Page 53 of Massimo

"I ate earlier. I've been up for a while." Reaching forward, I grab the cooled herbal tea and bring it to her lips. After she's finished drinking, I set it down and shift her so she can look at me better—and so she's not sitting directly on my hard dick.

I'menvisioning her on my lap, naked, while I feed her. With my cock buried deep inside her, but not moving or fucking—she's just sitting, impaled on me while I take care of her.

Cockwarming… Apparently, I'm finding all sorts of new kinks about myself with her.

Her eyes fall to my neck. I inwardly grin about the mark she gave me, and that she bit me hard enough to break the skin.

"Your fire and fight is the hottest thing I've ever experienced," I admit, making her eyes widen in shock, and a dark blush moves over her cheeks. I run my thumbs over those blushing cheekbones. "No more meek and mild, no more docile and obedient."

"I'm the Mancini Princess."

She starts to lower her chin, and I catch it to keep her looking at me. "No. You're Nova. You'remyprincess."

She shakes her head, trying to dislodge my touch. "Don't do that."

"What?"

"Don't lie to me. Or trick me." Her voice cracks, and her eyes fill with vulnerable pain. "Don't make me learn another horrible lesson."

"No more lessons, Nova. Ever. Do you understand? And no lies, no tricks—not with me, princess." I press my forehead to hers, and she squeezes her eyes shut.

She's not ready to believe me, and I'm not foolish to think it would be that easy—not after our tumultuous start or after the years of abusive conditioning she's endured. But I won't give up.

"Can you tell me what it was about Damien that triggered you so badly?" She stiffens against me, and I see her panic, warning her that I'll use the knowledge against her. "I want to fix this, Nova. I want to remove whatever it was that triggered you."

If it's the guards themselves, I can work with that. She'll always be protected, but I'd ensure she wouldn't see them.

She huffs a deprecating laugh. "It's because they look like soldiers, not made men. It's stupid…"

"It's not stupid," I reassure her. "Thank you for telling me. So if the guards were in suits, their weapons concealed, that would be better? Less triggering?"

She nods against my chest.

"We can work with that, princess." I swallow hard before asking my next question. "Will you tell me what happened?"

She's silent for so long, I don't think she'll tell me. But then her voice is soft as she answers, "Do you know how my mother died?"

"A car accident caused by the Czech mafia when they were trying to attack your father," I repeat the explanation that circulated in the criminal underworld.

"My mother never made it out of the house alive," she whispers. "When I was ten…" I wrap her tight to me, letting her continue when she's ready. "My mother loved my father, even though he's horrendous and vile. But when I was ten, something changed, and she tried to run with me. Father's men caught us—" Her voice breaks, and I feel her tears land on my wrist.

Kissing her head, I hold her closer.

"My father beat her first, then his guards continued. He made me watch." Her words are choked. "They dragged her by her hair into the next room and continued. My father made me listen until he felt I'd learned the lesson.

"Don't fight the monsters, princess. Because the monsters always win," she whispers. "That was my lesson before I was taken to my room."

My rage is the blackest black. But I don't show that to Nova because I know I'd scare her and destroy all the timid trust she is starting to give me.

But I can't keep the emotion entirely out of my voice, nor do I want to. "Youcanfight your monsters, princess. Because this monster…" I lift her so she straddles me in the chair, and I grip either side of her face, probably harder than I should, but no fear leaps into her eyes. "Becauseyourmonster will fucking destroy Silvestro Mancini. Not only for what he's guilty of against my family, but to avenge you, princess. I. Will. Decimate. Him."

Her chest heaves, her breaths ragged.

Then she grips my head and slams her mouth to mine.

White heat explodes inside me—at the feel of her and the realization that she is giving me this. Giving meher.

I need to take it slow. Not only because she's a virgin, but because she's vulnerable right now and not thinking clearly. Neither am I, but I need to keep control here. I'm the one with experience.

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