Lucien (The Marchesi Family 1)

“I told Carla to make sure your room was fully stocked. If there was anything you needed or wanted, it should be here for you.”

“What if what I want is to leave?”

I held his gaze. “Is it? Really?”

“I can’t deny that I’m attracted to you. There’d be no point after yesterday. But you can’t just… You can’t pay me off with all these things. You’ve already proven I’ll obey you. Haven’t you humiliated me enough without trying to pay me off. I’m not your whore, Lucien.”

Molten anger boiled through me. “How dare you—”

His eyes widened, and he scooted away from me. I made myself take a deep breath. When I’d seen him looking so devastated, I’d wanted to comfort him. I didn’t want him sad or frightened, but how dare he take what was supposed to be a gift and…

He doesn’t understand your world.

“Only the work you do at the office goes to pay off Jimmy’s debt. The clothes and everything else are gifts. I wanted to show you how good you will have it with me.”

“It’s too much. This is all too much. I never meant to—”

“But you did. You walked into my world, and it hasn’t all been bad has it? Remember how it felt when I reddened your ass, the way you whimpered, the way you were so hard you nearly came before I touched you.”

“I didn’t.”

I raised my brows. “You’ve insulted me, and now you’re lying to me. I won’t have that, Peter.”

“I enjoyed it, but that doesn’t mean…”

“That you want me? Yes, it does.”

“Lucien, I’m not…”

“Not what?”

“A plaything or property.”

“You’re a man who craves dominance and control. You long for someone to tell you what to do and then expect you to do it.” His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his eyes were huge. He watched me like a rabbit would watch a fox. I was going to claim my scared little rabbit, but while he might be prey, he would enjoy being eaten, and he would thrive under my care.

I moved closer so I could stroke the fluttering pulse at his neck. He stiffened, but he didn’t try to pull away. “You’re scared, but you’re also turned on. I see it in your eyes.” I trailed my other hand down his chest. He sucked in his breath, and I continued the caress, over his flat belly and along his inner thigh. His pulse beat even faster now. I curled my hand around his neck as I pressed the heel of my other palm to his hard dick. “I’m right, aren’t I? I see you. I know what you need.”

Peter’s tongue slid over his lips, leaving them wet. “I… I don’t…”

“Don’t lie to me, Peter. Lies will be punished.”

“The truth scares me.”

It scared me too, but I couldn’t tell him that. He needed to see my strength, not my weaknesses. I brushed my lips against the side of his face and blew warm breath into his ear, making him shudder. How certain was I of his true feelings? I took risks all the time, but this felt different even than those that meant life or death.

I always faced my fears, though, so I pulled him to me and spoke against his ear. “I’m giving you a choice right now. You can go back to the life you were leading. I’ll have someone watch over you until I’m sure you haven’t drawn the interest of my enemies, but you won’t see me again. Or you can stay. Be mine. Let me protect you and care for you. You’ll want for nothing.”

He turned to look at me. Desire still burned in his eyes, but I could also see fear. “What will you expect of me?”

“Obedience. I need to be in control. I can’t change who I am.” I released him and waited for his response.

He closed his eyes for several seconds, and I held my breath. Then he looked at me like he could see deeper into me than I’d let anyone. “I’m not a risk taker. I’m not someone who seeks out danger. I know this is crazy. I know I don’t belong here. I want to stay with you, but when trouble comes, I always run.”

“What if I made sure you couldn’t?”

I pushed his knees apart and forced him to lie back as I moved over him, taking his hands and dragging them along the carpet until I had them pinned over his head.

“You’re not making it easy to think.”

I tilted my hips, dragging my hard cock over his. “Maybe I don’t want you to think. Maybe I only want you to feel.”

He arched up, working himself against me, and I knew then that I had him as surely as when he’d knelt for me.

“You deserve so much more than you’ve had. I can give that to you.”