Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
“Poor little bird,” he crooned. “Don’t you like having your wings clipped? You didn’t really want to fly away, remember?”
A curse was on the tip of my tongue, but it came out as little more than a garbled plea as my teeth chattered. I was so cold down to my bones. I shuddered in the ropes, fear gripping my psyche like sharp black claws.
“Don’t be afraid, pet,” he soothed, caressing my chilled cheek. “You’ll learn to love being caged.”
“Please…” I managed to force out the single, desperate word, but he shushed me gently, like I truly was nothing more than a spooked animal.
Fear had reduced me to a primal state, and he’d ripped away my ability for fight or flight. I was thoroughly trapped and powerless, snared by Dante. He was even more terrible than I’d allowed myself to imagine, just as sadistic as Luca had claimed.
Luca. I longed for my husband, for him to save me like he had when Dante had sent men to our home to threaten us. I wanted Luca to make Dante bleed and scream for what he was doing to me.
But Luca wasn’t here. I was utterly alone with the beautiful madman who seemed to want nothing more than to unravel me completely, to reduce me to a fear-ridden, sobbing mess.
He reached around me as though to gather me up in an embrace, and he tugged at the knot that held the binding firm on my chest. As the coils of rope loosened, he pressed down on my shoulder, forcing me lower on my knees. The diamond patterned bindings on my legs bit deeper into my flesh, a throbbing ache that made me cry out.
The pain distracted me, ensnaring my attention as Dante swiftly unwound the rope from my torso. For a few clumsy, desperate seconds, my arms were free. All my poise and composure had been ripped away long ago, and my wild attempts to fight him were fumbling and laughably uncoordinated.
He dodged my flying fist and grabbed my wrists, drawing both arms behind my back and securing them there with a lashing of rope. To my horror, he gripped the bodice of my strapless gown and yanked it downward, baring my breasts to the chilly air. My body was on fire as the cold breeze rippled over the surface of my skin. Icy fear still encased my bones, but somehow, my flesh was burning in contrast to the frigid air.
Rather than ravaging me, Dante returned his attention to the rope. I was thoroughly immobilized, but he tied me tighter, moving at a leisurely pace now that I had no hope of hitting out at him. Pain was a dull throb on my bound legs, digging deep with every pulse of blood through the length of my limbs.
My captor wound the rope around my bare chest, the abrasive fibers lightly scratching my sensitive skin. My nerves sparkled beneath it, tingling with awareness as he kept my body on high alert. The binding framed my breasts, drawing tight until they were thrust out on lewd display. His eyes darkened as he continued his perverted work, amusing himself with tightening the bindings to the edge of pain, until my breasts swelled and became hypersensitive to every brush of his calloused fingertips.
“You’re sick,” I accused on a ragged whisper, my breath coming in shallow gasps.
“And you’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” he replied, completely unperturbed by my insult.
He trailed the abrasive rope over my tight nipples, and sparks ignited on my skin, dancing down my abdomen in hot lines. They pinged along my clit, lighting up my sex with carnal awareness.
My cheeks burned.
No. Not again. Luca had forced me to feel pleasure in order to ease his harsh claim over my body, but surely, I wouldn’t be capable of enjoying any aspect of what Dante was doing to me.
He caught my peaked nipples between two lengths of rope and pulled it taut at my back, pinching the sensitive buds. My head dropped back on a wail, a sound of desire and despair.
“So beautiful,” he rumbled, nuzzling my hair.
A small, broken sound keened from my chest, and I felt his cruel smile against my neck as he trailed his hot tongue along my vulnerable artery. He kept my nipples trapped as his free hand skimmed up my bound and aching thigh. More sparks danced along my soft skin as he traced around the diamond patterns that dug into my tender flesh, as though he was memorizing the shape of them through touch.
“Please,” I whimpered when his fingertips brushed the edge of my underwear. I couldn’t bear this. My soul wouldn’t survive the shame of what was to come if he continued toying with me.
“I want my kiss, my pretty bride,” he murmured, brushing his lips along my collarbone.