Chapter Thirty-Nine Ella
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ella
“Thank you, Marta,” I say as I walk towards the large double door. Santino knocks and opens it for me without waiting for a reply.
With a deep inhale, I step into Tiero’s office.
I pause, taking in the man and his surroundings. The space is enormous, with a distinctly masculine, powerful air.
Tiero rises from behind his desk and strides toward me, a predatory glint lighting his eyes. The butterflies in my stomach go wild, and heat rushes to my cheeks.
He looks edible.
He isn’t wearing a suit jacket. The sleeves of his dress shirt are rolled up, exposing muscular, tanned forearms.
“Close the door, princess,” he says, his voice low and commanding.
I turn and do as told.
He presses in behind me, his hands sliding from my arms to my shoulders, his mouth brushing my neck. Goosebumps ripple over my skin at his touch. My heart tightens in my chest, and a deep ache begins to pulse low in my body.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispers against my ear before sucking gently on the lobe, and a shudder moves through me.
“Tiero,” I breathe, my voice already hoarse.
My arm lifts, threading around his muscular neck, my fingers sinking into his thick, soft hair.
I turn my face toward him, and our lips collide. His mouth claims mine, the kiss hard and insistent.
He takes control, and I let him.
His hands slide down my body. One anchors at my waist, pulling me tight against him. The other cups my breast over my dress, squeezing just enough to coax a moan from me.
His unmistakable hardness presses against my lower back. My need spikes instantly. Heat floods my core, my panties dampening with every breath he steals from me.
He breaks the kiss without warning and spins me to face him. His hands slip beneath my dress as his mouth finds my neck again, licking, sucking, claiming.
Holy shit.
The man is hungry. But so am I.
Tiero’s hands slide over the heat between my thighs, then up my stomach, pushing my dress to my waist before he yanks it over my head and lets it fall to the floor.
He fists his hand in my hair and crashes back down on my mouth. Tilting my head, he deepens the kiss as he drives me backward, still devouring me.
My head spins, and I’m grateful when my back hits the wall, steadying me. Tiero cages me in with his body, powerful and unyielding, his mouth never leaving mine.
With an impatient tug, he rips my panties down and off. The roughness sends another rush of slick heat through me. He lifts me effortlessly, and my legs lock around his waist. The wall presses into my back while his weight pins me in place.
His hands leave my body, and I feel him fumbling with his belt. The metallic rasp of a zipper cuts through the haze. A second later, his hard length presses hot and insistent against my stomach.
“Condom,” I manage between frantic kisses.
He swears under his breath in Italian but reaches into his pocket for a foil packet. He pulls back just enough to tear it open and roll it on with quick, practiced movements.
It only takes a few seconds, but it is nowhere near enough to steady my racing pulse or my breath.
Then he is back between my thighs, his dark gaze locked on mine. The heat in his eyes alone is enough to make my body clench in anticipation.
Driven by a need that feels almost frantic, I lean forward and claim his mouth. He answers instantly, kissing me with a fierce hunger that steals what little air I have left.
His hands are everywhere, roaming over my hips, my lace-covered breasts, my waist. I lose track of them, completely lost to the overwhelming sensations he’s firing off in my body.
And then he thrusts into me.
Hard.
We both moan at the same time.
“Fuuucckk!” he growls. “Princess, you feel incredible on my cock.”
His voice turns hoarse as he sets a relentless rhythm. I cannot speak, too overwhelmed by what his body is doing to mine.
I am so wet that the sounds of it fill the room every time he drives into me. Each thrust rocks my entire body, building a deep, aching pressure that coils tighter and tighter inside me.
My senses are saturated with him. The scent of his skin. The heat pouring from his body. The rough groans pulled from his throat. It all blends together until I feel unmoored, untethered from everything but him.
I cling to him, whispering his name again and again.
Then he changes the pace. Suddenly slower and much deeper, he rolls his hips with deliberate precision, striking places inside me that make my vision blur. The pleasure becomes almost unbearable, too much and still not enough.
My mouth falls open as I struggle for air, my body arching into his. He lifts his head from my neck to capture my lips in a brutal kiss, then returns to my throat, sucking and licking the sensitive skin as if staking a claim.
I tighten my arms around his neck, moaning as he pushes even deeper. His breath burns against my throat, his groans vibrating through me. He fists his hand in my hair again and pulls, forcing my head back.
“Look at me,” he growls.
My eyes snap to his. His pupils are blown wide, nearly black.
My body clenches around him. Words I cannot understand spill from his mouth as my muscles seize uncontrollably. Pleasure crashes through me in violent waves. With one final, punishing thrust, I shatter.
I bite into his shoulder to muffle the cry tearing out of me, my fingers digging into his arms. The orgasm is so intense my vision dims, then returns in a haze of dark speckles.
Tiero follows a heartbeat later, groaning my name as he comes undone. His body trembles against mine as he empties himself, still buried deep inside me.
My body is still humming minutes later, charged with the ecstasy he unleashed.
Lost in the haze of it, I rest my head against his broad shoulder, still catching my breath.
We stay like that for a while, me pressed against the wall with my legs wrapped around his waist, him leaning into me, our bodies still joined in the most intimate way.
“Wow… what was that?” I whisper, awe softening my voice.
“That, princess, was quickie perfection.” He chuckles, then kisses me almost reverently.
“I can’t argue with that.”
Slowly, I unwind my legs from his waist and lower them to the floor. The moment my feet touch down, my knees wobble. My muscles are still trembling.
I cling to his arms and admit, a little embarrassed, “I don’t think I can stand yet. I came so hard my legs are like mush.”
He grins, far too pleased with himself, and lifts me effortlessly. Carrying me across the office, he settles onto a deep leather couch with me in his lap.
I study his face, the mischief in his eyes impossible to miss.
“You look smug,” I murmur, smiling up at him.
“What can I say? I enjoy making you weak in the knees.”
I sigh and curl closer against his chest. His hand strokes slowly up and down my back, tender now, and he presses a soft kiss to the top of my head before resting his chin there.
I feel completely sated.
And a little dazed.
This was wholly unexpected.
“Is sex always like this for you? So mind-blowing?” I ask, and silently add, so intense, so consuming you feel like you might burn alive if you do not have it.
It has never been like this for me. Not even close. I’m so excited to have experienced this.
But for him?
Given Tiero’s temperament, I assume this is nothing special.
He doesn’t answer right away.
Is he thinking about the women who came before me? The models, the socialites, the beautiful strangers who shared his bed? Insecurity creeps in, sharp and unwelcome. I regret asking the question almost instantly.
He keeps stroking my arms, unhurried.
Maybe he didn’t hear me. I hope he didn’t.
But no such luck. When he finally speaks, his tone is deliberate.
“I usually have good sex, but never like this. What we have is special, angel. I have never felt a connection like ours. I am so fucking drawn to you. I think about you all day. It is driving me crazy. This never happens.”
My stomach flutters.
I press my smile into his chest, warmth blooming in me. I’m not just another woman in a long lineup of conquests. And he will not forget me when this is over.
The thought of going home dims the glow. How am I supposed to return to normal life after this?
But now is not the time to spiral. I can deal with reality when I land back in Dublin on Sunday afternoon.
For now, I will enjoy him.
That’s what Opposite Ella would do.
Suddenly, the haze clears.
My entire body stiffens, and I pull back to look at him. His expression shifts instantly, concern replacing amusement.
“Please tell me your office is soundproof. We were so loud, and there are at least three people right outside your door.”
The memory hits me like a bucket of ice water. There was nothing subtle about what we just did.
Heat floods my cheeks at the thought of his assistant and bodyguards overhearing everything.
Shit. I cannot walk out there and face them.
Tiero laughs softly. “No need to worry, princess. No sounds escape these walls.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and kisses me thoroughly.
“In that case, you can welcome me like this anytime,” I murmur against his lips.
“Careful,” he replies, tightening his hold on me. “I might just do that.”
Wrapped in his arms, I feel safe. Cocooned. Content.
He shifts until his forehead rests against mine, his gaze searching my eyes.
“What are you doing to me, angel? It has only been a few days, and I am completely addicted to you. I just had you, and I already want you again.”
The growing hardness against me confirms his words.
Before I can respond, my stomach growls loudly. It has impeccable timing when it comes to breaking the tension between us.
He chuckles. “Looks like I need to feed you. No wonder your legs couldn’t hold you up.”
I slide off his lap carefully and retrieve my dress from the floor, pulling it over my head while Tiero disposes of the condom, zips his trousers, and rolls his sleeves back down.
He gestures toward his private bathroom, and I slip inside to freshen up and make sure I do not look like I was just thoroughly ruined against a wall.
As if that is even possible.
I study my reflection. My cheeks are flushed, my lips swollen, and there is a glow in my eyes that no amount of composure can hide.
Oh well. Not much I can do about that.
Channel Opposite Ella.
She would be proud of that little detour.
And what a detour it was.
If only my panties were not completely destroyed. The idea of walking out into the world without them feels strangely rebellious. Next time, I am bringing a spare pair in my purse.
When I return, Tiero is standing behind his mahogany desk, slipping on his suit jacket. My attention drifts to the desk itself.
It seems out of place. The rest of the office blends old-world charm with modern precision, but this desk carries visible history. The wood is worn in places, the edges softened with age. It looks less like furniture and more like inheritance.
Tiero notices my stare and smirks. “Do you want me to bend you over this desk, princess? I am more than willing to have you again.”
I laugh. “You are relentless. I need lunch first.” Running my fingers along the smooth surface, I add, “Tell me about it. It seems special.”
He tilts his head, studying me. “You are perceptive.”
His gaze returns to the desk. “It has been in my family for four generations. Every head of the family has sat here to run our business. One day, I will pass it to my son.”
There is pride in his voice.
“I’m sure you will.” An image forms in my mind of Tiero years from now, a small dark-haired boy perched on his lap while he explains the weight of responsibility and power.
The idea of being bent over this desk suddenly feels… wrong.
“Having sex on it seems almost blasphemous now.”
He walks around the desk and takes my hand, drawing me closer.
“I doubt you would be the first woman to grace it. I imagine it has witnessed more than contracts and negotiations. None of my forefathers were saints before marriage.”
If the desk could speak, what stories would it tell?
The thought turns sharp when jealousy slips in.
How many women has Tiero pulled across this surface? Pressed down. Taken.
“Have you…?” The rest dissolves on my tongue.
He does not answer. He only looks at me. The silence is deliberate.
The intensity of it steals my breath. My pulse stutters in my chest.
His hands rise to cup my face, his thumb brushing my cheek. His eyes search mine as though he is weighing something, reading something. Then he lowers his mouth to mine in a slow, deliberate kiss that quiets every question.
My stomach growls again, breaking the moment.
With a soft laugh, he presses one last kiss to my lips and guides me toward the door, his hand resting possessively at the small of my back.
As we step out of the office, I deliberately avoid looking at Marta. There is no way she missed what just happened in there, considering how long we took to emerge again.
Santino falls in step behind us as we move down the corridor. Employees slip out of our path, retreating into offices and cubicles. Some glance at me with open curiosity. They look at Gualtiero with something else entirely and become suddenly very busy.
Marcelo is gone, and Alonso has taken his place, waiting by the elevator. We step inside. Even though it is spacious, I still feel like something delicate surrounded by giants.
Outside, the SUV is already waiting, the rear door held open. We slide inside, and the car pulls away immediately. Another vehicle follows close behind, security maintaining formation.
Our small convoy stops in front of a quaint restaurant a few minutes later.
Just as the engine cuts, Tiero’s phone rings.
He glances at the screen.
All warmth leaves him.
His eyes turn glacial.
Whoever is calling him pulls something dark to the surface. The shift is instant, controlled, but unmistakable.
A chill runs down my spine.
I am suddenly very grateful not to be on the receiving end of that look.
Who is?
And what could turn him from heat to ice in the span of a heartbeat?