Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Any woman with eyes can see the way the light bounces off Valentino’s face. Angular features, a squared chin, crystal blue eyes, and the way he challenged Saul at the auction? Valentino is everything I need right now.

Protection.

While I don’t know the origins of their feud, I can use Valentino to get away from Saul. I’ll use every tool in my arsenal to never be afraid of Saul again. Still, there’s a part of me that’s hesitant. What if Valentino turns out to be just like the man threatening my family’s existence?

It’s a chance I’m willing to take, but Valentino has to want me in order to hang it over Saul’s head. He has to want me to protect me. A temporary solution to a dire situation is all that’s crossing my mind.

There’s a darkness behind Valentino’s light blue eyes. A man of conviction and determination, but also a man who tempts danger while other men run from it. I won’t ignore how safe I feel with Valentino. That feeling can vanish at any moment, but for now, I’m certain I can at least trust him with my body.

Valentino’s voice cuts into my thoughts. ‘Lia, what does Saul want from your family? It has to be more than you or else this auction business is a waste of time. I mean, why would he tell you about this if your family is indebted to him?’

‘He’s been trying to get me to date him from the first time I told him no. I’ll admit that I told him I was a virgin hoping it would turn him off.’

Valentino runs his tongue over his teeth. ‘You have no idea the effect you have on men. A face like yours on a body like that is like a gift from the heavens, Lia. Purity is like a drug to some men. They chase it and pray it comes with beauty like yours.’

‘I have an idea, which is why I’m asking you to do this for me, Valentino. I don’t need the stench of my virginity luring Saul to the site every week. I’m hoping it will be very animalistic, like he smells your touch all over me and leaves me alone.’

Valentino moves swiftly, reaching behind me to grab me by the ass. He hikes my leg up to his waist. I can feel the breeze of his hand moving dangerously close to my center, making me swallow, and igniting lust that has me salivating for more.

‘Be very careful what you ask for, Lia.’

Tremors rack my body; intimidation, fear, angst all collide as fodder for passion waiting to burst free. I won’t retreat. I lean into Valentino, the center of my sex pressing against his hardening crotch as I reach up to run my fingers through his hair. He moans, closing his eyes, letting his face come closer to mine.

‘I know exactly what I’m asking for, Valentino. You can take whatever you need from me so long as I never have to give myself away to anyone else.’

My pulse races as he ponders my words, gripping my ass, kneading it under his strong fingers until I see the restraint fade away. Valentino growls as his mouth crashes onto mine. Our lips press against one another as his tongue slips inside my mouth. There’s a faint flavor of rum dancing on his tongue. I want to taste more of him.

I have no idea where we’re going as Valentino scoops all of me into his hands, hoisting me into the air, and forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. My arms drape around his neck as he carries me through the home. It’s not until I feel the coolness flowing across my back that I see we’re in a bedroom. He moves away from me to undress.

The moonlight shining through patio doors gives me enough light to look around. It’s a simple space with white walls, a dresser, a massive bed, and a cozy armchair in the corner to take advantage of the serenity waiting beyond the glass.

Valentino cracks the door open for a cool breeze to whip into the room just as he lets his shirt fall to the floor. The fullness of his pecs to the rippling of his abs is a sign of how well he takes care of himself. Then he turns around to unzip his pants.

Fuck me.

The massive tattoo covering his back removes any boyish charm to his looks. A knight, clad in battle armor, with the wings of an angel, kneels behind a sword. A design with such incredible detail it had to take hours, if not days, to complete the masterpiece. Without his shirt, I can see the muscles fighting under the design of the artwork. If he flexes just right, it looks like the wings are ready to expand.

My eyes don’t stop traveling down the length of his body as his massive legs show me how he was able to carry all of me from the entrance of the home to this room. My expectations for losing my virginity are fleeting, as his body is one of the most distracting masterpieces I’ve ever seen.

Every time I’ve pictured this moment, it’s been tied to some cheesy romance movie. The man wraps me in his arms with dramatic flair, whispering my name and his love for me before tearing my blouse away.

Valentino lowers himself near the edge of the bed, kneeling as he summons me to come closer. He taps the edge of the mattress and licks his lips. I crawl over to him and sit, unsure of what to do next. Valentino doesn’t let me guess. The power of his bulging biceps snaking under my voluptuous thighs and yanking me closer to him has my pussy pulsing with desire.

‘You’re already wet for me.’ His voice is low, hungry for all I’m willing to give him. Words refuse to form until I feel the firmness of his hands pulling my legs further apart. A gasp escapes my throat as Valentino’s mouth hovers over my center. The warmth of his breath teasing me, taunting me with anticipation.

One of his hands reaches up, yanking the neckline of my dress low enough to caress my breast as he licks my folds. My eyes widen at the overwhelming sensations. A whimper and a tremble emerge out of me. The linens wrinkle, scrunching under my grasp as I lean back for Valentino’s tongue to take me to heights of pleasure I’ve never known.

Each breath comes quicker than the last. The tension builds from the depths of my core. Every inch of my skin is on fire, blazing with the desperate need for release. When he slips a single finger inside of me, an orgasm explodes.

My nipples perk, sensitive to the touch. The breeze swirling around the room plays with the hardening buds of my breasts. Valentino chuckles as he peeks up from dining on me, a devious smirk etching beneath his dark brows before he returns to the slit between my legs.

The rhythm of his tongue lures my hips into a dance where they move like they’ve got a mind of their own, chasing that release once again. Just as I near the edge of another climax, Valentino pulls his mouth away from me.

‘N-no,’ I stutter, with a need to finish. ‘Please, don’t stop.’

‘My sweet, Lia, I’m just getting started.’ Valentino’s brows set in a firm line as he lingers above me, positioning his jutting erection over my pussy. My hands move toward him wanting to touch him, to see what he feels like and the warmth is surprising to me.

The softness of something so firm is confusing, but my body knows where it goes and I want to feel every inch. ‘Can I taste it?’ I ask him.

‘Yes, but not yet. Right now, I need to be inside of you. Relax.’ His words are calm, not bossy, but confident. I watch him fish a condom from somewhere behind him, rolling it on before he uses his fingers to slide inside of my walls.

The motion of his fingers combines with the light squeeze of my nipple between his lips. The way Valentino’s tongue laps over my breasts while coaxing another orgasm out of me sends a myriad of sensations coursing over my body.

Heights of delirious bliss keep me in a state of euphoria while Valentino slips his fingers out of me and nudges his cock into me. It’s a smooth glide and stretch as he pushes deeper, forcing my back to arch into him.

‘That’s right, Lia. Let me inside of you.’ His voice is somber, brimming with lust as he brings his arms underneath my back to grab me by the shoulders. The first thrust is slow, methodical, and lets my body adjust to him. His size, the length, the weight, the power.

‘Fuck.’ I curse with an exhale as Valentino quickens his pace. All I can hear are the sounds of my body coming for him.

This feels amazing. This is a feeling like nothing I could ever achieve on my own. Valentino is a master of his body and mine, breaking down my walls of apprehension to let me be myself as he whispers in my ear.

‘You’re so fucking tight. Fuck me, you feel good.’ His voice comes in gruff, coarser and faster with his breaths as we move together in unison. Our bodies fit together like we were always meant to be this way.

The closeness between us is intense to the point I close my eyes until I feel the breeze of his body pulling away from mine. His chest muscles flex, abs rippling down his torso as he pushes my thighs back, spreading me wide to give himself room to maneuver. I should have stretched, as Valentino pushes down on the back of my thighs, my knees moving closer to the mattress. The speed of his cock pounding in and out of me draws out another climax.

One after another, Valentino commands my body to reach several points of pleasure that my mind can barely comprehend. The sensitivity of every inch of my pussy has me on edge. When he flicks my clit with his thumb as he brings himself to orgasm, I’m ready to convulse. My entire body shakes with our last climax together.

It’s only in the still of the night, lying in Valentino’s arms, that I understand why people obsess over the act. It’s all I can think about and it makes his words from earlier ring loud and clear.

“I don’t have the time to be obsessed with you.”

Those are the words, and they strike fear in the back of my mind because what if that means I never get to feel him inside of me ever again? I already regret agreeing that my virginity be something to get rid of because I’ll have to admit that Valentino’s right. He was right in warning me to be careful what I asked for. He told me what he didn’t want.

I don’t want anything or anyone else but him. Yet, I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg for his sexuality. I wonder how dark it gets, how deep he’ll pull me into the depths of depravity where I’ll be happy to follow him over a cliff of ecstasy.

Exhaustion consumes me as sleep drowns out my desires. I’m at war with the fantasies of what I want in the future, or taking whatever Valentino gives me now.

He gives me mind-blowing, body-shaking, back-bending orgasms throughout the entire weekend until Sunday night rolls around. It’s time for us to go back into the city, back to the reality where we become strangers all over again, but this time, I have nothing left to offer Saul Caputo.

The drive back to the city is quiet. The pain blooming from the center of my chest, feeling like I’ll never have Valentino inside of me again, is enough to make my eyes water. I’m not ready to let it go, but it’s all I asked for and it’s all I promised him.

‘Are you sure you want me to drop you off here?’ Valentino asks as we pull up at the Saint Bartholomew’s construction site.

It’s crazy to think how fast life changes in the matter of days, hours. Forty-eight hours ago, I agreed to attend an auction for the sake of my parents, and now? I’m here again. The desperation to rid our family of Saul is wavering, but I want to think of something, anything, to keep Valentino around.

‘This is fine, really,’ I tell him. ‘Thank you, Valentino. For everything, this weekend, your patience with me. I, uh, I enjoyed myself. We should do it again.’

The words come out, but his look gives me a warning that he won’t say. He doesn’t have the time. Instead of replying, he gets out of the car, walking around to open the door for me, but stops when the sound of something crashing grabs our attention.

‘What was that?’ I ask him. My eyes scan the street, but there’s no one here but us. My car’s on the construction lot. It’s behind a locked gate. However, the gate is open wide enough for someone to slip inside, which sends my heart racing.

‘Is anyone working at the site tonight?’ he asks, holding his hand up to keep me beside the car.

‘On a Sunday night? No. No one is supposed to be here,’ I whisper and pull out my phone. My parents don’t answer and I can’t get a hold of our foreman, Pattie. ‘No one’s picking up.’

‘Stay here,’ Valentino commands as he walks around to the trunk of his car. The sound of him loading a gun sends my pulse through the roof. He turns to me and gestures toward my phone, saying, ‘Call the police.’