Page 49 of The Thief

This is raw, animalistic passion.

It terrifies me.

And I love it.

He grips my hips and pushes deep. The hand not holding my wrists prisoner snakes between my legs and finds my swollen, aching clit and pinches. I gasp again, digging my nails into my palms to keep from screaming. A shiver of pleasure rolls down my spine, making my toes curl.

“Lie to me,” he demands huskily. “Tell me you don’t feel this.” Another thrust. I’m shaking, trembling, a hair’s breadth away from exploding. His mouth swallows my next moan, his lips taking mine in a searing kiss. “Tell me this isn’t special.”

I want to. With every fiber of my being, I want to pretend that this chemistry between us isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I want to pretend that Antonio doesn’t matter. I don’t form attachments. I can’t—I can’t afford the cost. When this ends—and it will end—it will shatter my already fragile heart.

Yet I can’t find the words to tell him that I don’t care. I can’t pretend that this isn’t affecting me deep down to my core.

I can’t lie that well. I’m not that good at pretending.

Antonio stares into my eyes, searching for the answers my mouth won’t give him. His finger taps against my clit, each tap sending a live current jerking through me. This time, he doesn’t thrust deep; he pushes into me with deliberate, toe-curling slowness.

I stay stubbornly silent.

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “You don’t have to say it, cara mia,” he whispers into my ear. “I can see it in your eyes. The way you look at me, the way you respond to my touch.”

He pulls out almost entirely before pushing in again. His finger traces a lazy circle around my clit, and then another. I shiver in reaction. My body is on fire. I’m on the edge of release, shuddering with the tidal wave of my approaching climax.

He doesn’t let me come.

“You can deny it until you’re blue in the face.” He pulls out and slams into me. Hard. Powerful. Demanding. “Know this, though. I’m not the boy next door. I’m not sweet, and I’m not nice. What I am, Lucia, is ruthless in my desires.” Another thrust. “I’m single-minded about what I want.” His fingers strum my clit, playing me like a finely tuned instrument. “And what I want is you.”

His words are like lightning. Sizzling. Deadly. I’m shivering. Shaking. Every cell in my body is alive with the need for release.

“And so, I’ll ask you this one time. If you don’t want me in your life, tell me to back off.”

This is it.My out.He’s asking me if I want this to be a one-night stand and if I open my mouth and say yes, I know he’ll respect my wishes. He’s not interested in forcing me.

No, what he wants is far more dangerous.

He wants me. No doubts, no reservations. No obscure truths, no veiled lies.

He wantseverythingI have to give and more.

Antonio Moretti is not good for my peace of mind. But I can’t make myself pull free, and I can’t make myself tell him to go away. Precious little sanity remains because right here and right now, I want him to own every part of me.

One word, and I can make him back off. But once again,I stay silent.

Another smile ghosts across his face. “Good girl,” he says harshly. He lets go of my wrists and traces a finger down my cheek. His touch is gentle, almost tender, a stark contrast to his tone. “No closing your eyes, cara mia. Look at me when you come.”

And then he’s kissing me, deep and sweet, his tongue stroking mine in a rhythm that mirrors the pace of his thrusts. His hand is on my breasts, alternating the tweaking and tormenting of my nipples. I can feel him everywhere; my body is melded to his. His scent. His taste. His hardness.

He’s a drug, a fever, an addiction. And he’s consuming me.

His thrusts grow faster. More brutal. His fingers stroke my clit, and he buries his face in my neck, licking and biting until I’m panting and moaning, lost in a sea of sensation and desire, crazy with the scent of Antonio in my lungs.

My orgasm barrels toward me with the force of a hurricane. My body trembles and my muscles tighten, clenching with anticipation. It’s so close. . . It’s right there. . .

And then I’m coming apart in his arms. Thrashing, bucking, arching myself up and grinding my hips against his.

“That’s it,” Antonio growls, looking deep into my eyes, his stare burning through me like wildfire. “Take it all. Show me how much you want me. Show me how much youneedme.”

His own release washes over him. “Lucia,” he says, a guttural sound of raw pleasure.

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