❧ Fiorella ☙"You want to tell me something, Brendan?" she snorts and shrugs."Just the usual. Fuck off, and I'll see you at dinner." When he tries to leave, Darian grabs him by the shirt and throws him back in front of him. I move out of the way so I don't get caught between them.Darian and his cousin remind me of a bull and a red flag. The outcome can never end well. Darian has his Brendan's shirt clenched in his hands as he leans in with a growl, "Did you think about touching my wife and tasting her before the auction?" I don't like the way he says "my wife," which warms me in places I had tried to cover up with nonchalance.Brendan shakes his head and pushes Darian off of him. "I don't want anything to do with her. She'll be gone tomorrow. By the way, thanks for letting me know you set the date, asshole."Darian looks ready to throw a punch, and I shrink back behind his desk chair, something akin to guilt creeping through me. I'd brought Brendan into this, and now I was going to
❧ Darian ☙I rip the top button of my shirt from its hole as I stare into her eyes. "What does it look like?" it takes me a few seconds to rip off the rest of the buttons and pull the shirt out of my pants.She drags her gaze over every inch of my slowly revealing skin. She may think she's above it all, but I can see the whites of her eyes as she takes in my abs and the tattoos covering my torso.I toss my shirt on the chair and unbuckle my belt, never taking my eyes off her. But she continues to stare at my body like it's the last dessert on the buffet. "See anything you like?" I shout at her.When she doesn't answer, I take off my belt and snap my fingers in front of her nose. He startles and grabs the desk by the hips. His eyes dart to mine. "What?""It's rude to stare, Fiorella, tell me what you want, what you were going to offer Connor and maybe he'll give it to you. Use your words." She swallows hard, her voice low and husky as she replies."You call me darling when you're angry
❧ Darian ☙Before she can think too much, I lean down and take one of her nipples between my teeth. She lets out a little moan when I apply pressure and then suck on the pain. I switch to the other side and do the same. I'm supposed to punish her, get her back under control, but every time I see that telltale pink flush on her skin, all I can think about is touching every inch of her body, marking it with mine until it's the only thing she feels, the standard by which she'll measure every man after me. "Do you still want me to release you?" I ask, lips pressed to his sternum. He arches toward me, pleading with his body."Mmm... that's what I thought." Disregarding my words, I pull his shirt off his wrists. "Open my pants and touch me." She locks her eyes on mine, even as she's already heading for the zipper of my pants, dragging it down, my belt buckle bumping against her wrist. Gingerly, she pushes my pants down with one hand as she grips my hard length with the other."Do you want
❧ Fiorella ☙"I'll take you of that have no doubt, I will, but since you've been such a bad boy, I'm not going to give you the pleasure of taking you like I always did, not yet." His gaze hardens."And just so we're on the same page. If I see you fucking Connor or Brendan again, I'll strip you naked and leave you with my guards. They will more than make sure every one of your holes is filled. is that clear?" I nod quickly, not taking my eyes off him. He drops his gaze down my body, and then a squirt of liquid follows.The oil, or lube, I think, since I can't see the bottle, coats the seam of my ass, runs down my thighs and even my upper back as he rubs it into my skin. I am trembling, shuddering.This is not what I wanted, not like this. The thought of him spreading me open with his cock and sliding it in there makes me shudder again. I shouldn't be filled with sticky heat. "You're shaking, is it because I threatened you?" he says from behind me.He's tracing that tight little crease
❧ Darian ☙I wake up with a tingling in my arm, which lets me know that the limb is stiff and blood flow is low. Looking down at the sleeping form curled up next to me, I find Fiorella.For an instant I remember those first days as newlyweds, when I enjoyed her scent on my pillow and her soft skin close to me. Her soft lips are half-open and her angelic features are softened by the morning light. At this moment, she is not afraid, she is not tense or trying to fight me. She is an angel, and what mockery is it that I am the devil...?A darkness covers me as a dull ache spreads through my chest with a glare. My heart thuds against my ribs, amplifying the pain, and I can't remember a time when it has beat so loudly before.So soft, fragile and trusting. This is how she appears, like a lamb asleep in the pasture while the big bad wolf stalks the edge of the forest. If only he were a better man, a man who wasn't so intent on revenge. Maybe things could be different? I have to squash the t
❧ Darian ☙ "I guess I should have made things more clear with you yesterday. What we did was fucking and it was more of a punishment to get you back in line than anything else, if you thought that would make anything between us change, I'm so sorry Fiorella, my feelings haven't changed towards you, but neither will my anger and contempt." Her eyes narrow and she steps forward."And me waking up in your bed, was that part of the punishment too?" I get up from the chair immediately.Something more than anger, more than my need to master my emotions flows inside me. When I meet her anger with my own, she staggers backwards until I press her against the wall. "Listen to me well Fiorella, that was a stupid mistake on my part I admit it, you mean nothing more to me than revenge an end to my plans, you are nothing in my life anymore. Yesterday was satisfying and nothing more. It felt good, but don't think a little sex is going to divert me from my goals. Nothing on this planet has that pow
❧ Fiorella ☙He's a fucking animal , monster, idiot I loathe him so much, I look at the clothes they brought me and I can't believe , if you can call them clothes, he wants me in ribbons. A stylist shows up at noon and while I endure her attentions as she tousles my hair , waxes me to near disappearance and masterfully does my makeup so I don't even look made up , I hate every second of it.Once she leaves, I slip back into my shirt and wait for the costume Darian has prepared for me. A few moments later, a maid enters the room with a bag for the dress. She places it on my closet door."Thank you," I tell her, even though the dress and this place leave a bitter taste in my mouth. As soon as he leaves the room, I get off the bed and head to the closet, unzipping the bag to inspect its contents. I'm not surprised to see that it's a deep red color, almost wine, and barely what I would call a dress.The front of the dress has a panel that is little more than lace, and the back is open exc
❧ Fiorella ☙"Let no one touch her until she is bought and paid for," he says, in a voice that echoes through the room. A few groans and protests are heard, but they die down and then silence reigns.I am lifted onto a low stage or platform and left in an elevated position to be inspected. I plead with every god I can think of that no one go against their order to touch me. At any moment, I fear the vomit will spiral out of some hidden depth.Of course, it doesn't. I shouldn't like how protective he sounds or the tight grip he keeps on my neck. It's almost comforting to feel possessed by him, I can't afford to be disappointed.He escorts me through a warehouse full of people wanting to buy from me. As far as I'm concerned, this place could burn to the ground with everyone in it. He leans in and whispers, "Behave yourself." I put on my worst fake smile and, not bothering to lower my voice, tell him, "Fuck off."His hand tightens on my neck for a moment, and then he pushes me away, rele