She was my bad girl.
And I liked when she was bad.
Rhiannon glanced around the room, her eyes finally meeting mine. It surprised me to get what could pass for a smile from her. We never acknowledged each other in public. Not with our families always watching our every move.
Rhiannon dragged her tongue across her bottom lip, and I considered excusing myself from the table.
You can run.
You can hide.
But you are mine.
Her usually straight dark hair was curled and covered her full breasts. A tight dress hugged her impressive curves. I thought about ripping her dress to pieces with my bare hands like a savage. That’s how I felt when I was around her. She fueled the carnal hunger inside me.
Rhiannon set her empty glass on the bar, giving me a seductive look before she left the ballroom. We hadn’t seen each other in months. I’d been too busy with Alpha Command and my responsibilities to Salvatore Global. My family came first.
Since this was my only chance to get her alone, with no one interrupting us, I did the stupid thing and followed her. She slipped into the main hallway. Not far behind, I watched her wander down the corridor, poking her head into rooms. Her curiosity always got her into trouble. That was how we ended up hooking up my senior year of high school.
My family’s mansion had high ceilings and endless hallways, the walls decorated with my mother’s paintings. Before her death, she was a famous artist, and the reason I never stopped painting. Despite my father’s insistence that I join the family business and forget about art, I continued her legacy in secret.
Rhiannon glanced over her shoulder at me, a smile on her plump red lips. She winked, then rushed past a group of guests as if she knew the layout of my house. I stalked toward her, my feet moving faster.
When she headed toward the back stairwell, I hoped she would disappear to the fourth floor. I wanted to lock her in my bedroom and finish what we’d started the last time we were together. But, unfortunately, my work and family got in the way. My father hated her dad and only invited him as a favor to the Cormacs.
At the end of the hall, she stopped to look at me, a smirk in place. I was too far from her to yell without drawing attention to myself. And she knew that. Rhi winked at me, then ascended the stairs. This game we were playing made my cock hard. I loved the chase, the feeling of power when I finally claimed what I wanted. Rhiannon fueled the sickness inside me without even realizing what she was doing to me.
I followed the sound of Rhi’s heels clicking on the Brazilian walnut floors on the third floor. She only had one more floor to go before she reached my bedroom. I thought about chasing after her, throwing her over my shoulder and having my way. But I was patient and played the game.
I was good at waiting. It was the reason I excelled at my job as the leader of Alpha Command.
I checked the cameras in the corners of the floor, making a mental note to erase them later. My family relied on my military training and security expertise to keep us safe. So they would never question me if a few minutes were unaccounted for on the security feeds. Besides, I wouldn’t need long to claim her.
Rhiannon stopped at the end of the hallway.
“What are you doing, Rhi?”
She surveyed my face as I approached her. “Looking for the bathroom.”
I read the lie on her lips.
“This house has seven bathrooms on the first floor alone. You walked by three of them.”
Poking her head into the last door, she entered the bathroom. Good guess. I followed her, knowing we would have more privacy.
I shut the door behind me. “So what are you doing up here?”
She shrugged. “I figured this will be the first and last time I get invited to your house and wanted to explore.”
“Liar.”
“Maybe I find this place interesting.”
I raised a curious eyebrow. “What interests you most?”
Rhi pressed her lips together, smearing the red gloss on her sexy lips. “You.”
“I highly doubt that. You have a habit of running away.”
“Marcello,” she groaned. “I left because my mother was kidnaped and murdered by thugs. My dad sent me away for a few months until the war settled down.”
“Where did you go?”
I already knew the answer but asked anyway.
“My grandmother’s house in Cork.”
“I would imagine you’d be in just as much danger in Ireland.”
“No, I was safe there.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, invading her personal space. “Are you back for good?”
She backed into the counter that had double sinks with gold knobs. “I guess until someone tries to kidnap me again. That would be my guess.”