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We say nothing and watch as he leaves the room and only when the door slams behind him, do I relax the breath I was holding and then the fear returns almost as quickly when Domenico heads to the door and turns the lock, leaving me in no doubt I have been locked inside with a man I should fear more than fear itself.
“Good girl.”
I peer through my wet lashes as he stands in the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face. For some reason, his praise creates a glow of appreciation inside me, telling me I’m fucked before I’ve even begun.
He advances slowly toward me and my mouth dries, my tongue flicking against my lips as I attempt to deal with the situation unfolding and as he stops before me, he reaches out and fists my hair, dragging my face to his. As our lips collide, the kiss he delivers is definitely not from a fairy tale. This isn’t love’s true kiss, this is a declaration of war, on me and as I frantically attempt to survive the attack, I hate that I’m loving every second of it.
My lips feel bruised as he pulls back and then drags the sweatshirt over my head, leaving me naked before him and as his hungry eyes run the length of my body, I hate the way it responds by shivering with desire at the thought of what he could do to me.
“Your cooperation changes nothing. You are still my prisoner and will pay your sister’s debt.”
“Please…” I stand shame faced before a monster, knowing there is nothing I can do to change his mind but foolishly try, anyway.
“Please what, Flora?” He appears amused as he stands with his arms folded, watching me as if I’m a floorshow put on purely for his pleasure.
I raise my eyes to his and stare straight into two pools of obsidian beauty that sparkle with something I can’t quite fathom. “Please don’t do this. I’m not responsible for my sister. I never was.”
“I know.”
He shrugs. “The trouble is you look so alike it’s as if she is here suffering for her sins. I have no loyalty to you, so why should I care if you want this or not?”
“Because somewhere deep inside you realize this is wrong, perhaps?”
I stare at him defiantly and he merely laughs out loud, as if I’ve cracked the funniest joke.
“Any feelings I had were beaten out of me before I could talk.”
He steps closer and, leaning toward my face, snarls, “Then your sister made sure to destroy any hope I ever had of changing that. I don’t give a fuck about your rights, your wishes or if it’s wrong. I have no conscience and no heart, and you will soon learn that. If you hate every minute of it, blame your sister because she is the one who has put you in this position when she unleashed a wrecking ball on what I had left of a heart.”
I know only too well what that feels like, so I sigh heavily and say with resignation. “Then do your worst and get it out of your system. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve suffered because of who my sister is, and I don’t expect it will be the last. Unless you do me a massive favor and kill me in the process.”
As the words spill from my lips, I prepare myself to fight another battle caused by my sister and I’m surprised when he raises his hand and lightly touches my lips with his index finger. His thumb rubs across my lower lip and his voice is uncharacteristically gentle as he whispers, “What did she do to break you, baby girl?”
I wasn’t expecting kindness—not from him and for a second I lower my guard and the tears well in my eyes and my lip trembles as I fight the demons that are circling.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I disagree.”
His voice is soft like silk and as luxurious as velvet. Husky, with an edge of desire that I appear to crave because I lean against his hand, loving the contact. It’s nice being asked something about me, Flora, not Diana, for a change and as my chest heaves and my lip trembles, I am more vulnerable than I’ve ever been before.
CHAPTER10
DOM
This is unexpected. Something shifted inside me when Flora pleaded her case and then accepted her fate. There is something lost in her that only a person who knows how that feels can recognize. She appears so vulnerable, so fragile and for some reason it’s calling to the protector in me that I never realized was there.
It’s not as urgent to tear her apart anymore, just to unlock the secrets she’s guarding so bravely. Maybe I can use Flora in a different way than I first thought, and as the seed takes root, I pull her shivering body against me and wrap my arms protectively around her.
The trouble is, when I close my eyes, it’s her sister that stands behind them and all the emotions that go along with that are there sharpening their claws ready for retribution. I thought her sister must be a lot like her, not only due to her appearance, but because she was the senator’s whore for the night. Diana would have thrived on that role and been plotting to exploit the situation to her full advantage, but something is telling me that Flora is merely here to please her boss and keep her job. Nothing else.
So, I must contemplate this new situation and will need time to get my head straight. With a sigh, I gently guide Flora toward my bedroom and then, to her surprise, sweep her off her feet and tuck her inside the silk sheets, resisting the urge to take full advantage of the naked beauty in my bed. However, my inner bastard hasn’t given up on me yet, so I cuff one wrist to the bedpost and try not to react to the hurt brimming in her beautiful blue eyes and growl, “Sleep. You will need all your strength tomorrow.”
“Why?” The panic in her eyes turns me on because I’ve always thrived on a person’s fear. It gives me the biggest high and the pretty woman in my bed waiting to discover my intentions toward her is causing my body to demand release. I want her and I haven’t figured out yet if it’s Flora I want, or Diana.
Without offering her any kind of explanation, I spin on my heel and walk away, more for my own sanity than her well-being.
As I retreat to the couch outside, I pour my usual whiskey and try to get my head straight. Moving across to the window, I swirl the amber liquid in the crystal glass, just as I did a few hours earlier, and contemplate my current situation. The fact Senator Billings was found murdered outside my home tells me it was intentional. Somebody wants to bring heat on me, and I need to figure out who. Reaching for my phone, I dial Pasquale’s number.
