Page 82 of Caruso
I’m speechless. There are no words to answer that, and he stands, prowling toward me like a black panther.
“If I may ask you for a favor.”
“A favor? What can I possibly give you that you haven’t got already?”
“Your time. One month. Here in the mountains. Learn about us, this life, why we really need you to stay and if at the end of it you still want to leave, I will drive you, fly you and take you wherever you want to go. Set you up for life on your terms but know I will be doing everything in my power to make you want to stay with us.”
“Buy why? You could have anyone. I’m a nobody.”
He strikes like a viper and grips my face hard, forcing me to stare into his stormy eyes that drag me in like the fires of hell.
“You areeverything, and the sooner you realize that the better. Be strong, Taylor, you are better than this, and I will not have you doubting your value.”
I’m even more surprised when he leans in and kisses me hard, a cruel kiss, one that’s meant to punish as he reminds me of his strength, his power over me.
Our tongues clash as he fills my mind, defeating me with one brutal kiss where words have failed. His handsgrasp my head, tangling in my hair, holding me still so he can punish me some more.
Hard, brutal, soul-scorching.
When Tommaso Caruso strikes, its hard and deadly, and nothing registers other than him. He surrounds every part of me and owns my soul, and I never expected the storm he wreaks in his path as he tears through it, twisting it cruelly and leaving me panting and screaming for more.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tommaso
Iam angry. So fucking angry because how does she not see it? She is a queen,ourqueen, and yet she speaks as if she has no right to life. It confuses me, angers me and causes my inner demon to explode with rage. I will not allow it. She will learn her worth because I wasn’t kidding, Taylor is the only one who can save us, and I will not let that chance walk out of here.
I break the kiss, angry at myself, her and the world, and as I pull away, her eyes question me far more than any words.
“I’ll show you to your room.”
“But I haven’t agreed to stay.”
For a man used to having his orders obeyed, she is severely testing me right now, and I have a strong itch in my hand to slap her into submission. She will do as I say; she is the one and will walk out of here over my dead body.
However, this is Taylor, not the usual women whofall on my cock with desperation, so I swallow my tirade and say casually, “No, you haven’t, but as the only way out of here is courtesy of the car you came here in, you may as well freshen up and take a walk with me so I can persuade you. Will you give me an hour of your time at least?”
“I guess.” There is laughter in her voice, and my heart settles. She will stay. I am convinced of that.
I’ve watched her since she arrived. She believes I’m not interested. She is wrong.
Unlike my brothers, who dove straight into her panties, I pushed the attraction aside and concentrated on the woman, not her sex.
She is broken. It’s obvious and understandable. Life has dealt her a cruel hand, and she has nobody to help her. The one person she was holding onto turned out to be no different from the rest of them, and she is coming to terms with his betrayal. It affected her more than any of the others, and she will be required to deal with that.
I jerk my head toward the door.
“Come, your room is waiting.”
“My room?” She scurries to keep up with me as I head across the polished wooden floor to the huge staircase that dominates the entrance. My steps are long, and she must quicken her pace to keep up with me, and as we head down the hallway where the landing splits in two, I stop at the first door we reach.
“Yes, Taylor.” My hand hovers on the doorknob, and I turn to her, loving how she wilts under my heated gaze.
“Matteo instructed the designers the day after youarrived. He knew then you were ours and made the necessary arrangements.”
“Matteo did?” Her eyes are alight with doubt, and I nod, opening the door to the majestic room that commands the most breathtaking view of the mountains. It’s flooded with light and resembles a small apartment. Huge spaces are covered in soft furnishings, suitable for a more feminine taste.
“Wow!” Her gasp of delight settles any nerves in me, and as she wanders around the room, she exclaims, “I can’t believe it.”
