Chapter Ten
Nick
She’s gone!
I close my eyes for one fucking second, allow sleep to weaken me once again, and I lose Lyriope!
I shoot out of bed and scan the room. Her bags are still here, and just as I get ready to unleash upon all of Italy in search of her, I hear a splash outside the veranda.
I walk out to see that Lyriope is down below in the river, diving in. Not thinking, not pausing, not doing anything but run outside, I storm toward the water ready to rage. But as I get to the river, I freeze.
Standing in the shallow of the water is an image that knocks the breath right out of me. Lyriope crouches down, washing her face. Water droplets run down her body, glistening her skin. The crystal water drips down her erect nipples, along the small of her back and over the curve of her heart-shaped ass. Her dark wet hair hangs loosely over one shoulder, the silky darkness of it standing out against the paleness of her skin.
She is a picture of perfection, and I am quickly entranced by the splendor sitting only a few feet away. I should still be angry—furious with her. But I stand here like a schoolboy in lust. I have fucked many a woman, discarded many more, but nothing compares… nothing compares to this woman before me.
I close my eyes, taking a deep cleansing breath, needing to clear my mind and calm my raging libido. I can’t think like this, especially not about her… especially now. She is a mess I need to clean up, a large one at that. Nothing more.
Still… she is hypnotizing in her allure, and so fucking infuriating at the same time. I have never had to spend so much of my time on one person. Most women of my past would do whatever I say and exactly how I dictate. None are ever brave enough to try to go against my word. They feared me, as they should. But Lyriope is no ordinary woman, clearly, that much is for sure. She has already escaped, and I have no doubt that she’ll attempt to do so again if given the opportunity. I can’t get weak again and let her take advantage of that fact. I can’t give her the upper hand ever again.
I need to think with my head and not my goddamn dick.
“What are you doing here? Are you watching me?” The words pierce through the licentious daydreaming of my mind.
The squeal of her accusation slaps me into reality as I stare. Her hands suddenly coming up to cover her breasts, the rest of her submerging into the water to prevent showing any more of her nudity to me. This amuses me. I’ve seen her naked many times before.
“Why so bashful?” I ask, giving her a wicked smile. “I’ve seen every inch of you.”
“It’s different when I catch you watching me like a creepy stalker,” Lyriope says, her voice louder than before.
I steady my glare on her, not allowing her to gain control. I am a man she should fear, and she needs to remember that. “I didn’t give you permission to leave the villa.”
“I came down here to bathe,” she tries to explain. “I wasn’t trying to escape.”
“That may be. But I advise you, unless you want to feel my punishment again, to ask permission to leave my sight.” I try to sound stern even though the mere presence of this woman steals almost all coherent thoughts from me.
“I woke up feeling… anxious, and decided I needed to bathe and cleanse myself of… well… of you. You were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
I say nothing but study every inch of her body instead. I like her dirty. I don’t want her to ever be cleansed of me.
“Are you just going to sit there staring at me?” Lyriope asks. “And why are you smiling?”
“I’m trying to understand why you would choose to bathe in a cold stream rather than take a hot shower.”
“What do you mean? There isn’t a shower. All we have is a toilet and a sink. And the water smells rusty that comes out of the faucet. So, I’m not sure how you think a shower is an option.”
I raise my brow, amused by her words. “We don’t have a shower in our actual villa, but there is a shower room across from us. State-of-the-art appliances and every toiletry you need.” I laugh. “But by all means, freeze your ass off.”
Her annoyance is plain to see. Hearing a distinct huff of irritation, I watch as she walks out of the river, beads of water still covering her completely exposed body, the swell of her naked breasts inviting me, her erect nipples pleading to be sucked. The small patch of pubic hair between the juncture of her thighs glimmers with water droplets as if they’re casting a spell on me. I can feel my cock hardening and my control softening. I want her. I want her like I’ve never wanted before.
When Lyriope stands in front of me, reaching the large rock beside me to collect her clothing, I can’t help but let my gaze fall to the patch of soft curls covering her most intimate self, the light pink of her flesh playing peekaboo behind the safety of the thin layer of hair. I want to reach out to her, thrust my fingers past her velvety folds, making her cry out in pleasure. I want to pull her to me, my lips caressing hers, tasting the sweetness of her kiss, licking the desire beyond her mouth. Drawing on the last of my waning control, I remind myself that she left me. She left Bishop’s Landing without giving a fuck what I wanted, or what I had said.
If I let my guard down again…
Lyriope stands before me then, her clothing being held behind her, all her naked beauty displayed before me. As if unaware of what she has just put me through, she slips her feet into her shoes, slowly pulls the fabric of her clothing around her, covers herself from my watchful eye, and begins dressing herself. It’s only when she goes to walk past me and back in the direction of our villa that I reach out to her, my roughened fingers grasping around her throat. I squeeze just enough to show I mean business. Just enough to dominate. Just enough to remind her that I have the power, the strength, and the control.
“Do not break my rules again. No matter how small or insignificant you think they are. Last warning.”
Lyriope stares up to me with wide eyes. Eyes of shock rather than fear. She parts her lips to help her gain the air that I restrict, be she never struggles. “Or what?” she squeaks out.