Chapter 3 I Need To Control Myself

CASSIUS

“ ..The fuck did I just do? “

I cursed myself as I looked down at the fragile figure passed out from pure exhaustion. Marielle lay there like a masterpiece, her dark brown, naturally wavy hair clinging to her damp skin.

My eyes traced the frantic rise and fall of her chest, moving from the pale line of her neck to the perfect curve of her breasts. Her nipples were erect, practically begging to be pinched, and I had to clench my fists to keep from reaching out.

My gaze dropped further…to the dip of her waist and the flare of her hips. I wanted her. I wanted to take her right right then and there, but I forced myself to stay still. She was my late best friend’s daughter. She was nineteen; I was twice her age. I was her uncle.

Finally, my eyes landed on the slick mess she’d created between her legs. I closed my eyes, gulping down the hard lump in my throat. I was Cassius Marchetti.

I was a man who knew his needs, a man who prided himself on control. But at this moment, control was slipping through my fingers. I took a ragged breath, feeling my cock twitch violently against my zipper.

I knew she wasn’t in her right mind. It was the second anniversary of her father’s death, and I knew she wouldn’t handle it well. She had run away, leaving everyone spiraling in a panic. I had nearly lost my mind when I found out she was gone.

She was my responsibility. After her father passed, she became mine to protect. Mine to guard.

But seeing her like this? It was driving me insane. I could still see the expression on her face when she came…the raw, sexy desperation of it. Her soft voice called me "Daddy," begging for my help...

It was everything a man dreamed of hearing.

I should have stopped. I know that. But seeing her so hot, so untouched, and so desperate for me? It woke a hunger I couldn't bury.

"God, Marielle," I breathed.

I forced myself off the bed and dialed a number. Rubbing my temples in frustration, I waited for the pick-up.

"Tell everyone I found her," I snapped, hanging up before they could utter a word.

I shoved the phone into my pocket and looked back at the bed. She was gorgeous- a simple, lovely girl loved by everyone. With a frustrated sigh, I collapsed onto the couch. She was still right there, naked and looking like a meal ready to be devoured.

“Control yourself, Cassius.”

My hand moved to my fly. I unzipped my pants, gasping as my cock sprung free. I wrapped my hand around the heat of it, pumping hard, needing the release before I did something I couldn't take back.

"She is so fucking beautiful," I growled.

The image of her trembling under my touch, shaking from just a single finger, sent me over the edge. What would she do when she finally felt all of me? The thought of her begging me to fuck her over and over made me grit my teeth. I bucked my hips, seeking the friction, imagining her tight, perfect body surrounding me.

"Fuck.." I pictured her small mouth taking me, her glossy eyes looking up at me with that shattered innocence.

"Damnit- shit!"

I grunted as the pleasure peaked, shooting out of me in a hot rush. My chest heaved as I slumped back against the couch, the fog of lust finally clearing to reveal the cold reality of what I’d just done.

I had just finished thinking about my best friend’s daughter. No woman had ever made me this horny. No one had ever made me lose it this fast.

I sat up and looked at her, sighing deeply. How was I supposed to face this? I was a powerful, respected man, yet I’d just dropped my pants because a girl didn't even have to touch me to make me move.

She was all I could think about. And I was losing my grip on everything.

MARIELLE

"D-did it happen?"

I gasped, sitting bolt upright and staring at my naked body. It was seven in the morning. A sharp breath escaped me as I felt a lingering soreness between my legs.

"H-he couldn't be here..."

I scrambled out of bed and scanned the room. The door was shut. There was no sign of him, no evidence that he had been there at all. I took a shaky breath.

I hadn't been dreaming.

He was here. I could still feel the phantom tingle of his hand on me. I grabbed a towel, wrapping it tightly around my frame.

"I don't think he'd still be here," I whispered to the empty room.

But why? Why would he help me like that? Why would he touch me? A small spark of hope flickered in my chest. Maybe he felt it too. Maybe he wanted me the way I wanted him. I thought of his dark hair, his obsidian eyes that seemed to stare into my soul, making my knees weak.

He was huge- muscular, tall, and radiating a dangerous aura that drove me insane.

I stepped out of the bedroom, peeking down the hall. I moved toward the living room, searching for any sign of life. Seeing no one, I let out a sigh of relief. Or was it disappointment? I didn't know if I should be happy or devastated.

I turned around to head back- and walked straight into a wall of muscle.

I gasped, my eyes landing on a broad chest. My heart skipped a beat. Slowly, I lifted my gaze until I met those piercing black eyes. I froze. My mind went blank as the memories of last night flooded back.

My cheeks burned with a deep, shameful heat. He looked stern, wearing that cold mask he was famous for. I looked down at his hands, remembering exactly what those fingers had done to me. Those fingers had made me see stars.

I closed my eyes in sheer embarrassment. I had been so shameless. So vulnerable. So …slutty.., begging him for help.

"I-I'm sorry- "

My voice was a pathetic whimper, nothing like the desperate cries from the night before. I couldn't look at him.

"Why did you run away?"

His deep voice sent a violent shiver down my spine. I gulped, staring at the floor. I didn't want to answer.

"Marielle." The way he said my name made me tremble.

"I-I wanted to be alone- "

Suddenly, I was slammed back. I gasped as he pinned me against the wall, his hot breath fanning over my face. He looked livid.

"Why the fuck would you do that!?"

His voice boomed, making me shake. I knew his anger..everyone did. When Cassius Marchetti lost his temper, the calm man vanished, replaced by something primal and out of control.

"Do you have any idea how I was searching for you?"

Tears blurred my vision. I hadn't wanted to be found. I just wanted to escape the weight of everything.

"I-I miss d-dad," I sobbed, letting my head fall against his chest.

I felt his rigid body relax slightly as I leaned into him. It was so hard to live in a world without my father. I tried to run, but I always ended up right back here. I slowly raised my head, looking at him with a mix of hope and raw affection.

"A-about l-last night—"The moment I mentioned it, his expression shifted. The flicker of softness died, replaced by a cold, hard anger that I didn't understand.

"Forget about last night," he snapped. "Nothing happened last night."

I stared at him, my stomach twisting into painful knots. It felt like the floor was falling out from under me. His voice was final, cutting through me like a blade. He didn't want to remember. He wanted to erase it.

The words hit me so hard my knees nearly gave way. He sounded so certain, so stern...

But I didn't want to believe him.

And I wasn't going to let him forget.