Page 40 of Caruso
“I’m not.”
Taylor replies with a roll of her eyes, and Tommaso hisses, “You give yourself away by your nervous habit of tapping your foot. An enemy would be all over that and use it against you.”
Her eyes widen as he snarls, “Do not show weaknessin any form. No expression, no movement, and no shit. Deal with it. Do better.”
I hide my smile because if Tommaso is already lecturing Taylor on her habits, he’s in deeper than we first thought.
“Thank you for the lesson.”
She smiles, and it’s like a blow to the fucking heart. She may as well have stabbed us all because it has earned her total surrender. One smile is all it takes for this woman to command our full attention.
Tommaso is a master of disguise, but I understand how his mind works, and the flicker of warmth in his dark, dispassionate eyes, coupled with the way he shifts to disguise the growing bulge in his pants, tells me everything I need to know.
He turns away at the same time Taylor breaks eye contact, and as she turns her attention to the clouds outside, I wonder how long Tommaso will resist her. I may even raise a bet with Giorgio because my guess is, he won’t last a week.
It’s dusk when we land, and the lights on the strip illuminate the skyline as we head to The Artemis in convoy. Taylor is silent beside me, and I’m guessing she’s nervous about tonight. Giorgio and Tommaso have already made plans, which I’m glad about because I have too.
We reach the apartment, having spoken no wordssince the bedroom on the plane, and as we head up to the penthouse, alone in the elevator, she leans against the wall and says softly, “What are my instructions?”
“Shower and meet me in the living area in thirty minutes. We eat first.”
“First?”
My eyes flash, and my tone is brutal as I say roughly, “Then I honor our agreement.”
She shifts and, for once, appears vulnerable as she whispers, “I heard it hurts.”
“It may.” I raise my eyes. “Is that a problem?”
She shrugs. “I’m guessing nothing really good comes without a little pain. Perhaps it was God’s way of controlling the situation.”
“God’s way?” I shake my head. “If you believe in God, baby girl, you are in the wrong place. Nothing that God stands for applies in our code of conduct, so yes, pain is pleasure in our world, and you had better get used to that.”
She nods, with a small smile on her lips. “Then bring on the pain.”
Thankfully, the elevator reaches the destination before I rip her fucking clothes off right here. Why is she so perfect for me—for us? I’ve never met a woman like her in my life, and I’ve met thousands. She is unique, an unpolished diamond, so rare she is priceless. The best even and I am almost tempted to cancel dinner and go straight for dessert because, fuck me, I have never wanted anyone so much in my life.
Chapter Seventeen
Taylor
Iam fast realizing the benefits of having my own room. As soon as I head inside my personal sanctuary, it’s as if I can breathe again. The brothers are intense. Too much so. I am always on my guard around them because they keep their emotions in check.
It’s as if molten steel hangs off their words, and their expressions are sculpted from marble. Hard, unyielding and yet so beautiful, they take my breath away.
For the longest minute I stand with my back against the door and just breathe. Something I haven’t done since I left the room this morning.
I set my mood accordingly when I left. I’ve already realized that signs of weakness won’t be tolerated in this world. Plus, there was the destination.
Going home was a pilgrimage, if you like. A long time coming and an ending – definitely for Carl Bridge.
A wicked smile replaces fear, and I smooth my handsdown my catsuit, relishing the power I experienced when I ended years of abuse. The tables turned, and rather than be repelled by what I did, it excited me.
As I unzip the catsuit, I relive the moment on the plane when Matteo commanded me. As the fabric pooled at my feet, I was liberated from fear. That is how it felt. No shame here—merely empowerment.
I was compelled to remind him of that, just in case he had the notion I was afraid of him. Weak if you like—his to command.
I wander into the huge bathroom, where the tub is my new favorite toy, but I don’t have time for a soak tonight. Destiny is beckoning, so I turn my attention to the walk-in shower instead. The jets throw out instant heat, and as the near-scalding water rains down and around my body, it’s as if I am basking in the fires of hell. The heat of my ruin—a baptism of fire.
