Page 24 of Velvet Chains

“So this was what it was all about for you? You were afraid that I might blow your stupid cover. Are you afraid that I might ruin your chances at your stupid election?” She interjected, her eyes blazing with accusation.

She was fully on the defensive now, her arms practically flailing with every word, her fists balled in anger.

“You might call it stupid, Isabelle, but lives are on the line here.” Including yours, I thought to myself. Some part of me was dreading the idea of her getting hurt in all of this. She was just an innocent woman who didn’t deserve to face the consequences that came with my line of business.

For a moment, I considered telling her the truth about how I felt but I decided against it. For this to work, things between us had to stay the way they were. She had to fear me, not have feelings for me. It would be easier for her to disobey if she didn’t fear me, and for someone as stubborn as Isabelle, it wouldn’t be so hard to go against my words. I had to draw the line between us. Even though that line had already been crossed, it wasn’t too late to make things right.

“You are right, Isabelle,” I said, gritting my teeth, “everything I am doing is for the election. Don’t mistake necessity for affection.”

As I said this, I saw hurt flash in her eyes and I instantly felt bad. Why had I said such harsh words to her? She didn’t deserve that. But soon, the hurt in her eyes was overcome with anger.

“You’re such a liar!” She snapped, stepping even closer to me. Now our faces were only inches apart. I could smell her intoxicating scent.

“You can’t even be honest with yourself, there’s no way you would be honest with me.”

The room was crackling with tension. The proximity, the spoken and unspoken words, the desire hanging in the air. I could feel my hand twitch; a part of me wanted to reach out, touch her, to break the distance, to pull her closer and stop those renegade thoughts of hers. But another part of me was proud, and I was also trying to be logical. After the elections were over, she would go back home and I’d be alone again. I couldn’t afford to get attached to her, we were from totally different worlds. Other than that, I didn't want a relationship if there was a risk it would turn out like the twisted thing my father and mother had. So I restrained myself, battling with the emotions in my head.

“You keep acting like you know everything, but you don’t,” she continued, “you don’t even know yourself, you don’t even know what you want.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my voice coming out so low that it sounded like a growl. I grabbed her then, refusing to listen to my thoughts. I grabbed her arms, pulling her even closer, my breath hot against her skin. Her closeness sent shivers down my spine, but I refused to let it show. I was not going to let her see how much she affected me, it would be giving her too much power.

Isabelle’s defiance didn’t waver, even with our proximity. She met my gaze head on, her own breath coming out in shallow, rapid bursts. I knew that my closeness was affecting her, but she was not letting it show.

She was so stubborn, but it was one of the things that I liked about her. Even though she was an outsider in my world, she was adjusting pretty quickly. I had admired the way she had spoken with Elia. I could tell she was nervous, but she had still carried herself with grace and poise. And her smell, oh, her smell. She smelled so delicious. It took a lot of self-control for me not to pounce on her every single moment of the day.

“You don’t even know me.” My voice was so low, but I was sure that she could hear me. She still stared at me with the same defiant expression. Damn, she was so stubborn, I had never met anyone quite like her. She was beautiful and complex like a hibiscus flower, and over time I vowed I was going to peel off all the petals and get to know who she really was at the core of her stem.

“Then prove it, prove me wrong right now. Show me that everything I said about you was wrong.”

She was challenging me, and boy did I love a challenge. Her lips were just inches from mine. All I had to do was lean forward and my lips would be touching those soft, pillowy lips of hers.

My mind was racing. I had to make a decision. I had to pick between the plans ahead or the undeniable attraction I felt for her.

I couldn’t figure out why, but my body was helpless when it came to her. Even as I stood in front of her, I could feel the blood rushing down to my member. She had an undeniable sexual appeal, but it wasn’t just that.

She was smart, charismatic, caring, thoughtful, she had all the physical qualities I loved in a woman. But we had met under such complicated circumstances. Sometimes, I wondered how things would have been if we had met in a different situation. But there was no point wondering about that now. I had to focus on the present, on who was in front of me now.

So, I leaned forward and did what I had been wanting to do since the first night we spent together.

Isabelle gasped as my lips crashed against hers, then she held me tightly, as if she never wanted to let me go. I held her too, and I didn’t think I could ever let her go, not anymore.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ISABELLE

Ikissed him deeply. My hands held either side of his face while his body pressed into me. We stumbled towards the bed, and when we got there, he took off my top slowly, torturously. His hands trailed the line of my collar bone all the way to the back, where he unhooked my bra. He was taking his time, torturing me intentionally.

I leaned forward and reached for his shirt, hurriedly unbuttoning it, and pulled it over his shoulders. He didn’t stop me until I reached for his pants.

“Vincenzo,” I said, in a defiant tone.

“Patience,” he said, pinching my nipples. He was punishing me for the words I said earlier; making sure he did everything slowly when he knew that I wanted him now.

I watched him do as he pleased with my body, kneading my breasts until they were deliciously pert and sore under his punishing ministrations. I only ever had plain sex with Mark, and Vincenzo’s merciless attentions feel like a sexual rebirth. The feeling of pain bordering on pleasure was making me discover a new height of sensation I didn’t know it was possible to reach. Then, he finally took off his clothes. I felt my mouth go dry immediately as my eyes fell on the outline of his cock beneath his boxers. God, I wanted him so badly.

“Lie down,” he commanded. I did as I was told.

He then moved until his hips rested between my legs. My fingers caressed up and down his back before wrapping around his neck to hold him close. Our tongues tangled together in an erotic dance. He tasted like wine with a little bit of chocolate. There was a fight for dominance as his tongue searched my mouth, but he won. Our tongues moved against each other, our lips in perfect sync. Nothing could be heard but the sound of me moaning softly and him groaning.

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