Page 7 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

I dragged her into the living room, her bare feet scrambling for purchase. My body covered every supple inch of hers as I pressed her face first against the wall.

“I said, stay still, woman,” I snapped, yanking her wrists above her head and shoving her legs against the wall with my own. I locked my body against her, from her hands to her feet, every inch of her softness pressed against me. Oh yes, breaking this beautiful woman would be a fucking delight. I so rarely had an opportunity to indulge my darkest whimsies. What a gift she was—a chance to let loose the demons within me and fuck with Sergio at the same time.

She trembled against me. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice steady, belying the fear she communicated with every sweet shiver of her body.

“Your boyfriend stole from me, bitch,” I snarled in her ear.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Sergio Accardi owes me.”

“What does that have to do with me?” she snarled right back, continuing to struggle. Her movements drove her ass into my pelvis as she pulled against my grip, tempting me with each luscious twitch of her hips. I gripped her throat and squeezed until she had to work hard to breathe, and she froze.

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” she gasped, struggling to speak. I loosened my hold enough for her to keep talking, ignoring the sizzle between us as I pressed my body against her. “Yorkfield, as of this weekend, but more than that? Fucked if I know.”

I shoved her more tightly against the wall, ignoring the satiny feel of her skin beneath my fingers, the smell of roses and sin that begged me to bury my nose into her neck, licking and sucking until she moaned under me. As much as I would enjoy breaking her, the hunt for Sergio had to come first.

“You saw him recently?”

She refused to answer.

“What’s a gorgeous slut like you doing with a lowlife like him?” I asked, removing my hand from her throat and tracing it down her side, over the curve of her hip, resisting the urge to dip my fingers under the lacy hem and slide them up the bare skin of her leg.

Sofia didn’t say a word. She just turned her face to the wall so I couldn’t see her expression—a well-trained princess, hiding her emotions so she wouldn’t give any information away.

“I know he’s back in Yorkfield to see you and your daughter.”

She stiffened underneath me, tension radiating from her spine, but she said nothing.

“I know he’s been hiding stolen funds in accounts under your daughter’s name.”

Sofia drew in a sharp breath through her nose but remained silent. It was the first sign of discomposure she’d shown thus far.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Dante Oscuro.” I waited for her to digest that, well aware of my reputation.

Her breath turned uneven as she no doubt recognized the monster holding her in his arms. The delicious sounds of her fear were dulcet in my ears.

“How do you think the police will feel about you laundering money for a ring of child traffickers?” I murmured. I gave into my impulse and ran my nose up her neck, nuzzling against the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her honeyed scent surrounded me.Fucking delicious.

Her intake of breath was ragged despite the sharp words that followed. “You’d call the cops? You could’ve done that from Italy, asshole.”

I chuckled as I kissed the soft skin of her neck, admiring her bravado. She shivered under my touch, gooseflesh following the path of my lips across her back. “I wouldn’t have the pleasure of meeting you if I’d stayed in Italy, my sweet Sofia.”

“What do you want?” she asked again.

“Sergio ruined something precious to me. I’m going to do the same to him. And take my money back.”

Sofia froze for a moment and then laughed. “Do you have a list of the accounts? I’ll sign them over to you right now. I want nothing to do with that asshole. I haven’t seen him since the last time he fled Yorkfield.”

Hm. Unexpected.I gave into temptation and ran a finger up her hip and around her belly. I settled my hand across her pelvis and enjoying the heat of her silky skin beneath my palm. Her muscles tightened under my fingers.

“I don’t care about petty disputes between you and Sergio. I care that it will destroy him to know that I own you, that I’ve fucked you into submission, that it’s my cock keeping your pussy wet and begging at night.”

She trembled, shuddering, as she fought to control her breathing. “No,” she whispered. “I’ll give you whatever information you need about Sergio and these supposed accounts, but you’re going to leave me alone.”

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