Gianni
The last few days have been a complete mess. I’ve had to fight every urge to go into the other wing of the house and claim Caterina, trying to make up for my earlier jerk behavior. The things I said in that moment—damn, I wish I could take them back. After everything she’s been through with her ex, I was way out of line. I’m an idiot, and behaving like that is par for the course for me.
It would’ve been different with anyone else, but Caterina is not just anyone. I know I shouldn’t want her. I know we shouldn’t continue what happened that night, and that pushing her away was the right call. She probably thinks the worst of me, and frankly, I don’t blame her. Logically, I should know better, but right now, I just don’t give a damn.
I don’t regret what happened between us. But that doesn’t make it right. No matter how much I try to distance myself or push her away, I know deep down she will eventually be mine.
“The funds have been wired, and I’ve got confirmation from the seller. The planes are ours. Thank God for that. We’re already getting inquiries from the Miami suppliers. They need to offload their latest shipment.”
Leaning back in my chair, I swirl the scotch in my glass and let out a satisfied smile. “Great. We’ll send Carlo and Tony down there to inspect the shipment.”
Roger quirks an eyebrow, looking up at me from his tablet. “You think they’ll be okay with that? I’m normally the one who goes.”
“I have other work for you to do. Carlo and Tony know what to look out for.”
Roger appears suspicious. “What type of work?”
“I’m still ironing out the details.” I trust Roger with my life. We’ve been through hell and back together, but his question sets my teeth on edge. “Since when do you question me?”
“It’s not about questioning you. You know I like to be prepared.”
Of course, I know that. He didn’t mean anything.
There’s no reason for my skin to feel uncomfortable. My feelings right now have nothing to do with him. No, this has to do with something else entirely. I’m an addict who promised himself he’d go cold turkey because it seemed easy at the time. My addiction? Caterina and everything about her, the taste of her pussy being at the top of the list.
A normal man might be able to deal with it. Not me. I’m on edge, and I have access to too many guns for this to end without somebody taking a bullet for looking at me the wrong way.
“I’ll fill you in when the time comes.” I don’t bother apologizing, and he knows better than to expect it. “For now, get the boys up to speed on the details about Miami.”
He nods and, thankfully, doesn’t question me further. It’s been torture, wanting more than anything to make it up to her while forcing myself to steer clear at the same time.
The wounded expression she wore before running from the office still haunts me. I’m a fucking asshole. I scrub a hand down my face, my frustrations mounting. I have more important shit to be worried about, an entire fucking company to run. Putting distance between us is the right thing, but somehow, it feels like torture.
Roger returns to his task list, murmuring to himself as he makes notes and delegates duties while I turn my attention to the security feed playing across my laptop screen. I’m setting myself up for failure by watching like an obsessed stalker for her to return home.
She usually parks her beat-up Corolla in the front courtyard, but it’s been gone since this morning.Where does she go? From what I remember, her job doesn’t start for another few days.
Irrational rage eats at my insides. She’d better not be disappearing to escape a run-in with me or worse, to be with another man.
Could you blame her if she did?
My hand closes around my glass hard enough that my joints ache, and the pain forces me to take a breath. A man in my position can’t afford to fall apart, not even over a pussy whose taste and aroma have claimed ownership of my soul.
It’s her soul I’m fighting for now. She doesn’t need my darkness destroying her light. Every degrading thing I’ll have no choice but to do to her once I’ve started. There will be no going back once I’ve claimed her fully. I won’t be able to stop myself.
Leave her alone. Do the right thing for once.
No matter how I fight to keep it together, my chest tightens at the sweeping of headlights over the dark courtyard. She’s home, and it feels like I can breathe again. Pathetic. I never felt this pull with my ex-wife or any of the nameless women I’ve fucked before now, so I’m out of my element here.
Caterina’s turning me into something I hardly recognize, my heart thumping against my ribs all because a car’s pulling up to the house. At least Roger doesn’t notice—yet, that is. I keep it up, and it won’t take long.
As I watch, she parks the car, then sits behind the wheel for a minute. If I were a betting man, I’d say she’s afraid to get out.
Afraid of what? Of my anger or of coming close to the crackling temptation between us? I made the right choice ending things where I did. I was on the cliff’s edge of control, ready to tug my pants down and sink my cock deep inside her.
And most likely destroy her friendship with my kid. A friendship that means the world to both of them.
Fuck. Everything’s stacked against me getting what I need. Like trying to do the right thing for Caterina’s sake isn’t difficult enough to live with.
I hold my breath as she opens her door. She’s in workout clothes, which only adds fuel to my raging anger. She knows damn well we have a gym here, yet she’d rather go elsewhere. It’s not the fact of her going somewhere else that bothers me. It’s that she’s doing it to avoid me, and while I can’t blame her, I don’t like it.
She needs to be punished.The mere thought makes all the blood run straight to my cock. It’s hard in seconds, begging to slide deep into her clenching pussy. So tight and sweet. I can’t wait for her to milk me.
Cross that line, and you can’t go back. Break her spirit, and there’s no putting the pieces together. Can you live with that? Can you live with yourself?
Fuck. I’m losing it.
I stare at the screen harder, ignoring my throbbing cock. Look at her, almost tiptoeing to the front door, using the key since her fingerprint hasn’t been programmed into the security system. She’s hiding. Like that’s even possible. Like I couldn’t kick down her door any time I please.
My hand moves over the hard wood of the desk, touching the place where her glistening juices pooled. Juices I need to either taste again or die. But first, to deal with a little girl who honestly believes she can run away from me.
“That’ll be it for tonight,” I decide, pretending my cock isn't as hard as steel under the desk.
Roger makes a big deal of checking the time on his wrist. “Turning over a new leaf? This is the second time this week you’ve called an early night.”
I grit my teeth, fighting to keep my instincts in check. “If you need to keep working, do it in your cottage. I’m taking the night off to relax.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” He nods and exits, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a growing sense of anticipation.
I’ve spent too many sleepless nights fixating on what I swore I’d never touch or taste again. Look where that got me. Caterina thinks she can avoid me, that hiding away will be enough. I was a jerk, but I didn’t expect her to retreat so deeply. I won’t let her pull away any further.
Driven by frustration, I storm out of my office and head toward the other wing. Her stubbornness is about to meet its end.
I’ve wasted enough time trying to be decent. Trying to avoid her has only given her the wrong impression. It's time to show her that escaping me isn’t an option.
My hand clenches and relaxes rhythmically with my quick strides, itching to remind her of her place. She won’t be able to ignore me after tonight.
I pass Tatiana’s vibrantly decorated office and her walk-in closet. As expected, Caterina left her bedroom door open, underestimating my resolve.
The shower is running, and light spills from the open bathroom door. I sit on the edge of the bed, illuminated by the glow, imagining her reaction when she sees me.
She hums contentedly, believing she’s managed to evade me. I expected more resistance, but she’s made it clear she thinks she can control the situation. My anger overrides any lingering guilt or desire.
When the water stops, my anticipation sharpens into urgency. My heart pounds as I hear the bathroom door open, and soon, her towel-clad figure appears in the doorway.
“Oh!” She gasps, startled. Her hands clutch the towel tightly, her eyes wide with fear. Her slim form trembles, her dark hair clinging to her wet skin.
That’s what breaks me. The way she tries to hide even now, covering her dripping body from me. A body with the power to make me forget what I came here for. I was enraged seconds ago, but I can barely remember why.
Because, holy fuck, she is perfect. So innocent and entirely at the mercy of the primal lust that has swept my rage aside.
Take. Claim. That’s all I want now.