by Alexa Riley
"Are you a virgin, Cara?" he asks me simply, and my jaw nearly falls to the floor. I just stare and stare at him and he returns a cold and impassive look, waiting for my answer. "Well? Did I fucking stutter?"
"I..." I can barely talk and I feel like my cheeks are going to catch on fire any moment now. "I don't see how that's any of your business! I don't even understand who you think you are to ask me that kind of-"
"So that's a yes," he confirms for himself, chuckling to himself. This fucking prick. If he weren't my father's friend, I'd launch myself at him and scratch his eyes out. But as it is, I still need to stay in Italy for the time being to meet Luca. And though I hate to admit it, it would be a damn shame to ruin his ridiculously handsome face. "I had a feeling you were."
I don't have the words to reply, but he doesn't seem to care. "I'm heading into town soon," he tells me simply. "You can check out the house and the grounds while I'm gone. Do not go into my study or my bedroom."
I bite back the question why, and nod, still feeling enraged as he heads for the door. Once he opens it, I already see his driver waiting for him, and I thank every god I've ever heard of this conversation is finally fucking over.
"Oh, and Cara?"
I look at him and he throws me a grin over his shoulder. "Be in my office at 8:00 p.m. sharp so we can talk about your punishment for being late."
He leaves me standing there with my mouth hanging open and the front door slams shut behind him. There's nothing else for me to do in the hall, and when I've finally calmed down a little, I storm towards the French doors leading out into the gardens.
Who the hell does he think he is? He can't fucking boss me around like this, like I'm his damn property. He might think he owns me, but just because daddy agreed to send me here for the summer does not mean I'm going to listen to his every command. Because they're not even wishes - they are full-on commands. And I didn't come here to obey some madman's orders.
I open the French doors leading outside and a gust of impossibly hot air hits my skin, a none-so-pleasant change from the lovely air-conditioned interior of the house. Still, I need a breath of fresh air and I'm feeling claustrophobic from standing so close to Mason and his switching personalities. It feels like the man I met a few hours ago in the kitchen is a completely different beast to the one I just saw in the lobby.
I stalk out onto the terrace, not even wanting to take a moment to admire my beautiful surroundings. But even though I'm not planning on it, the stunning Italian landscape makes my lips part in a gasp of shock. There are bountiful hydrangea bushes blooming by a big, azure infinity pool, complete with two Jacuzzis. Orange trees lead out into a garden filled with some of the most beautiful plants and wildlife I've seen, and the air is filled with the heady aroma of their flowers. It's so beautiful it literally takes my breath away, and instead of stewing in my anger, I let the beauty of the grounds hit me in full force.
The air is busy with the buzz of bees and insects, cicadas making a loud background noise that will become all too familiar in the coming months, I feel like. The house is truly a mansion, a jewel that fits in beautifully with the perfectly landscaped grounds. I consider taking a dip in the immaculate pool, but in the end, curiosity gets the better of me and I decide to explore the gardens a little bit more.
As I walk towards the orange grove, I realize I forgot my phone in the bedroom, and I stop my walk uncertainly, wondering whether I should go and grab it, but changing my mind in the end. I just want to see the rest of the hidden beauty of this place, and I can always talk to Luca later - at least we're in the same time zone now.
My walk reveals sight after beautiful sight, and I drink in the beauty of the Italian countryside like I'm hungry for more. It's vastly different from our place back home. The weather is cooler there, and we rarely get days like this. I'm enjoying the warm rays of sunshine on my skin, and I forget to worry about the sunburn I know I'm bound to get it I spend too much time out here. Instead, I inspect every flower in the grove, every bloom of the rose bushes planted on the south side of the house. I check the temperature in the pool - perfect, of course - and explore the impressively carved hedges in the center of the gardens.
When I'm almost done with my walk, tired and ready to go back to my room to chat to Luca, I find a curious part of the garden that is walled in with a low brick fence. I can look over it when I stand up, but the door leading inside, a wooden one with a heart-shaped lock, is firmly closed, and I cannot get it to budge. I sneak peeks over the fence, finding the inside of the garden neglected and covered in weeds and shrubbery. It makes me wonder why this part of the garden was forgotten like this, and I do my best to get a good look inside, even though it means climbing up on my tiptoes and reaching for the moss-covered bricks to look inside the madness inside. The hidden garden is where nature reigns supreme, and I can tell there hasn't been a human hand inside the garden for a long, long time.
"I'd be careful if I were you," a voice interrupts me, and I shriek in surprise, falling and tripping on a rock as I try to get down from the fence. A pair of strong, tanned arms grab me and I look up into a grinning face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, signorina."
"Well, you did," I manage to get out, getting up and smoothing my now dirt-covered dress. "Who the hell are you anyway?" I quickly regret my rudeness as I get a better look at the guy. He seems to be about my age, maybe a year older. He's quite handsome - not in that ridiculous way Mason is, but a charming one nonetheless. He has dark brown hair and grey eyes, a sharp contrast with his tanned complexion. His nose is crooked and looks like it's been broken several times, but it really only adds to his charm instead of taking away from it.
"I'm sorry," he laughs. "I figured we'd be introduced soon. I'm Luca."
CHAPTER FOUR
MASON
MY BUSINESS in town takes longer than I would like, but I don't let it stop me from getting home on time. I keep my promises, and my word is as good as fucking sacred. If I told Cara to meet me in my study at eight, her ass better be there, because I sure as hell will be.
Throughout my business meeting regarding an acquisition of a new office in the States, I keep thinking about her. The way her cheeks blushed when I came closer, the oh-so-obvious reaction her pretty young body had to mine. It was so fucking obvious she wanted me, but poor cara mia didn't have a fucking clue yet. She was still busy fighting it, pretending like there was nothing there. But I know she'll submit soon enough.
The drive back home is excruciatingly long. Living on the outskirts of the city does have its perks, but driving here and back sometimes almost makes me regret having a property so far out of the city. It's why I have an apartment in the city as well, to make sure I have a place to stay whenever I need to spend a night in town due to meetings.
We arrive at home thirty minutes before I'm supposed to meet Cara for our little chat, and my mind is already swimming with the possibilities of what I could have her do.
I walk upstairs to my study, but on my way there, I notice the French doors leading outside from the hall have been left open. I walk towards them, enjoying the light breeze from outside. Now that it's later in the day, it's cooled down considerably and the air outside isn't as oppressive or hot. I move to close the doors when something catches my eye outside.
Cara, talking to him. Shit. I didn't think he'd come back home for a while, I thought I'd at least have a few weeks before he got here.
I purse my lips angrily, looking at Luca through the window. I close the door as quietly as I can and try to ignore the budding anger inside me which is threatening to spill out any moment now. I will not allow Luca to ruin any of my plans, even though his sudden arrival means I'll have to deal with shit I'd rather put off for a while longer.
I get so distracted I barely remember the time, but I manage to tear myself from Cara's sinful little giggle as Luca tells her something out in the gardens. I walk upstairs after closing the double doors and dismissing Filippe for the evening. He has his
own quarters in the house, where I presume he will spend the rest of the day.
My office is pleasantly cool from the air-conditioning as I enter, and I strip off my blazer, enjoying the sensation of undoing the upper button of my starched shirt. I run a hand through my dark hair and pour myself a glass of whiskey before sitting down at my desk again. The time tells me there are ten minutes to go before Cara will be knocking in my door, and I can't resist sneaking a peek at my computer screen on my desk again.
The cameras in her room click into life, and my blood instantly boils when I see them.
Cara's standing in the middle of her room with him, showing him something with her back to the camera. Luca's hand is resting protectively on the small of her back, making me want to tear his fucking hair out. He hasn't even announced his arrival to me, yet he has already introduced himself to our new houseguest. I could fucking kill him. Especially after being so damn careful and making sure Cara remained untouched for me, just like I wanted her. If the kid thinks he can have his way with her, he'll have to go through me, and I won't go down easily. I'll put up a fight for Cara, and I know I'll take him down.
Angrily, I click on the screen to turn on the camera in front of them, above her bed. She's showing him some drawings that I've never seen before. Pencil and white pen on dark paper. They're just sketches, but they're pretty damn good, and I admire them with a critical eye as Cara's finger slides along the lines she's created on the surface. I don't put the sound on, and I can only imagine she's telling Luca about her art.
A quick look at the clock on the wall tells me there are two minutes left, and as Cara looks up with a look of horror on her face, I realize she must've just realized the same thing. She puts the sketches on her bed and rushes to say goodbye to Luca, practically pushing him out of her bedroom. He seems none too pleased about that, and I smirk at his offended face. Good. He'd better get used to it, because there's no damn way I'm sharing cara mia with him.
The bedroom is suddenly empty, and a moment later, I hear footsteps coming down the hall and there's a light knock on the door of my office.
"Come in," I say darkly, and the door creaks open. Cara's eyes sparkle as she walks inside, smoothing down the dress she wore earlier when we met up in the lobby. She's beautiful like this, a little disheveled, but so stunning nevertheless. Her hair is escaping the bun she put it in, and her hands shake as she sits down in the chair in front of my desk that I've pointed out for her.
"Hello," she gets out in a small voice. Her eyes aren't quite meeting mine, but she looks up curiously several times as I get up from my chair and perch on my desk.
"I see you've learned your lesson," I tell her with a chuckle. Her eyes follow mine to the wall where the clock has just ticked its way to 8:00 p.m. sharp. "I'm happy to see you're a fast learner, Cara. I'm not a very patient man."
Unless it comes to you, I add in my mind. But even now, my patience is wearing really fucking thin and my whole body aches with the need to get my hands on her. I need to wait, though, ease her into this. There's no way she'll submit without being prepared properly.
"I'm glad you think so," she adds in a small voice. She finally looks up at me, and her eyes are full of apologies and a very deep need for me to forgive for. I live for that, the sheer desperation she feels and the need for me to say it's all okay. It's going to come in very useful later on. "I really didn't mean to disappoint you earlier, M- Mr. Scott."
"You can call me Mason," I tell her, and she nods, though I can tell she's having a bit of trouble with the informality. "I know you didn't, Cara. I don't have very many rules, but those that I do, I expect you to follow. Is that clear?"
She nods quickly, and I smile.
I don't tell her I knew she'd be late.
I don't tell her I invented the ridiculous rule just so I could fucking punish her. She's a smart girl, she can put two and two together by herself.
"Have you had a look at the grounds?" I ask her, and she nods. "What did you think?"
"Oh, it's beautiful here," she tells me, her voice full of impressions from our beautiful surroundings. I'm not very humble, but even if I were, I'd have to admit my home is stunning. "I love the little orange grove, the pool... And the other parts, too."
I can see an unspoken question in her eyes, but I don't press her for information. It's cute that she thinks she can hide shit from me. I'm going to find out eventually, anyway.
"I'm glad," I tell her with a warm smile.
"I also met-" she starts up, and I cut into her words before she can go on. Fucking hell, I didn't call her in here to fucking listen to her rant on about Luca.
"Your punishment still needs to be taken care of," I tell her simply. A light blush develops on her cheeks and she giggles nervously.
"Oh, I thought..."
"Thought I was kidding?" I ask her gently, then shake my head. "Sadly, no. I believe rules are meant to be followed. Mine aren't too strict, as you'll come to find out." A lie, but she needn't know that. "If you obey me, everything will turn out alright."
"Okay," she says uncertainly. "So, what is my punishment, then?"
I get up from my desk and sit back down in my chair after admiring the view from my window for a short moment. I can feel her nervous gaze on my back, but I don't acknowledge it. Let her worry about what's coming. I bet she thinks I'll tell daddy dearest or some shit.
"I'm a little bit old fashioned, Cara," I tell her simply.
"Okay." Her voice is unsure and shaky, and I love its vulnerability.
"Come here." I motion for her to come closer, and she gets up on trembling legs and walks to my side of the desk. "Closer." She looks unsure, but she follows my directions until she's standing in front of me. She's even more beautiful up close, a pure vision of young beauty and innocence. I can't fucking wait to ruin her.
"Now sit on my lap."
"W-what?" she stutters over her words, her cheeks blushing deeply, but she doesn't take her eyes away from mine. I stare her down, waiting for the multitude of questions that never come. I'm a little surprised, but still unimpressed that she isn't following my clear directions.
"Sit on my lap, Cara," I repeat in a silky smooth voice.
It's up to her to react to my words. If she looks repulsed or refuses, I'll let her go, for now at least. But I've spent a long time observing her, and I think she's fucking excited. I think her little pussy's dripping already, and I think she really fucking wants to do as she is told.
Slowly, she moves her little body into my arms. Her ass comes down on my lap and I groan out loud when her movement causes the smallest bit of friction. My dick has been rocked hard since she walked into my study, but with her sitting on top of me like this, I'm worried I'll embarrass myself and cum inside my pants like a fucking teenager. Cara drapes her arms around my neck and sits there, a vision in her pretty pink dress and her lips lightly parted.
She's more, she's better than I ever thought she would be. She's fucking unbelievable, and the way she followed my directions after only a moment's hesitation makes me want to devour her. I need to own her ass, and I'm not going to stop until I do.
"Good girl," I mutter against her ear, and Cara shivers, her whole body trembling on my lap. She's not letting go, and I need to have my hands on her right the fuck now. I take ahold of her tiny waist, my strong fingers digging into her sides and so desperate to have her bouncing on my cock. I can feel the prim and proper way she tucked her dress under her ass isn't working, and her panties are so damn close to my cock the savage part of me wants to just rich them the fuck off and take her.
"Your behavior is improving," I tell her gently. I tuck a strand of her pretty blonde hair behind her ear and she keeps her eyes downcast, shaking with nerves. "But I still can't let you get away with what you did. You know that, right?"
She looks up at me, and her eyes are filled with betrayal and embarrassment. Good. I need to break those two emotions into pieces until there's nothing left but yearning. That's the n
ext step, after all.
"Yes," she replies in a soft voice, and my cock throbs so hard against my thigh I swear she can feel it. Her eyes finally go up to mine again and she blinks once, twice, three times. Her thick lashes rim her eyes prettily and her mouth is still parted, as if she's expecting me to kiss her. Too bad the truth of what's going to happen is far from that.
In one swift moment, I put her over my lap. She inhales sharply, but she doesn't make another sound as she lays sprawled across my knee. "What happens to bad girls, Cara?" I ask her hoarsely, and she squirms in my arms. I put a hand firmly on the small of her back and hold her the hell down.
"I... Please." Her voice is weak and we both know what she's asking for.
"Bad girls get hurt," I tell her simply. "And I believe in physical punishment, because I think you'll love it as much as you'll fucking hate it." I know she'll love the pain, but the embarrassment of being put over my knee like this is going to have her blushing for the rest of the week. She doesn't say a single word, but she gasps softly when I pull her dress up.
I swear I nearly cum in my trousers when I see her ass. I'd been saving it, the view of her bottom soon to be marked by my lashes. But she's fucking perfect, creamy, soft skin and a bubble butt I could've only dreamed of. She's wearing a tiny thong, a scrap of lingerie that pisses me off. I would've expected her to wear something more modest, but then again, I should've known she's a little slut on the inside.
"What's this?" I growl in her ear, my fingers going under the fabric of the thong and making her mewl softly. "That's what you wear for a meeting with Daddy's friend, Cara?"
"Oh god," she breathes, her gasps slow and heavy now. She's stopped struggling to get off my lap, but she's burning the fuck up, her skin hot and heating up even more. "I... I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, Sir," I correct her, and I can feel the tension making her body go rigid in my arms.
