I need this

Chapter Eleven

~ Stephano

Not again!

I could feel Isabella's gaze burning into my face, my cheeks heating up. Those eyes. That questioning gaze was demanding an answer I wasn’t ready to give.

"Who is it this time?" she asked.

I exhaled slowly, keeping my expression impassive as I tilted the phone just enough to let the screen fade to black. "No one important," I said casually, as if the name flashing on my screen hadn’t nearly made me grit my teeth.

Pretty little Isabella was no Einstein, but she most certainly wasn’t stupid. She lifted her chin ever so slightly, studying me with those sharp eyes of hers. "If it’s no one, why not answer it then?"

I knew this game.

She was baiting me, pressing just hard enough to test my reaction, to see if I’d slip up. I could see it in the way her eyes expanded, the way she sucked in a slow, deliberate breath.

I slid the phone back into my pocket, offering her a soft smile. "Because it doesn’t really matter." 

A thousand shades passed over her face. Shades of doubt, anger, irritation, maybe even a splash of jealousy, but she didn’t drop it. Isabella never did. That was the thing about her. She asked too many damn questions. And while I appreciated her attention in some ways, the way she clung to my every word, it also meant I had to be careful.

I didn’t like careful.

Not with her. Not with anyone. But right now, I had to be.

Because I badly ached  to answer that call. I wanted to hear Camilla’s voice tremble, hear her breath shudder, and her fear crack through the phone. I wanted to relish every second of it, bask into the pleasure of knowing she had nowhere to run. But I couldn’t do that with Isabella breathing down my neck.

So I did what I always did.

I stepped in closer, watching the way her breath caught, how she lifted her head up to meet my gaze. My fingers dragging along the line of her jaw, tilting her face just slightly, forcing her to focus on me and only me.

"Because I’m with you right now," I murmured.

"And when I’m with you, Belly, I don’t want to be disturbed."

Her lips parted slightly, her chest rising and falling.

Good.

 That was what I wanted. I could feel it, the way my words danced into her ears.

She liked it when I said things like that. She wanted to believe it. That she was the only thing on my mind. That when I was with her, nothing else existed.

Isabella exhaled shakily, her fingers curling against my shirt. Her eyes flicked to my lips, then back to my eyes, searching for something. She didn’t trust me easily, but she wanted to. She needed to. And that was what made her so easy to control.

Her breath fanned against my chin as she whispered, "Promise me."

My fingers pressed into her waist, not rough, but firm. Claiming.

"I don’t make promises, Isabella," I said. "But you know where you stand with me."

She shuddered slightly, but I didn’t miss the way her body leaned into mine, the way her breath hitched when my hand slid down, gripping her bum.

"Do I?" she whispered.

I leaned in, my lips barely brushing against the shell of her ear.

"You wouldn’t still be here if you didn’t."

She inhaled sharply, her hands fisting my shirt, pulling me closer. She was breathing heavier now, her chest pressed against mine.

She wanted more. She always did.

And that was exactly why I knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

I stared deep into her eyes, letting the silence stretch between us, watching, studying, the way she breathed. There was something in her gaze. A question. Questions.

I would give a Porsche for her thoughts. But I didn’t have time for guessing games.

My grip on her waist tightened, just enough for her to feel it, just enough to remind her that I was in control here. My fingers pressed into her skin, and she sucked in a breath, but she didn’t pull away. She never did.

Still, I was cautious. Always.

I flicked my gaze over her shoulder, scanning the hallway behind her. No one. Good. But I wasn’t careless. I didn’t survive this long by letting my guard down. I kept my head slightly angled, listening for footsteps, for voices, for anything that would tell me we weren’t alone.

The last thing I needed was to be seen like this.

I had a reputation to maintain.  I wasn’t supposed to be here, not like this, not standing so goddamn close to Isabella with her eyes searching mine like she wanted answers I wasn’t willing to give.

Then, movement. Two people walked by. My jaw tensed, my body going rigid for a split second. My gaze darted to them. They weren’t looking. They didn’t even glance our way.

Good.

Still, I wasn’t taking any chances.

I turned my attention back to Isabella.

"Belly, the office. Now."

She opened her mouth, of course she did. I could already see the words forming.

Not now.

I didn’t give her the chance. Before the first syllable could leave her lips, I lifted a finger and pressed it against them, silencing her instantly. Her breath hitched, her eyes widening just slightly, and I felt the way her lips parted beneath my touch, soft, warm.

"Shhh," I murmured. The sound was low, but sharp enough to cut through whatever nonsense she was about to spill. 

"Come with me. Now."

I didn’t move my finger.

Her breathing grew heavier, but she wouldn’t fight me. She never really did. Not when I looked at her like this.

She swallowed. Then, finally, she nodded.

I dropped my hand, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her with me.

I took a slow step forward, watching her as she struggled to steady herself.

"Stephano," she whispered. I didn’t wait. Instead, I closed my hands tighter against her wrist. I was out of patience.

"Ow—Stephano," she yelped. She tried to pull her wrist free, but the movement was weak. I doubted whether or not she wasn’t truly trying.

"Stephy, you're grabbing me too tight," she whined, holding up her wrist like it was some kind of fragile artifact I had nearly shattered. "Seriously, do you even know your own strength? I swear, sometimes I think you’re part machine…"

Three seconds.

Three, 

Two

I shoved open the office door, yanked her in with me, and kicked it shut.

One.

Silence.

Finally.

I didn’t let go of her arm right away, and she let out a breath, her eyes rising up to mine. She was waiting for something. Perhaps, an apology.

She was going to be disappointed.

"Stephy"

I let go.

She stumbled back a step, rubbing her wrist with an exaggerated scowl. "That was unnecessary."

I ignored her, walking over to my desk. I sank into my chair, fingers tapping lightly against the polished wood as I watched her.

She was still fixated on her damn wrist, inspecting it like I had burned my initials into her skin.

"You act like I snapped your bone in half."

"You don’t know your own strength," she huffed. "One of these days, you're going to grab the wrong person the wrong way and-"

"Belly."

She ignored me.

I leaned back, running a hand down my jaw, exhaling through my lips.

"Belly," I repeated, slower, and firmer.

Nothing.

She kept talking. Kept pushing.

I tilted my head, my gaze locking onto her with an intensity that should have stopped her in her tracks.

It didn’t.

"Belly, get your ass over here, now."

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, her breath catching as if she were considering pushing back, but she didn’t. I could see it in the way her body tensed and then moved toward me. She wasn’t saying anything, not yet. She was thinking, trying to gather the words to fight me, to question why I was dragging her in here.

I reached out, gripping her wrist as soon as she was within reach. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she finally made the move. I could feel her pulse under my fingers. She was yielding, but not fully. Not yet.

“Shh.” I spoke in a low growl, my thumb brushing over her pulse, just enough to remind her who was in control. “Don’t say a word.”

She tried to pull back slightly, but I held her back. "I don’t have time for your questions. You’ve asked enough of them already." Her fingers twitched at her sides, like she didn’t know whether to pull away or give in.

“Listen to me, Belly.” I stepped leaned close enough for her to feel the heat of my body pressing against hers, but I didn’t touch her anywhere else. Not yet. “You’ve been talking. A lot. And now I’m going to shut you up. You don’t need to say anything anymore. Just let me handle it."

She nodded.

"Good girl," I murmured.

I leaned back in my chair, eyes never leaving Isabella. She knew what I wanted; hell, she always knew. But today, I was done with the games. I didn’t want her to beg. I didn’t want her to come close, teasing me, giving me just enough to make me want more. I wanted it now. Needed it.

 “Sit.”

Slowly, she straddled me. I could feel the heat from her body press into mine, but it wasn’t enough. It never was.

She hesitated, fingers brushing over my chest, as if testing me. I wasn’t interested in the slow dance today. “No,” I growled, grabbing her wrist before she could get any closer. “Enough with that.”

I wasn’t in the mood for the soft touches, the pretending.

I looked at her, waiting for her to move. My patience was running thin, and I made sure she knew it. “Do you need me to spell it out for you?”

Her breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t say anything. She knew I wasn’t asking for permission.

Finally, her body relaxed, and she sank into me. The movement was slow, too slow. I grabbed her waist, pulling her closer, making her understand I didn’t need the teasing. I just needed it done.

Her hands moved to my chest, and I caught them in midair, pulling her hands away. "Stop," I muttered. “Just do it.”

I grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. Her body stiffened, and her breath quickened. 

“What’s come over you?” she whispered.

In my mind, the answer was clear, sharp, almost too easy to admit: Camilla. How had she managed to provoke me so thoroughly? It was her fault. How had she gotten under my skin this way? I wasn’t even supposed to be like this. So hard. 

But I couldn't afford to dwell on that. Not now. Not when Isabella was in front of me, and I had to focus on getting what I needed.

I leaned in, close enough to feel the heat of her breath against my skin. 

“Isabella,” I growled, pulling her closer. “I don’t need you touching me right now. You understand?”

She gave me that look, the one she always gave when she was trying to assert some kind of control. But I wasn’t having it.

“Damn it,” I muttered, my voice sharper. “Either you ride it, or do I need to put it in for you?”

She stiffened, and for a second, I thought she might pull away. 

Until, she did.

Her hands pushed against my chest as if she were about to pull away. I could see the anger in her eyes. I’d pushed her to the edge, and I could feel it.

“Belly, hey, hey, calm down,” I said, gritting my teeth in anger.

No use flaring up now. It would only delay my release.

“I’m just a little impatient, that’s all.” I could tell she was angry, and damn it, I knew I had to fix this before she walked away. I couldn’t have that. Not now.

I cursed silently, my thoughts drifting back to Camilla. Damn her. How had she gotten to me like this? How had she made me this… this desperate? 

But that didn't matter now, and Isabella was here. She was all I needed to clear my head, to get the relief I couldn’t shake.

“Belly,” I repeated, my hands on her waist, pulling her closer, my grip firm. “It’s just… I need this.”

She hesitated, her eyes narrowing for a second before she spoke. "Fine."

I didn’t give her another moment to think. My hands were already moving, pulling her closer, guiding her as I pushed her panties aside. She tensed, her body a little stiff as if trying to resist, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to stop. Not now. Not with how much I needed this.

"Slow down," she muttered, her voice breathless. She was nervous, sure, but she was still here, still letting me have control, and that was what mattered.

“I’m calm,” I said, though the words didn’t match the way my pulse raced, my hands still gripping her waist as if I was afraid she might disappear. The ache in my body had been growing for too long, since I left Camilla in that damn corridor. I needed relief. I needed it badly.

Her fingers brushed against the zipper of my pants, fumbling.

The moment her fingers slid the zipper down, I could feel myself throb under her touch. It had been building, that damn pressure.

Isabella was moving slower than I wanted, her hands teasing me in a way that was almost unbearable. I could feel my control slipping, my patience wearing thin.

"I'm not a patient man, Isabella," I growled.

She giggled. She clearly wasn't taking me seriously, which only made things worse. I didn't need her teasing me, not now. I needed her to move, to act.

But before she could, I heard it.

The door creaked open.

"Mr. Maddens?"

It stopped me cold.

I froze for a second, not able to believe what was happening. That voice. It knew it all too well.

Damn it. My cock throbbed at the sound of it, instinctively reacting to the person I had been trying so hard to ignore. It was the one thing I didn’t want to deal with at this moment.