Page 13 of His Vicious Desire

I look down at what I’m wearing and wonder if I should change.On campus, I lived in yoga pants and long t-shirts, what I’m wearing now.Around Sandro and when I lived with him, I could never forget the commandment by Marissa and my mom to dress well as what we wore also represented Sandro and my father.Usually, I wore long skirts to my ankles or dresses—also down to my ankles when meeting men in my brother’s world.

Deciding to compromise, I leave on the black t-shirt with a graphic of lips on the front of it.Then I take off the yoga pants and replace them with a long, silky black skirt.

The drive feels like it takes forever before I pull up in front of his house.Huh, this is a nice house—it looks like a family home.I don’t know...I pictured Gaetano in a cave or in a slick condo, not a place for two-point-three children and a dog.

His door is open before I get to him.Black eyes slide over me.I have no idea why it sends my stomach into a thousand flips and has my mouth wet.Has it really been four months since I last saw him?It feels like yesterday and a decade all at once.He looks the same as the last time I saw him—I still hate his beard.

He's wearing a black, long-sleeved, button-down dress shirt and plain black slacks.Both have an expensive sheen to them.The clothes are expensive and obviously made for him.Luca made it known that he preferred his men to dress well in handmade clothes to make room for their weapons.There is a tailor here in Vegas who doesn’t need to take on other clients since he is so well paid by Luca and his men.

They also have clothes that are made from bulletproof materials.Sandro has eight bulletproof suits, the same as Luca.Does Gaetano have one?Did he need it?

Opening the door wide, he steps back.“Come in.”

Said the spider to the fly… I have no idea where the thought comes from.I shake my head in an attempt to clear it.I stop.“I don’t want to bother you.I’m good to just?—”

He turns around and leaves me there with the door wide open.Um, what?The inside is dark.It’s only six.It’s barely twilight, yet I can’t see where he went.Is he coming back?I follow him deeper into the house.

The front door slams closed behind me, causing me to jump in fear.Gaetano is leaning against the door, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

He might appear calm, but anger flows from him in waves.I back away slowly.“I’m uh, I need to get back.Kitty is waiting.”

Pushing away from the door.He stalks me until he’s only one step away from me.“No, she’s not.When did you start taking it?And how bad is the withdrawal?”

I shake my head.I’m trying to step back from him, but my feet won’t obey.

“Tell me, or I'll call Sandro, and you can discuss all of this with him.”The words are hard and colder than ice, like his eyes.

Fear kicks me in the stomach.I shake my head again.“You can’t.It’s Kitty, she?—”

“She’s the one who got you hooked.Good to know.Now, how long have you been taking them?And when did you run out?If you tell me, I’ll help you.”

My hand goes to my stomach as I back away from him.I’m able to get one step before my legs give out from under me.Gaetano catches me before I hit the ground.The electricity is there again, somehow stronger than before.It shocks me into the moment and out of the fear spinning hard inside me.Everything in me melts, and my head goes down on his chest.

Tears are falling without warning.Suddenly, everything is let loose in a torrent of sobs.He holds me close, his hand running up and down my back gently.He doesn’t say a word just holds me as I cry.

The world disappears within the circle of his arms.His heat sinks into me, warming me from the inside out.Finally, the tears slow.

His hand is beneath my chin, bringing my face to his.I have no idea where the tissues he uses to clean me up came from.I’m not sure why it surprises me that he has tissues in his house, let alone close at hand.We’re sitting on a leather recliner.My legs are over the arm of the recliner.

Surprise climbs when I realize the recliner is the only real piece of furniture in the place.There’s a huge flat screen on the wall and a small table beside the recliner.The place is large but empty—nothing like what I expected.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I realize he’s watching me looking around his home.

“Talk to me, angel.”The words are soft, but there is no hiding the demand in them.

“Kitty offered them to me.I started slowly, only a few pills a day.Then, I needed more to get the same effect.She didn’t come through with what I needed.I was out three days ago.At first, I was just irritable.But now it feels like if I don’t get another pill…”

He sighs.“That means you’re going to hit a wall soon.”

“It’s going to get worse?”Please no.I already feel like I want to scratch my skin off my body.

Another sigh, and he nods.“You’re lucky I have something that should help you come down more gently.I hope.”He stands and sets me down gently in the recliner.

“What doesyou hopemean?”

There’s no answer as he walks away.All I want to do is run and find someone who will give me what I need.Except I have no doubt if it isn’t now, it will be later that Sandro will find me and force me off the pills.I don’t think I can stand going through what I already have again.I’m also hoping Gaetano won’t tell Sandro.If I run, he will.

Even if the idea of staying here with him for longer than five minutes feels very dangerous, those long minutes in his arms weren’t enough—I want more of it so badly.When he held me, everything was soothed in a way I’ve never known before.

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