AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When we reached the bathroom, he set me down on my feet, but he didn’t break contact. His big hands bracketed my waist, steadying me. When he was sure that I could stand on my own without my legs shaking, his arms enfolded me in a careful embrace. His thick fingers found the delicate zipper at the back of my dress, deftly gliding it down my spine. Cool air kissed my skin as the lightweight fabric fell open to expose me, but his heat immediately chased the chill away. Rough callouses lightly scraped over my skin, sending sparks dancing along my flesh.
Even after experiencing ecstatic release in his masterful hands, the intensity of our chemistry still shocked me. He captured my soft gasp, his lips sealing mine in a tender, slow kiss. His tongue explored my mouth, tasting me in long, indulgent strokes. He took his time claiming me, keeping me captive in his intoxicating kiss until he was satisfied that all the residual fear had floated from my mind. I melted in his arms, my body molding to his strong frame.
His palms skimmed my shoulders as he slid the thin straps of my dress down my arms. I shrugged out of the garment, allowing it to fall to the tiled floor. I pressed my bare body closer to him and tugged at his shirt, fumbling for the buttons without putting more than an inch of space between us.
He kissed me again with a low groan, and he quickly stripped off his shirt to reveal his powerful chest. I ran my hands over the hard muscle, reveling in the softness of the dark, masculine hair that dusted his chest. I explored lower, feeling his sculpted abs ripple beneath my greedy touch. When I reached his belt, I hesitated, suddenly shy and unsure. He’d stripped me naked, but I’d never touched his cock before. I’d seen his impressive erection when he’d fisted it in his hand and marked me with his cum, but I’d been tied to his bed, unable to reach for him.
I felt like an inexperienced teenager, uncertain of my skills. I’d never been with anyone other than George. I’d learned what my fiancé liked in an effort to make him happy, but I wasn’t sure how to please Massimo, my gorgeous savior.
My mouth watered for him, and my core contracted with need. A keen desire to bring him pleasure made my inner muscles clench, almost painfully intense.
“I want to see you,” I breathed against his lips. “I want to make you feel good.”
His long fingers ensnared my wrists, shackling me. My stomach dropped when he guided my grasping hands away from his belt. Rejection pierced my chest as he backed me up against the wall. He lifted my arms above my head. The coolness of the tiles contrasted with the heat that pulsed through my body, and I shivered with carnal anticipation.
“Stay.” He punctuated his low command with a light squeeze of my wrists, then released me.
I didn’t move; I barely breathed as he reached for his belt. His burning silver stare pinned me more effectively than his will, and I watched with rapt fascination as he stripped for me, revealing every stunning inch of his powerful body.
Muscles rippled and flexed as he moved with a grace that was incongruous with his imposing size. His cock jutted toward me, and the painful twinge of rejection loosened from my chest. He wanted me. The harsh line of his jaw conveyed the strain of holding himself back. He wanted to ravage me, but he exerted control over himself just as much as he’d dominated me by pinning me against the wall. I remembered the feel of his ropes around my body, the intoxicating release of being bound at his mercy.
Even though I wasn’t tied up, his will was potent enough to trap me exactly where he wanted me.
I didn’t have to worry about how to please him. I didn’t have to think about anything at all. Massimo was in control. The knowledge was heady and incredibly freeing. A slightly dizzy sensation soared through my body, making me feel oddly light, as though his intense stare was the only thing tethering me to reality.
He stepped toward me, his heat enfolding me. I arched into him, but I kept my wrists pressed tightly against the tiles. Resisting his command didn’t even occur to me; I had no desire to escape him.
“I need to see you,” he rumbled, eyes tight with concern even as they burned with lust.
He was still worried that I’d been hurt. No matter what the doctor had said, he needed to see for himself that I was unharmed.
My chest warmed. Instead of promising that I was fine, I nodded, consenting to his assessment. He wouldn’t be soothed by words alone, and I didn’t feel like challenging him. I yearned to make him content and calm. If that meant allowing him to strip me and inspect me, I would gladly submit.
I wore only a scrap of white lace to cover my sex: the indecent lingerie he’d purchased for me. For a moment, I expected him to tear it off and expose me roughly, but his touch was tender with aching care as he eased the underwear down my legs.
He dropped to his knees before me, his keen eyes roving over my thighs and back up to my navel. When he was satisfied that there were no visible injuries, he pressed a soft kiss to my clit. I gasped and bucked toward him, my body thrumming with anticipation.
His hands bracketed my hips, steadying me. He applied firm pressure, directing me to turn so that he could inspect my backside. Rough callouses skimmed over my bare legs, making my flesh crackle with little sparks of awareness.
He cupped my bottom, squeezing lightly. I went up onto my toes as pleasure arced through me, my core contracting in need.
A low, masculine sound reverberated through the bathroom, and he nipped at the curve of my butt. Not hard enough to mark me; just enough to keep me on edge for him.
He stood and turned me around so that I was facing him once again. I stared up into his perfect features, which were drawn tight into an almost feral mask. He was looking at the bruises that were forming on my upper arms, where his enemies had dragged me away from him.
I reached for him, erasing the tension from his jaw with a brush of my fingertips. His glittering gaze snapped back to mine. The striations of golden fire that shot through the pale blue of his irises practically glowed: a sensual flame. My head tipped back, and I offered my lips to him.
Instead of claiming my mouth, he pressed a sweet kiss to my forehead, as though soothing the place where his enemies had struck me. I didn’t experience so much as a flicker of pain. My full focus was on Massimo: his heat, his scent, his tender touch.
He stepped away briefly to turn on the shower. In the seconds it took for the water to warm, the absence of his heat made my skin pebble with a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature; my entire body was attuned to him, and I craved his nearness.
In the aftermath of the violence and terror I’d suffered when I’d been attacked, I needed Massimo more than ever. That keen neediness should alarm me, but I was too desperate for him to care. In my new, dangerous world, his strong arms would shield me from harm. Instinctively, I knew deep in my soul that staying close to him was imperative for my survival.
His intense focus on me was almost fanatical, bordering on obsession. I didn’t fully understand his fascination with me—no one had ever paid much attention to me—but I was addicted to it.
For the first time in my life, someone truly saw me. His shining eyes cut deep, as though he could peer into my thoughts, my secrets. No one had bothered to look at me like that before. Not my family, not even George.
His big hand enveloped mine, and he gently led me into the shower. The warm spray pinged over my sensitized skin, chasing the last chill of lingering fear away.
