Page 40 of Dario DeLuca

SEVENTEEN

DARIO

A bitterness swells within me,a dark tide rising every time Mia throws another barb my way.

"Of course, you'd think that," she snaps, the curve of her full lips twisted in disdain. "You wouldn’t recognize decency if it slapped you across the face.”

God, this woman is insufferable. Here I am, going out of my way to show her I’m more than this monster she’s painted me out to be, yet she still isn’t happy.

I’m accustomed to control, to silent nods and immediate obedience. But Mia—she's fire, igniting sparks of frustration no one else dares to fan.

“Decency has no place in our world, Bella. Or have you forgotten the vows that bind you to me?”

Her eyes flash, and I can almost see the cogs turning in her mind, crafting her next verbal assault. I brace for it, muscles tensed, ready for the impact.

"Vows?" Her laugh is sharp, a shattered glass on marble. "You mistake chains for willing commitment, Dario DeLuca."

I want to grab her, press her against me, and show her the difference between chains and the weight of my desire. Yet,I stand still, overwhelmed by her resistance and my growing desire for her.

"Chains," I murmur, voice low, "can be quite… compelling if worn willingly."

We are in a constant tango, this struggle between our opposing thoughts, beliefs, and desires, and it's slowly chipping away at my self-control. With every retort, she stokes the flames, and I am nothing if not a man who plays with fire.

"‘Compelling’?" She steps back, a strategic retreat that only serves to draw me in further. "Is that what you call this… arrangement?"

"‘Arrangement,’” I echo, the word rolling off my tongue as I advance, matching her step for step, "is a delicate term for the promise of forever, Mia."

She tilts her chin up. "Forever is a long time to live with a devil."

"Then it's a good thing," I say, closing the gap until I feel the heat radiating from her body, "devils don't tire easily."

Our conversation cuts through the tension, like two opponents using sharp words. Her defiance has an appealing boldness, and her spirit attracts me despite the turmoil she brings.

"Careful, Dario," she warns, yet her voice betrays her, quivering like a plucked violin string. "Even devils can be vanquished."

"By an angel, perhaps," I concede, lifting my hand to brush a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. The contact sends a jolt through me, awakening a craving that thrums beneath my skin. "But you, Mia Bella, are no angel."

"Nor you a savior," she retorts, but her breath catches as my fingers trail down the column of her neck.

My touch is an affirmation, a reflection of the carnal ache that burns inside me.

"Who said anything about saving?" I whisper, my gaze locked onto hers. "Some things are worth corrupting."

I inch close enough to feel the heat radiating off her skin; the subtle scent of jasmine surrounds her like a barrier meant to protect her from the world and from me. Yet, no fragrance can hide the deeper scent of her need, which envelops us both. Mia's eyes, full of defiance, meet mine with every look. She stands in front of me, breathing deeply. Her lips part, and even without words, her slight tremble reveals her inner turmoil.

The distancebetween us is filled with unspoken words, charged with the tension of almost touches and near misses. When I reach out, it is not to close this gap but to overcome it.

My fingers graze her arm, light as a whisper yet laden with intent. Her skin is fire under my touch.

"Stop," she breathes, but it's not a command—it's a surrender disguised as resistance, and we both know it.

"Can't," I reply, the single word a confession of my inability to resist the pull of her gravity.

In one swift motion, my arms are around her, lifting her as if she's nothing more than a feather caught in the wind. She gasps, a sound lost to the symphony of our rapid heartbeats and the rustle of fabric as I press her against me.

"Let me go," she demands, though her body arches into mine, betraying the lie.

"Never." The word is a promise etched into the marrow of my bones.

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