8. ALESSIO
8
ALESSIO
This time, I’m ready, and the plate crashes to the floor, shattering before she can lift it to use against me. Instead, I grip her wrist, twist it enough to subdue but not hurt, and then I lift her up and away from the carnage on the balcony, ignoring her struggles and curses. I’ll give it to her though, she knows how to fight. I have no intention of letting her get away from me, but her struggles are certainly entertaining.
I turn to close the balcony door before walking further into the condo. We don’t need any listening ears hearing what’s about to happen. I’ve already checked that the two condos below are empty, so we don’t have to worry about any neighbors hearing things they shouldn’t, either. Lazaro is still in the lobby, making certain we’re not disturbed, and to make sure that my sweet little rabbit doesn’t escape again. Though, at this point I wouldn’t put it past her to climb over the balcony and jump.
“Settle down, coniglietto ,” I order calmly as I head toward the elevator. “You can fight me all you like when you… fuck !” I hiss, trying to keep ahold of her despite the searing pain in my back as she manages to elbow me—fucking hard, too—in the kidney. But Sienna is a slick one, and she uses my pain to her advantage, throwing her body hard to topple us both onto the couch as we pass by. I should probably be glad she didn’t send us crashing down onto the hard marble floor. I scramble to grab her, but like the slippery eel she is, she slips away. I force myself to get to my feet and stalk around the couch toward her as she backs away, heading for the hallway that will lead down to the bedroom. “You’re working your way up to a damn good spanking, cara mia . And I’m going to enjoy watching you struggle to sit down for a week because of it.”
“The day your hand touches my ass is the day I cut it off,” she spits at me, her eyes never leaving mine as she maneuvers herself backwards. I don’t know what she’s thinking is going to happen if she goes down to that dead end, but I also know now not to underestimate her. The woman probably has back-up plans for her back-up plans. Or maybe she knows of another way out of this place, just like her apartment back in LA. I’m not taking any chances. She’s not escaping me again.
“You’d have to have access to a weapon to do that, and I’m not about to allow it, Sienna,” I taunt. “Now, as much as I love this little game, and chasing you all over fucking Europe, I’m tired of it. You’re leaving with me.” I launch myself at her, and she pivots quickly on her feet, ending up behind me. She runs for the elevator, and a low growl rumbles in my throat. Every primal instinct inside me roars to life, and the thrill of catching her consumes me.
She almost reaches the elevator when I’m on her, pressing her up against the cold metal door, my body pinning her, and my feet keeping her legs spread so she can’t kick me. She tries to headbutt me, but I move just in time, before grabbing her hair and yanking her head back, making her gasp in pain and shock. “Now, that wasn’t nice, was it, Sienna?” I purr in her ear. The feel of her silky hair in my hand is satisfying, and I can see the pulse pounding in her neck. Is it fear? Desire? A combination? My cock hardens, and when she stills, I know she feels it, her breathing picking up. “Mmmm, you feel so nice at my mercy, cara mia . I wonder, are you scared of me? Or are you feeling something else? Something darker? Something more intoxicating?”
She starts to struggle again. “The only thing I feel for you is anger, you bastard,” she hisses back, trying to push me off, but all she does is press herself tighter into me, and I have to bite back a groan. Her scent wraps around me, and the feel of her pressed to me has my restraint crumbling, but I manage to keep myself under control. Barely.
“Is that so?” I whisper, putting my arm around her torso, my palm spreading across her stomach, making her still. “Is that why you’re breathing so hard, coniglietto ? Is that why you’re trembling as I touch you? Because you’re angry with me? Nothing else?”
“Of course. You think I can’t feel that hard-on pressing into me, you sick bastard? You really think something like that excites me?”
Oh, that is exactly what I’m thinking, but she’s not going to listen to anything I have to say right now. Instead, I use her hair to tilt her head back and to the side, and ease back just enough to pull her away from the elevator door. I look down her front, and a smile of triumph pulls across my face at the sight of her nipples poking through her shirt. My sweet rabbit isn’t wearing a bra, and my hands itch to reach up and cup her, to feel her response to my touch. But I don’t. Instead, I taunt, “Your hard nipples say otherwise, coniglietto. ”
“You pressed me up against a cold door, so of course they’re hard. Let me go, Alessio. Now.”
“Mmmm, no, I don’t think I will.” I release her hair and then spinning her around before pressing her back against the door, gripping her wrists together and lifting them above her head. Her eyes flare, and even though she tries to hide it, I see the dark desire that brims. Oh, yes, she is definitely affected, and I wonder just how much I’ll have to push until she lets her walls crumble. “You’re far too tempting, Ms. Harris.”
She struggles, but I tighten my grip and put my hand on her hip to keep her still. “Then my life is complete. I’ve tempted the great Alessio Caruso, I can die happy now.” She starts arching her hips, trying to twist away from my grip, but I tighten my hand and she hisses at me as she stills once again.
“No need to die, cara mia .” I smirk. “Though if you want to get to your knees, I’m sure you can show your appreciation in some other way.”
“Well, since I can’t cut off your hand at the moment, I suppose I could bite off the piece of you that I’m sure you’re far more attached to,” she replies sweetly, flashing a wide, toothy smile up at me.
“And yet, something tells me that the moment you have my cock in your mouth, biting is the last thing you’ll want to do,” I return, my free hand coming up to cup her chin. I let my thumb caress over her lower lip. At first, she doesn’t react, but when she snaps her teeth and catches just the edge of it, I pull away and chuckle. “Who knew cute little rabbits had such sharp teeth?” But, of course, I can’t let her get away with it. Instead, I lower her hands from the door and nip at the finger closest, making her gasp, and her eyes widen and darken. Oh yes, she likes that. “Unfortunately for you, the big bad wolf has teeth of his own, and he likes to use them. Especially on naughty little rabbits that run away.”
She stares at me for a moment, but then she surprises me by leaning closer, her face tilted up toward me like she’s about to press her lips to mine as she whispers, “He’ll have to catch me first.” Then she wrenches at her hands, making me adjust my stance to keep hold of her, but clearly she’s trained for that move because before I can counter it, her knee comes up and slams right into my balls. I curse, groan, and release her as I instinctively cup myself. Which, of course, allows her to pull away and round me with a triumphant smile. She doesn’t run, though. Instead, she moves further into the room, walking into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water as I try to keep the bile from rising in my throat and breathe through the pain that’s coursing through me. She’s a picture of cool, calm, and collected, and I want to throttle her.
“Your transgressions are adding up, Sienna,” I grit out, straightening and hobbling forward. “At this rate, you won’t be able to sit down for a month. I might add in some time chained to my bed at my mercy, with every hole you have filled, until you regret your actions.”
She puts the glass down in the sink and then casually moves along to the stove to pick up the dishes. What the fuck is she doing? I want to grab her and carry her ass out of here, but I also know that if I try, I’m going to end up with that fucking pan to the head, and it will be a whole thing all over again. It’s time for a different approach.
“I’m afraid that’s not on my to do list just now,” she replies as she puts the dishes in the sink. Well, all but the large knife she obviously used when making her dinner. That, she leaves right where it is. I have no desire to end up with a knife in the gut.
“Well, it’s at the top of mine, coniglietto ,” I rasp out, stopping on the other side of the island and leaning on it, watching her. “Fair warning: if you think of chucking that knife at me, you won’t like my response.” When she looks at me, I let her see the dark promise on my face.
Her own expression gives nothing away, but her eyes widen just enough that I know she’s going to take me seriously. Instead of replying to that, she demands, “How did you find me?”
I smirk at her. “As I told you already, I have men that are the best in the world, and they can find anything and anyone. No matter how hard your friend tries to hide things, there’s always a paper trail.”
“So, wait, you knew I was here all these hours, and you just decided to show up now? How the hell did you get up the elevator?” Her eyes narrow with each question and the suspicion on her face is clear.
“Ah, now, why would I tell you my secrets, cara mia ?” I taunt. “After all, you didn’t tell me yours before you escaped in Scotland, huh? Though I can give you points for being clever.”
Her eyes narrow to slits. “I wasn’t trying to be clever to impress you, Caruso,” she bites out. “I needed to distract you to get away. Which worked, so obviously your stalking skills still need improvement.”
I move slowly around the island toward her. I see her stiffen slightly but she’s not reaching for the knife. Yet. Instead she watches me closely, her eyes flaring with something equally dark and tempting, making my cock harden. I ignore it and keep advancing toward her at a slow, measured pace. “Is that so, coniglietto ? Are my stalking skills really as terrible as you make them seem, considering how quickly I found you? Or how I got into this condo without you knowing?”
“I’m going to figure that out,” she warns me, still watching me without retreating. I can all but see the wheels turning in her head as she tries to predict what I’m about to do. Well, she’s not the only one with tricks up their sleeves. I’m not about to let her think that she’s able to slip away again. As I get closer to her, I see the tension increase in her body, and her eyes narrow on me. “Don’t even think about it,” she hisses at me. In a heartbeat, the knife is in her hand, but just before she can raise it – no doubt to stab me – I reach out and grip her wrist, twisting, and we both listen to it clatter to the counter once. Using my free hand, I slide it away and let it crash into the sink before I let her go and step back, blocking her leg before it can once again connect with my groin.
“You got one free shot, Sienna,” I tell her darkly. “You probably killed half of our future children with it.”
“Jesus, you really are insane,” she grits out, side-stepping away from me and backing around the island again toward the living room. I keep in step with her, smirking when her frustration starts to show on her face. She’s trapped, and she knows it. I just need to wait her out long enough to grab her and take her sexy, annoying ass home. “I’m only going to say this one more time, Alessio, so you need to listen carefully. I’m not going to marry you and I’m not going to have children with you. I’m going to leave this building, and probably the country, and you’re going to forget all about me.”
“Impossible,” I declare, and then I do the one thing she doesn’t expect. I move to the recliner and sit down, the picture of nonchalance. I can see the shock on her face, but also the hope, when she starts moving faster toward the elevator. “Don’t bother, Sienna,” I tell her casually as I put one foot over my knee and sit back. “I have men stationed at every floor and in every stairwell, so no matter how low you go, you will not be getting away from me this time. Come sit down. We’re going to talk this shit out like fucking adults.” I sigh at the last part. “Though, if it were my choice, I’d tie your ass to the bed and have an entirely different kind of adult discussion, but there will be plenty of time for that later.”
She stops at the elevator doors, gives me a defiant look, and hits the button. I bite back my growl of annoyance, and instead pull out my phone. I send a text to my men to alert them to Sienna making a break for it, and to instruct that she be returned to me uninjured. I don’t need to add the obvious threat that if there is even one scratch on her, they’ll be paying with their fucking lives. My men know enough about me not to test me.
“You won’t catch me again, Alessio,” Sienna declares smugly as she steps inside the elevator. “Like I said, your stalking skills leave much to be desired, and you have even more to learn about showing a woman a good time.” Then she steps inside, and the doors close behind her.
I sigh and tamp down my annoyance at this whole mess. The woman is severely testing my patience, but this time, I need her to realize who she’s dealing with. She isn’t getting away from me; we’re going to figure this shit out tonight, once and for all. Then we’re going back to Sicily where I can finally start going after all the other fuckers.
I watch the numbers above the elevator stop at every floor, before it finally ends at the bottom. I can’t help but chuckle and shake my head. I loosen the tie around my neck and pull it from my collar. I have a much better use for it now. It’s another few minutes before the numbers start to climb back up, and I get up and walk over just as the door opens and a furious looking Sienna is deposited outside into the condo once again by an amused looking Lazaro. He gives me a nod, steps back into the elevator, and closes the doors with a press of a button.
I don’t waste time as I grip her wrists again, and this time, I wrap my tie expertly around them, tying them tightly together before she can so much as snarl out a curse. Then, I put my shoulder to her stomach and lift her, careful to keep my arm wrapped around her so she can’t fall off as I make my way toward the living room. We’re going to have a discussion, and she’s going to fucking listen to me this time.
A thought occurs to me as I reach the sofa that the woman will no doubt be hell on wheels, even if her wrists are tied, so I detour and head down the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. Which of course, she notices, and begins to struggle even more earnestly. “Let me fucking go,” she screeches.
I walk straight into the primary bedroom, and seeing the mussed up sheets, I know this is where she’s been sleeping. Even better. And the icing on the cake? The bed has a metal headboard with rungs. Anticipation burns in my veins and a dark smile pulls at my lips. I get to the bed and throw her onto it, but before she can roll away, I follow her down. Gripping the loose tail of the tie that’s dangling from her bound wrists, I use it to pull her arms up and over her head, quickly knotting it around one of the rungs before I pull away and get back to my feet.
Sienna is still for a moment as her gaze moves up to where she is now tied, before returning to mine. But instead of panic or fear, the only thing I see is fury. “The minute I’m out of this, I’m going to kill you,” she spits.
“You can certainly try, coniglietto ,” I reply breezily. “But first, we have a few things to discuss before we can get to what I’m sure is going to be a fun evening.” I take her in, a dark, twisted pleasure building inside me at seeing her tied up and at my mercy. It’s a pity she’s fully clothed, but there will be plenty of time to remedy that later.
She struggles and yanks at the tie, but she’s soon going to learn that getting free without hurting herself is going to be damn hard. I learned how to tie knots from some of the best, after all. “Fuck,” she hisses when she finally stops and lays there, her breathing quickened from exerting herself. Her eyes find mine. “Are you seriously going to leave me tied up like this?” she demands.
“Yes. In fact, I might just leave you all tied up until we get back to the villa. You’ll be easier to tolerate that way.” And while I don’t want to frighten her, I can’t resist leaning over her, putting my hand around her throat and giving it just the slightest squeeze. She stills, her eyes widening, but there’s no fear there. Apprehension, sure, but nothing that would make me immediately stop or feel bad for scaring her. “Because nothing is better than having such a pretty little rabbit at my mercy,” I whisper. “One squeeze, with just the right pressure, and I can silence you when you push me a little too far.” I tighten my fingers ever so slightly, and her eyes widen further; apprehension turns to shock, and then something darker and far more enticing. I relax my fingers as a smug smile pulls at my lips. “Something tells me you’re going to do that a lot.” I pull my hand back and straighten.
“Bastard,” she rasps.
“Mmmm, yes, I am. My family will tell you that I can be a royal one if you get on my bad side.” I move to pull the chair from the corner of the room next to the bed, lifting my feet and resting them on the bed next to her. She tries to curl her body to knock them down, but I put the tip of my shoe to her side and push her back. “Now, it seems, Sienna, that we have some time to figure some things out, you and I. The longer you fight, the longer you’re going to stay tied there.”
She glares at me. “Oh, yeah, because I’m going to want to talk to you about anything while you have me held here against my will.” She lets out a soft grunt as she uses all her strength to pull against the tie, her face reddening as she maneuvers herself so that she’s no longer laying flat, but propped up on her side, leaning into the headboard so she can face me. She tucks her legs up and lets out a huff as she glares at me. “If you were hoping to charm your way into my pants, tying me to the bed with my arms suspended like that was a terrible plan. Or were you trying to cut off my circulation?”
Any other man would run to check the severity of her bindings, but I’m all too aware of the games Sienna is trying to play. “Nice try, cara mia , but we both know you’re fine. Now, let’s get down to business, hmmm? Then we can get our asses out of here and back where you belong.”
“I don’t belong anywhere with you,” she snaps. “And despite what you seem to think, I’m never going to belong to you , Alessio.”
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, cara mia . You see, the moment you threw that cup at my face and escaped, you belonged to me. If you simply listened and come with me, perhaps I would be bored of you, and you’d be free to live your life however you like once this is over. Except, you did hit me with that cup, and you’ve led me on a merry chase across the seas, and now across Europe. You’ve shown your hand, Sienna, and I very much like what I see. So, I’ve decided I’m going to keep you. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can get to the more pleasurable part of our relationship.”
Her face reddens with anger, and I bite back a grin. It looks like the show is about to start, and I for one, can’t wait to see her erupt.