24. Devil Versus Door
DEVIL VERSUS DOOR
For several days now, they’d been living together. His wound was healing nicely under the beautiful doctor’s watchful eye and expert care. Alessandro was starting to feel well enough to leave, but he didn’t want to go. He wished to stay with his angel even though her ugly, outdated apartment was a true eyesore. Alessandro hated it. She deserved to live in a fucking palace. Not this sad, cramped shithole.
Admittedly, though, not everything about the space was bad.
The smallness of it was actually growing on him. It ensured that she was always close by . Never far from his reach. He liked being able to look at her and talk to her and bait her whenever the mood struck him. She always managed to hold her own. No matter what nonsense he threw her way.
Lately, it was becoming harder and harder to pretend like she wasn’t the most interesting woman he’d ever met in his life.
Even when she was ignoring him, his attention would drift to her. Like a magnet seeking his mate. Most of the time, he had to make a conscious effort to look away and leave her alone. Alessandro didn’t understand exactly what was happening to him. He’d never experienced anything like this before. But she was beginning to take over every single one of his waking thoughts. Even when he slept, she was there. Taunting him. Teasing him. Testing him.
She invaded his dreams for the first time two days ago.
She appeared yesterday, too.
Tonight he was dreaming of her again.
They were in a dark windowless room together. She was locked in a cage for some reason. Just out of reach. He was chained to the fucking wall. He glanced around. No keys in sight.
Cazzo .
Both hands curled into fists. He strained and writhed against the shackles binding his wrists. Steel cut into his flesh. He ignored the pain. He heard someone laughing on the other side of the walls.
It sounded like his father.
Rage trembled through Alessandro. The chains rattled violently as he thrashed about. Frustration seized him as he tried and failed, again and again, to break free.
Desperately, he cried out, “Angelo…”
Brown and blue-gray found green.
There was a serene smile on her face as she watched him struggle. “What are you trying to do?”
He growled, “I cannot reach you, and it is pissing me off!”
She held his gaze, taunting him relentlessly, “But you’re not supposed to touch me. And I’m not allowed to touch you. That’s why they locked us up.”
Who were they?
Feeling like a caged beast, he lunged toward her once more, but the shackles held him back. “Fuck them. I will get us out of here. Even if I have to snap off my fucking wrists to get to you.”
“Save your strength. There’s no need to hurt yourself. I’ve already accepted my fate. You should, too.”
“What do you mean?” he rasped.
“Neither of us will ever be free. Even if we escape this place,” she whispered with a haunted look, “they’ll never let us go.”
“Then I think they need to die.”
She laughed darkly. “No one can win against them.”
“Watch me.”
“No, I think you should be the one watching me,” she challenged softly, lowering her lashes. Her hand trailed over the curves of her perfect tits, down, down, down her belly until her fingers slipped between her thighs. “I don’t believe in violence. Especially when there are far more enjoyable ways to pass the time in here…”
Suddenly, murder was no longer on his mind. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. Her fingers began to play. Rubbing. Touching. Circling. He strained to see her movements. He obsessed over her every whimper. Then, her hips began to writhe, and Alessandro thought he might die from not touching her.
She let out a low, breathy moan, “Eyes on me, baby, don’t you dare look away…”
He awoke with jolt. Sweat slicked his skin, and his heart was hammering as though he’d just run a fucking marathon.
What the hell was that?
Then, he heard something that sounded suspiciously like a moan.
Was he still dreaming?
Alessandro glanced around the apartment. The door to the bathroom was closed. He could hear the shower running inside. His cock began to stir.
A muffled whimper soon followed.
He grew tense and fully alert. Brown and blue-gray eyes became riveted on the goddamn door.
Did she lock it?
Alessandro's mind began to race with possibilities. His angel tended to be meticulous about everything. Especially with doors. She never forgot to lock any of them. Knowing her, a locked door would mean that he definitely wasn't welcome. An unlocked door, however, could mean many things. It could be an invitation to watch. Or even a silent plea to join her.
His heart skipped a beat. Unable to stop himself, Alessandro rose from the couch like a man possessed. He walked across the living room and soon found himself standing right in front of the bathroom door. As his hand wrapped around the doorknob, he gave it the lightest of turns. Then, he twisted it a little harder. The fucker wouldn’t budge.
She didn't want him.
Devastated, Alessandro didn't know whether to laugh or weep. With a sigh, he trudged back to the couch.Every muscle felt so tightly wound that Alessandro was afraid he might snap. Stiffly, he sat back down and started thinking about dead puppies and other sad, morbid shit to calm himself down. It wasn't very effective, though.
A burst of breathless, panting cries echoed against the walls.
With a clenched jaw, his head snapped toward the door. Fuck, fuck, fuck . His dick pulsed and strained against his pants. He felt so solid, thick, and desperate for her. Fingernails dug into his palms. Nearly drawing blood. She was having so much fun without him. Alessandro resented the cruel, malicious barrier that was keeping him from his angel.
With daggers in his eyes, Alessandro glared at the stupid door as though it was his archenemy.
He wanted to burn it.
Splinter it with an axe .
Smash it in with a sledgehammer.
His sick sense of humor flared up. Dio , wouldn't it be laughable for a man to survive a gunshot wound only to die from blue balls? His cock grew harder still. A touch of sanity returned as he sucked in a deep breath to center his thoughts. He probably wouldn't die . But this was hell on a whole other level. His angel was a true sadist in every sense of the word. She didn't even need to touch him to make him suffer.
A lifetime seemed to pass before the bathroom door finally opened. She stepped into the living room. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy. She moved with the soft, glowing ease of a woman who'd just come her brains out. Alessandro felt happy for his angel. But he was quite sad for himself. He'd wanted to be the one to bury his face into her cunt and make her see stars.
Their gazes locked.
With a polite, gentlemanly expression masked his feral thoughts, he remarked, "You were in there for a while."
A small smile graced her face. "Long showers are relaxing. Every now and then."
He should've been in there with her. "I could not agree more."
Frowning, she asked, "How long have you been awake?"
A fucking eternity. "Long enough."
She froze slightly. "Did you wake up because of… me?"
He'd heard everything, and it'd damned near killed him. "Well, the walls are quite thin."
His angel blushed prettily. Her eyes were pretty, too. Dio , everything about her was so fucking pretty.
"In that case, I apologize for, ah, disturbing you."
Brown and blue-gray eyes narrowed. Alessandro didn't need an apology. He wanted an invitation next time. "There is no need. I should be the one apologizing."
Her breath hitched. "For what?"
He smiled a ghost of a smile. "Almost breaking down your door."