Page 26 of Blossom in Shadows

“Elio, this is important to me,” I insisted and stared into his hazel eyes, the same ones he was trying to use to intimidate me and bend to his will.

I’d already given up so much and this was one thing I wasn’t willing to give up. He wanted me to completely leave behind the life I had been living before I walked into Sala. If I did, who would I be then?

I was afraid of losing myself to him, of losing my identity in a world I wasn’t prepared for and a life I didn’t know anything about. Wouldn’t that be worse than the injury which set me on the sidelines of my life already?

I didn’t know, but I dug my heels in and refused to budge on what I wanted because it was important to me.

Hell, I didn’t even scream at him when he admitted he had fucked with my birth control. It should have been enough because most women would completely lose their shit with that kind of information. It just felt like it was par for the course with Elio; I wasn’t even surprised.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and I could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out if this was an argument he was going to win. It wasn’t.

Maybe it was the set of my jaw. Maybe it was the way I had folded my arms across my chest. Maybe it was the defiance radiating from me.

He ran a hand through his hair as he glanced away, and I knew I had won. I didn’t dance in victory, though it was tempting. I knew there was more on the horizon, and I was right.

“On one condition,” his voice was smooth like velvet, as if he were trying to lull me into a false sense of security that I would really have a choice in whatever condition he came up with.

I knew I didn’t, and I was prepared for it.

“You finish moving in today and break your lease. No more safety net with the possibility of wiggling out of it,” his voice held a challenge as if he was prepared for me to argue with him about it.

I shrugged one shoulder casually. I wasn’t willing to admit to him how I had already packed up a good portion of my things even though a lot of it I didn’t need anymore considering he had already filled my side of the closet with clothing, all of which I loved.

“You got a deal,” I agreed brightly with a smile on my face.

He did a double take, surprised by my words, but then a smile broke across his face and took my breath. He wrapped me up in his arms and held me against his chest, kissing me with reverence and a hint of sweetness wrapped up in need.

“I thought for sure you’d try and negotiate,” he murmured against my lips.

I pulled back from him and studied his face, “Would you have budged on your demand?”

“No,” there was finality to his tone, and I just widened my eyes as if to say ‘well, duh, I figured’.

He chuckled and then kissed me harder before leading me over to the low bench in our bedroom, and yes, it was our bedroom now. I had admitted it to myself. Elio Agosti cradles my heart in his hands without the words being spoken between us. I think we both knew it to be true.

He pushed me down so I was sitting and looked down at me with heated, glimmering eyes. “I don’t want you to kneel at my feet and hurt your knee, myReginetta, but I do want your pretty lips wrapped around my cock,” his voice was like steel and silk.

I unbuckled his pants and fished his cock from his fly, not bothering to undress him completely and the thought of only his cock being out turned me on. I licked a stripe up the underside of his length, tracing the throbbing vein there with the tip of my tongue. I sighed as I opened my mouth wide and took him inside, teasing the crown and causing his hands to fist at his sides.

I took him deeper into my mouth until he hit the back of my throat and then hollowed my cheeks, bobbing up and down on his cock slowly. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he fisted my hair and took control of the situation, fucking my face until tears streamed down my cheeks and I couldn’t breathe.

I loved every second of it. When he came down my throat, I swallowed every drop and cleaned him as he pulled his shaft from my mouth.

He was panting while staring down at me in awe. It was a look I was definitely willing to get used to. I don’t think another man had ever looked at me like that and to have a man with so much power do it was heady and sexy as fuck.

That was a few days ago and things moved fast after that. I didn’t have to put in my notice or anything at Sala because Elio simply informed Constantino I wouldn’t be back while making a recommendation from the other auditions he conducted. The thought of him watching other women dance made jealousy fill me and when my king noticed, he simply winked at me.

The last thing I remember was teaching my class like I always do. I had convinced Sergio to stay outside of the studio. A huge, imposing man does not lead to a focused classroom of little girls, I had come to find out. It disrupted my whole flow, and no one seemed to be able to ignore him.

I’ve had no problem with Sergio as my own personal guard, but I don’t need him up my ass. I knew it was all because of who Elio is and the people who would want to use me to get to him. I wasn’t naïve enough to think I was immune to the violence of the world and if I could safeguard myself then I sure as hell wasn’t going to refuse it.

So, what the fuck happened?

I was walking out of the back of the studio because it was where Sergio was always waiting for me. I had my bag slung over my shoulder and I was reading a text from Elio. It was naughty and I was grinning because it made my thighs clench together.

I was about to reply when I looked up toward Sergio’s SUV and I saw boots at the front of the car but couldn’t see more than that. Moving quickly, I went toward them, thinking he needed help.

My chin wobbles as the next few minutes come flooding back to me. Or was it only seconds?

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