Chapter 16
CHIARA
He leads me out of the room and into a long, all-white hallway. There are so many doors, I can barely count them all. I continue to stare, learning my surroundings while he’s already heading down.
My feet hit the black wooden steps, my hand gliding over the shiny black banister of the spiral staircase as I make my way down.
While I hit the foyer, my eyes immediately notice the cathedral ceiling with a large silver chandelier hanging in the center. I follow him deeper into what clearly looks like a mansion, and into the den.
“Wow,” I say. “The ceiling is extraordinary.”
The dark gray of the roof is framed with white overhead beams crossing at different angles, creating an illusion of a checkerboard. It’s ornate and beautiful.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he throws over his shoulder as I continue to take in everything.
“I’m hoping I can kick you out and move in,” I tease as my hand runs over the cream suede L-shaped sofa on one side with two dark gray armchairs on the other and a rectangular glass table in the center. The sofa is facing a fireplace with light gray bricks surrounding it.
“Stop staring and keep moving,” he orders.
But I ignore him, looking at the pale gray walls and the floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a large white gazebo with a matching bed plus an oval-shaped pool surrounded by a bunch of lounge chairs.
It’s pretty obvious he’s filthy rich. We definitely had money growing up, and lots of it, but this is a whole other level of wealth.
A set of footsteps approach from behind, then another. I freeze, turning to find two tall men wearing head-to-toe black coming toward us. I gasp, causing Brian to turn around.
Who the hell are they and why are they here?
My eyes widen and a chill creeps up my back as I take slow steps backward, landing hard into Brian. His hand reaches around to my hips, holding me against his body.
“They’re not gonna hurt you.” His voice caresses against the shell of my ear. “They work for me.”
He squeezes my hip possessively, then sets me free.
“Miles. Kevin,” he says by way of greeting. “This is Chiara, and she’ll be staying here for a while.”
The men give me a cool, collective nod before walking away, standing on each side of the door that leads out into the yard. They must be bodyguards.
“Come on, Chiara,” Brian prompts, striding past me toward the doorway. “Let’s go meet Sonia.”
I pick up the pace, following him into the kitchen. There’s a short woman with black hair mixed with silver, chopping something on the counter with her back to us.
“Sonia, I want to introduce you to a guest of mine.”
She whirls her neck and places a knife down.
“Oh, hello there, dear.” She wipes her hands on her black apron as she treads over to us.
I give her my hand. “I’m Chiara. It’s nice to meet you.”
She takes it in a warm embrace, the sides of her eyes crinkling with a tender smile.
“Always happy to meet friends of the boys,” she says fondly, peering up at Brian.
What boys? I wonder to myself. Does she mean the guards?
“I won’t be home tonight for dinner,” he tells her, his voice growing softer. “Just throw the food in the fridge when you’re done.”
Where will he be? It’s only six p.m. It’s hours until he has to be at the strip club. I’d imagine he doesn’t plan on destroying it before most of the world is asleep.
I was hoping to spend some one-on-one time with him before he left, giving me a chance to reinforce my plan and get him to want me enough to let his guard down.
Only then will I have the opportunity to escape his well-fortified fortress.
But getting there will prove to be a much harder task. He fights me at every step.
“No problem. But make sure you eat.” Her hand reaches for his face, patting him gently on the cheek. “A growing boy needs to eat.”
She’s like a sweet grandma figure. It’s actually adorable seeing them together.
“I’m not sure if you noticed, Sonia.” His tone is set with slight playfulness. “But I haven’t been a boy in a long time.”
She drops her hand and waves it dismissively. “Eh, to me, you boys will always be babies. I don’t care how strong and tough you are. You hear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Brian chuckles, complete adoration for this woman stamped on his features.
Sonia’s dark brown eyes are on me now. “Maybe you’d like some nice hot dinner before I put it away?”
“She would,” he answers for me.
I tilt my head toward him, lifting a brow, giving him the “I can answer for myself” look.
Sonia purses her lips as she takes a gander between Brian and me. “Okay, I’ll make you a plate.”
“Thank you,” Brian and I say in unison, our gazes narrowed at one another for a brief second.
“We will go,” he tells her. “I don’t want to take away from your time.”
“It was nice to meet you, Chiara, dear.”
“You too,” I say.
“She’ll be staying a while,” he adds, his eyes peeking knowingly at me. “Isn’t that right?”
I glare, twisting my lips at him with an aggravated smile. “Not that you’ve given me a choice.”
From the corner of my vision, I catch Sonia bunching her brows, glancing from Brian to me.
His jaw clamps, his eyes brimming with a layer of well-contained ire.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sonia,” he barks out gently. “We’re leaving, Chiara. Let’s go.”
Sonia notices the change in mood. “Behave.” She lifts a finger at him, then gives me a small wave before returning to her workstation.
Brian storms out of the other side of the kitchen, not the way we came, making a right and disappearing from my view. I keep up with him as best I can, finding him pacing in a narrow hallway.
As soon as he sees me, he rushes forward, grabbing my wrist and pulling me further down, away from Sonia’s earshot.
“What the hell are you doing?” I snap, attempting to yank my hand away, but his grip is solid.
He doesn’t answer, pulling me until we reach the end of the hall, until my back hits the wall with a light thud. He plants his palms beside my face, spearing me with a venomous look.
“What the fuck was that?” he whisper-shouts, leaning his face into mine, his snarl drifting over my lips.
“What are you talking about, you psycho?” My voice is hushed, but anger swells in my gut.
Who does he think he is, manhandling me like this? And why do I want him to pin me to the wall and fuck me ruthlessly?
“Chiara, I swear to God.” He grits his teeth, his gaze wandering between my lips and my eyes. “I’ll lock you back in that fucking room if you try that shit again. Sonia knows nothing about this side of me, and I want it kept that way.”
I slant my head to the side. “So she doesn’t know you kidnap women and lock them in your big, bad room?”
“I don’t kidnap women.” His lips curve, so close to mine that if I moved a fraction, I’d taste his. “Just one in particular.”
“Maybe next time you should give me a heads-up regarding who you’ve told about me being your hostage,” I spit out through clenched teeth. “I prefer an Excel spreadsheet.”
“I’ll think about it.” He smirks, his breath licking up my mouth.
“How can she not realize anything?” I whisper, the roar of desire warming me from the inside. “Isn’t she suspicious with these men around?”
“No,” he stamps out low and deep, his eyes narrowed.
“Who does she think they are? Your friends?” I let out a small laugh.
“Guards. She knows I have businesses and competitors. One can never be too careful.”
“She really has no idea you brought me here against my will?”
“Not a clue.” A hand finds my jaw, his fingers roughly delving into it. “And if I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut, princess.”
“Stop calling me that!” I say with a soft shout, my fingers landing on his back, my nails clawing down the length of it, enough to make it hurt.
He lets out a small growl as one of his legs slices in between my thighs, his body pressing roughly into mine as the hand on my jaw slithers to my neck.
I exhale a quiet moan when I feel his hardness pushing into my lower belly from beneath his clothes. The span of his large palm envelops the column of my neck, his fingers gradually closing in, pushing into my throat until I fight for every one of my breaths.
“I think you’ve forgotten who’s in charge here.” He leans in further, his lips brushing over my jaw. “I hope this is a good reminder.” He squeezes harder. “Don’t fuck with me, Chiara. You won’t like what you find.”
“You don’t scare me,” I choke out the words with a snarl, finding it harder to inhale, my nails piercing deeper into his back.
A spark ignites within his stormy gaze, pulsing through me, the desire for what we could be together so evident in his eyes. If only we were different people, born into a different life.
“I guess we’ll have to remedy that.” The words are meant as a threat.
My nails slowly trace up his spine, to the back of his neck until I reach his head, biting into his skin.
“Bring it on,” I challenge with a stuttered tone while my nails sink deeper into the hardness of his muscles.
He hisses with a wild growl, clearly enjoying my hands on him. I like knowing he does. It helps further my cause. The more we touch, the better chance he lets me walk right into his bed, and after that, I’ll slip right into his heart when he doesn’t even see it coming.
Once I’m there, there will be nothing he wouldn’t do for me, like allow me to leave his house whenever I want, giving me the opportunity to disappear before he ever has a chance to take my heart in return.
I know men like him: powerful in all aspects, guarding everything, even their hearts. But it only takes one single crack to crumble every wall they’ve so carefully built.
“Don’t provoke me, baby,” he asserts. “I could snap you like a twig, and there’ll be no one here to stop me.”
My pulse thumps in my neck.
I can hear it.
Feel it.
It pummels within me like a hammer, over and over, until it hurts.
“Do it, then,” I push. “What are you waiting for?”
I can taste my fear mingled with desire. He excites me, yet terrifies me. And I like it. This game we’re playing may hurt us both in the end, but sometimes the burn is worth the scars.
“I’m not here to make my captivity easy for you,” I continue when he refuses to utter a word, his piercing gaze doing all the talking for him.
“That’s too bad.” His mouth falls to mine, just barely. “For you.”
His long, deep breaths skate across my lips while his thigh thrusts into my core, eliciting a low moan from deep in my throat. A grin spreads over my mouth even as my lungs burn, even as my chest rises up and down rapidly, scratching for every breath he allows me to have.
“You’re lucky I like looking at you,” he rasps, his eyes holding mine, his lips dipping toward the shell of my ear. “Or else you’d be dead already.”
That smoky voice brushes over my sensitive earlobe, the husk within it rubbing against the achiness between my thighs.
I hurt there, wanting this bastard to finish what he started.
But instead, his hands fall and he backs away from me as his breathing returns to a normal pace while I try to steady mine.
Our unrelenting gazes align, staring into one another, fighting a battle we can’t name with words. His eyes darken with a ball of frustration.
“I’m leaving now.” He casually slips his hands in his hoodie. “There are cameras everywhere, and my men will be watching. Don’t try anything.”
“What do you mean everywhere?” My eyes pop wide. “My room too?”
My pulse slams into my throat, trying to recall if I did anything embarrassing or if I walked around naked.
Oh, God! I don’t think so.
“You mean my room,” he chuckles as his lips curve into a wicked grin.
“You asshole!” I bellow, not giving a shit if Sonia or anyone else hears. “You’ve been watching me this whole time?”
“That’s right, baby.”
He strides up, his body meeting mine in a tantalizing touch. A finger slides under my chin, the back of it lifting up my face to his.
“But you’re kinda boring.” The words hum over my lips to a perfect beat, my body heating up from both fury and lust.
Boring, huh? I’ll give you boring.
“Stay in your room, and don’t go wandering into mine. It’s the one next to yours. I’ll know if you’ve been there.”
He begins to go, stopping mid-stride, halting in place. His back flexes as he inhales, turning to me, his features less harsh now. He searches my gaze so intently, I’m almost lost within his.
“Sleep well, Chiara.” The sensual cadence of his voice wafts through the air, bathing me with carnal need.
I pull in a long inhale, fighting the nonsensical urge to run into his arms and kiss him.
“I meant what I said earlier,” I admit. “Be careful tonight.”
He releases a harsh sigh, cutting his gaze to the wall above my head, then storms out of the hallway, leaving me there in tattered ruins, wondering why I’m here worried about my kidnapper when the only one I should be concerned with is me.