Page 37 of Sin & Sapphire

My eyes snapped back open. “It fucking hurt!”

Valentin grinned, his white teeth flashing against his full lips. “I like to inflict pain, princess.”

My lips parted, unable to process what he was telling me. A sadist. A kinky fucking sadist. And he’d chained me up in a bedroom, told me I was going to be his submissive, and now he was asking me if I liked the pain from my piercings.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then why such a painful rebellion …?” He trailed off, tracing a finger over the meandering path of my ink.

“None of your fucking business,” I snapped, twisting as far as I could and trying to buck his hand off me. He didn’t need to know that every tattoo was a rebuke of my father, that every time I came home with new ink, I paid the price, making each design that much more precious.

Valentin’s lips tilted up in a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Then he reached over and slapped my left breast. Hard.

I gasped at the sting then flushed with embarrassment as the agony transformed into humiliating need. I marveled at how present I remained, as if my body recognized his right to command me, even if my brain refused.

“What the fuck?”

His smile turned fuller. “Let me explain what’s going to happen, Ana. You are going to become my toy. And Angelo’s pet. And you’re going to fucking love it. You don’t know it yet. You don’t believe it. But by the time we’re done, you will.”

“Fuck you,” I sneered weakly, dropping back down into the mattress, exhausted and tired and frightened out of my damn mind.

“Do you want to know what the rules are, slut?”

“No.”

“Perfect obedience. Speak only when spoken to. Come only when permitted.”

“Are you hoping I’ll become your willing sex slave?” I gasped, outraged.

Valentin bent down to brush his lips over my temple. “Iknowyou will.”

16

ANGELO

My angel slept.

Blonde hair spread over the pillow.

Tracks of salty tears dried on her face.

Wrists and ankles pink from her struggles, but not red and raw, thanks to my suggestion to switch to fur-lined cuffs.

Sheets rumpled beneath her from where she struggled.

An emerald jewel at her belly, the same color as her eyes, begging me to lick around it.

Gorgeous fuckin’ tits, aching for me to touch them.

Her pretty pussy bared and open to me, begging for me to walk in and devour her.

“Fucking hell,” Valentin muttered as we watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest from the doorway as she slept. “She’s going to fight us the entire time.”

“Think of how delicious she’ll be once we tame her.” I hated the way she drove my control away with one heated glance. Hated the millions she’d cost Valentin. Loved that she was tied up and helpless for me to play with however the fuck I wanted.

“And then what?” Valentin asked quietly.

My gut clenched at the thought of anyone else handling my angel, but I couldn’t tell him that now that I had her, now that I’d seen her crawl to me, I didn’t intend to ever let her go. I didn’t tell him that I’d told the doctor who’d examined her in her sleep to remove her IUD because I had to tie her to me.

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