12
SAY YOUR NAME
ADRIANA
I limp across to the sitting room and collapse on the sofa. I ache and Enzo hasn't let me have any relief. Nor release.
He's been relentless since yesterday morning, but his cock doesn't seem to tire. He's fucked me in the kitchen, the sitting room, on the dining table and the matching sideboard. The asshole asked if I wanted to go outside and I declined, impolitely, certain he wanted to fuck me out there.
Enzo's determined I give him what he wants and I'm stubbornly trying to resist. He's made good on his promise to withhold my orgasms until I submit, and I wish I'd never started this game.
He's won in all but name.
He knows it. I know it.
It's just a question of time before I cave.
I send Enzo a look that would make most men wither. He smirks and shoves his cock back into his briefs, fastening his trousers.
“I'll make you come right now, Adi. Admit you're Daddy's little slut and I'll give you the orgasm you're fucking desperate for.”
I shake my head, and he sighs.
“You will give me this, Adi. You're suffering needlessly.”
I pull my feet underneath me and turn away, ignoring the disgusting drip of his come seeping from my body.
“We should go out,” he says, walking over as if nothing's happened. “Let me spoil you.”
He sits, and I move away.
He growls, and I ignore him.
“Adi...”
“Stop. Calling. Me. That.”
I get up and run. Admittedly, it's more of a stagger at this point, but it's the best I can do given the state he's left me in. I make it to the top of the stairs and run straight into Enzo, who hauls me over his shoulder and carries me back downstairs.
He places me on the sofa, sits and I seethe.
His hands run through his hair and something in the garden catches his attention.
I take off again, make it to the landing again, and he's already there again. I'm thrown over his shoulder and this time he delivers a single spank.
“How the fuck do you do that?” I scream, pummeling him with my fists.
“It's a perk of being a demon,” he says, leering at me. “There are quite a few, baby.”
He carries me to his bed and places me on the mattress, surprisingly gently.
“Are you going to stop being such a brat?” he asks.
I shake my head and look for an opening.
“I will chain you to my fucking bed if you keep behaving like this. Don't think I won't. I've already got a collar in mind for you and I'm looking for an excuse to use it.” His jaw ticks. “Permanently.”
I huff, and he crosses his arms.
“You have three choices, Adriana. Talk to me and I will help you through this. Let me take you out and spoil you stupid. Or behave like a petulant child and leave me with no choice but to chain you to this bed until you choose something else.”
“I. HATE. YOU.”
His eyes darken and he draws closer. “I do not care. All I care about is how good of a whore you are for me.”
My clit throbs and I hate it. Almost as much as I hate him. He's got my pussy begging for his cock and my head's losing the battle to keep it under control.
I hate the way the filthy things he says arouse me and I hate the way his stare makes me feel special. Beautiful. Worshipped.
I hate that even though I want to hate him and everything he does, but I don't.
He's too damn attractive. Too damn intriguing. Too fucking funny. He makes me feel things that no one else has even come close to making me feel. Enzo is unashamedly vicious, unabashedly cruel, and unimaginably depraved.
And it's making me curious. More than that, if I'm honest. His dominance has me dancing to its tune and wanting to lose myself in its music. It's like a beat flowing through me and now I've heard it, I'm bound to move to its frantic rhythm. His frantic rhythm.
“ADRIANA?”
“I'M THINKING.”
I clamp my mouth shut and have the good sense to look sheepish as Enzo arches his eyebrow higher than I've ever seen it go. Clearly, shouting back doesn't meet with his approval. I'm approaching the limit of his tolerance and now I've got to decide what to do.
Not just about this afternoon.
He's been pushing for this since yesterday morning, and I need to decide if I'm ready to concede defeat.
It's a question of how much pain I'm prepared to tolerate. Enzo won't relent and I can't beat him. Not on this.
And maybe I don't want to.
My clit and pussy don't want to hold out and my head's losing the will. It's almost ready to accept I like some of what Enzo does and that the rest of it turns me on.
Almost. Just not quite.
Enzo's nostrils flare as he stares like a man on the verge of losing control. He knows I'm teetering on the edge of surrender and although he's desperate for me to give in, he's determined that I'll do this on my own. It'll be more satisfying that way and he'll delight in knowing that there was at least a little choice.
He's as controlling as he is attractive, and his dominance is without mercy. He'll want to deepen my submission and he'll keep pushing until he has me utterly under his control. The thought of being that powerless—that selfless—ought to terrify me, especially when it's a demon holding all the power.
But an inconvenient ripple of pleasure plunges through me, reminding me how much I enjoy the way this makes me feel.
“Out.” I exhale and soften. “We could talk while we're out doing whatever it is we're doing.”
Enzo nods, and the tension melts away. “Apologize.”
My stomach tightens as he makes me apologize for being a brat and shouting and sulking. He strokes my face when it's over, tells me to get dressed and leaves me to get on with it.
I shower, using large amounts of the expensive wash to cover up his smell. I find a comfortable pair of beige trousers and pair it with a loose vest and cashmere cardigan, emerging looking like the picture of laid-back elegance.
Enzo stares as I walk down the stairs, holding the sling-back shoes in one hand and gripping the banister in the other.
“Beautiful,” he says, offering me his hand to balance on as I put the shoes on.
I wobble in the heels, taking a few moments to find my balance. I'm three inches taller but still considerably shorter than Enzo, and the man towers over me, pressing his point.
“When you're ready, Adi.”
“Where are we going, Enzo?”
His smile is confident and relaxed, almost fooling me into thinking he's laid back and gentle. “I thought an afternoon shopping followed by some drinks might be a pleasant thing to do.”
I nod and let him lead me into the garden. “At some point, we are going to do something other than shop and fuck, right?”
Enzo laughs and the riotous sound echoes around us. He twirls me around, lifting me off my feet as we spiral through the courtyard, leaving me dizzy and shrieking at him.
He finally puts me down and leads me to the waiting car. The driver opens the door this time and I get in, sliding across so he can get in next to me.
We drive off and Enzo smirks.
“What's so funny?”
“You're getting used to this,” he replies. “Quickly. Are you excited about work?”
I nod and risk a worried glance at Enzo. Part of what makes me so excited is that it'll be time away from him, and although he must know this, I don't want to risk making him angry.
“Good. Do you need anything else for it? A laptop perhaps?”
I shrug and stare out the window, wondering what it'll cost me.
“Adi, do you need a laptop?”
“You threw the last one away,” I complain. “With all my photos and university work on it. I doubt that means anything to you, but it means something to me.”
He grabs my hand and squeezes it. Gently. “I had my staff remove your files first. They're safe, sweet girl. But it was far too easy to gain access to and if you want or need a laptop, I'll get you one. One that's safe.”
“With a program on it that tracks everything I do?”
His face lights with amusement. “Naturally. I want to know if you're watching or reading porn.” He waits until I blush. “We can try all those things out, baby.”
I roll my eyes and he shakes his head, leaning across and planting a tender kiss on my cheek.
“We can try anything you'd like, Adi. You'll find I'm willing to let you explore all your fantasies. With me. For me.”
I blush and squirm, and he kisses me again, letting his hand wander down my body.
“I'd appreciate a laptop. Please.”
“Of course. I'll arrange for you to have an iPad too. So you can easily work when traveling.”
I ought to thank him, but my mind is busy whirling. I'm trying to understand what's so important to protect on my electronics and why he seems to need to know where I am and what I'm doing. Sure, he's a control freak, but this feels different. This feels important. Like this isn't a game.
Enzo offers me his most reassuring smile and I'm certain he's hiding something. And it might be the key to me getting out of this nightmare deal I've made with the devil.
“You're wondering why I've provided everything for you. Why I've gotten rid of almost everything you owned before our arrangement began.”
Technically, I was only thinking about my computer and phone. However, the accuracy with which he discerns my thoughts is alarming and I've got to get better at concealing them.
I nod.
“You belong to me. It's complicated to explain and over time, you'll understand it. The world—my world—is dangerous and I've made many enemies. Some powerful enough to try to hurt you to get to me. You’re tied to your possessions and unless they're protected, they can be used to control you. Or hurt you. Or worse.”
Enzo's face is soft, but his tone is not. It isn't nasty, isn't vicious. It's firm and serious, cold and calculated. It’s a voice that sends a shiver down your spine because you know that every word being said is true.
“Your new possessions are safe and they're of a suitable quality. They do you justice and you deserve them.” His hand strokes my face. “Some of what I do is because I enjoy controlling you, but everything I do is to keep you safe, baby. It's a fortunate coincidence when they overlap.”
That shiver rolling down my spine turns into something more like an earthquake, and the aftershocks hit me hard. It's easy to forget that Enzo is a demon and his handsome face, powerful physique, and deep brown eyes conceal his darkness behind his attractive features. It's a spell that's damn effective. Too effective. One that helped him manipulate me into making a deal with him and even now has me under its spell.
“What else do I need to know?” I ask.
“About what?”
“About your world.” I attempt to hide my nervousness. “About demons. And stuff.”
A flash of amusement lights his face and the amber sparks in his eyes burn brighter. Enzo slides closer to me and slips his arm around me, and I'm not sure if this is because I'm about to need some reassurance.
“What do you want to know?”
“How does it work?”
I look as confused as he is by my vague question. What I'm really asking is whether there are any loopholes in our deal or if there is anything else that helps me. I don't know enough to ask clever questions, but if Faust had some relation to reality, then maybe other books about demons might be closer to the truth than he'd like me to believe.
“Are there any rules that I need to know?”
“Rules?” Enzo's eyes narrow and darken. “Hell is a hierachy. I'm fairly near the top and hold more power than you could possibly imagine. My domain is my dominion and I do with it as I please, and that includes doing whatever I want with those underneath me. Their bodies and souls, if they have them, are mine and there are few rules and fewer limits that govern my behavior. Most have the good sense to pay me respect and stay on my better side, and those that don't don't stay around long enough to bother me.” He pauses and I'm certain it's to ensure I've understood the threat. “We can go through the protocols I like later, Adi. Is there anything more specific you were wondering about?”
I bite my lip and take a risk. “If I know your real name, can I control you?”
A roar of laughter booms around me, and I watch Enzo collapse into hysterics. He's so damn beautiful like this that he steals my breath and I almost lose my train of thought as he almost steals them as well.
“Sorry, Adi. It doesn't work like that. There are ways to summon me, but they're pretty damn difficult and require more than my name.”
The car comes to a stop outside another designer shop, this one specializing in bags and shoes.
The driver opens the door and Enzo leaves, waiting to help me exit the car. He pulls me against him and drops his hands to my ass, leaning down to steal a kiss.
“My full name is Lorenzo, Adriana. Lorenzo Antico. My demonic name is much harder to pronounce, and you never need to worry about the particulars of my ritual. I'll come for you whenever you call—and even when you don't.”