Chapter 37: Chapter 37

I clung to the headboard like my life depended on it as Stefano rammed me from behind.

Though, maybe my life did depend on it. His thrusts forced me forward, and my hand slipped before regaining its hold.

The bed creaked, and I moaned, loving the way he filled me.

My body sucked him in, desperate to feed my pulsing core.

“Oh, wait!” I cried, feeling myself tense as my release shook my body.

Stefano pulled out and gripped my thigh, tugging me down from the headboard. I yelped as my face fell into the pillow.

He grabbed my waist, and I laughed as his fingers grazed that sensitive part of me. He rolled us so my back was against his chest and quickly reentered me.

I gasped, my walls convulsing around him greedily. He groaned and reached his hand around to squeeze my breast, flicking my hardened nipple.

It felt small in his large hand, but I loved the attention he gave it.

He thrust in and out of me at a steady pace, hitting that sweet spot and driving me up another wall of ecstasy. I had just cum, and my insides were sensitive to his touch, lighting my body aflame with a heat only he could put out.

I wanted more.

I squirmed and reached my hand down to touch my engorged clit, but Stefano slapped my hand away.

The firm hit against my rosebud made my body jump, and I couldn’t help my squeal.

It’d felt so good that I put my hand back so he could do it again.

His lips brushed my ears as he let out a breathy chuckle. “Let me do it,” he murmured.

He moved my hand aside and replaced it with his own. His hands were rougher than mine, yet he stroked my pebble with care, rolling the little bud until I was convulsing against him.

I lost track of how many times I had orgasmed, but I’d had enough. This man was a trained athlete that I couldn’t outpace even if I tried.

This was supposed to be a quickie before we started our day, but Stefano had turned it into a full fuck fest. The man was relentless.

He slammed into me again, pushing in deeper than our previous position allowed. I placed a hand on my belly to feel him, my eyes almost rolling back at the sheer pleasure each thrust brought me.

The room was filled with our heavy breathing and the sound of skin on skin.

“Fuck,” Stefano gritted out as his cum painted my insides.

When he didn’t pull out immediately, I got suspicious, and my heart flipped. I quickly tapped his leg and squirmed.

“No more!”

He laughed and placed a kiss behind my ear. He rolled us once again, and this time I lay flat on my stomach, and he finally popped out of me.

He reached above my head to grab his phone and check the time. “I have to leave in half an hour.”

I sighed in relief. “Go, go,” I said, waving my hand weakly in his direction, not daring to lift my head to look at him. “Don’t let me hold you up.”

His hand kneaded my ass as he slid off me. “You don’t miss me? I guess I need to put in more work.”

I turned my head, my eyes following his naked ass as he padded across the room.

“You’re going to meet your father, right?”

He nodded. “We have an executive meeting regarding the final three games.”

“Can I come?” I asked innocently, already knowing the answer.

He didn’t even bother answering me as he disappeared through the bathroom door.

I shouted after him. “A simple ‘no’ would’ve been nice!”

The shower turned on.

I giggled to myself as I lay there for a few more moments, breathing deep to try to catch my breath.

“Shower’s free,” he shouted, and I took that as my cue to finally get up.

After we were both freshly showered and dressed, Stefano gave me a kiss on the forehead and said, “I got you a present.”

I raised my brow. “A present? What good deeds have I done?”

He chuckled. “Well, it’s long overdue since it was custom-made. It’s your gift for doing so well in the previous game.”

“Oh.” I looked at him curiously. “What is it?”

He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small, red suede box.

My heart stuttered as my breath hitched. The box was too wide to contain a ring. A necklace, maybe?

I took it from his hands and quickly snapped it open.

“A bracelet!” I exclaimed, running my fingers over the intricate design.

The band was wide but smooth and would look like three loops around my wrist. The clasp was a snake’s head made to look like it was eating its own tail.

Stefano watched as I inspected it, as if waiting for something. It was beautiful and well made, and I knew it must have cost him a lot. There was something engraved on the inside, right below the snake’s open mouth, and I carefully lifted the bracelet to get a closer look.

There were two initials engraved inside a heart.

S + C

My face lit up as I smiled. “Selena and Catalina. This means so much to me.”

He raised an eyebrow and then glanced at his watch. “I think I have time for another round.”

I quickly leaned forward to peck his lips. “Stefano and Catalina. Even better!”

He leaned in for another kiss and muttered, “Put it on. It’ll come in handy.”

~Come in handy?~

I curiously opened the clasp and was surprised when a small blade popped out.

“Oh, my!”

“Nice, right? Perfect for self-defense.”

I quirked an eyebrow at him. “That blade is barely two inches long and, what, half an inch wide? What good is that going to do me?”

“Are you telling me Sam hasn’t taught you where the major arteries are located and how to inflict the most amount of damage?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. He was right; Sam had taught me that. “I’ll ask for a refresher.”

“Good,” he said. “I want you to wear this at all times.” He took the bracelet from my hand, replaced the blade, and clasped the band around my wrist.

“The button on the side opens the bracelet. Be careful not to cut yourself in the process.”

“Got it.” I stared at the gold bands around my wrist, twisting my arm to watch the light shine off them. “I like it. Thank you.”

He nodded. “I’ll be home late tonight.” And with a final kiss, he was out the door.

I made my way downstairs for breakfast and chatted with Charlie as I waited for Rob and Sam. Charlie and I were cleaning up when Rob walked in the door. He had a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder and a mask covering his mouth and nose.

“Where’s Sam?” I asked, looking past him. The two of them always arrived together, so it was weird to only see Rob.

He glanced at his watch before saying, “Today’s training is a bit special. She’ll meet us at the site. I need you to get dressed in something more practical.”

I glanced down at my leggings and tank top. It was what I always wore for training. “What’s more practical than this?” I asked.

He glanced at Charlie, then back at me.

“What’s going on?” Something wasn’t adding up. I looked at Charlie, but she only shrugged. Clearly, she didn’t see anything wrong with Rob’s behavior.

“I was given instructions to train you in the field today,” Rob said. “You’ll want to wear something you can move in, but that could also protect you. Similar to what you wore for the second game.”

I looked him over once more.

“What’s with the mask? Are you sick?”

He sighed. “I feel like I’m coming down with something, so this is a safety precaution. I don’t need you getting sick before the next game.”

I nodded, making the decision to go with it, no matter how strange it sounded. Despite my reservations, Rob hadn’t harmed me yet, and he’d had plenty of opportunities.

I changed into the same cargo pants, T-shirt, and boots I wore for the second game. They served me well before, so I figured they would work for whatever Rob had planned for me today.

Once I was dressed, Rob escorted me to his car. He drove while I sat in the passenger seat.

The security gates opened, and we left the estate. It was my first time leaving the mansion without Stefano by my side. Come to think of it, I’d barely left the mansion unless it was necessary.

It wasn’t like the Roscottos were restricting our movements, it was just that…there was nothing else for me to do. I never had much of a life before this, and it seemed like I didn’t have much of a life now.

It was sad, when I thought about it.

I absentmindedly stared out the window, the radio drowning out the silence.

It was a bit awkward.

Even though Rob had trained me for months, Sam had always been there to lighten the mood. Without her, there was nothing for us to talk about.

“Do you mind if I turn the AC on?” he asked.

I shook my head.

As I watched the cars passing us, I thought of my aunt and Selena. Stefano had yet to find a lead on my aunt, yet he told me that it was only a matter of time.

I had to trust that he was doing his best to help me. There was nothing else I could do.

I leaned my head against the window, a bit drowsy.

~Did Stefano wear me out this much? The bastard.~

I was getting sleepy, and the smooth car ride didn’t help.

I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Something felt…off.

My fight or flight button was triggered, and I lifted my head to look at Rob.

And the mask covering his nose and mouth.

It wasn’t a surgical mask, but an industrial mask. The kind construction workers wore to keep from inhaling toxic fumes.

Alarm bells rang in my mind.

I looked at the air vents on his side of the car to see that they were closed tight, meaning mine were the only ones open.

My heart dropped.

I was being drugged. But why?

I had been careless. I should have asked Rob more questions. Called Stefano to confirm that it was safe to leave the mansion.

I tried to move my hands to open the car door but found that I couldn’t. They had lost all feeling.

My vision grew blurry, and my head drooped to the side.

Despite my very active mind, my body wouldn’t listen. It only took another three minutes before my eyes closed, and I lost consciousness.