by Deana Birch
Luca rode the elevator to the main floor. Down the hall, the bar was dark, but security was twenty-four hours. He let himself into the little room.
Max raised one of his dark eyebrows. “I thought you went to bed.”
“Change of plans,” Luca said without a grin.
“I noticed.” Max turned back to the screens and gestured to the feed dedicated to Luca’s suite.
Sure enough, his precious sotto awaited. And she was early. “How long has she been there?”
“Five minutes.”
“Kill the feed to my suite.”
“No problem, boss.” Max typed in a few commands to the computer and the image of Claire blinked to black.
Luca stretched his arms overhead. What the hell was he going to do for the next seven minutes until it was time to go tie up his blonde banker? Because she would be his exactly how he’d been dreaming—on her back, arms secured and him inside her.
“You’re not going up?” Max side-eyed him.
“In a minute.” Luca grinned.
Chapter Fourteen
Claire
Her brain was still clearing the last remnants of the fog that sleep had left her in when the mechanism in the knob activated and the tips of black leather moccasins entered her peripheral vision. The upturned hands resting on her thighs shook, and keeping her eyes fixed on the floor was nearly impossible. She snuck a quick glance up when she saw him turn to the closet, toeing his shoes off and placing them beside hers. She swallowed a groan at the tight shirt outlining each perfect muscle and the loose sweatpants hanging on his impossibly lean hips. Claire dropped her eyes back to the floor before he caught her, the need to obey almost as strong as her need for him.
“Well done, sotto. You were early.”
She swallowed. “Yes, Sir.”
He began slowly circling her, trailing his fingers along the tops of her shoulders as he walked behind her. “Do you know why I called you here, sotto?”
Because you want to fuck me senseless? “No, Sir.”
He hummed and stopped in front of her. The rustling of fabric begged her to look up but Claire was certain a violation would only lengthen her torture. When his pants hit the floor in front of her, she nearly choked. If she thought sitting in the back seat of the car Luca had sent for her, cataloging all the ways he could touch her, was torture, knowing Luca Bernardi was standing a foot away from her without his pants on when her eyes couldn’t feast was damn near intolerable.
“Stand.”
She rose to her feet in one movement that was growing smoother with practice. Her gaze was still focused on the lush carpet but she caught the edge of his boxers and a shudder ran through her body. Black had never looked so vibrant.
He traced the swell of her breasts, trailing his fingers down the front of each before landing on her nipples. He rolled the hardened buds between his index fingers and thumbs and her breath left her body on a short, stuttered exhale in response. When he pinched both sides at the same time with more pressure than he had before and held them longer than previous times, Claire couldn’t control the small ‘eep’ that escaped.
Luca chuckled lightly before replacing his hands with his mouth. He licked and sucked the right side before switching and repeating the exact same actions on the left. He traced the outline of her panties across her hip bones and between her thighs. His wandering and incredibly talented digits dipped beneath the lace material and between her folds. “My sotto is ready for me so soon?”
Claire licked her lips. If she abided by the total honesty rule she would confess to having been ready all day, every day, since Sunday. “Yes, Sir.”
“Eyes.”
Even though every instinct in her body screamed at her to gawk at the naked, perfectly defined chest a breath away, she met his stare head-on. Her gray gaze collided with his chocolate one and the desire she read there made her heart forget to beat. He held the look as he continued his fingers’ teasing path, skillfully avoiding the area where she needed him most. “Yes, Sir?”
The left side of his mouth twitched. “You have done well your first week, sotto. Exceptionally well. It would be unfair for me to force such a willing and obedient sub to wait until this evening.” He withdrew his hands from her body and the hot flesh screamed at their absence. More. She needed more of him, not less. He snapped his fingers. “Eyes down, and as attractive as it is, underwear off. I want you on the bed on your back, arms above you, holding the headboard.”
Her entire body shook, but she did exactly as he’d said. Within minutes, he had both ankles restrained on opposite sides of the mattress and her wrists bound together firmly, with little wiggle room. It was the first time he had ever tied her down. The excitement of the unknown quickly overrode the brief surge of nervousness that had prickled her skin when he’d clicked the straps into place.
“What is your safeword, sotto?”
“Red, Sir.”
“And what do you say if I am pushing a little too far?”
“Yellow, Sir.”
He hummed his approval. “Eyes.”
She pulled her gaze from its position on her own body, indescribably turned on by the sight of it locked into complete submission for him, to where he stood beside the bed. The need that had set fire to the brown orbs lingered but was tempered by softness.
“There is a safety mechanism in place on all the straps. One word from you and you will be released in less than a minute. You will not disappoint me if you call red. You will not be a failure. We are both learning your limits and your desires. Do you understand, sotto?”
The burning in her chest was…unexpected. She was grateful to learn and train for this part of her life with someone as conscientious as Luca, but his words hit a place on her body much more neglected than the throbbing need between her spread thighs—and much more unwelcome. “Yes, Sir.”
He moved to stand at the foot of the bed, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You are beautiful, sotto. Stunning.” Before she had a chance to respond, he knelt on the bed. “You have been so very patient and that is a trait I greatly admire, in business and in pleasure. Now I would like to reward you.”
He moved his hands up and down her legs, turning the appendages she rarely paid attention to after her daily once-over with the razor into highly erogenous zones. She whimpered under his expert touch. He traced the outside of her slickened core, dipping inside once, twice, three times.
“This time, sotto, when I tease you, when I touch you, you may come.” He paused, holding her eyes captive with his. “But you must look at me. Understand and acknowledge who is bringing you this pleasure.”
He dipped his dark head between her thighs, drawing intricate patterns on her needy flesh with his tongue. He closed his lips around the swollen nub that had been screaming for attention for several days, but his gaze never once faltered from hers as he licked and sucked her to a screaming pinnacle. She thrashed her head against his pillow and struggled to keep her eyes open and trained on him. When two fingers slid inside her, she quickly hit a second peak. “Fuck!” The curse was ripped from her lungs with the force of her orgasm.
He slowed his ministrations but kept his hands and lips in contact with her trembling flesh. Stars danced before her eyes and relief mixed with an undeniable urge for more.
Luca moved up her body, tasting every inch as he went. “Ah, sotto, I was so very wrong. I thought you were beautiful before, but now I know you are truly breathtaking when your cheeks are flushed and you are screaming your release from the effect of your Master’s touch on your body. Assolutamente mozzafiato.” The words were whispered against her skin, which had no business catching fire once again.
“T-thank you, Sir.”
A hand collided with her left ass cheek. He leaned close to her ear, pressing his hard length against her reignited core. “Confidence, Claire.” He rubbed against her, eliciting a needy moan as her body cowed to his silent instruction. “You are my sub, my sotto. Prove that I h
ave your trust and speak to me with confidence.”
He moved his lips from her ear to her breasts, making a trail of light kisses along the way. He lavished attention on her nipple—licking, sucking, nibbling. He tormented the opposite nub with his hand, pinching it. She arched into his touch, her body still humming from two mind-blowing orgasms, yet also begging for more.
“Sir, please.” The whimpered plea surprised her. She was quickly growing just as desperate as she had been when she’d arrived. What the hell kind of dark magic does this man deal in?
Luca ground against her, the cotton material of his boxers a thin barrier that provided an exciting texture, overwhelming her senses. “Yes, sotto, yes. You may come.”
His permission allowed the hovering wave of release to crash over her again. She screamed. She swore. She bucked her hips against him as much as she could within the confines of the straps. As she hovered in the fog of pleasure, his touches turned feather light, his kisses no more than a whisper, and all too soon he abandoned her body.
She snapped her eyes open and, permitted or not, sought him out. More. She still fucking wanted more. She had no idea how it could be possible, but the truth couldn’t be ignored. Claire opened her mouth to ask, to beg, to have him inside her. She needed that more than she needed oxygen at this moment. But the arch of his eyebrow quickly drew her lips back together and warmth spread through her at his approving nod.
Luca released each of her ankles then stood beside the bed, grazing his fingertips over her cheek. “We are not done, sotto. Remember…trust. You do not question because you trust that your Dom, your Master, will make the right decisions, the very best decisions, for you.”
“Yes, Sir.” She nodded, drinking in every inch of him while she could and desperately wishing his boxers would disappear.
As if reading her mind, he hooked his thumbs beneath the waistband and slid them down, walking to the other side of the bed naked, with more confidence than most men affected in a three-piece suit. Claire’s gaze drifted down his body, stopping just below his finely tuned abdomen.
Oh.
Luca pulled a foil packet from the drawer and donned the condom without preamble or embarrassment. He climbed onto the bed, stretching his body across hers and extracting a needy groan. “Next time, sotto, you will sheath me.”
Next time. Her body and mind sang out in unison at the words. Her ecstasy was only allowed a moment to linger as he slid his thick cock inside her. The shudder from his body rippled through hers and she smiled slightly, proud to have even a modicum of the effect on him that he had on her.
“You have been exceptional.” He repeated the affirmations he had been speaking to her all night. “You have outshone the brightest star in your obedience and willingness to please your Master.”
Claire focused on controlling her words. “Thank you, Sir.”
He rolled his hips against hers as he moved in and out, his shaft brushing against her rapidly swelling clit. “Lock your legs around me, sotto. You need to feel your Dom on every inch of you.”
In a short period of time, her body had come to recognize and respect Luca’s authority and control. For that she was grateful, because her brain had no input in the actions of her body as her thighs tightened around his waist. She moaned as he went deeper with the next thrust.
“Troppo bella per le parole.”
His voice vibrated against her chest, causing her greedy nipples to beg for more attention. Claire tried to translate what he’d said in her head but quickly abandoned the notion. There was no hope for intelligent thought when Luca was hitting every sensitive spot on her and discovering a few more she’d never known about.
His breathing was shallow and labored. “You will come with your Master and you will say my name. Remember, sotto, who owns your orgasms, who knows your body.” As always, Luca demanded. He did not request.
“As you wish, Sir.”
Her words were met with a final hard thrust and a loud roar that pushed her, once again, over the edge that he’d had her teetering on. She screamed his name so loud that she was certain she’d lose her voice. And she couldn’t imagine a better reason for becoming temporarily mute.
He rested his damp forehead against her shoulder. For the first time since he’d locked her into place, she cursed the restraints around her wrists, keeping her from touching him. After several minutes he pulled himself from her, disposed of the condom and disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged moments later with fresh pair of sweatpants slung low on his hips, carrying a basin of water and a cloth. Luca wiped warm water across her shaky flesh before drying her with a towel.
The drop she was learning to anticipate and identify began to claw at her mind and she was very close to calling him to release her from the straps, suddenly battling an unfamiliar panic. Before she could utter a word, he placed one knee on the bed beside her and freed her from the black cuffs. He tugged down the covers, pulled her close to his side and wrapped the soft material around them both.
Claire laid her head on his chest, threading her fingers through the short smattering of hair and finding comfort in the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart. While she was certain she’d never get used to the crash of falling from the adrenaline high, this was her favorite part.
His hands massaged her biceps. “Your arms may be sore tomorrow, cara. You are not yet used to being restrained for so long, and you were bucking against them for a while. I will book a massage appointment for you at one. That will give you time to nap when you get home.”
She nodded against him, having already learned that once they hit aftercare, he allowed her whatever she needed, be it silence or chatter.
Luca gripped her chin and tilted her head up. It was criminal for a man to be that attractive, successful and talented. Truly.
“Cara, I am extremely proud of you. I had high expectations for you when we embarked a week ago, but you have exceeded each one. You continue to astound me in the very best ways possible and I continue to feel grateful you chose me to walk this journey with you.” He pressed his lips to the crown of her head before pushing it back down to his chest. “I shall drive you home whenever you are ready, cara. But there is no rush.”
She sighed slightly and nodded against his chest again. “As you wish.”
Chapter Fifteen
Luca
With her blonde head on his chest, Claire was obviously content—for the moment, he knew. But the descent and inevitable low became more apparent with every exhale from her spent body. And while, yes, her arms and legs might be a little sore in the hours to come, it was her mind that concerned him.
Whether Claire acknowledged the shift of the sacred energy between them was hard to tell, but Luca’s experience and gut told him to look for a sign before pushing her any farther. He stroked her head, studied her breath—and waited.
It was possible his motivation to savor the quiet was selfish. Having the beautiful and successful woman to himself, not just sexually, was proving to be addictive.
While aftercare was always a priority—he and his friend Bruno had discussed it many, many times over the years—and he’d enjoyed the satisfaction of making sure his previous subs departed while in a stable place, holding Claire’s warm, fragile body stirred something else.
A small movement at his waist drew his eyes. Claire’s left thumb rubbed the base of one of her fingers. Instinct told him to correct the fidget, but experience stopped him. Her ring finger. She was fondling the absence of her wedding band.
Luca had wondered if or when Claire’s widow status might come up. He slowed his breathing, calming himself even more, and hoped it would penetrate her being. As her jaw worked against his stomach and the twiddling continued, he decided to tackle the issue.
“When?” he asked in a breathy voice.
“When what?” The whispered question did not cease the movement of her hand.
“When did you stop wearing your ring?” Luca’s hand skimmed over the back of her head
and stopped between her shoulder blades. With the pads of his fingers, he circled the center of her back at a lazy pace.
“The day of the photo shoot for the article. The PR asshole said a grieving widow wouldn’t incite confidence in potential clients.” Her hand stilled but her head remained down. “I thought that if I left it on, I wasn’t alone.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Luca said as he continued the reminder of his presence on her skin.
“No. I’m sorry.” Her light lashes tickled his chest as she blinked. “You just gave me four amazing orgasms and my pillow talk is of a dead man.”
He let her words settle into the air then responded as earnestly as he could. “I don’t need you to be sorry, cara. I need you to be okay.”
She looked up and tears puddled in her gray eyes. Her bottom lip quivered and her face flushed. “I’m not okay.” Her words were choked out and she sat upright. With her head shaking, she said, “I feel like I just cheated on my husband.”
Claire pivoted away from Luca and grabbed a pillow from the other side of the bed. She pulled it to her stomach and sobbed in the fetal position.
He reached for her shoulder, but as soon as he touched her, she smacked him away twice.
“No! I don’t want you to touch me.”
That stung, but Luca rolled away from her. And while it pained him to withhold his comfort, it was nothing compared to the agony of seeing her sadness. He lifted the duvet and covered her naked back, a feeble gesture.
Her wails continued, each one breaking his heart and rendering him even more helpless. He wanted to tell her to let it out, hold her, share her pain, but it was foreign. What could he possibly have to say that could relate to her emotions?
But sitting idly by was not an option. He stood up, and the action brought a pause to her cries.
“I’m not leaving,” he reassured his dear little sotto. Luca walked around the bed and knelt by the opposite side. Careful not to move too quick, he leaned in to face her. In a soft voice, he said, “Eyes.”
