Page 45 of Velvet Chains

Vincenzo’s eyes darkened, a flash of anger crossing his face. "How can you say that?" His voice was edged with raw emotion. "I’m doing this for you, for us."

"For us?" I echoed, my voice rising, disbelief mingling with the hurt. "You’re making decisions for me without even asking what I want. That’s not for us, that’s for you."

His face softened, the anger dissolving into something gentler, more painful. He reached out, his fingers brushing against mine, hesitant, as if afraid I might pull away. "Isabelle, please, you need to understand..."

But I did pull away, the sting of betrayal cutting deep. "No, Vincenzo," I said, my voice cracking. "I won’t understand. I won’t accept this."

Sadness filled his eyes, the fight draining from him as he nodded, a small, defeated gesture. "I know," he murmured, the words heavy with sorrow. "But I have to do this."

Tears pricked at my eyes, blurring my vision. I turned away, trying to hide the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. I knew Vincenzo was trying to protect me, but it felt like he was abandoning me, like he was giving up on us.

His hands found mine again, warm and firm, a silent plea for understanding. "Come with me," he whispered, pulling me gently to my feet. The air between us was thick with unspoken emotion, a silent farewell neither of us dared to voice.

He led me down the hall, our steps slow, as though each one brought us closer to the inevitable. When we reached the bedroom, the walls seemed to close in, suffocating us with the promise of our impending separation.

Vincenzo turned to face me, his hands trembling slightly as he began to undress me. His touch was deliberate, tender, as if trying to memorize every inch of me, each moment a desperate attempt to hold onto what we were about to lose.

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine, his breath warm and uneven. I could feel his heart beating, rapid and uneven, against my chest. "I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion. "I need you to be safe."

A lump formed in my throat as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as tightly as I could. "I don’t want to leave you," I whispered back, my voice trembling with the effort to hold back tears.

His hands tightened around me, his body shuddering with the effort to keep control. "I know," he whispered, his voice thick with pain. "But I have to let you go. For your own protection."

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him through the blur of tears. "What about us?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, as if saying it louder might break me completely.

His eyes opened, filled with a sadness so deep it seemed to consume him. "We’ll find our way back to each other," he promised, his voice soft but resolute. "But for now, I have to let you go."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ISABELLE

My eyes welled up with tears, but I remained silent, my hands reaching up to touch Vincenzo's face. I traced the lines of worry and pain etched into his features, my heart aching for the man I loved.

"Don't cry," Vincenzo whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm doing this for us, for our future."

I nodded, but the tears fell anyway, streaming down my face as Vincenzo's hands trembled while undressing me. Each piece of clothing fell away like a barrier between us, leaving me exposed and vulnerable.

Vincenzo's eyes took in every detail, as if trying to imprint my image in his mind forever. His touch was both gentle and desperate, his need to remember every moment driving him to pour all his emotions into our final embrace.

We moved together onto the bed, the tension between us a mix of love and despair. I responded with equal intensity, my hands clutching at him, trying to hold onto the fleeting moments of our connection.

"Isabelle, my love," Vincenzo whispered, his lips tracing my skin. "I'll never forget you, or this."

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. "I'll never forget you either," I whispered back. "Never."

Our bodies moved together, a slow and tender dance, as if trying to memorize every touch, every kiss. The world outside receded, leaving only the two of us, lost in our own private universe of love and heartache.

Our kiss was deeply passionate. It was intense and we both knew what it meant; farewell. We kissed slowly but insistently, and he brought my hands up to his shirt buttons, beckoning me to open them. I did, and slid the shirt from his shoulders, running my hands over his arms and bare chest. I played with it for a bit, wondering if I’d ever get to see or touch it again. I slid my hands down his stomach and over his belt, unbuckling it and unzipping his pants, which dropped to the floor on their own.

I felt his breathing become more ragged; in that moment, I knew that neither of us was at all in control of the situation. He pulled me down on top of him on the bed; I straddled his now-bare body as we continued kissing more urgently. He pulled back slightly and looked at me; softly, he whispered, "Are you really sure that you want to do this?" I wanted it. I nodded, and with that, he flipped me over so that he was lying on top of me, having somehow divested me of my panties before lying back down. I could feel his hard member pressing hotly against my pussy; I moved up against him, wanting to feel him inside of me.

He pulled me up slightly and undid my bra clasps, letting my breasts spill free. I moved to cover them, but he captured my hands and silently asked me to lie back down; as I did, he moved his head to my nipple and began to suck. After about a minute, I was crazy with need. I whispered his name for the first time: "Vincenzo, I need for you to be inside of me. Please."

He slid all of himself inside of me in one powerful stroke; I nearly came right then at the intense fullness that I felt at his unaccustomed thickness. I could see that he was similarly affected; he went motionless briefly as he fought to maintain control. Wanting to drive him over the edge, I arched up against him. My strategy worked, as he began thrusting himself into me. After three or four thrusts, I could feel my orgasm begin; it was intense, beginning at my very core and radiating throughout the rest of my body; I cried out his name as I came. He watched me as I was cumming, and as my orgasm began to subside, allowed his own to begin. I watched him in turn, locking eyes with him. "You’re so perfect,” he whispered, holding me in the most loving embrace as he kept thrusting into me. I squirmed and moaned under him, enjoying every inch of him.

After he reached his orgasm too, he collapsed on top of me. He lay his head against my chest, and in response, I stroked his hair as we both unwound from the intense session we'd just enjoyed. Reality dawned on me then… this was going to be our last time together.

Morning arrived too soon, the first light of dawn casting a soft, golden hue over the estate. I woke with a heavy heart, knowing this day marked the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter. I moved quietly through the room, gathering my belongings. Each item I packed felt like a piece of my old life slipping away.

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