Page 68 of Ruthless Royalty

A few minutes later, he replies.

Where are you?

At my Suite. Come over when you can.

It doesn’t take long for him to show up. When I open the door, he’s standing there, looking as troubled as I’ve ever seen him. He steps inside without a word, and I close the door behind him.

“Gio,” I say softly, reaching out to touch his arm. “We need to talk about what’s going on.”

He looks at me, his eyes searching mine. “Chiara?—”

“No,” I cut him off gently. “Don’t brush this off. I know something’s wrong, and I want to help. But I can’t do that if you keep shutting me out.”

He exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not that simple. There’s a lot you don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand,” I say, my voice firm. “I talked to Nikolai. He told me about your father … and what he did.”

Giovanni’s eyes darken at the mention of his father. “He had no fucking right to tell you anything. I didn’t want to drag youinto this, Chiara,” he says, his voice low. “This is my fight, not yours.”

“But it is my fight,” I argue, stepping closer to him. “Because I chose you, Gio.”

He looks at me, and for a moment, I see a flicker of something in his eyes—relief, maybe. But it’s gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the hardened exterior he’s so good at putting up.

“Chiara,” he says, his voice rough. “If you stay with me, you’re putting yourself in danger. My father doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He’ll do whatever it takes to control me, and if that means hurting you, he’ll do it.”

I swallow hard. “I’m not afraid,” I say, even though part of me is. “I knew what I was getting into when I chose you.”

Giovanni looks at me; frustration and admiration in his eyes. “You’re too stubborn for your own good, you know that?”

I smile, though it’s a little shaky. “I’ve been told that before.”

As he holds me close, I feel the tension in his body start to ease, just a little. Giovanni’s father might be a monster, but he’s not unbeatable.

No one is.

GIOVANNI

“Pull up your dress, baby,”

Chiara’s eyes widen and she looks around the library, then she turns back to me, raising an eyebrow. “Are you insane?”

I shrug. “I want to eat you out before our free period is over, and I’m bored as fuck right now. So pull up your fucking dress.”

“No–”

“Kitten,”I breathe out, sliding my hand up her thigh, squeezing it. “Don’t make me ask you again.”

I watch as she bites her bottom lip and sighs. Then she pulls up her dress and I lean with my elbow on the desk, facing her.

“See? It’s so much easier for both of us when you don’t sass me,” I say and know she wants to say something, but I shut her up by squeezing her thigh and grinning when I slip underneath the desk.

Knowing Chiara, she’s freaking out and thinking someone can see us. But that’s half the fun of this, isn’t it?

“Hmm, I always seem to go down on my knees for you in the library,” I say, remembering the Day of Silence when she gave intome so easily. I run my hands over her thighs and get to the waistband of her panties. “Lift up, baby.”

She obeys without a second thought, and I slip off her red lace panties before putting them in my back pocket. I peer up at her from underneath the desk and grin at how she’s blushing.

Then I spread her thighs and lick my lips, grinning at how she’s already glistening for me.

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