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This was what her subconscious mind had secretly and shamefully yearned for.

This was what she had fought against thinking of every waking moment of her life in the past five years.

This was onceforbidden, but when she remembered whatLa Stregaand Cattleya had revealed earlier, and what their words had made her realize—-

This man...could have fallen in love with me five years ago.

The thought was instantly liberating, with Ysabel breaking free from every self-imposed restriction she had chained herself to, and before she realized what she was doing, her arms were already winding around his neck, and her body molding against Massimo's lethally muscular form in surrender as her tongue tentatively mated with his.

A rough growl of need escaped Massimo's lips at Ysabel's unexpected response, and he was no longer able to keep his hands to himself. As he kissed her harder and more hungrily,he also became busy acquainting himself with the tantalizing curves of her body, with his hands briefly spanning her waist before moving up once again until his fingers finally claimed one swollen breast.

Ysabel could only whimper against Massimo's lips when he started kneading her breast, and she whimpered again when both of his hands were now in full possession of her aching flesh. Her nipples began to pucker at the way his hands felt so impossibly big and strong, and when Massimo's fingers suddenly tweaked her nipples before pinching them hard—-

Aaaaaah!

Disbelief and satisfaction unlike any other roared through Massimo's veins when Ysabel suddenly gasped against her lips, and soft, telltale shudders of release ripped through her body. He was no innocent boy not to know when a woman was faking her orgasm, and the fact that this was real - that he had truly made hisfidanzataclimax with merely his hands on her breasts - turned his world completely outside down.

This, dammit.

This was the kind of explosive chemistry he had thought he would have with Ynez. And the first time he had visited Ynez in her university, what they had shared afterward wasalmostlike this.

Almost.

But after that, it had never been so again, and Massimo had even convinced himself the kind of chemistry he had been hoping for was unrealistic...until now.

Seven

FIVE YEARS AGO

"Ms. Ynez Marchetti, please report to the chancellor's office."

Ynez forced herself to smile even as she started to panic.What the fuck?There was nothing she had done recently to merit such a request. Sure, there had been a few girls here and there who might have transferred schools because of her, but why should their weakness be blamed on someone else?

Weak people like her dad always diedfirst.Weak people like her dad always got themselves bullied and scammed, and ever since her father'savoidabledeath, Ynez had sworn to herself she wouldneverbe like him.

She wouldnevervolunteer for a gig that was obviously a suicide mission, and all because her no-good friend had a pregnant wife. She wouldneverdie when she didn't have to. She wouldneverlook after anyone else except for herself, and so whatever this was—-

I'm going to survive it,Ynez told herself before knocking on the door, squaring her shoulders, and pinning a smile to her lips as she walked inside the chancellor's office.

What the hell?

Instead of an old man with thinning hair and a beer belly, seated in his big leather chair was someone tall, dark, and so damn handsome it had her nipples instantly pouting against the thin fabric of her dress.

He saw this, of course, and wetness coated her inner folds as Ynez saw a smirk slowly unfold over his lips.

"It seems your body is much more honest today,signorina."

Since she was no idiot like her dad, Ynez only allowed herself a tiny mysterious smile without betraying the fact that she had absolutely no idea what Massimo Marchetti was saying. All she knew was that one of Boston's most powerful men had mistaken her for someone else...and she had every intention of keeping it that way.

She slowly walked towards him, and the desire she saw glittering in his dark eyes made her feel heady with power.

This man was hers for now...but why couldn't it be forever?

Her steps slowed to a seductive stop when she was mere inches before him.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else,signore."

Deceit had always been her favorite sin, and there was nothing Ynez loved even more than being able to use the truth to create a lie. And as powerful and ruthless as Massimo Marchetti was rumored to be, he turned out to be just like any other man, with the way his gaze smoldered at her words...just before reaching for her.