was my only indulgence since I’d arrived in Devil’s Creek. The one thing none of the Salvatores denied me. We went to Blue Moon Cafe, a high-end restaurant in town. Kali chose a private booth in the corner, right by the window where I could see Marcello sitting in his car.

“Are you ready to meet the Devil’s Creek Belles?” Kali asked. “It’s your birthright to be our leader.”

I rolled my eyes. “The thought of spending time with Blair makes being drugged and locked in my bedroom sound like fun.”