I need to play this out as best I can. The struggle not to rip these rings from the wall and beat him with them is real. “Are they?”

He saunters close, fingers trailing over my exposed flesh, and I shiver. “Considering you’re tied up on my wall, mostly naked, and you let me eat your lovely pussy, I’d say we’re beyond that.”

“And here I thought the Italians had manners.”

“We do,tesoro,when it’s warranted.” His gaze shifts to my breasts. “What would your father say if he saw you now?”

“He’d kill you.”

Matteo lifts his gaze and laughs. “No, that wouldn’t happen.”

“Whatever business deal you have, you think?—”

“Oh, Heaven, you don’t know a thing, do you?”

His fingers slip down over my dress to my naked pussy and slide over the wetness, and I can barely stop my moan.

He says something in my ear in Italian, the sound soft and erotic. I hate him for doing this to me. For using me as a toy.

“Stop touching me,” I say, barely getting my voice out in a cool, calm way. “I rescind my invitation.”

He keeps stroking me between my legs, sliding along my pussy lips, making me shiver and want to push down onto his fingers. “Really? You don’t seem like you do. I could make you come.”

“I don’t want anything from you. Untie me.”

With a sigh, he does just that, and releases my dress. Then, before I can do anything, he places his palm against my stomach and pushes me into the wall as he bends and lifts my leg. He lets me go and steps back, my panties hanging from his fingers. “Souvenir.”

“Asshole.”

“Oh, I’m worse than that,amore mio.Much worse. Haven’t you heard the talk?” Those blue eyes slide back to my breasts as I’m putting my dress back in place. “I’m worse than your nightmares.”

“Ha. A pathetic man like you? I doubt it.”

His mouth turns up. “I like claws, so be careful.” Matteo pockets my panties and I clamp down on my anger.

He deserves a tsunami of it, but not right now. He knows who I am, so I’m just going for it. “I came here tonight to check your business, to see if it’s compatible and?—”

“Heaven.” All the charm falls away. “You might want to ask yourself this—what kind of underboss gets left out in the cold?”

“If my brother and father knew?—”

“That I finger fucked you? Had you naked and panting and wanting my cock, wanting everything and anything I did to you? What doyouthink they’d do? Because this is the second time you’ve threatened me with your father. Can’t fight your own fights?”

“I’m positive they wouldn’t want to deal with you in business.”

He’s not giving me a damn thing, and the anger and disgust is rising. I’m not sure who the disgust is for.

“I wouldn’t be placing bets on that. I have something they want far more than your tattered virtue.”

Alarm bells are ringing in my head, and I don’t know what for. But I trust my instincts, and they’re saying this is bad.

Did my father make a deal to boost Conor in the world? We’ve been vying for years for top spot. To take over, and Conor’s actions are making a grim sense. There’s something in this union for him. And they’re leaving me out in the cold.

“What’s the deal you have with my family?”

“You’ll find out, Heaven, don’t you worry.”

I narrow my eyes at the gorgeous sleazeball. “I’m not. I like to be prepared.”