Page 30

He grasped my hips to push deep. I felt claimed, conquered, owned, the sensations immense and validating, when he moved heavily inside me. The fierce desire in his eyes fuelled my own.

I loved that he no longer had to wear a condom now the pill had taken effect. Because I wanted to feel all of him.

He pumped into me, while finding the stiff nub of my clitoris, to force me over fast and hard. But once he had emptied himself inside me, he pulled out instantly, leaving me shaken, stunned, hollowed out, not just by the speed and intensity of my orgasm but also by the fury turning his eyes to a stormy blue.

After dressing again, he tugged me towards him and murmured, ‘You are mine, Eva. And I want you.’ The declaration of ownership, which I had heard before and found romantic, sounded harsh now, and angry, especially when he added, ‘But I will never need more from you than sex.’

He strode out of the suite, leaving me shaken and confused, my body still humming—his fury with me visible in every rigid stride. But the bubble of hope returned as he slammed the door on his way out. And it occurred to me that I had finally breached the wall he kept around his emotions simply by admitting that I trusted him.

How could I have angered him so much by revealing how I felt about him, if the connection we shared was about nothing more than sex?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Three days later

Dante

I stood on the villa’s terrace as my brother’s helicopter settled on the heliport above the house. Vito appeared in the morning sunlight, followed by three of his men—his consigliere Gattuso, and two others I did not recognise, who were carrying assault rifles as we had agreed.

I watched impassively as my brother and Gattuso were frisked, to ensure they were unarmed—also as we had agreed—for the meeting with Umberto, Ferrante and myself to agree Eva’s return and a lasting ceasefire. If the negotiations between our two syndicates could be consolidated today.

Once he was given the all-clear, Vito marched along the path to the villa. His furious glare almost made me smile as he approached.

No doubt he wished to have words with me about Eva.

The tables had turned since the last time I had seen Vito, when I had been locked in that cell, my body battered and bruised. My imprisonment then had reminded me of that day, years ago, when we had been boys together and he had stood by while our father had thrown my mother and me off Isla Donna like two pieces of garbage.

The humiliation and pain of that day long ago festered under my breastbone again now. And helped to harden my heart against the words that had haunted me over the past days and nights—while I fucked Eva every chance I got—to ensure the spurt of hope and need and fascination did not return.

‘I trust him…’

The girl did not know what she was saying. Why would she trust me, when she did not know me? She was a naïve, artless fool.

But even as I had tried to convince myself of this, while I brought her to orgasm, while I held her at night, unable to sleep, while I worked to make this day happen so I could hand her back to my brother and get her out of my life for good, the yearning to keep her with me had only increased.

In the last three days, she had sensed my detachment and asked repeatedly what would happen to us, as if there was an us. But while I had avoided answering these questions, every time her eyes went wide with concern, and I saw her struggle to understand why I was pushing her away, the desire not to let her go only became more intense…

It was infuriating. Especially when I found myself devising ways to keep her with me. To keep her as mine—when she had never been meant to mean so much.

Vito reached me, his expression taut with rage. ‘Where is my sorella? I want Evie brought to me immediately.’

I tensed, angered not just by the belligerent, entitled demand, but also by the fierce possessiveness I could not control at hearing her name on his lips.

She is my woman now, not yours, I thought, but forced myself not to say. Letting Vito know I did not wish to give her up would hand him the power in these negotiations.

‘You will see her only when we have agreed terms.’ I ground out the words.

‘You don’t seem to understand, Dante, she’s not a part of these negotiations. That’s business, she’s family. You fuck with her, you fuck with me.’

I raised an eyebrow, determined to keep the turbulent emotions the girl stirred off my face. Vito would see it as a weakness. I saw it as a weakness. But the rage I had locked away for so long and, worse, the hurt—because he had done nothing to protect me when I was his family—blindsided me.

‘An interesting analogy,’ I sneered, my anger becoming red-hot. ‘When I have fucked Eva multiple times and she begged me for more, even though she was untouched when I brought her here.’

Vito’s features went blank with shock, but before I could congratulate myself on the direct hit, he launched himself at me and grabbed the front of my shirt.

‘You son of a bitch,’ he hissed. ‘You had no right to take her virginity…’

The sound of revolvers and assault rifles being cocked ricocheted in the morning air as my men and his drew their firearms all around us.