Chapter 12
Anna
“You are out of your mind. I’m not your captive,” I told him.
“You are until you confess your sins, which I assure you that you will do.”
“You bastard.” What in the hell had I seen in this man before? Other than that he was insanely good looking of course.
“Yes, my not so lost angel,” he growled. “I’d keep that in mind.”
The formally masked man took several deep breaths, dropping his head by another inch or two at the same time I tilted mine. The light brush was enough to jar us both. He was even more handsome than I’d envisioned, his strong brow and cheekbones chiseled from the finest stone.
Without thinking, I darted my tongue across his lips, shivering visibly in his hold.
His dominance responded and he crushed his lips over mine, pulling me so tightly against him I couldn’t breathe. The taste of peppermint assaulted my senses. When he fisted a handful of my hair, I rose onto my tiptoes, pressing one palm against his chest.
Even more than before, the electricity coursing through every muscle, tendon, and vein was enough to derail all thoughts of rage.
For now.
The moment of intimacy was amazing, almost dipping into magical territory. He wasn’t gentle by any means, drinking from my mouth as if he owned me. Even more lightheaded, I was stymied for a few seconds, even enjoying the way his tongue dominated mine.
Finally, I came to my senses, using what little strength I had left, driving my hand into his chest. The move broke the kiss.
He jerked his head up, glancing away briefly.
We stood in the same position for a full ten seconds, doing nothing more than trying to breathe.
Staring at each other.
Hungering as we had the night before.
Neither one of us was prepared to budge. I almost found myself clinging to him, my fingers toying with his shirt. When he spoke once again, the annoyance in his voice broke the spell.
“Let’s start this again. I need for you to tell me why you’re here.
You don’t belong inside this house and I know you’re up to something.
Yes, you’re a dancer, but you’re so much more.
Aren’t you? The bus dropping you off at the wrong location?
Just bumping into me on a crowded street and your destination a business that is…
important to me. Your ruse of innocence is not going to work.
I suggest you start talking before you find yourself in a situation you can’t return from. ”
Who in God’s name did this man think he was?
“You’re threatening me when you broke in? When you were doing God knows what with those poor men you held as captives this morning? Are you kidding me?” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. This was obviously a highly skilled killer and I’d fallen into his trap.
The arrogance in his voice had returned and that irritated the hell out of me.
“I’m being extremely patient with you because you don’t seem to completely understand your situation.
So let me be very clear about where we are in this game you’re playing.
If you don’t tell me what I need to know, I’ll have no choice but to erase you from this earth, which I would hate to do given your beauty and obvious intelligence. ”
There was the open threat I’d been expecting.
“I’m not playing any game and I don’t appreciate you threatening to kill me.” As hard as I was trying to keep my voice from wavering from the terror clawing its way through my system, I was failing. “I very much belong here. Just ask the owner. What are you doing inside this house?”
“I asked you first,” he snipped. “Time is ticking.”
“I was here first.”
His deep exhale annoyed me and I finally managed to shove him back, giving me enough space I snatched the towel off the tiled floor. When a slow smile spread across his chiseled face, I was even more annoyed.
The handsome mystery man was leering at me. I could tell exactly what he was thinking. Over my dead body. “How dare you. Just leave me alone.”
“How dare I what?”
He had me flustered, a rare feat. “Breathe.” I grabbed the statue, giving him another surprise. When I tried to leave the bathroom, even racing toward the stairs with full intention of grabbing my phone and contacting the police, he was having none of it.
Within seconds, the statue was ripped from my hand, his arm wrapped around my waist. As if I weighed nothing, he hoisted me off the floor, taking long strides into the bedroom. My bedroom! With a flick of the light, he wasted no time plopping down on the edge of the bed.
The towel was ripped from where I was clutching it against my chest, tossed aside as if my nakedness wasn’t uncomfortable for him in the least.
As he dropped me over his knees, I was so stunned I didn’t realize his intentions until the first brutal crack of his hand across my naked backside. What in the hell did he think he was doing? I’d never been so shocked in my life.
It was like the night before, only this time not with the thought of pleasure in mind.
“Stop. Just stop!” My demand was met with a deep, husky snort and three more smacks hitting me in my sit spot on both ass cheeks.
I wiggled and clawed at the bed, kicking out and with my dancer’s legs, almost managed to slide off his lap.
“Feisty little thing, are you?” The horrible man seemed amused or somewhat thrilled I’d tried to escape, chuckling in a dark tone that brought continuous shivers.
“I guess I’m going to need to take care of that.
Nothing a good old-fashioned spanking won’t cure.
Maybe you’ll learn to be more respectful of the people in charge. ”
“In charge. Don’t you mean an old man? Not a chance.”
He huffed, and my insolence brought a series of savage smacks, his hand moving from cheek to cheek in record time. The pain was intense, the heat splashing across my skin stilling me briefly.
No one had ever done anything like this to me before. No one. Who the hell did he believe himself to be? An entitled thief?
“You’re going to tell me everything. Especially who you’re working for.” He stopped long enough to drag his fingers down my spine. “Your name. Your rank. And the full intentions of your attempt. I will not accept any lies and trust me, I’ll know if you are.”
I’d never been so flustered in my life. I struggled more than I’d done before, shifting enough I fell to the floor.
“Nice try,” he gritted out while yanking me back onto his lap. “You just earned yourself twenty more.”
“La pagherai cara, uomo orribile!” As what happened every time I was pushed past frustration, my heritage was exposed, Italian much easier than English.
He stopped what he was doing long enough to laugh. “You’re threatening me? Really? That I’ll pay for this? You are right about one thing. I am a horrible man, especially to anyone attempting to hurt a member of my family.”
What? Did he say family? Who was he talking about?
And he knew Italian. Great.
Four additional brutal cracks of his palm and I writhed over his lap, suffering in ways that I hadn’t known possible.
Not only from the anguish the spanking provided but also from the crazy sense of desire that refused to fade even during his act of punishment.
This was insane, the fact my blood pressure had increased creating a fog around my mind.
Another wave of exhaustion rushed into every muscle and for a few seconds, I couldn’t move. Just trying to reenergize was taking a toll. Not only for physical exhaustion but the mental and emotional brainwashing that the bastards had accomplished in New York.
While doing nothing more than breathing, I sensed the handsome intruder was experiencing similar difficulties, the strokes of his hand lighter than before.
His breathing heavier.
The touch of his fingertips more like a gentle caress. Even with the slide of the rough pads, I was pulled into a sweet lull if only for a few seconds.
When he shifted my position again, I was made aware of his bodily condition. The man was fully aroused, which should disgust me.
That wasn’t happening.
Maybe somehow our sex the night before had been a connection I couldn’t break.
I was breathless to the point of biting my lower lip to keep from moaning.
“Who are you?” he asked while his fingers tickled the inside of my right thigh. “My patience is now at the end. Either you tell me or…”
“Or what?”
Now he was the one cursing under his breath. “Who are you? Tell me your name.”
“None of your business. Who are you?”
His sigh heavy, his fingers were now dancing dangerously close to my pussy lips. Another wave of embarrassment hit me hard and fast and when I tried to close my legs, he was having none of it, readjusting until there was no doubt in my mind he was able to see how wet I was.
How intense my desire was.
For a stranger who’d broken into the house where I was staying.
For the masked man who’d awakened the darkest part of me.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” he said. “I’m in charge and you’re going to tell me everything. Who you work for. Your intentions. How my sister became involved with whatever you’re planning.”
He jarred my system all over again by smashing his hand against my bottom, his strong hand leaving me breathless with no ability to respond.
Sister.
There was no chance in hell this man, this brutally handsome yet increasingly annoying man was Emme’s brother.
None. Besides, wouldn’t she have told me she had a brother?
I reminded myself she’d told me almost nothing about her family other than that her father was extremely controlling, demanding in a way that stifled her.
Which was why she’d selected Columbia University instead of the dozen excellent colleges closer to home.
He cracked his hand on my bottom four more times, leaving me aching all over, a moan floating toward the ceiling. I was exhausted from fighting, still clawing the comforter while shifting enough I was able to rest my face on the edge of the bed.