Page 68 of The Casella King

The woman from the club, the night Ezra and I made our appearance as a couple, the one who cornered me in the women’s restroom.

Opening my laptop, I sift through the countless emails I had received throughout my time away from the world of weddings. A few of my clients had been furious with me with my lack of support and cancelled, requesting a refund, which is completely justified. Earlier in the week I had contacted my assistant to ask her to take over, but I know it’s a lot of work to handle for just one person. I know I don’t have to work, being the wife of a Casella, but my work brings me pleasure and gives me some sort of purpose. I don’t think I could just sit by Ezra and not do anything.

I’m interrupted by Ezra’s delicious dark eyes peering at me from the archway of the door to my study. “Still working at this hour?” A smile plays on his lips, and I think to myself how luckyI am that I have a man who looks like he does. I drink him in, watching as the shadows play in the perfect spots on his skin, accentuating every divot of his muscles.

“I’m almost done.” I smile back at him as he walks towards me, his bottom half covered in a towel, his skin still sparkling with water droplets.

“All work and no play,” he whispers as he stands behind me, massaging my shoulders. I feel the tension in them release as he lowers his lips near my ear. “I want to play.” His gravelly voice glides over my skin, goose bumps forming in its wake. I stand, throwing my arms around his neck as he lifts me on top of the oak desk. Heat bellows deep within my belly as I feel his hands glide over my skin and his mouth crash into mine. My core aches for him as my mind reels with the memories of what he did to me a few nights ago, filling every inch of me with him.

“Wait,” I pant, remembering I’m all out of my contraception. “We can’t. We have to wait.” My hands push him away, but he doesn’t budge.

“Wait for what?” he says, kissing my neck, sending tingles all the way through to my toes.

“I-I don’t have any more contraception,” I explain, and his eyes find mine. A flash passes through those dark irises as he drops his towel, his hand coming between us to stroke his cock.

“I love it when you talk dirty.” He groans as he enters me, my mouth opening as his hand quickly covers my gasp. I wrap my legs around him, feeling him move his hips sensually, taking his time. “You have no idea how much I want to see you pregnant with my child.” He thrusts deep inside me, his hand coming down and wrapping around my neck. My mind swirls with the possibility of pregnancy, but the only thing I can seem to focus on is how he makes me feel, buried so deep inside me. He grips my throat tighter as I moan with each thrust, moving my hips to meet his.

“You look like a fucking goddess,” he whispers as he bites my jaw, the sting mixing with the swell of pleasure. “A deity I’d thirst to worship on my knees, for the rest of my life.”

“Do you love me?” I ask as my eyes meet his—hunger, lust, and love mixed all in one big ball of fury inside his eyes.

“Love is nothing but a notion to me. What I feel for you cannot be measured. It cannot be seen.” He brings his forehead to mine. “What I feel for you is dark, it’s ugly and messy.” His hand fists my hair and pulls back, the sting pulsing through my skull. “I would burn the entire fucking world to ashes if it meant you’d be mine in all lifetimes beyond this one.”

My eyes roll back as he thrusts into me, his words ringing in my ears like an echo of a caress. “I don’t know who I am without you anymore,” I say, and he growls at my confession, his hand gripping my hip. It feels so fucking good to be taken by Ezra, to be swallowed up whole by his darkness.

“It’s a good thing you willneverbe without me again,” he whispers as his hips meet mine with force.

“Ezra.” I moan as I feel the pressure building inside me, swirling like a whirlpool just waiting to suck me into its rush. “Harder,” I pant.

His hands grip onto my hips as he thrusts harder and faster into me, my arms wrapping around his neck.

“Fuck, you drive me fucking insane,” he pants between thrusts. I feel the release hit me like a tidal wave as I ride out the pleasure, rolling my hips on his cock as my loud moans fill the room. “That’s it, baby, cover me in your cum.” I feel my arousal all over him as he pounds into me. The wetness coating my inner thighs as he chases his own release.

“Let’s make a prince.” I whisper in his ear, and he growls as he jerks inside me, his forehead landing on my shoulder as his chest heaves for air.

“She won’t listen to me,” I plead as Ezra and I walk towards Darcy’s room. It’s been about a week since the choice had been made for Nico to marry Darcy. Somehow, I got roped into talking to her and making her see that this is the lesser of the two evils. Ezra gives me a kiss on my shoulder and leaves as I stand in front of her door. Raising my hand, I knock and wait.

“Do we suddenly have boundaries now?” she calls out from behind the door, and I open it, walking into the room and shutting it behind me. She watches me as I walk over to the couch and take a seat. “What? They couldn’t convince me, and now they send you in here to try?” She scoffs.

“Look, I know it’s not an ideal situation,”

“Ideal situation? You can’t fuckingforceme to marry him,” she says bluntly.

“Trust me, I tried to reason with them, but they don’t want you to become a liability,” I explain.

“I swear to you, I will do whatever it takes. I will change my fucking name, or live in a different country. Please, I can’t marry my enemy,” she pleads as she stands and paces throughout the room.

“I’m sorry, Darcy, I really wish there was something I could do or say, but…” I trail off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

“My whole life I spent fighting them. My entire life was dedicated to bringing down the Casella brothers. That’s all my uncle talked about,” she explains as she continues pacing. “And now you want me to marry into that family.”

I stand and make my way over to her, holding her hands. “I will forever be indebted to you for helping me, but this is me helping you, Darcy. If you don’t marry Nico, they will kill you.”

“Maybe death wouldn’t be as bad as marrying a Casella.” Her brows pull in as she considers her choices.

“I know you don’t mean that,” I whisper. There’s a pause in the air as she considers my words, and a solemn look overcomes her feature. “What is it?” I ask.

“For so long I wanted to be free of them. My family. For so long I prayed that this moment would come, but now that it’s here, I can’t help but feel I’ll be a slave to another set of hands.” Her voice cracks, and it’s the first time I’ve seen Darcy be vulnerable. The first time she’s ever shared anything so innately private that it has me stunned.

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