Page 54 of Love & Power

A loud moan burst out of me as I felt his tongue glide over that tight, sensitive entrance. I was so turned on by his words, everything felt hypersensitive. Soon, I was so lost in the sensation of him eating my ass out I forgot he didn’t plan on taking it all the way. He was just trying to get me loose enough to fit the plug in.

I bucked when the top of the plug ran over my pussy. “You’re so wet for me, I would hate to waste it,” Liu reasoned.

He was using the plug to collect my pussy lube before he started to nudge it into my ass, using his other hand to press his thumb into my lower back, massaging there to keep me from tensing up. “Relax, omae, I’m just testing the receptiveness.”

Sensing I needed more moisture, he used two fingers to scoop from my pussy and smeared it on my ass. Then he surprised me by thrusting the plug in and out of my pussy a few times, coating it before returning the attention above. When he applied firm, steady pressure against the tight-ringed entrance, I let out a whimper as my head rested on my hands. Taking deep breaths, I urged my body to relax and take the damn plug I was craving to be filled with. The feeling of my ass giving way to the plug was euphoric. I know some women hate anal and never find enjoyment in it, but fuck, I loved it.

“That’s my good girl,” Liu crooned as the plug slipped into place, kissing the skin just above the plug. “Perfect, simply perfect. Now I just need to cover you back up so we can join the others.”

Slowly, I righted myself, getting used to the feeling of the plug in my ass. It wasn’t uncomfortable per se, but not something I was used to feeling. Feeling it was a constant reminder of what was to come as well as knowing all my men knew I was wearing it. A shiver went down my spine as Liu adjusted my dress to cover up our little secret.

He took my hand and kissed the back of it as he pinned me with his dark brown eyes. “Ready, my love?”

I managed to nod and give an affirmative hum as Liu tucked my arm around his, leading us out of the chapel. We passed Ralph on the way out of the chapel, making me feel a little guilty for him having to hear what just happened. That is until I saw him pull earplugs out and slip them into his pants pocket—smart man.

The sound of people talking and laughing made it easy to know what direction to head, even though I’d been in there earlier to discuss the layout. Two rows of tables lined up from end to end with chairs on either side down the length of the hall provided the perfect amount of seating. I couldn’t imagine having to do this at another location. Seating roughly three hundred and fifty people was no small feat, but then again, a monastery could have that many monks and other people living on the property at one time, once more proving how clever the Raffa was who bought this place.

As we entered, the room fell silent but for the sound of chairs being pushed back as everyone stood. I had to fight the urge to look for Frediano to give me some sense of what was happening. Liu and I walked down to the far end, where there were two tables that bridged the gap between the two rows.

Frediano was there standing off to the right, leaving the middle seat open along with seven seats to the left where the Don’s wife normally sat. Someone had purposefully set things up for all my men to be on full display, marking them as my significant others. Frediano smiled and gave a slight tilt to his head, urging me to take my place. Thank God Liu didn’t let me run off for a romp in the sheets when this was clearly an important part of the evening.

Once seated, the guys took their place to my left, and the moment all of them were settled, everyone else resumed their seats. Food was placed before me, already portioned out with signs that someone had tasted the meal before it was served. Having a food taster was something I didn’t embrace well. The logic behind the action made sense, but I fucking hated that another person had to put their life at risk just so I remained safe. Ralph tried to tell me it was like having another bodyguard. I didn’t agree—he had the chance to protect himself and fight back. The person who was eating off my plate had no idea if they’d live past the first bite. However, I knew the Leoni was known for taking out their enemies with such tactics, so I kept my mouth shut and dug into the meal.

When I was about halfway through my dinner, there was a nudge against my leg. Glancing over at Liu, he raised a questioning brow as he subtly tapped his watch. Letting out a heavy sigh, I wiped my mouth, grabbed my glass of wine, and stood. The whole room froze as everyone snapped to attention.

“Please remain seated,” I called out, gesturing as well just in case they couldn’t hear me. “Relax, enjoy the food and company. I’m sure some of you haven’t seen each other in a while. Since my introduction into the family is rather late, I would love to spend some time getting to know you all over the weekend. I’ve ensured if you are staying at any of the hotels, you have the rooms for the next three days. Those staying elsewhere, the same goes for you, but know you are welcome to stay as long as you like. A family is only as strong as its connection to each other, which is why I plan to try and spend a little time getting to know you all. If you need to leave sooner than later, I’ll be making my way around the room, so feel free to flag me down.”

This hadn’t been my plan for the evening or the weekend, knowing I didn’t have a lot of time to get plans in action. Yet, as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew it was the right call. While Frediano had kept the Raffa Family business running, he’d lost the connection to the people he demanded loyalty from. Fear will only get you so far when it comes to choosing between loyalty or their life.

Ralph, my ever-present shadow, followed behind me as I approached the outside row of guests. I was surprised when Atticus fell in step beside me, knowing how much he disliked small talk.

“Atty, as much as I love having your company, I just need to make sure you know you have nothing to prove to me or anyone else here,” I murmured.

He smiled and adjusted his glasses before twining our hands together. “Thank you for saying that, but I have something to prove to myself.”

Before I could ask him what he meant, a woman who dragged a man behind her stepped in our path, causing us to stop abruptly or run into them. “Madam Raffa, I just wanted to introduce myself…” She simpered, pouting her overly-filled lips at me. The man beside her cleared his throat loudly, spurring a reaction out of her. “Oh, and my husband.”

“I believe it is customary for you to share your name when conducting an introduction,” Atticus pointed out.

The woman let out this strange braying sound that I think was supposed to be a laugh. “Oh my God, aren’t you a witty man,” she said, offering her hand to him as if it was a limp noodle. “I’m Fiona.”

Atticus made no attempt to touch the woman. In fact, he took half a step back so he stood just behind me and placed his hand on my outer hip. “I’m Atticus, one of Lady Astin’s paramours.”

“A what?” Fiona’s husband asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

“It’s a term people in a polyamorous relationship use instead of partner or lover,” I explained.

The man stumbled forward half a step, and I was assaulted with the stench of alcohol. “Polmamorus? What does that mean?”

There was no way he could be this drunk just from the wine served at dinner. I’d given express instructions that no one could have more than two glasses. Plus, this man wreaked of whiskey, only furthering the notion he’d been drinking for a while.

“I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name,” I commented, sidestepping the question.

“Oh, ah… it’s Simon,” he answered after having to think about it for a moment.

My brows rose as he pulled a flask from his jacket and unscrewed the lid before tipping it back. Simon scowled as he turned the flask upside down and shook it like that would magically change the fact it was empty. “What the hell… it was full a minute ago.”

“Put that thing away, you moron,” Fiona hissed, smacking him. She turned back to us with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry. This is so embarrassing. He’s normally not like this. You see, Simon is a functional alcoholic, but he is terrified of flying. The only way to get him here was to drown him in liquor until he passed out.”