Page 19 of Endless Obsession

I lifted my camera and captured the imposing sight, taking a dozen shots of the scenery before my focus was drawn inexorably back to my dark savior. His low chuckle rumbled over me as he placed a hand on top of my camera, gently urging me to lower it.

“You can’t photograph me all the time,” he chided. “No one will want to buy those pictures.”

I defied him with a sly smile, lifting my Canon again to capture his sun kissed face and flashing eyes. Their pale, silvery blue mirrored the sea, like the glittering sunlight that danced on the water.

“Who says I’m selling my art? What if I’m selfish enough to keep these images for myself?”

He laughed again, and the rich sound rolled through me in a wave of warm happiness. “All right, farfallina. You can keep the pictures of me for your own private use.” He tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind my ear, and I blushed at his implication. “But don’t you want to share your art with the world?”

My heart lifted at the thought. “I don’t know if I’m good enough,” I admitted. “I’ve always dreamed of having my photographs in a gallery somewhere, but that will take years of work building a reputation for myself.”

He curled two fingers beneath my chin, lifting my face to his. “I believe in you, Evelyn. You can do anything you want to do. You are talented enough, and you deserve success. The world needs more beauty in it. You have so much to offer.”

“And what do you want?” I pressed, wishing him equal happiness to what he was promising me.

“You,” he replied, the single word resonating through my soul.

I flushed with pleasure but pushed a bit more, “What do you want for your future? You have me already.”

He took a moment to consider his answer. “I want security for us both. I want to provide a home for you and build a life that we can share. Soon, we’ll be totally free to make our own choices.”

“You don’t feel free now?”

He cupped my nape, his thick fingers sliding into my hair. “I’ve never been totally free to pursue the future I want. I’ve fought for every scrap of freedom I have. I want to choose my own path. That’s what I’m doing now with Gian and Enzo. We clawed our way out of Le Vele, and we paid our dues. I will never be locked up again.”

I blinked up at him in surprise. “You were in prison?”

He nodded grimly. “For two years, from sixteen to eighteen.”

“What were you arrested for?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know, but I craved to understand him better.

“I robbed a jewelry store with Enzo. It was mostly cheap shit, but that was how we got by back then. It was how we proved ourselves.” He shrugged as though it didn’t bother him, but I noted the tension around his eyes. “Everyone gets locked up sooner or later. I don’t intend to repeat the experience.” He kissed my furrowed brow. “Don’t worry, dolcezza. I’m untouchable now. I won’t ever leave you, and I’ll never be under someone else’s control ever again.”

My heart ached for him, for the desperate circumstances that’d shaped him. I understood his need to dominate me now. He’d never felt fully in control of his life, and controlling my pleasure brought him a sense of satisfaction and peace.

I would gladly give him my body in any way he desired if it would ease some of his burdens. We would find our freedom together.

He pulled me close and steered the boat toward the arch in the rock. “Kiss me,” he murmured against my lips. “It’s good luck.”

I could hardly believe that I’d been lucky enough to meet this wonderful man, and he was all mine.

I tipped my head back and offered myself to him, pledging my future to him with every caress of my tongue against his. He deepened the kiss as we passed beneath the shadow of the arch, laying claim to everything I promised and making silent vows of his own.

I tried to stop my jaw from hanging open as Massimo led me through the pedestrian streets of Capri, struggling not to gawk at the beauty of the setting and the luxury items that filled shop windows. He’d already insisted on buying me a new dress, and a pair of large diamond studs now adorned my ears.

We approached an empty shop, and a woman greeted us in front of the glass door.

Massimo introduced himself and me, so it was clear that the woman was a stranger to him. My brow was still pinched with puzzlement when she unlocked the door and gestured for us to enter.

“Call me when you’re finished, and I’ll lock up whenever you leave,” she said warmly. “Take your time. I’ll give you some privacy, and I’m happy to accommodate any further requests.”

Massimo thanked her, took my hand, and guided me into the empty space.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, confused.

He spread his arms wide to encompass the large, bare space. “Do you like it?”

“The location is beautiful,” I replied, uncertain what to say.

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