Chapter Ten
MONIQUE
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She wasn’t a murderer.
She’d never been the murdering type. Though she hated spiders with a passion, she even felt guilty when killing them. However, seeing Orazio’s contract, knowing he’d plotted against her with her horrible ex, well, that made something inside her snap.
Now, she knew what Tupac meant when he rapped, “I ain’t a killa, but don’t push me.” Gripping the pen tightly, Monique lunged for Orazio. Her eyes were on his neck. All she had to do was stab him there, and her problems would be over.
Swallowing down her fears, she rid her mind of things like blood, police, and funerals and focused on only the positives. Freedom. Fresh air. Getting her possessions back in her name. Closing her eyes, she brought the pen down on his neck.
A large hand clamped around her wrist. Her eyes popped open. She came face to face with the side of Orazio’s face. Her gaze dropped to her pen. It was inches away from his throat. So close .
If only she could push it down a little further. Grunting, she tried to do just that. Though she was straining, putting all of her weight into the attack, she was getting nowhere. Why did he have to be so damn strong?
Maybe it would work if she used both hands. Monique wrapped both hands around the pen and pushed down harder, grunting as she did so. Come on. Come on. Just slide into his neck already! Damn it. That wasn’t working either.
She could tell which one of them had been eating their Wheaties and which one hadn’t. The bastard turned and faced her. The look in his eyes made her freeze. Her blood ran cold. He’d looked determined before. Now, he appeared downright pissed off.
“You’re not the first person to try to kill me, Monique Rose,” he uttered calmly, too calmly. “And you won’t be the last. However, this will be the only time you pull a stunt like this. Understand?”
Something in her told her to nod and say yes, just to get back on his good side. This version of him exuded dangerous energy. Energy she wanted nothing to do with. But Monique had caved to the wishes of others her entire life. Her parents, her family, her church, and her ex-husband. No more . She was done with that life.
“You should let me leave here, Orazio,” she told him. “If I don’t kill you today, I’ll kill you tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. One day, your blood will be on my hands, and I’ll escape this damn hotel.”
She waited for him to lash out at her. She was at his mercy. There was nothing she could do if he retaliated against her. She was the weaker of the two of them. That didn’t mean she was going to let him treat her like shit.
Been there, done that. That bitch is dead. I’m no longer her. I will fight for what I want. I will fight to be the woman I want to be. Even if I die trying. She resisted the urge to flinch when he snatched the pen away from her and slammed it on the table, causing the table to shake.
Her gaze never strayed from his. She refused to be the first to look away. She knew she should back down. She couldn’t. Part of her brain called her foolish. The other part wanted her to burn the entire hotel down.
“You’re exactly what I need, Monique Rose.”
She blinked. Wait a minute. What? Had she heard him correctly?
“What did you say?” she asked.
“I said, you’re exactly what I need.”
“Really? You need someone who wants to kill you?” she asked. “Because I do. Want to kill you, that is. Very badly.”
He chuckled, surprising her further. This was not a laughing matter. If his reflexes weren’t as quick as they were, he would be bleeding out right now. Had he lost his mind?
“You do understand that I just tried to kill you?” she reminded him.
“I do,” he replied.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
Monique sighed. There was no point in talking to him. He was insane. She didn’t want his crazy to rub off on her.
“Let me go.” She tried to jerk away from him. Her arm didn’t budge.
“You’re beautiful and I want you,” he told her, smile fading. “But we will have rules. This shit you just pulled, while adorable, cannot happen again. Especially not in front of my security.”
“Don’t want to be embarrassed in front of your men, huh?” she taunted, mainly because she couldn’t hurt him any other way. She couldn’t even free her wrist from his grasp.
“No. Because I don’t want them to hurt you .”
“Oh.”
“Rosa, I’m not trying to...”
“Don’t call me that,” she interrupted him. “It doesn’t sound right anymore.”
The tick in his jaw pleased her. Did that make her as toxic as him? Still gripping her wrist, he stood, bringing her with him. Her free hand fell to her side. For a fleeting moment, she considered fighting him. She decided against it. She had to pick her battles strategically. Another failure was not an option. Monique didn’t struggle against him as he led her over to her chair.
“Sit,” he ordered.
Monique eased into the chair. “I’m not signing this,” she said, shoving the papers away.
“Look at the last page.”
“Why?”
“Will you always question everything I tell you to do?” he asked.
“Hopefully, we won’t have to see each other much longer, so that won’t be a problem.”
Her words struck a nerve. He snatched the papers up, flipped to the last page, then sat them in front of her again. Unable to help herself, she stared down at the last page. It was just an overview of what the other pages had said.
“Different page, same bullshit,” she commented.
“The last line,” he told her.
Her gaze dropped to the last line. That’s when she saw it. Scrawled across the page in her own handwriting was her name. What the absolute fuck! Monique snatched the papers up to get a closer look as if that would change what she was seeing.
“I never signed this,” she whispered, staring at her name, mind reeling.
“You did, Rosa.”
“Don’t...” She paused, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then released it slowly. Opening her eyes, she said, “Don’t call me that. And I’d know if I’d signed some stupid shit like this. I didn’t. I wouldn’t.”
“You would, and you did, on the last anniversary you shared with your bastard of an ex. Which was here, in my casino, right?”
A strange sensation crept over her as she recalled her last anniversary dinner with her ex. She didn’t like where this was going.
“You shouldn’t know that we came here for our anniversary,” she told him. “But, yes, we did.”
“Before you left, the chef presented you with a prize. A free date night at the restaurant. Right?”
That rang a bell. Oh, right! The chef had come to their table to greet them and wish them a happy anniversary. Then he’d told them that he loved seeing happy couples together. So, he wanted to gift them a free night at the restaurant.
The restaurant would be closed to everyone else for two hours while she and her ex dined alone. She’d been so excited because she’d known restaurants didn’t normally do things like that. She’d convinced herself that Trevor had planned it all. She’d thought he was trying to change, to make their marriage work.
Damn . She was an idiot. She thought she was good at reading people. Wrong! She was the worst at reading people. She was na?ve. And she was so sick of people taking advantage of that. She let the papers fall from her fingertips.
“The form Trevor rushed me to sign that night to accept the free gift, it was this, right?”
“Yes.”
Monique’s chuckle held no mirth. She wasn’t laughing at Orazio or even Trevor. She was laughing at herself.
“Was this your idea or his?” she asked.
“Mine,” he answered. “It was my idea to have you sign the form. It was my idea to have him divorce you. It was my idea to have him give you to me in exchange for a large sum of money that would clear his debts. But my idea was far better for you than what he’d planned.”
“And what was that?”
“I don’t think you want to know.”
“Tell me.”
“Rosa...”
“Don’t call me that! And tell me what my ex had planned for me. I want to know the truth. You owe me that much, at least.” She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
“He’d taken out life insurance policies on you.”
Her shocked gasp seemed to echo through the room. Or maybe it had only echoed through her head, her heart, her soul. Tears filled her gaze.
“Your ex had tons of debt,” Orazio continued.
“He’d wanted to kill me for insurance money to pay his debts?” she asked, all while thinking that shit like that only happened in Lifetime movies.
“Yes,” Orazio answered, still calm and collected while she was losing her shit and on the verge of falling apart.
“So, if you hadn’t purchased me, he would’ve killed me. I guess I should thank you for saving my life, huh?” she asked, turning in her seat to stare up at him.
“No. I’m not asking for a thank you.”
“Right.” She smiled, but the gesture didn’t reach her eyes. “You don’t want a thank you. You want to own me.”
His gaze never wavered when he answered. “Yes.”
“And you don’t see anything wrong with that?”
“All I see is you. And I’ll do whatever it takes to have you.”
“I guess you’re going to force yourself on me then because I have no intention of sleeping with you again.”
“Just having you here is enough for me. I’m willing to wait until you’re ready to be intimate with me again.”
“I’ll never be ready, Orazio. I will never be attracted to a man who uses money to get whatever he wants, even women who don’t want him.”
“I understand your anger and frustration. But please don’t lie to yourself. You may hate me right now. But you still want me.”
Cocking her head to the side, she stared him up and down, taking her time to admire his appearance.
“I hate to burst your bubble, Mr. Cattaneo, but I don’t want you. At all.”
“Should I prove it to you, Rosa?”
“Prove what?”
“That you want me just as much as I want you.”
“And if I don’t want you, will you let me leave?”
A devilish grin formed on his handsome face. “Yes, sweet Rosa. If I fail to get you wet, I will let you leave.”
She could control her body, right? This man was attractive, but his personality was repulsive. That meant her body wouldn’t respond to him like it had last night, right?
“But,” he continued, voice turning deeper, sexier. “If you do get wet for me, you’re mine for the period of time listed in the contract. All mine. No changing your mind. No trying to leave. No trying to kill me. Agreed?”
Did she have a choice? It wasn’t like she could escape.
Monique swallowed, then whispered, “Agreed.”
Orazio stretched his hand out to her. Her gaze dropped to his palm. Why did she feel like she’d just made a deal with the devil? Probably because she had. She couldn’t back out now. She could do this. She had to do this.
Feeling like she may regret this later, Monique placed her hand in his and allowed him to escort her back to the bedroom. All she had to do was resist temptation. All she had to do was picture Trevor in her mind as Orazio touched her.
If she could stay dry, she’d be able to leave. This should be easy, she hoped, she prayed. Pussy don’t fail me now. A thousand thoughts were rushing through her mind as Orazio led her to the bedroom.
The smirk on his handsome face irked her nerves. It was a smirk that said, I’ve won, you know it, and I know it. Who the hell was she kidding? He was right. He’d already won this bet. The deal was already sealed.
Her mind may loathe him, but her traitorous body was craving his attention. Her pussy was eager to meet up with his dick again. Monique was already wet, and he hadn’t even started caressing her yet.
She blamed it on the fact that she’d gone years without the type of loving he’d put on her last night. Monique’s sex-starved flesh didn’t give a damn about the BS contract he’d presented to her.
All it cared about was the pleasure he could deliver. That’s why she couldn’t allow him another chance to weave his magic over her body. She had to find a way to reverse their roles before it was too late.
Physical pleasure only lasted an hour or two. The ramifications of giving in could last a lifetime. She was already weighed down with emotional baggage that she’d yet to get rid of. She didn’t need more.
She couldn’t handle more. Think, Monique. Think. But her mind was overrun with too many thoughts to focus on any one problem. When they reached the bedroom, Orazio began undressing her.
Her nipples hardened instantly, and he hadn’t even done a damn thing yet. Gritting her teeth, Monique stared at the wall behind him, determined to pull it together and get control over her flesh. Damn you, body. Act like you’ve got some home training.
He pushed the dress over her shoulders and eased it off her body. He followed the path of the dress down, kissing her exposed flesh as he did so. When he reached her breasts, his breath caressed her nipples, bringing to remembrance the feel of his tongue against her brown peaks.
She swallowed, eyes still on the wall, body ramrod straight, emotions all over the place. Arousal, fear, regret, and anticipation swirled through her. No one emotion was greater than the other. They all blended together, leaving her confused about the way she was feeling.
This led to her feeling guilty because she knew the only emotion she should be experiencing right now was hatred. She should hate him with everything in her. And it upset her to admit that she didn’t hate him enough.
Was she a doormat for men like him and Trevor? Was this the type of woman she was? Monique blinked back tears. This wasn’t who she was. It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t let it be.
“Lie down,” he whispered once she was completely naked.
She started to ask if he was going to undress also. Then she remembered that this wasn’t about him. This was about her. He wanted to prove to her that she was weak for him. Monique The Weak, that was her.
She should get that stitched into a shirt so the next man she met would know that he didn’t even have to woo her. All he had to do was compliment her a little, kiss her clit a few times, and then she’d hand it all over to him, her heart, her body, and all her worldly possessions.
Fuck that! Orazio wanted to prove to her that she was still the weak Monique who was divorced by Trevor. Yet, she needed to show him that weak Monique walked out the same day Trevor did. But how could she do that when she was at the mercy of Orazio Cattaneo?
She released a deep sigh as he told her to get onto the bed again. Monique climbed onto the mattress, moving to lie in the center of the bed. Her head rested against his soft pillows. From the corner of her eyes, she watched him as he stood at the edge of the bed, staring down at her.
Monique tore her gaze away from him and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe counting sheep would help her resist temptation. It was worth a try. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine sheep jumping over a fence as she counted them. What the hell?
Why did her sheep look like dicks? Even her imagination was ignoring her commands. Oh well. One dick. Two dicks. Three dicks. Four dicks. Ugh ! This wasn’t helping. She tensed when he spoke.
“Are you ready, Ro... Monique?” he asked, voice like velvet.
Though she’d told him not to call her Rosa, she felt some type of way when he’d corrected himself just now.
“Are you ready to get wet for me, sweet Monique?” he asked again.
Call me Rosa, so I can tell you not to call me Rosa. Ugh! How was her body supposed to know how to react to this man when even her mind was unsure of how it wanted to respond?
“Answer me,” he demanded.
“Repeat the question. Sorry, I was ignoring you,” she told him, resisting the urge to smile.
It was the little verbal jabs that counted. Especially since they were the only weapons she had in her arsenal at the moment.
“Forget the question,” he said, voice deeper. “I’m sure you’re already wet for me.”
“I’ll never get wet for you again, Orazio Cattaneo.”
Lies! Her body was growing wetter right now. What’s wrong with you, pussy? Get it together. His chuckle was low and deep and made her even wetter.
“I think you’re lying,” he whispered, breath caressing her ear.
Her eyes popped open. She hadn’t even heard him move closer to her. A shiver rippled over her flesh.
“I think if I were to touch your pussy right now, I would find it wet and willing, wouldn’t I?”
“No,” was the only word she could get out because she didn’t trust her voice.
“Let’s find out. If it’s wet for me, that means you want me. Right?”
She shook her head. “Technically, it just means I’m horny.”
“I’ll take that for now. The rest will come later. Should I slide my finger inside and find out just how wet you are?” he asked.
His words made her rebellious body grow even slicker. She jumped slightly when he pressed his hand against her knee. There was that insufferable chuckle again. This man was too cocky, too sure of himself, his money, and his bedroom skills.
There had to be a way to take him down a notch. A way to make him feel just as lost and confused as she felt. His hand inched up her thigh. Monique swallowed as he continued upward.
“Open for me,” he ordered. When she didn’t obey, he whispered, “You promised.”
She had, hadn’t she? Monique eased her legs apart.
“Wider,” he ordered.
She did as she was told. She bit her lower lip when his fingers grazed a different set of lips, parting them to find the secrets she was desperately trying to hide.
“Ahh, Rosa, you’re dripping wet for me,” he groaned.
His other hand moved to the back of her neck, where he gripped her tightly. He whispered in her ear as he slid his fingers through her folds.
“You may be mad at me right now, but your pussy still wants me, baby.”
She chuckled.
“What’s funny?” he asked, still rubbing his fingers between her silken folds.
“You are,” she answered.
His fingers stilled. “How am I funny?”
“You think you’re the reason my body is reacting this way.”
“I am. And a bet is a bet. You’re mine now, Rosa.”
“I’m a woman who keeps her word. I’ll uphold my end of the deal. And I admit, I’m currently wet because of your touch.”
She looked his way and saw a smile of victory on his face. She forced one of her own.
“You won. But don’t for a moment think you’re special just because you got me wet. My ex used to get me wet also, and I loathe him just as much as I loathe you.”
That wiped the smile off his face. Another jab point for Monique.
“What did you say?” He asked through clenched teeth.
“I said congratulations, Orazio. You got me wet. You win. Just like with Trevor, my body responds to you. And just like Trevor, you’ve used me as you see fit. And like with Trevor, I have no choice but to wait until you’re tired of me before I can be free of you. Maybe I should just call you Trevor, because when I look at you now, all I see is him.”
He stood up abruptly, releasing her and stepping away from the bed.
“When you touch me,” Monique continued. “All I feel is him. Yes, my body likes it. However, my heart, mind, and soul hate it just as much as I hate him... and you.”
A pang of guilt twinged her heart at the look of shock and horror on his handsome face. She steeled herself against her traitorous heart. Like her body, it was starting to feel for Orazio. Not happening. Fuck him! He was in the wrong. It was only right for him to finally start feeling ashamed of himself.
It proved there was at least one shred of decency left in him. One more verbal jab should have him releasing her and never wanting to talk to her again. Come on, Monique. You can do this.
“I just have one question. Who was the man I met last night? The man who made me feel special. The man who made me feel like maybe all men aren’t jerks. The man who made me feel like I could finally put Trevor and his bullshit behind me.”
“That was me,” he said, voice low, pained. “I...”
She interrupted him before he could continue, not wanting him to try to explain away his jerkish behavior.
“I know that was you. But this is you too. And this version of you has shown me that maybe there aren’t any men who aren’t jerks. Instead of helping me put Trevor behind me, you’ve brought him into whatever this is we have. Now, he’ll forever be a part of my life as long as you’re a part of my life. There are three of us in this room – you, me, and the man who ties us together, Trevor. I didn’t see him here last night. But now that the sun is up, I see him in your eyes.”
A tear trailed down her cheek. She wasn’t fake crying. Neither was she lying. She did see Trevor in Orazio’s eyes. She saw the same schemes, the same lies, all the things she’d wanted to leave behind. Now, they were standing right in front of her again.
She wiped the tears from her face and whispered, “I thought I’d left all of that pain behind me. I thought I was free. Why am I staring into the eyes of pain again, Orazio?”
She could’ve sworn his gaze filled with tears. He looked away from her. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something. Had her words sparked an ember in his cold, dead heart? It seemed like that was the case, but she wasn’t sure. He opened his mouth, then closed it, only to open it again.
Yet, he remained silent. His mouth snapped shut. The signature tick in his jaw returned. Her words had upset him. But he couldn’t run from the truth. He couldn’t talk his way around it or try to rationalize it. If he was honest with himself, he’d see he was no different from Trevor.
Say you’re sorry, and you’ll let me go. Forget the sorry. Just say you’ll let me go. Come on, Orazio. You can do it.
He didn’t do it. Her heart raced as he stormed out of the bedroom. She exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Did his abrupt departure mean she’d won? It felt like a win. Yes! She’d won. If she weren’t butt-ass naked in a maniac’s bed, she’d do a happy dance.
She hadn’t known if her tactic would work or not, considering how determined Orazio had been. However, she was thankful it had. He was going to leave her alone. Would he bring the contract to the room and tear it up while apologizing for being a jerk?
Or would he call security to escort her out, then later send a note stating that everything had been returned to her? Either option worked for her as long as she was able to leave this hotel and get all of her shit back in her name.
It wasn’t until she heard a ding that she realized he wasn’t just leaving the room. He was leaving the suite altogether. Shit! Still butt-ass naked, Monique jumped from the bed and raced toward the elevator, almost slipping on her dress that Orazio had tossed on the floor.
Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall, she chanted as she headed for the elevator. She rounded the corner just as the elevator doors began sliding shut. Her eyes connected with Orazio’s. The dark look in his piercing gaze made her freeze. He looked upset and hurt.
“I’m nothing like him. And you’re still mine,” he told her as the elevator doors shut.
Mere moments ago, she felt like she’d brought him down a notch. She was now wondering if she’d made the entire situation worse. Oh, well! Fuck him and his anger. He had no right to be mad or hurt.
He was the one who’d created this problem, not her. Monique stormed back into the bedroom. She stood there, hands on her hips, naked, alone, and still trapped in Orazio’s hotel room. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
Sure, she’d won this battle. But the war was still raging. Orazio versus Monique. Only one could be victorious. It had to be her because she’d lost too much already. She needed a win. She deserved a win.
She was determined to win her life back.