Page 126 of Their Reckless Thief
Celeste slid a hand over my balls and squeezed, and that was fucking it. I couldn’t hold back any longer. With one final deep thrust, I came violently into her throat. She didn’t stop. She kept swirling her tongue around the tip of my cock and sucking every last drop from me.
When it was over, she pulled away and swallowed hard, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Without further commentary or giving me time to tell her how well she’d taken my cock, she stood and walked away, stopping before she reached the door. “Don’t ever fucking underestimate me again, Luca.”
38
CELESTE
Vincenzo’s room was dark,the only light a dim glow from a shaded lamp casting shadows along the polished wood and leather that filled his space. Usually, he came to me. Whether he was summoned or simply appeared, his presence was as much a part of my nights as my own heartbeat. Tonight, though, I stepped inside his domain, closing the door softly behind me. Vincenzo looked up in surprise, then quickly schooled his expression. He straightened, his stance coiling tight as he read the set of my face.
“Dolcezza,” he growled, closing the distance between us with a single step. His hand brushed my arm, smooth and familiar, and it was as if he could sense the unease twisting through me. “What’s wrong?”
“Sit down,” I said, the request shaky on my tongue, but his grip tightened fractionally, his gaze sharpening.
“I’m fine standing,” he replied, watching me with that dangerous mix of curiosity and wariness. “What is this about?”
I took a breath. “Luca is innocent.”
The muscles in his jaw ticked, the warmth in his expression icing over as he searched my face. “And how the hell would you know that?”
“Because I’m the one who took the money.”
Silence filled the room, crushing and heavy. His expression tightened, his gaze turning sharper, searching my face as though I might still be joking. When I didn’t flinch, his brows furrowed, disbelief shading into something darker.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked slowly. “Why would you steal from me? I would have given you anything you wanted.”
“It wasn’t about wanting anything for myself. I needed it to help Roberto’s dolls, the women he controlled. And Will. Those who suffered at his hands and were unemployed the moment you took Roberto’s life.”
His gaze turned cold, his expression carved from stone as he straightened, pulling back. “You needed my money to play hero for them? After I took care of Roberto?” His voice wavered, hinting at something raw, something deeply wounded. “Dolcezza, explain. All of it.”
I swallowed, steadying myself against the intensity of his gaze. “One night, when I couldn’t sleep, I found the computer in your office on. I… I knew I could use the money to help them,” I said, my voice trembling despite my efforts to hold it steady. “You killed him, Vincenzo. The fallout left his victims in the gutter. I had to clean up the mess after you lost control.”
“AfterIlost control?” he repeated, a trace of incredulity crossing his face before he caught himself. He stared at me with that look, that same one that turned his face hard and inscrutable, like he was looking at a stranger. It was the look of betrayal.
“You pushed me to this,” I said, forcing the words out, forcing him to hear me. “You gave me no choice. Those women… Will… someone had to be there for them.”
“And here we are,” he replied, his voice soft but with a hint of bitterness. “The little thief who walked into my life by breakingintomyhome because she wanted to steal from me. We’ve come full circle, haven’t we, Celeste?”
His words hit me like a blow, and for a second, I was too stunned to reply. Then, anger flared hot in my veins. “You think that’s what I wanted? You think I did this to hurt you?”
He stepped closer, dangerously close. “Well? You’ve got what you wanted, haven’t you? My money? Are you going to leave now?”
I bristled, meeting his gaze with my own hard stare. “Am I allowed to? Or am I a prisoner here?”
“You’re free to try,” he replied, his tone so soft it bordered on dangerous. “But you’ll always be mine, Celeste. Not a prisoner, but you’ll never escape me. Not now.”
My pulse quickened, a chill sweeping through me, and my anger wavered under his gaze. His voice dropped lower, turning rougher, almost gentle. “And if you’d come to me and asked, I would have given you even more than that for those women. You didn’t have to take it.”
I felt my resolve slipping, melting. “You… you would have done that?”
“I already did.” He raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in his smirk. “The day after I killed him, I started setting them up with everything they need. The bank’s handling it, and they’ll be cared for. Rent-free for life.”
His words settled over me like a lead weight. Guilt surged through me, thick and sickening. He’d already done it. He’d thought of them, too. A heavy ache bloomed in my chest, and I stared at him, words caught in my throat.
“I’m sorry. For not trusting you. For not coming to you first.”
He didn’t move, his expression softening just slightly. Then he reached out, pulling me into his arms, the solid warmth of him grounding me in ways I didn’t know I needed. I pressed my face into his chest, letting the warmth and strength of himsoak into me. He slid his hand to the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair.
His voice was a low murmur against my ear. “I’m sorry for making you feel like you had to steal from me.”
