Page 44 of Till Death Do Us Part

“You win, wife,” he says, grabbing his glass and tipping the remaining liquid down his throat with a wince. He turns to his friend, tilting his head towards the door. “Leo, go and tell the others the plan. I don’t have to tell you how important it is that only those trusted are in the know.”

“You wound me, friend. This isn’t my first rodeo.” He flips his gaze to mine, his eyes moving over me in a heated way. “Come on, Princess. Let’s go.”

Setting the glass on the desk, I move across the floor, but Antonio stops me with a harsh grip around my wrist. The skin burns under his fingers as he twists, pulling me towards him. “She can stay here until you come back. I need a word with my wife.”

Leonardo looks as if he wants to argue, his mouth setting in a harsh line for a moment before he nods and exits the room—leaving Antonio and me alone.

The door closes behind him, and the hair at the nape of my neck stands to attention when Antonio pulls me against him, his hand settling on my lower stomach.

“Antonio, please don’t,” I whisper, a bitter chill running down my spine as his hand moves lower, slipping under the waistband of my jeans.

“You know saying no gets you nowhere, wife. I’d happily hand you over to the Russians tonight, you know?” He chuckles, sliding a finger through my folds. The feeling is like ice on my skin, his calloused fingers thrust inside me while he whispers in my ear. “You mean next to nothing to me, Pippa. A means to an end, and yet you can’t even deliver on that front.”

A whimper slips from my mouth when a dull ache starts at my entrance the more he prods his fingers. This is nothing like being with Leonardo. With him, it’s like a flame has been lit inside of me and my body needs more—needs him. This is cold, violent, and painful.

“Take off your trousers.” He pulls his fingers out of me, pushing me away from him until I fall over his desk, my hands stinging as they slam against the wood. Tears fill my eyes, but I do as he tells me.

My fingers tremble as I fumble with the button, my vision becoming hazy with the unshed tears pooling in my eyes. Crying gets me nowhere. Begging gets me nowhere. I’m trapped here with him, and when I push the denim to the floor and he grabs my hips, instead of closing my eyes and focusing on the dark as I normally do, I picture dark hair and brown eyes.

I picture calloused tattooed hands that only ever feel gentle when they handle me.

I picture warmth and comfort and home.

I picture Leonardo, even though I know I shouldn’t.

And for once, it doesn’t feel quite so bad while it lasts.

Burning water scalds my skin as the shower streams over me. I scrub myself raw with the loofah, as if that can somehow take away the remnants of what Antonio has done. Tears stream down my face, lost in the running water as it runs down the drain.

The waves of sadness come and go, but the anger stays. Every time I think I’m doing okay, he claims me again and reminds me I can never escape his clutches. He is my husband, and I am his wife, and together we’re locked into a union neither of us can escape.

When I finally emerge from the bathroom, a robe wrapped tightly at my waist, I freeze in the doorway at the sight of Leonardo sitting on the edge of the bed. He watches me with dark eyes, his jaw clenched as he takes in the marks on my wrist from where Antonio pinned me to his desk.

When he stands, I step backwards instinctively. My skin heats when he reaches for me, his hand fisting in my hair. He pulls me forwards, leaning down until our breaths mingle.

“Did you fuck him?” he asks, his tone ice cold as he stares down at me. His fingers twist in my hair, gripping the strands to where I have to bite my tongue to stop a whimper from falling out.

“He’s my husband,” I remind him, keeping my voice blank. I know better than to spill all my feelings and emotions to this man. There may be a connection between us, but Antonio is his friend and his boss. So it’s better that he thinks I’m sleeping with Antonio by choice.

And how could I explain that I allow myself to be taken against my will anyway? I’m not totally defenceless. I have weapons at my disposal. But whenever he comes for me, I freeze and can’t break free.

“Tell me, Princess.” He leans down, pressing his forehead against mine. “Did he bend you over his desk, slide inside you slowly, and drive you to ecstasy? Or did he pound so hard that stars filled your vision? Or did you lie there, limp like a rag doll because you know that he can’t give you what you need.”

“What is it you think I need?”

“Euphoria,” he answers, pressing his lips to mine and branding me with his heat. Every bit of anger inside him pushes into me into that moment, and I don’t stop myself from claiming it. It fuels me when I kiss him back. I grip his shirt, pulling him closer until he backs me up and slams me against the door.

A groan slips from my mouth when he pulls away, dragging his lips over my cheek, down my jaw, and stopping at my neck.

“Leonardo.” His name comes out in a breathy moan as he closes his lips over my pulse point, taking the skin between his teeth and sucking hard. He stays there for a long moment, marking me with his mouth.

A satisfied smirk covers his lips when he pulls back, his arms crossing over his chest. My chest rises, my breaths harsh as I watch him. The thought of wearing him on my skin long after he leaves fills me with warmth.

“Sleep with him again, Princess, and I’ll slit his throat,” he tells me, his voice unwavering and hard. His eyes are hard as steel, the smirk on his face vicious when he next speaks. “And while he bleeds out on the floor, I’ll fuck you using his blood as lube.”

My eyes widen, though I can’t deny the ache that starts in my clit at his words. They’re cruel, almost feral, and yet they turn me on more than anything ever has before. He stalks to the door, throwing it open and leaving me there alone. I slump against the wall, my heart drumming against my chest.

Walking on shaky legs across the floor, I grab for the high-waisted black jeans and black sweater left behind for me. Black boots sit at the foot of the bed, stealth clearly the aim of the game for tonight.

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