Page 111 of Savage Union
"No." His lips brush my ear, sending shivers down my spine despite my anger. "You belong to me. You've belonged to me since the moment I claimed you."
"Claiming isn't owning," I argue, breathless despite myself.
His hand releases one of my wrists, moving to grip my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "In our world, they're one and the same."
CHAPTER 35
Vito
My mouth crashesdown on hers—not gentle, not asking permission, but taking. Claiming. Rage and desire course through me in equal measure, a dangerous cocktail I can barely contain. Her betrayal burns like acid in my veins, yet I want her with an intensity that only fuels my anger.
She should push me away. Should slap me for my presumption. Instead, she responds with equal fervor, her freed hand clutching at my shoulder, pulling me closer even as she bites my lip in retaliation.
I growl against her mouth, the sound torn from somewhere primal inside me. "You want to fight me? Fight me, then."
My hands move to her waist, lifting her onto the counter in one fluid motion. Her legs part instinctively, and I step between them, pressing closer until there's no space left between us. The heat of her core radiates against me, stoking my desire despite the betrayal still raw in my mind.
"This doesn't change anything," she gasps as my mouth moves to her neck, teeth grazing sensitive skin. "This doesn't mean you own me."
"Doesn't it?" I slide my hand beneath her nightgown, fingertips tracing up her thigh with deliberate slowness. The softness of her skin contrasts with the hardness I feel toward her deception. "Your body seems to disagree."
When my fingers reach their destination, finding her wet and ready, satisfaction mingles with the bitterness in my chest. Even now, with lies festering between us, her body responds to mine with an honesty her words lack.
"Your body responds to me too," she challenges, bold enough to press her palm against my hardness. "What does that prove?"
"That desire and trust are separate things." My fingers find her rhythm, the one that makes her breath hitch in that way I've memorized. "I want you, Caterina. That doesn't mean I trust you."
My father's voice echoes in my head:Never trust a woman. They'll smile while sliding the knife between your ribs.The memory of Isabella's betrayal flashes through my mind—my cousin, my first crush, laughing as I fell, blood streaming from my face.
"I didn't betray you," she insists, even as her hips move against my hand, seeking more friction.
"You lied to me." I circle my thumb precisely where I know she's most sensitive, watching her pupils dilate with pleasure even as we argue. "You plotted with my enemies."
"I tried to protect you," she counters, her protest weakened by the moan that escapes as I increase the pressure.
"Protect me," I repeat, skepticism evident even through the desire darkening my vision. "From a threat you created."
The pattern is so familiar it makes my chest ache. Women who claim devotion while harboring deceit. My mother, promising to return for me, abandoning me to my father's cruelty. The succession of my father's mistresses, each oneoffering kindness that evaporated the moment it became inconvenient.
I withdraw my hand abruptly, leaving her frustrated and unfinished. In one swift movement, I yank down my sleep pants, freeing myself. The cool air is a momentary shock against heated skin.
"Is this what you want?" I demand, wrapping one hand around my length, the other still pinning her wrist to the counter. "To be claimed by the man you've lied to? The man you've betrayed?"
"I haven't betrayed you," she repeats, the denial sounding hollow even to my ears.
My laugh is dark, bitter. "You're just like all the others. Using your body, your beauty, to manipulate. To deceive."
Yet even as I say the words, a traitorous voice in my mind whispers doubts. Caterina has never used her beauty as currency. Even in captivity, she's met me with fire and honesty—until now.
"That's not true," she protests, genuine hurt flashing in her eyes.
"Isn't it?" I position myself at her entrance, restraint hanging by a thread. "You've played me, Caterina. Used me against Costello, used Costello against me."
"No," she shakes her head, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "It wasn't like that."
"Then what was it like?" I demand, voice harsh with the need to understand. "Tell me the truth, for once."
"I was trapped!" The confession bursts from her, raw and honest. "Trapped between my father's cruelty and Liam's obsession. Then you came along, and I was trapped again—in a different cage, but still trapped."
