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CHAPTER 15
G iulia
From the moment Damiano had me escorted out of his club and shoved into the back of a car, I’ve been itching for a fight I know I won’t win. I wanted to show Matteo it’s not okay to react to me speaking to another man by having me dragged home like a naughty child. I needed to show him he can’t control me, but I guess I was wrong about that. He’s made a pretty good job of taking charge. He’s got me exactly where he wants me and I barely resisted.
I don’t understand why I’m letting him do this to me. I guess deep down I want to surrender. It would be so simple to put myself in his hands and allow him to set the rules for our relationship. A part of me wants to, but my desire for independence isn’t easily quelled. I don’t know how to resolve the conflict raging inside me. Perhaps I don’t have to. Perhaps I need to stop thinking and just feel.
I try to make myself comfortable on the bed, but with nervous anticipation rippling through my body, it’s impossible. The distinctive snap of leather as Matteo readies his belt does nothing to calm my racing pulse. I don’t know what to expect from this punishment. How badly is this going to hurt?
“Let’s see if ten is enough to convince you of my right to protect you, to punish you, to own every fucking part of you.”
The harshness of his tone surprises me. Matteo means what he’s saying. As far as he’s concerned, I’m his to do with as he pleases. I should have expected this. He’s not a man who does things in half-measures. If I’m not careful, he’ll take over every aspect of my life.
This is the time when I should assert myself and refuse to let him railroad me into accepting his terms. For reasons I don’t want to examine too closely, I don’t speak up. I simply brace myself for what’s coming.
The first crack of leather across the full width of my ass is as unpleasant as I feared it would be. The sound it makes is startling and it stings like a zap of lightning shooting across my butt. I cry out and wiggle my hips. If that’s what the first felt like, I don’t know how I’m going to take ten of them.
“Poor baby,” Matteo croons behind me. “This is going to be a painful lesson for you, isn’t it?”
He’s being an asshole, and I know it’s deliberate. Matteo and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve seen him act this way before. His dickhead behavior is usually directed at other people, but I know why he’s doing it. He’s trying to goad me into saying something that will give him the excuse to assert his dominance in an even stronger way. He enjoys the push and pull of a power struggle. I have to admit it turns me on, but on this occasion, I won’t give him the satisfaction of subduing my rebellion. He has the upper hand already. It’s enough.
“Yes, Matteo,” I say meekly.
His response isn’t verbal, but I feel the displeasure in it all the same. It comes as another lash of his belt, this time on my right butt cheek. It’s harder than the first one. Tears spring to my eyes and I hiss loudly. Matteo doesn’t wait long enough for the deep ache in my flesh to settle before striking again and again. He lands one blow after the other in different spots across my bottom, ensuring every inch of my tender flesh is throbbing. Discomfort has me writhing on the bed, but pride prevents me from begging him to stop.
My fists curl in the sheets as Matteo pauses. Are we done already? I wasn’t counting, but as much as that hurt, it didn’t seem like ten spanks.
“Two more,” Matteo murmurs as if reading my thoughts.
The leather strap lands across the backs of my thighs this time. Fuck! That hurt. I shriek loudly and wiggle my ass. My flesh feels as if it’s on fire. It’s painful, but something else is stirring deep inside me. A tingling sensation twists its way to my core where it takes root, growing into an intense need to be filled by Matteo’s massive cock. It’s all I can do to keep from pleading with him to fuck me.
As the belt comes down on my ass for the last time, I yelp. It was a harder stroke this time. Pain fans out from the point of impact. A tear leaks from the corner of my eye as I try not to reach back to rub the ache away.
There’s a thud from somewhere across the room as Matteo tosses the belt aside. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it’s premature. He isn’t done with me yet. Taking my arm, he pulls me to my feet.
“Did that spanking make you wet?”
I shake my head in denial. Matteo smirks, knowing that I’m lying. He stares at me for a moment as if challenging me to double down on the lie and then uses the back of his hand to wipe away the stray tear making its way down my cheek. It’s a tender gesture, but there’s no gentleness in his eyes. There’s undiluted lust, determination, and a touch of something that might be anger.
“On your knees,” he commands.
I sink to the floor, making sure not to rest my poor punished ass too heavily on my heels. Before I have the chance to settle into position, Matteo shoves his pants and briefs down. His cock is fully erect. I guess that answers any question I might have had about whether he enjoyed spanking me.
He reaches down and traces the outline of my mouth with his thumb. “Open.”
I obey immediately, parting my lips. Matteo slides two fingers into my mouth. Rather than closing my lips around him, I tilt my head back and open wider so he can watch as I run my tongue back and forth along the length of his long, thick fingers. He groans and pulls his hand away, curving it around the back of my head to hold me in place as he shoves his cock into my mouth.
Startled as his rigid erection hits the back of my throat, I reach out and grab onto his taut ass to anchor myself. He isn’t giving me time to explore or to get comfortable. I don’t get a chance to tease him. Matteo isn’t playing. My cheeks puff out as I draw panicked breaths in through my nose. For a moment I think I’m going to pass out, but Matteo pulls back a little and I’m able to suck in air.
His ass clenches beneath my touch as he thrusts. He shows me no mercy, fucking my mouth with ruthless intent as I struggle to deal with the pace.
“This mouth is mine,” Matteo growls.
My jaw already aches and I know I’ll regret it, but I shake my head, as much as his hold on me will allow. I’m not going to grant him ownership over me. Though my body undeniably belongs to him, this is about something more. It would give him carte blanche to do whatever the hell he wants with me. While that might be appealing in the bedroom, I fear Matteo will try to carry his control into other parts of my life. I have my own ambitions, plans for the future. I will not give him the power to dictate every aspect of my life. Though I love this man, I’m under no illusions about him. He could become a tyrant if I let him.
“Fuck!” Matteo curses.
He pulls out of my mouth and hauls me to my feet. He drags me over to the dresser and pushes me down so my breasts are squashed against the cold, hard wooden surface. For several beats, he stands absolutely still behind me. I suspect he’s going to spank me but he doesn’t. Instead, he surprises me by trailing kisses down my spine. My skin comes alive beneath his soft, warm lips. I wriggle my hips restlessly.
When he reaches my ass, I gasp. His kiss soothes the ache. Then his teeth nip my skin, the unexpected mingling of pain and pleasure making me whimper.
“This ass is mine.”
“No.” The denial comes out on a moan as he straightens up and slides his right hand between my legs.
“This pussy is mine.” He ignores me shaking my head. “And it’s soaking wet. Someone enjoys being punished.”
I don’t deny that. For some messed-up reason, I got a thrill out of laying myself across the bed and taking a spanking. The evidence of how much I enjoy his rough handling is on Matteo’s fingertips.
He slides his fingers along the length of my pussy then elicits a shocked squeal from me by turning his attention to my rear hole.
“Matty,” I caution as he presses a finger inside me.
“Shh,” he soothes. “I won’t hurt you.”
I breathe in and out steadily, trying to calm myself as he breaches the tight ring of muscle and pushes his finger all the way into me. I frown as I try to get to grips with what I’m feeling. It doesn’t hurt like I thought it would. He pumps a couple of times and then adds another finger, scissoring them to stretch my tight channel. It’s strangely arousing to have him exploring this forbidden part of me.
Matteo pulls his fingers out, steps behind me, and kicks my legs farther apart. As I realize his intent, panic surges through me. I try to stand, but he splays a hand across my back to hold me down. I tense as he positions his cock at my rear.
“You said you’d prepare me first.” I’m sure he said he’d get me ready for this.
“You took my fingers without a fuss. You’ll be fine.”
I don’t bother pointing out to him that his cock is a hell of a lot bigger than his fingers. Boosting his ego won’t help me right now. My stomach churns as he pushes the head of his cock inside me.
“Relax,” he commands.
“I can’t. Matty!”
He ignores my protest, inching deeper inside me until he encounters resistance.
“This is happening, Giulia.” He slips his left hand beneath me and massages my clit until I’m panting with need. “Now let me in.”
As pleasure swamps me, my body gives up the fight and lets him in. His hips slap against my tender flesh as he sinks deep. I’m barely aware of the strange stretching of my ass as Matteo fills me.
“Told you this ass was mine,” he says triumphantly.
He fucks me with masterful strokes as his fingers tease my clit, sending me into such a frenzy I end up pushing back against him, begging for more.
“Fuck, Giulia. I’m not going to last.”
Something about the strangled tone of his voice, the desperate need it conveys, drives me wild. I love knowing that I at least have this power over him. It fuels my desire and my pussy clenches as I come with a scream of pleasure.
I’m still quivering as Matteo reaches his climax, spilling his hot seed deep inside me. As he pulls out, I wince, not just from the flash of pain, but the shame as his fluids seep out of me. It’s soon banished as Matteo kisses me with both tenderness and passion.
When he draws back from me, he has an infuriatingly smug look on his face. “Told you I’d prove you’re mine.”
I shake my head in disbelief. My body is trembling with aftershocks of the most incredible orgasm and he’s using this moment to make his point. I can’t believe he’s being such a dick.
“Deny it all you want,” Matteo says. “But you’re mine and as soon as I can arrange it, I’m making it legal.”
“What?” I don’t like where this is going.
“We’re getting married, sweetheart.”
He reaches out to caress my face and I slap his hand away.
“We are not getting married.”
He cocks his head as he looks at me. “Don’t you want my love, my protection?”
My eyes narrow. The manipulative bastard. I haven’t seen this side of Matteo before. “You’re saying I can’t have those things without marriage?”
Instead of answering, he steps closer to me. He shoves a hand between my legs and cups my pussy.
“You’re mine, Giulia. I’m the only man your cunt gets sloppy for and you know it.”
He circles my clit with his finger, and it immediately throbs in response to his ministrations. My breath catches as he leans forward and suckles on the sensitive spot at the base of my neck.
“Tell me you’re mine, Giulia, that you’ll be my wife.”
It would be easy to give in. Pleasure is just within reach and I know he’ll grant it if I tell him what he wants to hear. I can’t agree to marriage, though. While I hope that’s where we’ll get to one day, it’s too soon. I was railroaded into marrying Johnny. This time I want romance, a courtship. I need to be certain it’s right for me.
Mustering my strength, I push Matteo away. Shock flits across his face before it settles into a blank expression. It’s only the slight tightness around his lips that shows his displeasure.
“I’m not marrying you, Matteo.” I fold my arms across my chest to put some distance between us.
“Nobody will harm you if you carry my name. It’s the only way I can keep you safe.”
“Bullshit. I have my dad, my brother…”
“And what are they going to say when they find out about us?” Matteo asks as he tucks himself back into his pants. “They’ll want us to marry.”
I have nothing to say to that because I know it’s true. Even if I could persuade my dad to let me see where things go with Matteo, he’d have Valeria whispering in his ear about how much my marriage to one of the Volantes would benefit them and Phillip.
“Come on.” Matteo reaches out for me once more and curves a hand around the back of my neck. He rests his forehead against mine. “You knew where this was going from the minute I took your virginity.”
I don’t like how that sounds. He didn’t force me, after all. “You didn’t take it, I gave you my virginity.”
“It doesn’t matter. The outcome was always going to be the same.”
I know how things work in our world, but I refuse to believe we need to rush into this.
“We can wait,” I reason, “see how things go.”
“See how things go? There’s only one way this is going, Giulia. You will be my wife as soon as I can make it happen.”
“But…”
“Enough!” Something inside Matteo snaps.
I squeal in fright as he grabs my arm and drags me from the bedroom. I have to run to keep up with him as he makes his way along the corridor and down a set of stairs I didn’t know were there. He’s obviously furious with me. He hates to be challenged, but he’s always been patient with me until now.
We come to a landing, and I catch a glimpse of the kitchen. I had spotted a door at the back of the room, but assumed it was for a pantry. I guess it leads out here.
We don’t stop here. Matteo leads me down another staircase into darkness. It’s only now, as cold wafts across my skin, that I remember I’m stark naked. A frisson of fear prickles up and down my arms. Why did Matteo bring me down here?
He flicks a switch on the wall and lights come on. We’re in a large, open cellar with racks of wine. There’s a door over at the side. Matteo takes me over and opens it.
“What are you doing?” I ask as he shoves me inside.
The tiny room is lit by harsh overhead strip lighting. On one side of the room there’s a narrow cot with a thin blanket thrown over it. This looks ominously like a cell.
“I can keep you safe by making you my wife, or by locking you away from the world.”
I whirl around, hoping to find him grinning. but there’s no trace of humor in his expression. There is, however, a gleam of determination in his eye that makes me shudder. It’s not a prank. He’s really doing this.
“Matty!” I whisper.
“You can give me your answer in the morning.”
While I struggle to get to grips with what’s happening, he steps back, closes the door, and locks it. His footsteps recede and a moment later the light goes off, plunging me into darkness. Anger and frustration course through my veins as I tentatively make my way over to the cot and sit on its edge.
I’ve never seen Matteo this way. He’s clearly lost control of his senses. He’s set on marrying me as soon as possible and I have no idea how to prevent it from happening.