Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
S arah
I wake up staring at a smooth white ceiling I’m certain I’ve never seen before. I’m lying on my back on the floor, with my legs propped up on the sofa.
“Welcome back.” The voice comes from behind me. I tilt my head to see him sitting in the chair closest to me, a glass of orange juice on the coffee table in front of him.
“What just happened?”
“You fainted,” he says matter-of-factly. He nods towards the juice.
I roll into a sitting position, swallowing down the dizziness that comes with the movement. “No way, I don’t faint.”
“Fine, then you took the world’s shortest powernap. Drink the fucking juice.”
I roll my eyes. Then I drink the juice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” After a beat, he adds, “Though I didn’t expect to do this much first aid on someone I’ve kidnapped.”
“Well, I’d hate to put you out. I’ll show myself out.”
He laughs. “Oh, kitten, we’re not even close to done.”
I refuse to acknowledge the warmth I feel gathering between my thighs.
My cellphone is sitting on the side table next to his chair. It must have fallen out of my bra when I became one with gravity.
“Who is Robert?” he asks.
Fucking hell. “Just a friend. Probably wondering why I didn’t show tonight.”
“Your friend called twelve times. And sent at least that many text messages.”
I shrug, aiming for nonchalance.
“Oh, calling again.” He flips the phone around so the screen is facing me. Like magic, it unlocks. Fucking face recognition. He answers the call and puts it on speaker.
Robert’s voice is even more shrill than usual. “Oh my god, finally! Where are you? Are you okay?”
I open my mouth to yell at him to shut up, but De Luca moves far faster than someone as large as him should. He wraps his hand around my mouth and pulls me into his lap, the other arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
Robert, meanwhile, hasn’t taken a breath. “…I was so worried, and you weren’t answering, and you disappeared right after?—”
Vincent whispers in my ear, “For everyone’s sake, you’re going to tell him you’re okay. You twisted your ankle running and had to go to the hospital for an X-ray. Then get him off the phone. Nod if you understand.”
I nod, and his hand slides down to wrap around my throat. He gives it a quick squeeze for emphasis.
“Robert!” I have to call his name three times before I can get a word in. “Take a breath. I’m fine. I tripped over a curb and had to go get my ankle looked at.”
“Which hospital? I’ll be right there!”
“No, it’s okay. I’m getting discharged any minute, and the nurse called me a cab. But hey, my phone’s at like 3% so I gotta go.”
“Okay. Jesus, babe, you scared the crap outta me. See you Monday? Talk soon?”
I force a little cheer into my voice. “Of course. Bye, babe.”
“Ciao doll. Call if you need anything.” He disconnects.
De Luca removes his hand from my throat. He whispers into my ear. “Good girl.” His warm breath runs down my neck and makes me shiver. He grabs my phone and turns it all the way off. His hips shift when he does.
Holy fuck.
I feel the hard press of his cock against my ass, which only makes me more aware of my increasingly wet panties. He makes no move to release me.
“So, and I’ll remind you that I expect the truth, who is Robert?”
“A friend,” I tell him again.
His lips are hovering just above my ear, and every single hair on the back of my neck stands on end. “Liar.”
“I’m not!”
He laughs. “Not a good liar either.” He traces a finger from my temple, down my face, and the side of my neck. He taps right over my pulse point. “I can see your heart beating right here when you lie to me.”
“I’m not lying! He’s a friend.”
He taps the pulse in my neck in a quick, fluttering beat. “Omission is not absolution, kitten,” he whispers.
The heat between my thighs is reaching wildfire level, and every brush of his warm breath against my neck sends a pulse of need straight down to my core. The arm wrapped around my waist reaches to my wrists, pulling one, then the other, around behind me, and he holds them both in one giant hand. “I’m beginning to think you didn’t believe that I was sincere when I explained that the expectation during our conversation is the truth.”
I try to pull my arms. “Let go of me.” My torso thrashes against his chest as he laughs, and I can feel it reverberate through my back.
“What is this?” he asks, looking over my shoulder and down the deep V of my halter neck. The fabric has slowly ridden down and the lace cups of my unlined bra are now half visible, as is the top corner of my driver’s license and credit card. I really need to stop putting everything in my bra when I go out.
I almost moan when his forearm brushes over my breast as he reaches to pull the cards out.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
He absently tosses my credit card onto the coffee table but stops to review my ID card before pulling his phone out with his free hand. He is speaking Italian, but I hear him read my name, birthday, and license number into the phone before he hangs up. Then he tosses the ID onto the table next to the credit card.
“You were clearly not alone in that alley,” he says.
I don’t reply. Courtesy of Robert’s blabbing, that ship has sailed.
“Are you planning on telling me who Robert is?”
“Nobody okay? I was in front, saw everything, and then pushed him away before he came around the corner. He didn’t see anything.”
“On second thought, keep lying to me. I’m going to enjoy teaching you all the reasons why you shouldn’t.” He moves closer, placing the words directly in my ear. “And don’t pretend like I can’t feel the heat radiating from between your thighs, kitten.”
I feel the blush start at the roots of my hair and fall down my skin until I’m mostly certain even my toes are pink.
With one foot, he pushes the ottoman away, and it skids to a stop in front of the massive windows. He stands, picking me up and setting me gently back on my feet. Still holding my wrists behind my back, he walks me towards it like an 80s cop dragging a perp through the station.