"You remembered," I whisper, recalling our miniature golf outing and the casual remark I'd made... though clearly, it wasn't casual to him.

"I saw the way your face lit up when you shared that memory," he explains, crossing to the curtains and drawing them closed. Shivers dance across my skin, the background music creating a very romantic setting. He approaches the door, closes it, and then turns to me with a smoldering look. "Would you think less of me if I admitted I want to temporarily forget about the city, my responsibilities, the looming conflict?"

In the background, Leon Bridges croons about looking foolish and enduring pain despite everything he's weathered. I don't want to seem foolish, but neither do I want to continue existing in cold isolation.

"No," I whisper.

"Good," he growls, suddenly fierce. He advances quickly, grasps my hips with a different energy—more intense than before. "I've missed you beyond what I can explain. Every hour, every second, yearning to be with my Vignette, yet knowing duty demands I stay away."

“When you have thoughts of me, what comes to mind?"

"Your smile. Your extraordinary talent."

I trace my fingertips delicately down his chest, attempting to appear seductive. Though I’ve got no experience in the matters, I commit wholeheartedly. "What else?"

His eyes burn. The hint of passion I'd previously detected erupts into an inferno of desire.

"Owning you," he declares huskily. "Possessing you. Every inch of your perfect, curvy form."

"Owning me?" I whisper. "What exactly does that entail?"

He leans down, bringing his face tantalizingly close to mine, allowing me to see his blazing desire. "I'll show you."

ChapterSeventeen

Nico

She smiles with raised eyebrows, projecting nervous anticipation. I'm consumed with desire, my arousal throbbing with an urgent need I struggle to control.

“Show me?" she murmurs.

With the city teetering on chaos, betrayal, and assassins at my heels, my need to dominate my captivating painter erupts within me, surges through my veins, possesses me as completely as I need to have her.

"It's time you learned who’s in charge."

She moans when I pivot her so her sweet voluptuous curves face me. I envelop her from behind, positioning myself to press against her luscious body. As I trail kisses along her neck, she undulates against me.

"So, you want to be my Don as well, huh?” she teases.

"Fuck," I groan, my arousal intensifying further.

"Yeah, Nico?"

"You're mine," I declare. "I own your curves, your magnificent ass, your exquisite thighs, your generous hips. Everything. Every inch. I can indulge my every whim with you."

I'm surrendering to passion, trembling throughout my body.

"What do you want to do?" she whispers.

Rather than responding verbally, I gently push her upper back forward. She grasps the bedframe, glancing over her shoulder, her hair cascading in beautiful disarray across her back.

"Have you ever been spanked before?" I growl.

"I've never done anything before," she confesses—then gasps when my hand connects with her softness.

Her eyes widen as an enticing smile spreads across her lips. “Oh my, Don Moretti."

I repeat the action several times. Her fitted pants reveal tantalizing outlines as she quivers with each spank.