Page 60 of To Hell

That we shouldn’t keep trying to put it out.

His words echo in my mind as he continues to pound into me, each thrust sending pleasure and pain coursing through my body. The roughness, the raw intensity of it, makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt. My legs are trembling, barely able to hold me up, but Ettore's strong hands keep me in place, driving deeper and harder into me.

“Zoe,” he groans, his voice hoarse with desire. “You’re mine.”

His declaration sends a shiver down my spine. I am his. Completely. My body responds to his every touch, every thrust, and I lose myself in the overwhelming sensations.

His rhythm becomes more erratic, and I feel him getting closer to his release. The car’s hood is cool against my heated skin. I can barely think, my mind consumed by the intense pleasure he’s giving me.

“Ettore,” I gasp, my voice trembling. “Can I come again?”

He growls in response, his grip on my hips tightening. “Come for me, Zoe. Let me feel you.”

That’s all it takes. My second orgasm crashes over me, even more intense than the first. My vision blurs and my body convulses around him. Ettore follows right after, his release a powerful rush that leaves him groaning my name.

For a few moments, we stay like that, both of us panting and trembling from the intensity of our coupling. He’s still inside me, and I can feel his heartbeat against my back, wild and erratic.

Slowly, Ettore pulls out of me, and I feel a mix of emptiness and relief. He helps me stand upright, his hands gentle as they steady me. I turn to face him, and his eyes are dark with lingering desire and something else—something softer, more tender.

“You okay?” he asks in a concerned tone.

I nod, my legs still shaky. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

How can I not be?

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch surprisingly delicate after the roughness of our encounter. “Good,” he murmurs. “Let’s get you back home.”

Ettore helps me back to the passenger side, his arm around my waist for support. As I settle into the seat, I can’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions: exhilaration, vulnerability, and a growing uncomfortable sense of something deeper between us.

He climbs into the driver’s seat, and I can see the strain on his face and the effort he puts into maintaining his composure.

This fire between us is real and something neither of us can deny.

It’s infernal.

Chapter Thirty-One

ZOE

“Here we go,” Valerie gulps as Ettore’s SUV pulls up in front of her sponsor's penthouse. She seems collected, unlike myself, my edginess oozing out of me like body mist.

“Are you ready?” I ask in a bid to tamp my shuddering but that’s impossible.

My life is changing so fast and I won’t lie. Every step of the way, I feel the shadow of a Grim Reaper lurking, waiting to harvest me back to the darkness and torture I feel I was created for.

Things are happening to me. Things I only ever dreamed of as a teenager. Things I had stopped dreaming of because they had felt impossible to reach.

“I’m ready when you are,” Valerie chuckles, then places her hand on my jittery ones.

My eyes fling to the rearview mirror, searching for the anchor that I need more than anything else, and I find it there.

Ettore’s obsidian eyes meet mine, and his chin drops in a nod of approval. He gives me what should be a smile, but somehow, no part of his face moves into a curve. Still, I feel the smile.

I inhale deeply, “I was born ready.” To do fashion, but I’m unsure about living my dream life.

I step out of the SUV, and Valerie does the same. Ettore follows suit, and when he does, my heart spins. I’m still getting acquainted with his effect on me.

He is a good distraction. Like now, I’m tumbling over myself internally, but feeling this way about him is distracting enough to keep me externally composed.

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