Page 64 of The Cost of Corruption

It was a prayer.

But one that I knew would never be answered.

When the last of the shivers of ecstasy had left my body, I shifted my tired legs, ready for him to pull out and finish against my skin like he had all week.

But this time, he pulled me right back down again.

Forcing my head up, he stared me dead in the eye.

“Do you want it?” he demanded.

Still trying to catch my breath, I struggled to understand. “Do I want what?”

“My cum,” he growled. “Tell me you want it.”

Now he asked me. Why did fate have to be so cruel?

And why did I have to be so weak?

“Give it to me,” I begged. “Please, Matteo. Come inside me.”

I met every last one of his thrusts until his body tensed, and he roared against my ear.

With his arms still wrapped around me tight, he leaned back into the plush embrace of the leather high-back chair.

“I’m never letting you go,” he panted. “I don’t care who the hell tries to stand in our way. Now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go.”

I rolled my gaze up toward the ceiling, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were already stinging my eyes, and felt my heart crack clean in half.

Chapter Seventeen

CHASTITY

“Umm…What’s going on?”

The moment I heard Liv’s voice calling from the doorway, I knew I’d been caught. There was no way around it. No possible explanation I could give for the open bag half-stuffed with clothes lying on the bed that would fool her.

Even if I managed to come up with something brilliant on the fly—like Matteo and I were stealing away for the night—I knew she’d never believe me. I was a terrible liar, after all, and Liv was as smart as they came.

So when I emerged from the closet, my hands full of a few little trinkets Matteo had gifted me during the week that I couldn’t bear to leave behind—a small book of romantic era poetry, a delicate silver bracelet, and a shimmering opal inlaid fountain pen—I didn’t even try to pretend.

“I’m leaving,” I said.

“What?” Liv rushed into the room, sliding between me and the travel bag before I could pack anything else. “Why?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I told her, trying to duck around her side, but Liv was faster and blocked my way again.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “Of course it matters.”

She was right, of course.

The whole reason I was running back to my old life was because everyone in this house mattered.Deeply. And I wasn’t about to be the reason they all got hurt.

But explaining that to Liv would be a terrible idea.

She was too bright and would no doubt come up with a dozen reasons why I should stay—why I should fight.

But she didn’t know my father.

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