Crossfire Queen

13.

As we walked inside, he kept his hand on my lower back protectively. "Rebecca. Can you escort Miss Russo up to my room so she can shower." He said turning to a maid awaiting her order. "Of course sir" she said nodding. "Go clean up. You'll feel better. We can talk after" he said firmly as I nodded.
It felt largely intimate, his asking for me to go to his room. Surely in such a place there was multiple spare rooms I could've used. "Thank you" I said turning to him just before I followed the maid up the stairs. He bowed his head in acknowledgment slightly before watching me escape upstairs.
As we reached the summit, Rebecca turned to me and smiled before she took me through a series of corridors and finally a set of double doors. "I'll go and grab you some fresh towels and ask Sir what clothes he suggest I lay out for you" she smiled at me as I nodded thanking her. She left immediately as I stood in the large expanse that was Marcos room.
It was neat, nothing out of place. Except me. The walls were a warm grey, the floor a dark wood. All matching the furniture. So grand and robust at the same time. I guessed that the first door would be the bathroom. It wasn't though, instead I found a closet. The second door however revealed a large modern marble bathroom. "Your towels" Rebecca said making me jump slightly. "Apologies miss Russo. I'll lay some clothes on the bed for you once your showered. Mr Di Rossi will be up shortly" she said with a small smile as I nodded watching her leave. As soon as she had, I locked the door. This may have been his room, but I valued my privacy.
I showered until the water ran clear. My body smelling of him, as opposed to the irony blood I'd been covered in. I'd shampood with his two in one. It would do the job. I could expect a knotted mess in the morning however. Getting out I wrapped myself in the towel and dried my skin, before unlocking the door and re-entering his room. He still wasn't there so I picked up the clothes and chuckled. The black top was clearly his. The shorts possibly an ex lovers? Pulling the top over my head I let my wet hair drape on my neck before I gently attempted to dry it with the towel.

As I picked up the shorts, the door opened to reveal the man himself. His jaw tight and his eyes focused on me. "Sorry" I said as I picked up the shorts and went to walk back to the bathroom to finish dressing. He stopped me though, his arms pulling my waist towards him, as I crashed against his chest. "Don't apologise" he said as he caressed my cheek with his hand. Fingering my wet locks. He didn't speak as he looked at me, almost admirably.

"How is he" I found myself asking as he gulped. "Weak. What you did Sofia..." he said huskily with a pause as he tried to find the words. "Anyone would've" I tried to play it down. "No" he shook his head before burying it in my neck, his hands falling to my hips as he lifted me up so that I was in his arms, like a koala on a tree. A muscly, brooding tree. "You could've got hurt too" he said as he held me tightly. "I saw them drive off. I checked there was no danger" I said plainly as he kissed my neck softly. "They could've come back at any point." He said warningly. "Matteo had us covered" I whispered the reassurance. I didn't know why he was being so warm towards me, but being in his arms was comforting right now. "He was bleeding out, he wouldn't have been much use" he said honestly. "It was risky" he continued as I nodded looking at him. "It was the right thing to do. I couldn't leave him" I said as he stared into my eyes. "If you had been hurt again on my part I wouldn't have known what to do Sofia" he sighed as I nodded. "But I didn't. I was ok. Am ok" I stumbled as he nodded. "Thankfully" he said as he looked at me intently.

"I want to kiss you" he said as he stared into my eyes. "You don't normally ask for permission to do things" I said as he took his cue and placed his lips on mine. He kept me wrapped around him as he walked us over to his bed, laid me down and continued kissing. "Fuck Sofia" he rasped as he broke the kiss, placing his forehead on mine. Our eyes locked as we searched them for a common ground. "Please don't ever put yourself in danger like that again" he pleaded as I gulped. "I don't mean too, I was just walking home and I heard it all" I said honestly. "You shouldn't be walking alone at night it's not safe" he said firmly. "Where had you been. I could've sent someone to pick you up" he said protectively, leaving me confused. "Why would you do that for me" I asked with a gulp. "I owe you, you've saved two of my men now. I'm in your debt, next time call me" he said making it sound like a business transaction. "I couldn't. Not tonight" I said with a sigh as he looked deeply at me as I gulped, unable to make eye contact. "Marchetti" he sighed. "That's where you were" he said as I nodded, his hands letting me go.

"I was with Mary and Lenny, they invited me to dinner." I told a half truth. "Don't try and fool me Sofia. You don't get invited for dinner at Marchetti mansion to just meet the third in command" he seethed his face serious once more as he stood up whilst I closed my eyes momentarily in shame. As I sat up I hung my head. "Lorenzo wanted to know where my loyalty lay" I gulped. "Prick" he spat annoyed. "I told him that I wasn't bound to either family. I wouldn't be forced to chose between the two" I tried to say it with conviction but there was a stammer to my voice. "He threw you out" he looked at me concerned, softer almost. "I left. Louisa was getting irate, Lorenzo needed time to think." I said honestly.

"Luca" he quizzed, wanting to know the details. "Tried to win me over" I sighed. "How" he asked seriously as I sat mute. "How" he repeated. "How'd you think Marco" I exasperated looking at him sourly, as he grasped my hands and pushed them over my head, the momentum sending my back onto the mattress as he straddled me. "Don't make me ask again" his gravelly voice said as he towered over me. The tee that previously went to my mid thigh was now positioned just below my groin, his crotch covering my modesty. "Sofia" he urged. "He kissed me. Held me" I said as he kept my hands pinned above my head. "Did you respond" he whispered roughly against my ear before he nipped my ear lobe sending my head flurrying. "Not how he wanted" I said simply as my breath hitched.

"Did you kiss him back Sofia" he asked roughly as his tongue trailed from my ear and along jaw, his teeth grazing my jaw bone. Instead of replying I found my body moaning at his touch. "Tell me" he ordered as he bit the skin under my jaw. "Yeah" I rasped out. "Did you like it" he asked quickly as he nuzzled against my neck once more. "Not when I realised it was a manipulation" I groaned as he smirked. "You liked the kiss. You didn't like the circumstance" he growled as he looked at me with ferocity. "Maybe" I gulped. "Don't lie to me Sofia" he said firmly as I gulped, fidgeting to feel more. "Do you enjoy his kisses" he asked again. "Not like I'm enjoying yours" I found myself saying. "Don't flatter me Sofia. I don't need your compliments" he said with sincerity. "What do you need" I asked as I lifted my head slightly and kissed the side of his lips. His eyes closing momentarily. "To trust you" he said as he ran his nose along mine. "You don't trust me" I nodded in understanding. "I don't know you Sofia" he gulped. "And what I do know worries me" he continued as I nodded.
"It worries me too" I said as he sighed. "You're to pure for this world." He said as he let my wrists go. "To pure for me and Luca" he continued. "I can't jeopardise your safety for my own personal gains" he sighed as his hands cupped my face. "No pain no gain" I said lightly trying to improve the mood as he shook his head. "Don't test me Sofia. I only have so much restraint" his gravelly voice fell on deaf ears. "I can handle myself, handle the repercussions" I said wanting to feels his lips again, the security that they provided me. "You told me if I wanted to live then you'd help. Make me feel Alive Marco...please" I said searching for the comfort I hadn't found in luca this evening. I didn't have to ask twice as he reconnected our lips. Now I had kissed two men without so much as a thought about my past. What was wrong with me? What we're these two doing to me?

His kiss was hungrier, more desperate yet commanding. He was in control, that was always a given. "Fuck sof" he moaned as I lifted my hips to meet his crotch, my legs wrapping around him. His hands reaching for my ass as he rubbed and grabbed it. Turning me on. Making me forget how to breathe. He was so all encompassing. So serious. "I cant" he said as he disconnected our lips. "Fuck" he said looking at me. "I can't Sofia. I can't risk your safety. If Lorenzo knew we'd slept together. That we were involved with each other like that. He'd not ever let you go back." He sighed as he dropped his forehead to mine. I knew what he was saying and I was thankful that given all the emotions he could still see the bigger picture. "Thank you" I whispered as I kissed him softly. "For understanding" I added as he smiled at me. "Stay tonight please" he asked as I nodded, knowing I wouldn't be watched if I stayed in Marcos bed, and with any luck that would mean I could get a half decent sleep. "You want to sleep in here or in the spare" he asked chivalrously. "Here. It feels safer" I whispered as he nodded with a small smile on his face. "You're always safe next to me Sofia" he urged as he scooped me up and repositioned us so that he had me cuddled against him in the centre of the bed. "I know" I whispered as I curled into him, his arm protectively draped across my side. As his face stayed relaxed as it looked down at me, his usual stern complexion for once at ease.