Chapter 23 Raffaele
RAFFAELE
Blood roared in my ears as I shoved through the crowd, my gaze fixed on the balcony. The bond pulsed with her emotions—rage, defiance, and a molten wave of pleasure. I hadn’t anticipated my plan to unravel like this, and now the consequences were staring me in the face.
She was sitting with her legs spread, one hand gripping her breast while the other slipped beneath her panties. Whispers rippled through the sea of onlookers. My chest tightened as I watched her throw her head back, her bare breast catching the overhead lights like a fucking beacon.
She was touching herself. In front of everyone.
No one was supposed to see her like this, even illusioned as she was.
The thought was like a knife twisting in my gut.
My jaw clenched as I forced my way to the stairs, shoving aside anyone who dared get in my way.
Each step felt like a battle against my own fury—not at her, but at myself.
This was my doing. My plan. And it had spiraled so far out of control that I could barely think straight.
When I reached the balcony, she was still writhing, her back arching as soft moans slipped from her lips. The sight sent a bolt of heat through me, a visceral response I couldn’t ignore, even as my anger burned hotter. I stormed over to her.
Vivian turned her head. There was no shame in her eyes, no regret. There was, however, a wicked glint of triumph that made my blood boil. She wanted to provoke me, to push me over the edge. And gods help me, it was working.
I crossed the balcony in two strides. “You’ve really fucked up now.”
She scrambled to her feet, her dress askew, but before she could say a word, I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder. She let out a startled gasp, her fists pounding weakly against my back as I carried her down the hall toward my quarters.
“Put me down, you bastard,” she hissed, her fists connecting with my back again, though the blows were more symbolic than effective.
I didn’t bother to respond. I was entirely focused on getting her away from prying eyes.
My grip tightened around her legs. That warm, intoxicating scent of her arousal filled my senses and made it damn near impossible to think straight.
By the time I reached my bedroom, my self-control was hanging by a thread.
I kicked the door shut behind us and turned the lock. Vivian struggled against me, her fire undiminished even as I set her down on the edge of the bed.
“What the fuck is your problem?” she snapped, her eyes blazing with fury.
“My problem? You’re asking me that after what you just did?”
Her lips twisted into a defiant smirk. “Did you like the show I put on for your friends?”
Exhaling heavily, I put my hands on her thighs. Her breath stuttered as I slid my palms up the soft fabric of her dress, stopping just below her hips. “No one,” I growled, my voice rough with possessive heat, “will ever see you like that again. Besides me.”
Her defiance faltered, her pupils dilating as her chest rose and fell rapidly. “You don’t get to control me,” she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
I ignored her as I worked my fingers under the waistband of her panties.
She tensed, but she didn’t stop me as I tugged them down slowly, the damp fabric clinging to her skin.
She let out a soft whimper as the toy inside her shifted, and I clenched my jaw as my fingers grazed her slick heat and primal need coursed through me.
“Gods, you’re fucking soaked.”
The atmosphere between us crackled with tension, the bond throbbing with desire. We didn’t need words to know what we were both feeling—what we both wanted.
Her lips parted, her voice a breathy whisper. “Are you going to punish me?”
The corner of my mouth twitched, but I didn’t smile. “I already punished you with the vibrator, and I dare say you enjoyed it. Not much of a punishment, huh?”
She arched a brow, her defiance rekindled. “Who says I enjoyed it?”
I leaned closer, my breath ghosting over her lips. “I could feel it, Vivian. Every gasp. Every moan. Every fucking second you wanted me to take control.”
Her gaze darted to my mouth before snapping back to my eyes. “You’re insufferable.”
“And you’re a fucking menace.” I slid my hand up her thigh, stopping just shy of where she wanted me most. “But that doesn’t mean I’m letting anyone else see what’s mine.”
She inhaled sharply, her legs parting slightly as if her body had a mind of its own. “I’m not yours.”
I trailed my fingers over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. “You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”
Dipping my head, I brushed my lips against the hollow of her throat. She tilted her head back, giving me access, and I took full advantage, pressing a line of heated kisses along her pulse point.
“Raffaele,” she murmured, her hands finding their way to my shoulders. Her fingers tightened, nails digging into my skin as I nipped at her collarbone.
“Tell me to stop,” I whispered against her skin. “And I will.”
Her body arched into mine, her nails scraping down my chest as she panted. Our bond flared, her desire feeding into mine in an endless loop that made it impossible to think of anything else.
I brushed my lips against hers. “You drive me insane.”
“Good,” she whispered.
My gaze dipped to the wetness glistening between her thighs, the evidence of how far I’d pushed her, of how much she wanted this, even if she couldn’t bring herself to admit it.
My cock throbbed at the sight, and I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to hold on to the thin thread of control I still had left.
“Fuck,” I murmured as I trailed my fingers along the inside of her thigh. Her body jerked, a soft whimper escaping her lips.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. The energy between us was charged with something neither of us could ignore. We were past the point of no return, and we both knew it.
“You think you can pull a stunt like that and get away with it?” I said as I braced my hands on either side of her head. “You wanted my attention, didn’t you? Well, now you’ve got it.”
Her lips parted. “I wasn’t—”
“Don’t lie to me. I saw you, Vivian. On my balcony, with your hand between your legs, acting like you didn’t care who was watching.” My hand slid higher, brushing against her heat, and she gasped, her hips jerking involuntarily. “Do you know what that did to me?”
Her hands came up to press against my chest, as if she thought she could push me away, but her touch was weak. “You’re an arrogant bastard,” she spat. “I fucking hate you.”
“Good.” I flashed her a dangerous smile. “Hate me all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine.”
Before she could respond, I crushed my mouth to hers. The kiss was rough and punishing, a collision of teeth and tongues as I poured all my frustration, anger, and obsession into it.
I slid my fingers through her slick heat. “You’re dripping for me, Vivian.”
“Shut up,” she snapped, but her shaky voice betrayed the desire she was trying so hard to hide.
I smirked, pressing my fingers against her clit in slow, deliberate circles that made her body jerk beneath me. “Why? Afraid of what you’ll say if I keep going?”
Her eyes blazed with defiance, but her hips bucked against my hand, seeking more. “I hate you.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” I said as I slid a finger inside her. Her pussy clenched around me, tight and hot, and I groaned, adding another finger and curling them just right. “You can hate me all you want, but you can’t stop wanting me.”
I didn’t just want her submission—I wanted to make her feel every ounce of what I was capable of. And my shadows answered the call.
They rose from the corners of the room, dark tendrils of energy that flickered and curled with anticipation.
Her body stiffened as they moved toward her, brushing against her arms, her thighs, her chest. I pulled back just enough to see her expression—conflicted, furious, and so damn aroused she could barely keep herself still.
“What are you—” Her words dissolved into a gasp as one shadow slid across her stomach, coiling around her waist and pinning her to the bed.
Another tendril traced the curve of her jaw before sliding between her lips, forcing her mouth open.
Her eyes widened as it pressed against her tongue, teasing her, making her choke slightly before retreating just enough to let her catch her breath.
“Raffaele,” she gasped.
“You wanted my attention. Now you’ll take everything I give you.”
Her glare was hot enough to melt steel. The shadows slid lower, one spreading her legs wider while another dipped between her folds, swirling around her clit in slow, deliberate circles. Her hips bucked, her back arching off the bed as a broken moan escaped her lips.
I watched the way her body responded, the way her slick heat glistened in the dim light. “You look so good like this. So godsdamn sexy.”
Her hands fisted in the sheets, her body trembling as another tendril moved up to her breasts, curling around one and pinching her nipple. She cried out, her voice raw and breathless.
“You like that, don’t you?” I whispered, leaning down to kiss her neck. “You’re my good fucking girl, and you’re going to scream for me.”
She shook her head, clenching her fists in the sheets. But the way she was grinding against my fingers told a different story. I added another finger, stretching her, teasing her, until her head fell back and a broken moan escaped her lips.
“Go to hell,” she hissed.
I chuckled darkly, curling my fingers inside her. I relished the moan that escaped her. “We’re already there.”
The shadows tightened around her, holding her still as I moved my fingers faster. Her moans grew louder, more desperate, and I could feel the tension building inside her.
“Come for me,” I commanded.