Page 46 of The Mob Boss' Pet

“Am I being watched?” I look up at the ceiling expecting to find cameras.

He laughs. “No. I saw Roberto before I came up. He was downstairs.”

“Oh.”

“You didn’t even try to coerce Sarah into helping you,” he says with his eyebrows raised. “That’s good.”

“It’s not like she’d help me anyway. I saw that rock on her finger. She’s one of you now,” I mutter, folding my arms over my chest.

“Not yet, not until she signs the papers and makes the vows. Then she’s one of us.” He points a finger in the air. “But, still, you were good.” He walks over to his closet and disappears inside. When he returns, he’s holding a tray, but I can’t make out what’s on it.

“You’re not wearing your collar,” he says and places the tray on the bed beside me. There’s a thin pink collar laid on the tray. Beside it, two silver bells attached to clamps, and another tail. This time, a soft gray tail best suited for a kitten costume. His fingers trail along the headband of the ears.

“I thought it would make Sarah uncomfortable,” I answer while staring at the items. Roberto noticed the black collar but never mentioned it, I wasn’t sure his girlfriend would be as generous.

“You’re probably right. It would have; she’s not familiar with my household like Roberto and Anton are.”

“Anton’s wife is... I mean, he treats her like this?” I casually wave a hand over the toys.

He grins. “Maria?” he laughs. “No. But Anton knows how my house is run. I’m not sure how he deals with his wife, and it’s not my concern. She’s never made a problem for me, so I don’t get involved.”

“She doesn’t like you,” I blurt out, remembering the short conversation I had with Maria the other day. She, too, had noticed the collar and had blatantly stared at it, but she kept her opinion about it to herself. A gesture of kindness I wasn’t expecting at the time.

“She doesn’t?” he asks, but I think he’s faking his surprise.

“Something about a cousin. She called you a man-whore,” I say, then slap a hand over my mouth. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to repeat that.

He’s laughing though, so I know he’s not mad. Causing a rift between him and his family wouldn’t end well for me, I think. And my goal is for everything here to end.

At least, it should be my goal.

“Sorry.”

He shrugs. “She doesn’t need to like me; she just needs to be good to my brother.” He draws my attention back to the tray and picks up the pink collar. “But I don’t want to talk about my sister-in-law right now.”

I follow his movements as he stretches the collar around between his two hands. “Kitty needs her play time. That’s my only concern at the moment,” he says. His gaze drops to the long t-shirt I’m wearing. I’d changed into a nightshirt already for the night. “Take that off.”

I pick up the hem and yank it over my head. There’s no sense in arguing or pretending to disobey, he’ll win in the end anyway. The only real choice I have in this room is to obey with or without a freshly spanked ass.

With my nightshirt gone, he motions to my hair. “Pull it up for me,” he directs me. I let out a little sigh and slide it back with my fingers into a ponytail while he wraps the thin leather around my neck and works the clasp behind me. There’s a soft clink when the latch catches and he moves his hands to my shoulders, lightly rubbing them.

I drop my hair and the tresses cascade over his fingers. His intense gaze lures me in. Silence blasts around us, but for the moment, there’s just the two of us. His hands roam down my arms, then back up, stroking me.

“I think I like this one better.” He trails his fingers over my collarbone to the collar. “It’s delicate, like you.”

“I’m not delicate,” I insist, which earns me a smirk.

“Not in the damsel in distress sort of way, but you are delicate, Stephania.” He drags the back of his hands down my chest, over my breasts until he reaches my nipples. Thanks to his presence, and the warmth of his touch, my arousal has hardened my nipples.

“I am a damsel in distress, though, Vincenzo,” I say when the silence gets too loud, and his fingers feel too sweet against my skin.

His mouth quirks up into a half grin. “You’re not very distressed at the moment, pet.”

He leans in, scraping his teeth over my shoulder, before biting down. A salacious shiver courses through my veins. I fist my hands, digging my nails into my palms to keep myself from moaning. It’s too soon to let him know how easily he affects me.

But when he pulls back and smiles at me, I realize he already knows. There’s another click and then a sharp chime.

He’s attached a bell to my collar. He flicks it while staring into my eyes, daring me to pull away.