Semua Bab I Swore Off Men; But My Enemy Wants An Exception : Bab 31 - Bab 40

Rosette's point of view ~~~ “This time… I want you to beg for it.” How ironic. Moments ago, I was keen on staying away from this man. Now, I'm shamelessly going to beg him to fuck me? I couldn’t think straight. Every rational thought drowned in the unbearable need between my thighs. My eyes darted to his hardened cock still below his belt and I swallowed. If I don't turn away now, there would be no going back. But I want this. I want this man who I shouldn't want. If we do this, there's more possibility that it'll end in a disaster. But I don't care right now. My eyelids fluttered and I lowered my head, my lips parting as a shaky “Please…” escaped me, barely audible. His hand shot to my chin, tilting my face up until our eyes met. The lust in his icy, gray eyes mirrored mine, but his was deeper like a rooted, dark, hunger that seemed to burn from his soul. “I didn’t hear you,” he murmured. “Beg like your life depends on it.” And God help me, it did.

Rosette’s point of view ~~~By the time Cesare finally pulled out of me, my body was still buzzing. My skin prickled with leftover tremors I didn’t want to admit to. My heartbeat still thudded in my ears, embarrassingly out of sync with my breathing.I sat up slowly, dragging my gaze to him. He was already reaching for his briefs like nothing earth-shattering had just happened, like my body wasn’t still trying to remember how to exist.“You’re an asshole, you know that, right?” I said flatly, my voice still slightly hoarse from… yeah, I wasn’t going to finish that thought.He didn’t even look offended. In fact, the corner of his mouth tilted upward in a lazy, almost satisfied curve as he clipped his belt in place. Then he took two slow steps toward me, leaned down with both hands braced on either side of me, boxing me in.“And you,” his voice dropped to that maddeningly low rumble, “just fucked an asshole. So… what does that make you, sweetheart?”“Temporarily insane,” I shot back

Rosette’s point of view ~~~James emerged from the crowd like a well-timed stagehand, his expression tight but practiced. He went straight to the man still standing in front of me who was tall, mid-forties, the kind of face that was forgettable until you noticed the cut of his suit and the quiet arrogance in his stance.“Mr. Carson,” James said, voice dripping with polite apology, “please forgive the misunderstanding. It was… a momentary overreaction.”Momentary overreaction? My eyes flicked to him, then to the stranger, then to Cesare, who still had his arm braced around me like I was some fragile vase.Mr. Carson gave James a thin smile, though his eyes stayed fixed on me. “No harm done,” he said, but the tone told me there was harm done—at least to his pride. Men like him always stored their grudges like fine wine, to uncork at the perfect moment.It didn’t take more than the way James spoke to him, the subtle bow of his head, for me to understand that this man was of some impor

Cesare's point of view ~~~Claudia Reeve's sudden arrival at Julio's funeral and her announcement was no sudden occurrence. I already knew what this was about.The sound of my engine faded as I pulled up to the curb outside the Grand Solace Hotel. The place loomed against the night sky, its golden lights spilling out.I cut the ignition, slipped my hands into my pockets, and stepped out. The night air was cool, brushing against my skin, but it didn’t slow me. My pace was fast and steady.Inside, the lobby gleamed like it had been polished just to blind you. Chandeliers hung overhead, dripping light across marble floors. The air smelled faintly of expensive perfume and something stronger—like money and danger mixed together.I didn’t stop at the reception desk. The woman behind it glanced up, recognized me, and lowered her gaze. The elevator doors slid open as if they’d been waiting for me.I pressed the button for the top floor. The mirrored walls inside threw my reflection back at

Rosette’s point of view ~~~When the call ended, the screen of my phone glowed back at me like an accusation. For a few seconds, I just stood there frozen, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. Cesare’s voice hadn’t even filled the line because there had been no voice. Only the sound of harsh, ragged breathing, and then I heard a low grunt just before he hung up.Pain. It had been pain, I was sure of it.My heart squeezed in a way I hated, something anxious unfurling in my stomach. I shouldn’t feel this way. I had no reason to. He was the kind of man who probably ran headfirst into trouble just for the thrill of it. He lived and breathed chaos; danger wrapped around him like a second skin. If he sounded hurt, then maybe it was just another night in his world.And yet…My hand moved before my brain could stop it. I redialed his number.The line rang. And rang. And rang.No answer.I let out a shaky laugh and rubbed my temple. “Why am I doing this?” I muttered, almost