Page 56 of Deal with the Devil
As I reach for her, hands clamping shut on her arms, I find I no longer want to crush her. Not in the way that I initially intended when I stalked over. In an abrupt twist that’s a surpriseeven to me, I’m drawn to Portia James in an entirely different way.
My grip tightens on her arms and I drag her toward me. Our mouths crash together in a brutal kiss that’s anything but sweet and gentle.
Portia immediately stiffens in my hold, her lips dead against mine. But the fury surges through my veins and I press down harder, kissing her rougher, like I’m trying to devour her.
Possess her.
And that’s what this is about—it’s a moment of dominance and nothing more. I’m letting her know I can do what I want when I want, and she’s powerless to stop me.
She starts fighting back, twisting in my arms and pushing at my chest.
The more her desperation grows, the more my hunger to consume her does.
My tongue forces its way into her mouth, finding hers for a duel. She’s warm and wet to explore, so soft even when she fights so hard.
Nerve endings I wasn’t even aware of crackle to life as I kiss her deeply and she writhes in my arms. Then her fingers twine in my shirt like she’s reached a point beyond frustration.
Our mouths are fused together and there’s no escape to be found.
The only choice left is surrender.
Her tongue lashes against mine as if she just can’t help herself any longer. She can’t push back another moment.
I step forward and flatten her against the door. My hands map her body, gripping and groping her slim curves as I kiss the ever-living fuck out of her, and she releases a panting little moan.
Interesting.
Is this the sound she makes when she’s with him? Is this how hot and flushed she becomes when he touches her like this?
My mouth leaves hers and starts at the corner of jaw where it meets her throat. I suck at the delicate, sensitive sliver of skin and force a deep shudder out of her.
Knock. Knock.
“Boss, it’s time for your meeting with Don Morelli.”
We both jump apart like we’ve suddenly burned each other. The voice is coming from the other side of the door. One of my soldiers has arrived, undoubtedly searching for me after my prolonged absence.
I’m husking air into my lungs, a few strands of hair hanging over my brow. Portia’s even more startled than before, eyes wild and lips fuller. She stares at me like I’m unlike anything she’s ever seen before.
I slide fingers through my hair, slicking the strands back into place. Then I turn and find the mask I’d discarded in a rash moment of anger and return it to its rightful place on my face.
She stumbles aside to make room for me as I head for the door. I might as well be a wild animal liable to bite at any moment; after the way I’ve kissed her, I’m sure she feels justified.
“Take her back to her chambers,” I command the guard once I step outside. “Ensure the room’s secure with no chance of escape.”
I don’t turn and look back at her. I stride from the guesthouse with my mind made up on the new direction I want to take.
Portia James is going to meet her tragic ending, but first I’m going to make a point to have my fun unraveling her.
17
PORTIA
For days,I replay what happened in the guesthouse over and over, hoping I imagined it all. The scene reemerges in my dreams, manifesting even more nightmarishly than in real life.
I wake gasping for air, soaked in sweat, shaking against my will.
It becomes a pattern I can’t control as Il Diavolo invades my subconscious in the worst ways. Not only do I remember the moment he grabbed me and kissed me, I remember every sensory detail of the moment.
