STORY EXCERPT

Lany

My life was a fantasy.

No one knew that better than me.

Unfortunately, it was also fraught with danger.

Again, no one knew that better than me.

I huffed as a paramedic strapped me down to a gurney. I hated this part. Being restrained was not something I handled well.

Unless Sal was the one restraining me. Then I was all for it.

Salvador Delvecchio, SWAT team commander and Italian wet dream come to life. Even after eleven years and six adopted children, I had never quite figured out how I ended up with him as a husband. He could easily have anyone he wanted, with a line forming for those who hoped they'd be noticed by the gorgeous man.

And yet, somehow, he only had eyes for me.

I was one lucky son of a bitch.

"How's your head, Mr. Delvecchio?"

I glanced at the paramedic. He must be new. I'd certainly never seen him before. "A little achy," I admitted. "It didn't bleed as much this time, so I'm hoping I won't need a lot of stitches."

The paramedic's eyebrows rose. "You've been hurt like this before?"

I laughed because, damn, that was funny. "Once or twice."

"What happened?"

"Oh, I slipped in the snow getting out of the car and hit the steps." Which was better than falling down the stairs or tripping over a rug, both of which had happened more than once. Getting caught upside down in a tree had been interesting.

"That's a pretty nasty bruise on your cheek," the paramedic said. "Are you sure you hit the steps?"

"Oh, yeah." It wasn't like that was something I'd forget.

"I see."

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. I could hear the censure in the paramedic's voice and knew what he was thinking, but it was the farthest from truth as it could possibly be. Sal would never lift a hand to me. He'd rather die himself than hurt me or one of our kids.

Sadly, I'd run into people like this paramedic before.

Sal called me a hot mess, but basically, I was an accident-prone klutz. It was as simple as that. He wasn't hurting me. No one was hurting me. I was just a little...coordination challenged.

My eyes snapped to the paramedic when the ambulance started to move. "Where's Marcus?"

I didn't go anywhere without Marcus.

Ever.

Marcus was very good at his job, a former Marine and all-around good egg. The man had taken three bullets for me and sustained numerous concussions, bruises, and headaches trying to keep me safe. I'd say we paid him really well for his work protecting me, but no one was that much of a glutton for punishment.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"My bodyguard, Marcus."

The paramedic's brow furrowed. "I'm afraid I don't know who that is."

Crap!

Sal was going to have an aneurism.

"Can I use your phone?"

The paramedic's eyebrows lifted. "My phone?"

"Yes, I need to call my husband."

"Why don't we wait until you've seen the doctor?"

The paramedic smiled as he patted my arm. It was one of those smiles that made me grit my teeth to keep from yelling. The guy thought I was a sandwich short of a picnic and needed to be protected for my own good because, obviously, I couldn't do it myself.

Well, part of that was true or I wouldn't have a bodyguard, but that didn't mean I was stupid. I was actually quite intelligent. I just had issues walking into things, tripping over them, and generally doing anything most people could do without hurting themselves.

I wasn't even talking about the kidnappings, assaults, people trying to kill me, cars I had crashed, or times I'd gotten into messes only our vast network of friends and family had been able to rescue me from. I was talking about normal everyday shit.

Yeah, I was a mess.

The thing was, though, people on the outside of my little circle of friends and family didn't tend to understand us...well, me. I suspected that this paramedic was one of those people that didn't understand that these types of things happened to us all the time.

We were kind of used to them.

We pulled up in front of the emergency room a few minutes later. I was lucky. We didn't live far from the hospital. I often wondered if Sal and Vinnie had planned it that way when we traded our two-bedroom penthouse for his fifteen-acre estate.

The gurney I was on was pulled out of the ambulance, and I was wheeled into the emergency room. I waved my hand when I saw the security guard. "Hey, Dana."

The security guard snorted as he shook his head. "What did you do this time, Lany?"

I pointed up toward my head since I couldn't lift my arm. I was still retrained. "Slipped in the snow and hit my head on the steps. Is Skip on duty?"

Dr. Seamore "Skip" Jones had been taking care of my medical needs for years. He knew about every one of my accidents. All of the team members on Sal's SWAT unit had Skip on speed dial. Ever better, we had a fully equipped infirmary in our house.

We needed one.

I just wished I had been allowed to stay there and use it instead of being driven off in an ambulance. But, as Marcus reminded me, the infirmary was just a well-decorated room if the doctor wasn't there.

"No, but I can call him for you."

"Thanks, Dana. Can you call Sal, too? They wouldn't let Marcus come with me."

"He probably already knows, Lany."

"Yeah, but someone needs to call him just in case."

Dana chuckled. "Not a problem, Lany. I'll give Sal a call right after I call Dr. Jones."

"Thanks, Dana." It paid to know people at the hospital, especially since I tended to spend a lot of time here.

I was wheeled into one of the exam rooms. The restraints were removed, and I was lifted up and moved to the exam bed. I don't know why they didn't just let me do it myself. My head was injured, not my legs.

As soon as I was settled on the exam bed, I sat up and reached for the phone next to the bed. I quickly dialed Sal before the paramedic or the nurse could stop me.

"I'm on my way, Lany. How bad is it?"

"I slipped and hit my head on the steps. My head is bleeding, but I don't think I'll need more than a couple of stitches."

Sadly, I was kind of an expert at this type of injury.

ADULT EXCERPT

"Sal," Lany whispered.

I brushed my nose along the side of Lany's temple. "I haven't been able to breathe since the moment I laid eyes on you."

I didn't give Lany time to say anything else. I knew what he needed, what we both needed. I pulled Lany close and covered his mouth with my own. Lany melted against me, groaning as he opened his mouth to my exploration.

My calm was shattered by the hunger welling up inside of me as I explored Lany's mouth. The hard length pressed against me told me that Lany desired me just as much as I desired Lany.

I couldn't be more thrilled at the prospect.

Lany groaned, his hands tightening on my arms. I felt a low rumble build in my chest. I lowered Lany down to the couch, moving to cover the man's body with my own. I looked down into Lany's beautiful amber-green eyes.

I was nearly overcome with the knowledge that I held him in my arms and that Lany was there willingly. How someone hadn't snapped him up before I came along was one of life's great mysteries.

"I need you, Lany," Iwhispered as I rubbed my finger over his lips. Stitches were nothing when one considered everything that had happened to Lany in his lifetime, but I needed to know he was alive and well and in my arms.

I growled low in my throat when Lany's tongue poked out to lick at my finger. I rubbed against Lany's tongue with my finger before sinking it into his mouth. I inhaled sharply when Lany's lips closed around my finger and the man began sucking on it. Each draw of Lany's mouth felt like it was mirrored on my cock.

I had no doubt Lany could get me to come just by sucking on my finger. I'd probably pass out from ecstasy if Lany sucked on my cock. I'd barely stood it the last time.

"Sal," Lany whispered.

When his eyes rose up to meet mine, I knew I was lost. I pulled at Lany's cloths off, tearing them away. I needed to feel Lany's body beneath my hands. I needed to feel my body pressing down on his.

I just plain out needed.

My lips followed my hands. I kissed each inch of naked skin I bared until Lany writhed under me, small pants and moans falling from his lush lips. And Lany had the fullest lips I'd ever seen.

"S-Sal," Lany moaned beneath me.

I immediately leaned down to take one brown hued nipple into my mouth. Lany cried out and arched up into me. After so many years together, I knew where each sweet spot on Lany's body was located. I moved my mouth across Lany's chest to the other nipple, finding it already pert and stiff. I growled and latched onto the hard little nub.

"Sal, please, I need…" Lany wailed.

The sound of Lany pleading spiraled through me like a tornado. Refusing to release the nipple in my mouth, I reached down and pulled the rest of Lany's clothing from his body. I almost growled in protest when I had to let go of Lany's taut nipple to get his shirt over his head, but the feeling of Lany's naked body pressing against mine more than made up for it.

I quickly stripped away my own clothes then hunched over Lany's body. I grabbed him by the hips and pulled the man's body up to mine until our cocks pressed together. Lany's legs surrounded me, wrapping naturally around my waist as if they had been there a hundred times.

"I'm going to love you now, amore mio," I said. The dazed, wide-eyed look Lany gave me filled me with joy. I stroked my hand down his side, my eyes following, eating up every inch of naked flesh I could see. "I'm going to love you so hard."

I knew Lany had no idea how true those words really were. Lany probably thought I meant I was going to fuck him, but what would happen between us meant so much more. This was the coming together of our souls.

I leaned down over Lany and claimed his lips again. I was mildly surprised at how eagerly Lany surrendered to the kiss, just not enough to stop. I wrapped one hand around the side of his head, anchoring the man where I wanted him.

I stroked the other hand gently down Lany's side and hip. I couldn't get over how soft Lany skin always felt, or how wonderful it felt to just touch him. I shuddered slightly, overcome by the mere feeling of Lany's body pressed against mine.

I licked purposefully at Lany's upper lip then delved inside to explore. I felt Lany pressed closer, unconsciously moving against me as if seeking more contact. Gripping Lany's hair tightly, I kissed and licked Lany's lush lips, devouring them. I would have climbed inside Lany's warm body if I could have.

As it was, I knew if I didn't get my cock in the man soon, I might pass out. My blood was pounding through my body so fast I already felt light headed. My body tingled every time it brushed against Lany's.

I hissed and jerked back when Lany bit my lips. The small nip didn't break the skin, but I almost wished it did. The smoky look of desire burning in Lany's eyes seared right through me.

"Lube," I said as I reached over to the nightstand. "We need lube."

Porca troia!

It wasn't there.

Where was our lube?