Saturnalia: Lord of Misrule Read online

  “Full of it, indeed.” Renato snorted and said something in Italian under his breath that had Matt and her grandparents chuckling. “The whole point of the story is to explain Saturnalia, the celebration remembering Saturn and what he once did for the Roman people. December seventeenth has always belonged to Saturn, though through the years it’s been expanded to five days, so the villagers have an excuse to continue the party.” He chuckled. “So you will see no Christmas decorations for the next five days, from December seventeenth through the twenty-first. Instead we will have a huge party, where we wear costumes, play pranks, eat, drink, and be merry, I guess you might say.”

  “Like Mardi Gras, kind of?”

  Matt nodded. “A good comparison. It’s a real party. The town elects a leader, the Lord of Misrule, and he sets the tone for the festival.” Matt leaned closer, his breath whispering in her ear. “The action can be pretty racy, so your grandparents might want to sit out the next few nights at home. But Renato and I would be happy to show you around.”

  Allegra swallowed loudly. “Ah, thanks, I think. But really I came to visit with them, to see their, I mean, our family.”

  “And about time.” Her grandmother huffed. “My idiot son has all but cut us out of her life. Luckily my nipote has better sense than to listen to him. Imagine a house with no Italian speech, no food even.”

  “No manicotti? No lasagna? Not even tiramisu?” Renato shook his head, his fingers dancing circles of pleasure against her sensitive neck. “What a shame.”

  “Grandma, leave Dad out of it,” Allegra said on a breath. She’d made her grandparents promise to not mention her parents on the trip. Wasn’t it enough Allegra had rebelled against her immediate family to maintain contact with her father’s parents? Hell, they refused to speak to her until she came back from Italy and even then, her father demanded that she also break off any and all contact with his parents. And Allegra still had no idea why they were feuding.

  “Ah, bella, you look sad. This is not the time for that. Only for joy, and to celebrate what Saturn has given us.” Renato leaned close and squeezed her in what he probably thought was a comforting hug.

  Thank God my grandparents are in the car. Because if they weren’t, I’d be seriously ripping Renato’s clothes off before jumping the man. And she wouldn’t forget Matt by her side either.

  Talk drifted to the Valente family in Il Regalo. Renato and Matt leaned back, breaking contact with her, and with a relieved breath, Allegra focused on her pending vacation and not the hungry needs of her undersexed body.

  Though depressed her family still couldn’t seem to get along, she was actually excited by this trip to a new place. She’d always longed to visit this place she had ties to, but one thing or another always seemed to crop up, what with her schooling, her new business, and last but definitely least, her pesky ex-boyfriend.

  But with Josh completely out of the picture and her bakery finally in the black, nothing had been holding her back from this trip. She met Matt’s and Renato’s interested gazes before turning her attention to the beautiful countryside they passed and sighed with true enjoyment. Between the clear blue sky, the calm, even breeze drifting through the car, her favorite grandparents laughing in the front seat, and the eye candy sitting on either side of her, Allegra figured it didn’t get any better than this.

  Chapter Two

  Matt smiled at the older man welcoming them with open arms. He and Renato had been introduced to the entire waiting family, a dozen of Allegra’s eager cousins, aunts, and uncles who appeared to relish the arrival of this very special woman who didn’t yet know her value.

  Matt knew, as did Renato, and every breath they shared with this desirable female put Matt one step closer to sexual combustion. As if sensing his regard, Allegra turned, laughing with her newly met cousin, and smiled when he nodded her way. Christ, but if she kept looking at him like that he was going to start the celebration early and fuck her where she stood, spectators or no.

  “Matteo, I need a minute.” Renato motioned him over. “Signor Valente,” he said to Tony’s brother, Giorgio. “Might I borrow your study for a moment? I have an issue to discuss with my partner needing privacy. We won’t be long.”

  Giorgio was all over himself to lend a hand and ushered them into the study, closing the door behind them. The older man knew who they were and why they’d come, and if Matt wasn’t mistaken, Tony and Donna knew as well. The older couple had been shooting them reverential looks. Hell, the fact that they’d brought their beloved granddaughter, all but pushing the three together in the car, pleased him to no end.

  He swore as his cock pressed uncomfortably against his boxers, wishing he could rid himself of his growing attraction. But he’d been born for this very purpose, and having the female he’d been waiting for here, next to him in the goddamn car, had been intoxicatingly cruel. How Renato could stand it was beyond him.

  “Matteo?” Renato said quietly.

  Matt turned to face him and saw a familiar gleam in his friend’s eyes. Shit. Not now. It was all he could do to hold on. He couldn’t deal with Renato’s lust, too.

  “Don’t start, Rene.”

  “Come here.”

  Matt frowned. “This isn’t a good idea. We need all the time we can get with her before tomorrow. Because ‑‑”

  Rene cut off his next words with a hard grab. In two seconds, the large man had his hand down Matt’s pants and wrapped around his cock.

  “Rene,” he growled, not in the mood to play games of dominance with his best friend and sometime lover. He was hard enough from Allegra, he didn’t need Rene adding to his frustration.

  Then Rene moved closer, and Matt felt his friend’s erection through the silk of their trousers, which made it worse. Knowing he wasn’t the only one affected made it that much harder to hold onto his tenuous control.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Matt whispered furiously, conscious the door behind them could open any minute. Yet he couldn’t resist the large palm molding him, and he pressed deeper into Rene’s grasp.

  “You, my friend, need ease. The little witch in there is too tempting, yes?” Rene began pumping, and Matt gave a silent groan at how good the motion felt. “She tempts me as well.” Rene thrust against Matt’s thigh, clearly aroused. “We must focus on the festival. If we move too soon, we’ll lose it all.”

  Matt nodded, his mind barely making sense of anything while Rene had his cock imprisoned in that heavenly grip. Sweat beaded on his forehead as Rene pushed Matt’s trousers and underwear down to his knees.

  “But what if they ‑‑”

  “No one will enter. They don’t wish to displease Saturn.” Rene smiled, his gaze suddenly fathomless, his grin carnal. And Matt was once again reminded that as well as he thought he knew his friend, there were depths to Rene that awed him. “Nor do you. Now spread your legs wider.”

  Matt did as ordered, his balls tight, his cock aching, needing more. Rene didn’t disappoint. Licking his finger, he reached around Matt and pried between the cheeks of his ass.

  Hissing with pleasure, Matt widened his stance, as much as he was able to with his pants around his knees. Uncomfortable yet sexually frenzied, he couldn’t help moaning his desire.

  Rene took away his sounds with a swift kiss. And as he penetrated Matt’s mouth with his tongue, he also thrust his finger into Matt’s ass. Matt shuddered, his cock creaming as Rene increased the urgency of his strokes. Like an inferno, Matt’s lust roared uncontrollably, and in moments he was ready to spew.

  He broke from Rene’s mouth, panting. “I’m going to come hard.”

  Rene quickly withdrew his finger from Matt’s ass and grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket. Focused now on Matt’s cock, he continued to jerk him off while sucking Matt’s tongue with an efficiency bordering on madness. Visions of Allegra between them suddenly appeared in Matt’s mind’s eye, and Rene groaned into his mouth, as if seeing them as well.

  Matt felt the explosion start at the
base of his spine and work through his balls as his cum jetted into the handkerchief Rene held. On and on he pulsed, his body frozen in the little death that was so incredibly powerful. It felt like forever before he could catch his breath. With shaky hands, he righted his clothing and watched Rene stuff the dirtied cloth into his pant pocket, the action clearly outlying the massive erection straining his trousers.

  Shit. Matt knew what came next, but the need inside him to dominate was subdued again as Rene smirked and unbuttoned his pants. The zipper slid slowly down, the sound loud in the quiet stillness of the study. Matt watched helplessly as Rene took out his smooth, golden shaft, moist with arousal.

  “Suck me.” He held his cock like an offering, waiting for Matt to respond.

  Matt frowned, wanting to resist, but found himself on his knees before Rene, widening his mouth as Rene thrust inside. And then he knew only pleasure as he tasted sex at its purest.

  “Madre dei dii.” Mother of the gods. Rene’s plea to the goddess Ops was answered by the skillful suctioning of Matt’s lips.

  Though Matt preferred to be in charge during sex, the few times he and Rene had fucked over the years, he’d allowed his friend to take control. Yet as he sucked, he wondered if the word “allowed” ever came into play around Rene. Rene had a gift, an ability to make others do what he wanted. A godly gift. And it was at times like this that Matt realized Rene truly was his namesake. Renato ‑‑ reborn. Saturn made flesh.

  Matt closed his eyes as Rene sank his fingers in his hair and thrust harder as his climax neared. The man tasted so damned good. Very much a lover of women, Matt had never been attracted to men. Until Rene had seduced him one night a few years ago. The taste of his cock had sent their relationship in a new direction, one Rene rarely took advantage of. Just the taste of his cum set Matt on fire, releasing a feral need to possess that Matt didn’t understand to this day.

  Already he could feel his desire to control Rene growing, to taste the man’s seed as it flowed out of his cock.

  Rene panted, groaning softly. “Swallow me, my wolf. Take me now.”

  A gush of sweet fluid filled Matt’s mouth, and he swallowed hungrily as Rene unloaded. The smell of him, the taste of raw masculinity pervaded his senses, and for that brief moment, Matt forgot everything but Renato Fortuna.

  Rene’s hands slowly released Matt’s head, and with a last lingering suck, Matt let Rene fall from his mouth.

  “Amante, you are so very, very good at that.” Rene pulled Matt to his feet and kissed him. “You have no idea what it does to me to taste myself on your lips.” Rene sighed and tucked himself back into his pants, then stood back to eye Matt critically. A few tugs to his own clothing and a hand through his hair and Renato looked as perfectly groomed as always. “There. Now we can return to Allegra and her famiglia, yes? The hunger abates for another day. Tomorrow…” Rene smiled, his grin positively lethal. “Tomorrow, amante, she’s ours.”

  * * * * *

  Allegra woke the following morning feeling muddied, her dreams a strange amalgam of desire, love, and sacrifice. Bloodied images of slain goats, trenchers of wine, and loads of grains, fruits, and sweets circled around that damned statue of Saturn she couldn’t put out of her mind. In her dreams, the statue had been so detailed. And she was surprised to realize Renato and the statue looked very much alike.

  Shaking her head, she went about her morning routine and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved cashmere sweater. But when she left her room to join the family, she found the house curiously empty.

  Noise reached her from the central courtyard, and she stepped into the circular outdoor space, surprised at what she saw. Everyone was dressed in odd, mismatched clothing, looking more like bonded servants than conservative winemakers. Allegra hadn’t known until they’d been introduced, but the entire Valente clan in Il Regalo worked for the Fortuna wine company. No wonder they’d been so friendly to Matt and Renato yesterday.

  It now made sense that Giorgio had bent over backwards to serve the men. As it was, the minute Matt and Renato had stepped out of sight, a curious excitement broke out among the Valentes.

  “It’s really them.”

  “Yes, here in our home.”

  “And they bring with them Tony and Donna…and Allegra.”

  There had been a wealth of meaning in that last statement, but one that bypassed Allegra. She was still intrigued by the larger than life pair of men, two such perfect specimens of male beauty that she’d never before seen, and probably never would again. For all that they’d promised to take her to the festival, she doubted they’d return. Men who looked that fine had a multitude of willing women lined up at the door waiting for even the promise of a date.

  Ah, well. Easy come, easy go. Allegra turned to her grandfather, clad in the plain garb of the Valentes’ stable boys. “Grandpa?”

  Tony chuckled. “What do you think? It’s been many years since I worked with the horses. I’m going to clean some stalls with the boys while your grandmother cooks with your Aunt Mia.”

  Allegra noted that Giorgio too wore rough work clothes. “And you, Uncle Giorgio?”

  “Ah, today I am the gardener. It’s all in fun, Allegra,” he said with a chuckle, noting her confusion. “Part of Saturnalia. The servants become the masters, the masters the servants.”

  She nodded, not really understanding but willing to go along with the festivities. Her cousins and other relatives wore stupid grins, along with the cook, gardener, and stable master she’d met yesterday. Everyone seemed to be switching roles, and she wondered what she might do.

  “Grandma? What about me?”

  “You?” Her grandmother waved a hand to stifle the sudden laughter echoing in the cool, crisp morning air. “You, my dear, are a revered guest. You’ve earned the invitation to the festival tonight, so you must rest and make ready.”

  “Huh?”

  “Don’t you remember? Matteo and Renato expressly invited you to il partito nella via, the party in the street,” her grandmother explained slowly. “It’s a great part of Saturnalia, where they crown the Lord of Misrule. We’ll all be there tonight. It’s very exciting.” Anticipation glittered in Donna Valente’s brown eyes, and Allegra laughed along with her. Though she still didn’t believe Matt and Renato would actually return, the sound of a huge street party in town sounded like fun.

  “Now let me get back to the kitchen. Mia, grab your nieces, and let’s go.”

  To Allegra’s amusement, she and the staff were treated like royalty as they gobbled up fresh bread, hot coffee, and slices of spiced ham and Grana Padano, what she’d always called Parmesan. The salty meat and sweet cheese, which oddly enough had a hint of pineapple, soothed the hunger pains racking her belly, and Allegra realized with surprise that she hadn’t eaten since running into Matt and Renato the day before. Too jittery to focus on food, she’d been inundated with sensual hunger instead.

  Thank God that had faded, she lied to herself, flushing as she forced another bite of cheese down her throat threatening to close even now. For some reason, those two men made it impossible to want anything else but their bodies.

  Allegra shifted on her seat and smiled at something the cook said, but her mind remained firm on the other images she’d dreamed. On the ones where Matt knelt before Renato, taking the man’s cock in his mouth and bringing him to climax. Where Renato suckled her breasts while Matt fucked her hard, his fingers rubbing sensuously over her clit before Renato straddled her face, pressing that hard shaft between her lips… Flushed, Allegra jumped up and offered an excuse about needing the restroom. But once inside the small lavatory, she sagged against the back of the door. What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t nearly come from a fantasy. And since when did she daydream such erotic acts? Granted, she had an imagination and liked reading racier romance, but please. Two men having sex? Two men having sex with her?

  Pulling herself together, she straightened and splashed water over her face, determined to enjoy her trip as well as ga
ther a few new recipes to explore, in hopes of finding something new to add to her repertoire at home. But that was a week and a half away, and she had several more days of fun, revelry, and the beautiful Italian countryside to absorb before reality returned.

  Filled with the desire to enjoy her vacation, Allegra rejoined the others in the courtyard and started bugging the cook, who was more than happy to share a few recipes since she had no real work pressing.

  Hours later, Allegra had her hands full of dough covered in flour as she hummed under her breath. Her grandparents were napping, having promised they’d all drive into town in another hour. She’d spent the morning touring the area, surprised to see how much of an estate the Valente land actually encompassed. Surrounded by grassy fields, a small, private vineyard, and a full stable of horses, with a disarming view of the town in the distance, here, Allegra couldn’t help feeling as if she’d found the charming little villa she’d expected of Il Regalo. In the stable, the horses had welcomed her, and being able to ride behind her cousins as they passed a river and neighboring villagers on a dirt road had been a blast.

  Allegra loved the outdoors as much as she loved her kitchens, but finding the time to enjoy a more rugged lifestyle had been tight the last few years. But now that her business had finally taken off, she couldn’t be happier to experience Italy with her grandparents. The two were getting older, and Allegra realized she’d regret it forever if something happened to either Tony or Donna before she had a chance to join them in celebration of their homecoming. As it was, watching them both settle in with their relatives proved both amusing and heartwarming.

  Her grandfather worked well with his brother as they amused her in the stables, and her grandmother’s surprising talent in the kitchen showed Allegra where she’d inherited her own cooking skills, because it sure as hell wasn’t from her mother, who could burn water. Donna, apparently, was a marvel behind a stove, a secret she’d been keeping for years.