Page 85 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

“Not a switch, Dante,” I muttered.

“Trust me, you’ll enjoy this,” he answered, his eyes dark and hooded as he watched me from across the table.

I picked up a piece of gnocchi with my fingers, swirled it through the sauce, and held it out to Sofia. She inched forward and wrapped her lips around my fingers, holding my gaze as she scraped her teeth down my fingers until she’d taken it from me. Oh yes, Sofia enjoyed this game. A moment later, she leaned forward and lapped the remaining sauce with her tongue, sliding it over and around my fingers until they were perfectly clean.

My entire body tightened, though the only part of her that touched me was her tongue, delicate and soft. She might be on her knees because Dante had coerced her into it, but she was putting a lot of effort into seducing me right then and there.

I wondered if she’d enjoy being degraded by anyone else. Was this just an exploration of kink for her, or did it mean something more? Did she trust me, and did she want to seduce me as much as I wanted to seduce her?

“Fuck, Sofia,” I groaned and immediately fed her another piece of pasta, shoving my intrusive thoughts away so I could enjoy this beautiful woman, naked, on her knees, face smeared with her make-up and tears, letting me feed her, nourish her.

Dante’s smile was more amused than cruel as he watched me feed her. For a moment, I wish we’d met under different circumstances—what a play partner he would’ve been. Instead, I was a guest, invited solely to shame this woman, elicit misery, and create confusion rather than bring her joy. The night didn’t have to end in her humiliation, though. I could balance Dante’s cruelty with sweetness. I could temper the harsh crack of his belt with tender touches that inflamed her desire, and balance the intense pain with intense pleasure.

When Sofia finally drew away from me, Dante shook his head. “Kitten, you’ve barely eaten.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m full.” When his eyebrows hit his hairline, she lowered her eyes and corrected herself, “I’m full, sir.”

“Kitten, making sure Lizzie stays safe means taking care of Lizzie’s mother. You skip meals, and you eat junk food. This is probably your first meal with fresh ingredients all week.”

Sofia winced in pain when she sat back on her haunches to contemplate her master. Her head tilted. What was she thinking?

“Sofia,” I said, drawing her attention to me. “Eat.” I kept my voice low and hard, with an edge of command she hadn’t heard from me before.

Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. “A few more,” she whispered.

I held a fork full of gnocchi to her, intending to take advantage of this moment. Dante was right, about how fucking good it felt, but I wasn’t ready to examine the exquisite pleasure it gave me to take care of my girl.

Three bites later, she shook her head. “I really am full.”

“A few more,” I said. “You’re almost done.”

Dante wrapped his fingers through her hair and tugged hard enough to elicit a gasp of pain. “Two more, Sofia. You can do it.”

She did, of course. Those beautiful, plump pink lips wrapped around two last bites of steak. I was such a fucking goner for this woman.

I set aside a few slices of cake and made a plate of pasta to save for later. Dante didn’t hide his amusement but didn’t stop me either. Once I’d organized the leftovers to my satisfaction, I looked at Sofia, who knelt before us on her pillow, her hands clenching and unclenching on her thighs.

How to navigate this scene, I wondered to myself. No negotiations, no discussions of hard and soft limits, just beautiful Sofia naked and on her knees, her eyes darting between us as she pretended to be calm and composed. I hadn’t imagined the wet slide of my fingers through her folds earlier—her body liked what Dante did to her, even if her mind hadn’t caught up.

That’s what finally cinched it for me, the fact that Sofia came back to him over and over. She didn’t run screaming to her family. She didn’t get up and leave when I arrived. She ate every bite from our fingers, nipping and licking at them like the kitten Dante called her.

“What next?” I asked, looking at Dante. He sat with both elbows on the table, fingers steepeled in front of him, watching me thoughtfully through dark brown eyes partially obscured by his curls.

“Next, we punish Sofia for not being honest with us about each other.”

Her breath hitched, but she didn’t otherwise move.

“A punishment-punishment?” I asked, curious as to how their relationship worked. Punishment could leave her miserable and crying or begging for more.

Dante raised an eyebrow, then smiled slyly. He stroked a hand down over Sofia’s hair. I didn’t miss the subtle way she leaned into his touch. “To the bedroom, slut.”

She glanced at him through her long lashes, then turned her gaze to me, a question in those bright blue eyes.

“He told you to do something, Sofia.” Her eyes widened, as if surprised to find both dominants working in concert. “Move,” I snapped.

She gracefully dropped to her hands and knees and crawled to one of the bedrooms. I couldn’t take my eyes off her curves. The raised red welts from the belt were absolutely stunning as her ass swayed back and forth with every step.

Dante leaned over her to open the door. Sofia stopped at the foot of the bed and looked over her shoulder, her bedroom eyes finding mine, arresting my thoughts and holding me captive.

---