His Contracted Temptation; Velvet Lies

VALERIA My mother always said I was a trouble magnet. She was right. If she wasn't why on earth am I kissing a total stranger with zero abandonment? I might be on the brink of living on the streets but that doesn't mean I wasn't trained better. I don't know how we managed to leave the club when neither of us could take our hands off each other but we made it to his Mercedes where I performed a much needed handjob. " You have a beautiful home," I murmur admiring a nude sculpture of a woman in the middle of the hallway. Dante doesn't reply right away , instead he comes behind me, his hard length poking my butt. His big hands wrap around my waist, he pulls me closer and what ever sassy sentence I had in mind dies. Hot breath snakes over my neck and I let out a small whimper. Dante's hand move over the slope of my shoulders, feathery strokes brushing my bare skin. I throw my head backward, grabbing a fist full of his hair as my lips part in a silent gasp. " Surely we're not goi

VALERIAThe door shuts, and my chest drops with a sigh. That was, hold up, did I just get dragged into a lover's spat? That girl, whoever she is, is clearly involved with Dante. Does that mean... nope! Definitely none of my business. That's Dante's problem alone... hopefully.Shaking off my mini trauma, I eat the rest of my now cold breakfast, shower, and grab a sweatshirt from his wardrobe. Good thing this man weighs over a hundred and ninety pounds, it ends up looking like I'm wearing a dress instead. It smells faintly of his cologne; musk, pinewood and a hint of cedar... I take a deep sniff.It's been over twenty minutes since Dante left, there's no sound of either of their voices as it should be in a house like this and I'm tempted to check for myself out of habit. I chew my lower lip, thinking about calling Diego, my best friend but decide against it. Too risky.Just when I curl up for a catnap the door opens and Dante steps in. Whatever kept him away for that long wasn't rosy. V

VALERIA The attention is no longer on me, yet I can feel the anger and hatred seething under Florence's skin the same way you feel the winter chill before snow starts to fall. Her nostrils flare slightly, lips twitching like they're struggling to stay calm. "Don't act surprised, mother. You keep on asking me to settle down," Dante scoffs. "Besides, this would stop investors from pulling out and the feds from snooping around." Florence lets out a visible sigh of relief, a small knowing smile tilts her lips as she hurriedly gulps down her drink. "It's a contract marriage, after all," she says softly, sounding more like she's trying to convince herself than anyone else. "And," Dante pauses. Both Florence and Lucas' eyes snap towards him. "This marriage is going to be my first and last. I don't plan on marrying anyone other than Valeria now or ever." The certainty in his voice makes me want to both blush and hide. "Lucas, say something!" Florence's eyes dart between Dante and me, th

VALERIAOne minute, Dante’s eye-fucking me from across the seat. Chances are he knows I can see him and doesn’t care—or maybe he's clueless I'm aware. Either way, I play along, laughing harder, rolling my shoulders until my sleeve slips... and the next—the call, and then..."I'll see you later," that’s all Dante says before rushing off. Taylor starts the car, and I crane my neck toward the chaos outside,but aside from flashing blue and red lights and a growing crowd, I can’t make out much.The drive home is quiet. I’m halfway to sleep when the door opens and Taylor taps my shoulder.“We’ve arrived, ma’am.”“So soon?” I yawn, covering my mouth. He nods and holds the door open. I thank him and head inside.Silence greets me. My heels echo against the marble floors, each step emphasizing just how empty this place feels. I think of those big houses I used to deliver to back in Colombia—towering pillars, million-dollar art on every wall, and still, the same hollow quiet. They always had on

VALERIA She eyes me lazily, like she's doesn't expect to find anything exciting about me. "Alessio," I smile brightly, wiping my hand. "Good to see you. You look unusually calm today." Her eyes snap at mine. "– Did someone finally slip Ven into your coffee?" "Oh, Valentino, I don't drink coffee," she says in a matter-of-fact way, flipping hair over her shoulder. "Too much caffeine. But you wouldn't know, you're too Colombian for that." She psts, waving off my comment. Right. Colombians and tea. How original. "Ha! You're right," I say, lips curving. "I'll cut down on caffeine, but you know your Italian men." I roll my eyes in mock tiredness. "Dante tasted my coffee once and can't get enough. Nothing beats Colombian coffee, I guess." I only realize the double context when a flicker of envy flashes through Alex's eyes. Her neck is set at a stiff angle, lips twitching, eyes narrowing. "Nice meeting you," I give her a small wave, leaving her behind. The bathroom door slams behind me