Page 68 of Ruthless Desire

"That's it," he encourages, increasing the pressure. "Give in to it. Let me hear those beautiful sounds."

His other hand comes up to remove the gag, letting it fall away. I gasp for air, a broken moan tearing from my throat as he slips two fingers inside me.

"Dante," I choke out, hating how needy I sound. "Please..."

"Please what?" He nips at my earlobe, crooking his fingers in a way that makes me see stars. "Tell me what you want, Natalie. Beg for it."

I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to hold back the words threatening to spill out. But it's no use. He winds me higher and higher, each stroke of his talented fingers pushing me closer to the edge.

"I... I need..." I pant, trembling on the precipice.

"Say it," Dante demands, his voice hard as steel. "Say you're mine."

A sob catches in my throat, the last shreds of my resistance crumbling. "Yours," I whisper, the admission burning like acid. "I'm yours, Dante. Please, I need to come. Please let me come."

His laugh is dark, triumphant. "Good girl," he praises, and the surge of pride I feel at his words sickens me. "You've earned your reward."

He redoubles his efforts, fingers pumping faster, thumb circling my clit with devastating accuracy. I come apart with a keening cry, my release crashing over me in waves of blistering pleasure.

Dante works me through it, drawing out every last aftershock until I'm a quivering, oversensitive mess. Only then does he withdraw his hand, bringing his glistening fingers to my lips.

"Clean them," he orders, eyes burning with dark hunger.

I hesitate for a moment, but the steel in his gaze brooks no argument. Slowly, I part my lips, letting him slide his fingers into my mouth. The taste of my own arousal mingles with the salt of his skin, and I can't quite stifle the moan that escapes me.

"Beautiful," Dante murmurs, watching intently as I lave his fingers with my tongue. "You're a natural at this, solnyshko. Born to serve, to please."

Shame burns through me, hot and caustic. But I can't deny the thrill his words send through me, the way my body responds to his praise.

He withdraws his hand, trailing it down my throat to rest over my thundering heart. "Do you feel that?" he asks softly. "The way your pulse races for me? The way your body sings under my touch? This is where you belong, Natalie. This is your purpose."

The ropes are the only thing holding me up now, my body sagging in their embrace. Dante's words echo in my mind, a poisonous mantra I can't seem to shake.

"You've done well," he murmurs, his hand moving to cup my face. I flinch, but he holds me steady, forcing me to meet his gaze. "But we're far from finished, my love. This is just the beginning."

A chill runs down my spine at his words. What more could he possibly have planned?

He reaches for something out of my view, and a new kind of fear spikes through me. What fresh torment has he devised?

But before I can spiral further, a distant boom shatters the tension. Dante freezes, head snapping towards the sound.

Another explosion, closer this time. The walls seem to tremble.

"Fuck," Dante snarls. He's in motion instantly, fingers flying over my bonds.

I collapse into his arms as the ropes fall away, muscles screaming in protest.

"Wha-what's happening?" I croak.

"We're under attack," Dante growls, already moving towards a hidden panel in the wall. It slides open, revealing an arsenal that makes my blood run cold. "Seems the Corsini family decided to make their move."

He turns to me, eyes blazing with a fury that makes me shrink back. "Get dressed. Now. We're leaving."

"Leaving? But-"

"Now, Natalie!" he roars. "Unless you'd prefer to face a bunch of Sicilian thugs in your current state?"

That gets me moving. I scramble for clothes, wincing as my abused body protests. Gunfire erupts somewhere in the mansion, and I stifle a scream.

---