"Gargano!"
"Yes," I turn from my conversation with my sister-in-law. My heart flutters at the sight of Kassius Ohno.
"The male Gargano twin," Kassius smiles squeezing my shoulder as he passes. "Good to see you again, Ella. Johnny!"
Candice nudges me gently to bring me out of my stupor. "Yeah…Yeah, you too," I call after the man.
"Smooth," Candice chuckles once the man is out of ear shot. "Just tell him."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I sniff.
"Men are stupid. We have to make the first move. Remember that?"
"Sounds vaguely familiar," I smirk, moving down the hallway.
"It's what you informed me when I admitted my crush on your brother."
"I don't see how this has anything to do with me."
"Stuttering. Red faced. Sweaty palms," she lists.
"I do not have…"
"Yes, you do," she smirks.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"No."
"I do," I smirk, kissing her cheek. "See ya around Sis. You need to get that wife of yours under control," I smile at my brother as I pass.
"That will never happen," he calls after me. "What's she doing this time?"
"All up in my personal life. Be careful out there."
"Love you."
I turn on my heel, raising my right hand palm out over my heart, index and pinky straight up and thumb straight out. Sign language for 'I love you'. Climbing the production truck steps, I glance back at the building. John and Kassius smile back at me through the door window. I throw one last wave at my brother before entering the truck.
X
"Ella," one of the senior producers call from the main room.
"Yes," I smile sticking my head out the side room where I am plotting out cameras for next week's main event.
He stares straight ahead at the wall of monitors.
"Oh God, what did Johnny do now," I chuckle, joining him.
The main monitor shows Johnny being moved to a back board. Cries of pain escaping him as the medical team move him slowly. It feels like a cold hand is squeezing my heart.
"What happened to him? Show me a replay."
"No," my boss barks.
"It doesn't have to show in the arena. Show ME a replay."
"I said no."
"Someone show me or I'll do it myself," I growl, sitting at one of the control panels.
"Show her. Two minutes only."
My eyes narrow at the footage.
"Should have known. Tommaso," I growl. Raising, I turn to my boss. "I'm going to my brother…if that's okay with you," I tack on the last part to soften the statement, trying to make it less a statement and more of a request.
He gives a sharp nod, back to directing the filming of my brother.
"Thank you."
"Don't do anything stupid."
"You obviously don't know the Garganos," I mumble, gathering my things and exiting the truck. Sprinting around the front I find Candice and Kassius standing beside the ambulance. "Candice."
"Ell," she sobs.
"Don't," I whisper. "Hold it together for him. You're strong. Make sure he's okay then we'll kick Tommaso's ass together."
She gives me a slight watery smile before being ushered into the back of the ambulance.
"I'll take care of Ella," Kassius calls as they close the doors but my attention is drawn to the man standing atop the production trailer. I feel the rage boiling inside of me at the sight of his cocky smile. Stalking along the side of the truck, I try to find where the bastard climbed up there.
"Where are you going?"
"To find out how that fucker got up there," I point.
"And do what exactly?"
"Beat his ass," I answer simply.
"Did you not see what he did to your brother," Kassius sighs, stopping me with an arm around my waist.
"Yes. Hence the need to beat his ass."
"I'm not going to let you get hurt."
"Because I'm a girl, I'm going to get hurt? Take your bullshit elsewhere," I growl, peeling his arm from me.
"You're going to get hurt because he just hurt his best friend. He doesn't care about anyone right now," he growls, stepping in front of me.
"I don't care," I growl. "And I will go through you, Ohno. Just gonna mean I'll be tired when I get to him."
"He could kill you."
"I…Don't…Care," I snap.
His eyes darken, leaning over he throws me over his shoulder.
"Kassius," I snap trying to wiggle out of his grip.
A sharp slap lands across my ass. "Behave," he growls.
"Make me," I growl.
The next slap is harder, and I bite back a moan.
"I said behave." He punctuates his order with a third slap to the ass and I find my will to fight against him dwindling. The sound of a door slamming into a wall has me jumping in his arms, a locker room coming into view as I raise from his back.
"Kassius?"
"No, you are going to listen to me," he snaps, hauling me from his shoulder. Grabbing either side of my face, he digs his fingers behind my jaws lightly when I try to pull away. "And you will hear me. Don't ever let me hear say that again. Never. You may not care if you get hurt but your brother will. Candice cares. I care."
"Don't give me that bullshit," I snort. "The only reason you 'care'," I throw up air quotes, "is because you are friends with my twin. If I was some random producer here, you wouldn't give me a second look."
"Lies," he sighs, pressing his forehead to mine. "I've always seen you, Ella. You, the beautiful Gargano," he smiles.
I feel my face heat up at his words.
"Please. Don't ever say…" He can't seem to finish his sentence.
"I don't care, Kassius. I don't care about myself. All I can think about is avenging my brother."
"You don't have to."
"But…"
"No buts. We will take care of Tommaso."
"We," I ask, fisting the material of his tee.
"We," he states. "Whatever you want that to mean."
Pulling his hands from my face, I hold them between us. Afraid to meet his eyes, I study our hands. "What…Uh…What do you want that to mean?"
"What I want isn't the point."
Raising my eyes, "It is to me."
He releases a shaky breath but says nothing.
"That's fine," I murmur finally after a few tense quiet minutes. Cursing myself internally for allowing the small bit of hope to surface. "See you around," I sigh, sliding from his lap.
His arm shoots out wrapping around my thighs and I steady myself against his shoulder. He buries his face against my middle. "Ella. Ella. Ella," he breathes, his hand slides up to cup my ass beneath my skirt. "Do you think I'm blind?"
"I…Uh…I don't think so."
"I have watched you for years, wanting you to see me too."
"Always," I smile, burying one hand in his hair.
"Always?"
"I'm not blind either, Kassius," I smile, tilting his head backwards. "You sweet, sexy man. Just FYI though, you smack my ass again I may just take you in front of everyone."
"Is that right," he grins, squeezing my ass.
I nod sharply, moaning.
"Look at me," he rumbles as my eyes drift close. His lips sealing over mine as I follow his order.
"Fuck," I sigh as we break apart. "Better than I've been imagining."
"Been imagining this?"
"Only when horny," I smile, diving for another kiss.
"How are you feeling right now," he asks, hands moving to drag my panties down my legs.
"Like I'm living in a dream," I state, tearing my top over my head before turning my attention to his tee. "I don't want to wake up before the good part." My knees almost buckle as his thumb rubs tight circles on my clit. "Fuck," I breathe.
"Do you know how long I've wanted to do this, Ell?"
"Tell me," I smile, snaking a hand into his shorts.
"Jesus Christ," he grunts as I slowly start to stroke him.
"Nope. Just me."
"Smartass," he smirks, pulling me into his lap. His teeth nipping at the shell of my ear. "I'm going to have to do something about that."
"What do you have in mind," I smirk, rocking my hips against his.
"I think I'm just going to have to fuck the daylights out of you," he growls against my ear, sending heat into my lower belly.
"Promise?"
My back hits the door before I even realize we're moving, one arm holding me to him as the other works his shorts down.
"Last chance…"
I cut him off with a slow languid kiss that leaves us both breathless. "I've waited for this for years, don't back out on me now."
My nails dig into his shoulders as he sheaths himself. I lean back against the door enjoying the feeling of finally being with the man of my dreams.
"Ella?"
"Tell me this isn't a dream," I whimper, grinding my hips down.
The slap across my ass has me moaning.
"What do you think?"
"I think I was promised the daylights fucked out of me," I pant. "Please."
"No need to beg," he groans, snapping his hips. "I've wanted this as much as you, Sweetheart." His hips setting a quick but calculated pace. "Every accidental brush of your hand against mine sent my skin on fire with electricity. Every conversation has me imagining this right here. When you said you didn't care about yourself," his hips buck sharply taking my breath away. "All I could think about was show you just how much you mean to me."
"Kassius," I moan, my grip tightening around him. I feel like a guitar string overtightened.
"And that," he growls. "My name coming out of you like that…so breathless and…" He groans, burying his face into my cleavage.
"Oh God," I groan as the new position has his pelvic ridge rubbing against my clit. All thoughts leaving me as I throb around him.
"Ella," he groans against my skin, his hips stilling.
"Kassius," I pant as aftershocks roll through me.
"You look beautiful like this, you know that," he peeks up at me.
"Not so bad yourself," I smile gathering his hair back from his face. "God, I love this mane of yours."
He chuckles softly allowing me to slide down his body, holding me close once I find my feet. Glancing up, his face is serious as he strokes down my back. "I'm going to take care of Tommaso for you."
"I don't feel like thinking about him anymore," I grin up at him. "I just want to clean up and go check on my brother. Then take you back to my place for a long exciting night. Tommaso can wait until the morning.
X
A line of soft kisses across my shoulders wake me the next morning.
"Mmmm," I hum. "Ten more minutes. I'm exhausted."
"I wonder why," Kassius chuckles, moving to kiss down the back of my neck.
"I know why," I grin.
"Me too," he sighs, his hands stroking down my torso.
"Your brother is going to kill me," he sighs lifting the covers. "There is marks all over you, Sweetheart."
"I doubt he'll ever even see them. Candice maybe."
"Yeah but Candice never told me to stay away from you," he chuckles.
"What?"
"Johnny…"
"I'm going to kick his ass."
"What the hell is this?"
Sitting up I find the man in question standing in my doorway. "Oh goody. I going to get to do that sooner than I thought."