Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 240(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 240(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
“Assholes,” I said under my breath and heard them laugh. It pissed me off even more.
I beelined to the kitchen, where I planned on getting a glass of water, when I slammed into one of the waitstaff. The tray she carried toppled slightly before she righted it and giggled.
“God. Sorry.” I narrowed my eyes at the goons behind me. Both wore smirks. “I’m being followed by watchdogs and not paying attention.”
The woman said something to the men in Italian, in which they answered in short, rapid responses. She rolled her eyes and gestured for me to come into the kitchen.
“Here,” she said and handed me a small glass bowl filled with what looked like ice cream. “Lemon sorbet. I was headed outside to give some to the gardeners. Looks like you could use a sweet treat.”
I took the bowl and the tiny silver spoon, staring at her then at the ice cream in confusion.
“Do I look like I need ice cream?”
She scoffed and looked offended. “Sorbet, Miss Liliana. Homemade by Chef. You won’t find anything more refreshing.” Someone called out in Italian, and she gave me one nod before heading out of the kitchen. The door swung open, and I saw the goons standing right outside, staring at me.
I rolled my eyes and flipped them off. Right before the door swung shut, I saw them burst out laughing.
The kitchen was blocked off to only this one entryway, so I assumed that’s why they hadn’t followed me inside since I had no chance of running.
Fuckers.
I sat at the little table that overlooked the gardens from the large picture window. I played with the ice cream—sorbet—for a second, watching it melt into a silky consistency before bringing a spoonful to my mouth. At that first touch of the cold, citrusy sweetness to my tongue, I held back a moan.
Good God. She wasn’t lying.
I watched a few birds land on the bird feeders positioned on the other side of the window. I finished half the sorbet before I felt someone enter. I assumed it was the young woman again.
“You were right. This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“You haven’t had my cock in your mouth yet.”
My eyes widened. I spun around in the chair to see Matteo standing inside the entryway. “The hell?” I choked out those two words. He was in front of me before I could even blink, reached out and took the spoon, and scooped a dollop of sorbet out of the bowl.
While holding my gaze with his, he brought the spoon to his mouth and licked it clean. “Mmm. It's good. Sweet.” He took another spoonful before setting the utensil down on the table with a resounding clank. “Bet your pussy is sweeter, though.”
I choked on my saliva and was about to curse him out, maybe push him away, but none of that happened. I sat there and stared into his eyes wondering what the fuck was going on.
“I’m not staying here.” That’s what I said. After hearing Matteo talk about eating me out, of course, my brain spewed forth those four words like they made any sense in this situation.
“You’ll have dinner with me, and we’ll decide what’s going to happen next.”
And just like that, the spell and haze broke.
I knew he wasn’t expecting me to answer. I didn’t know what to say anyway. So, I stayed silent, held his gaze, and refused to break the stare down, and finally, he turned and left.
I sat there scared as hell, wondering what he meant by those words.
Chapter 9
Matteo
LATER THAT EVENING
I was tired of fucking walking around Liliana like she wasn’t going to be mine in the end.
I was tired of waiting.
I wanted her with this fierceness that rivaled anything I’d ever felt before.
Wanting her was such a tame fucking way to describe the level of obsession I felt for her. And the longer she stayed under my roof and denied me, the more I watched her, knew her every move, and jerked off to thoughts of her, the more that need grew in me.
I’d barely touched her. Those late night sessions where I snuck in her bedroom and touched her skin and gently tasted her lips were just teases. She set a fire in my blood the likes of which I’d never felt before.
What I didn’t realize was how fun it would be to have her under my thumb. To make her do what I wanted.
To use her.
It made little sense in my world, not in the way I held myself in control. I was used to people cowing to my will. I expected it. That’s how I got my power, how people did what I said without thinking.
But everything was different where Liliana was concerned. Everything was different in me because of her, and it pissed me off.