And he returns the kiss with another sultry one, sealing the deal I made with the devil himself.
But I am not afraid of this man.
Not anymore.
Not as he whispers sinful words into my ears, not as he plows into me, not as he rips my heart from my chest.
Because I know that with him, I am safe.
He can’t ever hurt me.
“I can’t control myself when I’m inside you,” he groans. “I want to fuck your pussy raw and make it mine. Make you belong to me and only me.”
The possessiveness in his voice has me on edge. “Fuck me then. Fuck me and show me how much you need me,” I respond.
His eyes almost roll into the back of his head, and he roars out loud as he jets his seed right into my very core. I moan along with him, desperate for him to claim me and never let me go.
“Fuck …” he groans after filling me to the brim.
He leans down on top of me, barely able to keep himself from crushing me. He pants heavily as his cock grows flaccid. Still, he manages to press a sweet, heart-rending kiss on top of my lips.
“My heart belongs to you.”
I suck in a breath and hold it as we look deeply into each other’s eyes. For the first time, I don’t feel like a captive but as an equal.
“Then let me choose,” I say in a bold move.
“Choose what?” He rolls off me but still remains fixated on me.
“If you want me to stay … willingly,” I say, propping myself up on my elbow. “You will let me choose.”
He frowns, grabbing my arm. “I cannot bear to—”
“I want more freedom,” I interject. “I want to see my adoptive mom. Andrea.”
His jaw tightens. “You’re asking—”
“The impossible?” I cock my head. “Or am I just asking you to see me as your equal?”
When he merely stares at me, furrowed brows and all, I place my hand on his heart. “You feel something for me. Show me. Show me what it means. Show me what I mean to you. Words aren’t enough.”
He sighs and gets up from the bed to put his pants back on. He paces around the room, glancing at my body. I’m acutely aware that I’m naked, so I quickly cover up with my blanket.
Suddenly, he stops. “Okay.”
I look up. “Okay?”
He tilts his head and looks at me from the side, pain marred in his eyes, but it’s not the kind of pain that I expected from him. Not the angry or sad kind. It’s the fearful kind. The one that says … I’m afraid of losing you.
And it makes goose bumps scatter on my skin.
“You can leave the premises.”
The words come out in a slur, but they repeat over and over in my head.
“As long as you …”
“What?” I tilt my head too now.
He clears his throat. “Someone will escort you. To keep you safe. It’s too dangerous to go outside on your own.”
Well, it’s not true freedom to stand and go where I please, but it’s a start.
I get up with the blanket still wrapped around my body and approach him. His eyes never leave my face as I place a hand on his shoulder and press a kiss to his cheeks. “Thank you.”
He stands tall and proud, but I definitely spot a hint of a powerful smile.
“Come back,” he says, finally finishing the sentence he was too apprehensive to say out loud.
It’s a question.
A plea.
An admission of caring.
Not whether he can force me to come or bring me back … but whether I choose to do so.
And that is the most powerful thing of all.
Because he owns my body … but I own his heart.
When I finally stand in front of the church again the following day, it feels like I’m dreaming. I haven’t been here for so long. I didn’t even properly say goodbye the last time I saw her. Will she be mad at me for leaving her so abruptly when I was still on the run?
I clench my fists and breathe in and out to prepare myself mentally before I go inside. The two guards Marcello forced to accompany me stay behind on the streets to keep watch and make sure the area is safe. I don’t mind as long as I have some private time with Andrea.
“Andrea?” I call out through the church as I have no idea where she is.
But there’s no reply, so I go up the stairs to her room. I knock on the door three times. When she doesn’t open up, I open the door, but there’s no one inside. Where could she be?
I go back down to the main area again and notice a door in the back that’s opened slightly, so I approach it. Behind it is the church’s garden, where they grow some herbs and veggies to donate to the local food bank. I push it open and step outside into the sunlight, where Andrea is on the ground pulling out some weeds. When she looks up, she almost shrieks as our eyes connect.