Page 8 of Corrupting Lily

His eyes squint slightly, and then he lifts his hand, rolling someof the strands between his thumb and forefinger. Releasing them, his knuckles brush my cheek where the handprint courtesy of Camille has faded. Even though he is gentle, I suck in a deep breath, unable to hide my reaction to his touch. My eyes almost flutter closed as I lean into his caress. What is wrong with me? His touch disappears, and I pull back, shaking my head slightly as if that will clear the sexual brain fog he is able to evoke with such a small action. I must be seriously deprived of affection or insane.

"You're nervous." His eyes rake my face, dipping to my neck where my pulse beats frantically.

"You make me nervous. I think you make most people nervous. Or afraid." My eyes widen, and I sip my coffee, wondering in what world I think speaking my mind to this man is acceptable.

"It comes with the job," he answers, his large, neck-circling hand engulfing the cup as he takes a sip, his gaze never leaving mine.Stop imagining that hand around your neck, Lily!

“So, who are you really?” I ask the question that's been on my mind since last night. His name rings a bell, but I can’t recall where I know it from.

Leaning slightly forward, his identical words cause me to pale.

“So, who are you really?”

Chapter 6

Dominico

The question has clearly made her uncomfortable, the openness from seconds ago gone as she clamps up. Knowing who she is from Basilio or a file is different from knowing who she is from Daisy herself. Or rather, Lily Valentine. Basilio’s clear obsession with the woman is evident in the new name assigned to her and its connection to her old one. Beautiful little flowers. So fragile. So weak. Though some might argue that the way Lily looks at me without fear could display the opposite of weakness. But it could also just be naivety.

I still cannot believe that she doesn’t know who I am. Given how Basilio has isolated her, shielding her from the outside world, it’s should come as no surprise. I suspect he is trying to make her reliant on him, perhaps even keeping her close through fear. He told her to stop reading newspapers, warning that it would upset her if she saw someone she knew in them, and ensured that none were left around at the club. Consequently, the numerous articles written about me were also hidden from her. However, it is curious that she hadn’t read aboutme before entering this part of her life. At ten years her senior and in the news for most of my adult life, she should surely have come across my name somewhere.

Basilio also arranged this very apartment we are in for her since there was no paper trail regarding a lease agreement. The building's owner is a friend of Basilio’s. How he can even feel good about it is beyond me; this place is a dump. Although Lily’s apartment was neat and tidy, with little trinkets scattered throughout, it was small, and some of her neighbors seemed questionable upon our arrival. I should know. Perhaps my visit here would keep those assholes at bay if they had bad intentions. I could see the recognition in their eyes as they scurried back into their dingy abodes, locking the doors behind them. Not necessary, really, given how things would soon unfold.

On the other hand, Lily seemed far too pleased with her situation, even proud, as her hand gestured towards her meager belongings and cramped space. Basilio told me what had occurred six months ago and how she had ended up in this place. But his story was riddled with gaps—gaps that my team was currently trying to fill as they sifted through information that would help illuminate little Lily Valentine’s journey into the shadows.

It proved more difficult than I expected, confirming my instincts. There was more to this story. Someone with money and connections was hard at work erasing her name and all information linked to her from existence while simultaneously trying to find her. Given the bounty offered for her return, alive or dead, I was surprised she was still alive. Ten million wasn’t pocket change. It was arranged through a third party, effectively masking the true identity of the person who made the offer, but it wasn’t hard to guess. Luckily for her, the bounty had only been out for a few days, so our meeting might save her life for now. If my suspicions were correct, Lily Valentine was a powerfulpawn in a war currently underway in the shadows of society.

I just needed to understand why they were looking for her. Did she have information they didn’t want getting out, or was the motive as mundane as a bruised ego? A jilted groom eager for revenge? I can almost understand. There is something about this woman that even has me curious. The way her body reacted to me last night was no secret. The look on her face was easy to read, though in my circle, the innocence of confusion intertwined with the lust I saw was uncommon. And the blushes that often suffuse her cheeks. No women I know blush.

Even now, her body reacts to me in a way that she seems to have little control over. Leaning into my touch as if it were welcome instead of understanding the very real danger she is in. A creature of a different kind in a world she doesn't belong. And yet, I am intrigued by her. Attracted to her. The desire to touch her is strong, especially after the dreams I had last night. Fucking fantasies more like it. This slip of a woman took me like no other had and the things I did to her were downright fucking feral. Obscene even. It left me wondering what sliding my dick into that tight little cunt would feel like. Silky. Wet. As close to heaven as I would ever see. Corrupting her innocence would ensure it. And from the way she looks at me, I think she might even enjoy it.

Lily finally rises from the table, her barely touched coffee in her hands as she walks over to the sink and tosses it down the drain. The question I had asked her hangs in the air. No one in their right mind ever left a question I asked unanswered. They either told the truth or lied and died. Sometimes, even when they told the truth, they died. My mood or the message I was sending often drove the decision. However, the controlled rage that usually accompanies someone disrespecting me in this manner is curiously absent.

“So, where are we going?” Lily asks, her knuckles white as she grips the countertop. Her voice is flat and resigned. She always seems to accept whatever happens, as if the fight has already left her. Pity. Someone has beaten me to breaking her, though I still see flashes of who she used to be and who she could be. Those glimpses keep me here in this shitty apartment with her. As if seeing them validates my interest in a woman who, by all accounts, is run-of-the-mill. In my world, among the women who frequent it, she would be eaten alive. Still, she elicits feelings from me that none of those mafia princesses and power-hungry whores are capable of anymore. So perhaps I am underestimating her.

I get up, approaching her until I am mere inches from her, so close she has to arch her neck to look at me. Her breathing hitches at our proximity, her thighs squeezing together. Her reaction to me has the blood shooting to my cock. I could find another use for her while I find out what she is hiding. I lower my hand slowly, my rough finger grazing her perfect, plump, pink lips. Her mouth opens slightly, allowing meto pop my finger into the wet entrance, her eyes widening in surprise.

“You know what you want to do,” I murmur, my finger resting on her teeth and tongue. Red creeps up her neck, embarrassment battling lust as she finally pouts her lips, sucking on my finger as I slowly pull it out. The loud pop as it exits her mouth ricochets off the thin walls, my dick now fully stiff. That simple action has made me harder than I have been in months. Fuck, years even.

I lean forward, her body remaining still. My hands touch the sides of hers, and I, too, grip the countertop, my arms framing her. We are so close that our breaths mingle, the mint lingering on her breath mixing with a faint vanilla and jasmine scent. I’m tempted to run my nose along her skin; the smell is intoxicating. Her eyes dart between mine, her racing pulse throbbing in her neck. Seconds pass as we stare at each other, the moment only broken by a loud knock. Lily jumps, her hand pressing against her chest as her eyes dart to the door in alarm.

“What.” I don’t take my eyes off Lily as Matteo, my bodyguard, enters the room.

“Boss, Dante called about the issue at Mirra. Jean Pierre has the information.” He glances at Lily, reluctant to elaborate further in her presence.

“Have Nero handle it.” My eyes stay on Lily, who glances between Matteo and me, her face still flushed with embarrassment.

“He is at the docks with Dante. A problem with one of our shipments.” Fuck. Just when this was getting interesting.

Pushing away from the counter, I straighten up, the air between Lily and me less charged, as indicated by the large gulp of air she takes in.

“Let’s go,” I say to her, heading for the door. She nervously clears her throat, grabbing a small sling bag and her apartment keys. As she approaches, I take her keys, her mouth forming an ‘o’ as she watches the keys being transferred to Matteo.

“Matteo will lock up. Come, we don’t have all day.” I walk out of her apartment with Edoardo, my other bodyguard, slightly ahead of me. She doesn’t say anything, but I hear her footsteps behind me as we descend the stairs and exit the apartment complex. Edoardo opens the door, his eyes scanning the street for any threats. Thankfully, we lost the FBI surveillance team that was following us earlier, as I did not want my little flower to be in that spotlight yet.

She settles beside me in the vehicle. The windows are blacked out for privacy and security, and the glass is reinforced to protect against bullets. As we pull away, another car pulls up behind us, and Matteo exits the building with a couple of bags in hand.

“Wait, isn’t the other guy coming with us? He has my keys,” Lilysays, her body turning and her hands gripping the headrest as she tries to see out the back window.

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