Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
"Brio Cascella is a dangerous man, Aurelia. You think you can trust him, but you're wrong. Whatever lies and false promises he sold you are exactly that." I tip her chin up when she tries to look away from me. "You're a pawn in whatever game he's playing with your brothers, and pawns are expendable to men like Brio. If he thinks you plan to betray him, he'll kill you. If you don't do whatever he sent you here to do, he'll kill you. You need me."
Her gaze flits across my face, searching for something. "H-he didn't send me here, Mattia. You kidnapped me."
My lips lift into a sardonic smile. "You're a terrible fucking liar, topolina. What does he want?"
"How should I know?" She jerks away from me, trying to put distance between us. "If you want to know Brio's mind, maybe you should have drugged, kidnapped, and married him."
A burst of laughter escapes me, an unexpected, dark sound that makes her jump. "Perhaps I should have," I muse, my eyes never leaving her face.
She crosses her arms, her fierce eyes shooting daggers at me. But there's fear there too. Fear she's desperately trying to mask. "Can we just drop this? I'm so tired, Mattia."
"Of what?" I ask, leaning against the wall. "Lying to me? Hiding? Denying the truth?" My gaze doesn't waver from hers. I want all of her secrets, every last fucking one.
"Of everything!" She throws her hands up in frustration, pacing back and forth across the living room. "You're such a…a…" she stutters, anger overriding her ability to articulate.
"Bastard? Monster?" I supply helpfully, watching as she spins around to glare at me.
"Yes!" she snaps.
"Good. Be honest with me," I order, pushing away from the wall and moving toward her. "You think I'm a monster? A bastard? A fucking asshole?" The hurt in her eyes makes me pause, but I force myself to stay focused. This is important.
"I think you're dangerous," she finally admits. There's fear in her gaze now, but there's something else, too. Something…heated. The danger excites her.
My lips curve into an amused smirk. "You're not wrong about that."
She flinches, taking a step back.
"But don't mistake danger for cruelty," I warn, advancing on her. My words hang heavy in the air between us. "I'll never be cruel to you, Aurelia. You're safe with me."
She tenses at my confession, almost as if she'd rather be anything but safe with me. As if she doesn't want to let herself believe it. I think she's afraid if she lets herself relax, she'll let herself trust me with her secrets, and that scares the shit out of her.
What is she hiding that's so goddamn important that she's willing to put herself through all of this just to keep it hidden? What does Brio have on her? It has to be something.
It always fucking is.
I grab her around the waist, pulling her into my arms.
She gasps at the sudden movement.
"You're mine," I growl into her ear. "Fight your fate if it makes you feel better. I don't care." Her body trembles against mine at my words. "It only makes my fucking cock hard when you do it, topolina. That's the kind of bastard I am."
Without warning, I crash my lips onto hers. The kiss is full of desperation, a battle of wills. A silent plea for her to trust me, to let me in, to give me everything. Because I want all of her—every secret, every fear, every desire.
She fights like a fucking hellcat. She isn't trying to get me off her, though. She pulls my hair and, bites my lip, claws my arms. But she doesn't push me away. She doesn't try to wrench herself from my arms, either.
Soon enough, the fight ends—with her melting against me.
I carry her up to the bedroom, never separating from her lips as I navigate through the darkened hallway. The moment we're inside, I kick the door shut behind us with a loud bang, pinning her against it.
"Mattia," she whimpers against my lips as I run my hands down her body, exploring as if every lush curve is territory to be conquered, land I'm claiming for myself. This is no gentle exploration, though. It's ragged and primal and so fucking right.
I can't help but grin at the sound of her voice.
Does she have any idea how sweet she sounds begging for me?
"Beautiful," I breathe before sliding down her body until I'm on my knees at her feet.
Her eyes widen as I position myself between her legs, her breath hitching in sudden anticipation. "What are you…?"
"I'm going to fuck you with my tongue until you forget anything else exists, topolina."
Her breath catches in her throat as my words sink in. Her thighs press tightly together, as though she's instinctively trying to stifle the ache between them.