Page 171 of Madness & Mercy

He groans into me like he’s been holding this back all day, like the only thing keeping him sane was the thought of wrecking me against this wall. His hand fists in my hair, yanking my head back to expose my throat, and then his mouth is everywhere, spreading hot, bruising kisses and sharp nips that make me shudder and arch against him.

“Do you get it now?” he growls against my skin, his voice ragged. “Do you understand what you do to me, Julian?”

“I—” The word breaks on my tongue, lost in a sharp gasp when his hips grind against mine. “Nico—”

He cuts me off with another kiss, this one just as rough, but deeper, like he’s trying to consume every ounce of defiance left in me. And maybe he is, because by the time he pulls back, I’m panting, trembling, already half-undone.

“Go upstairs” he demands, his forehead pressed to mine. “Wait for me.”

“You’re seriously making me walk up there like this?” I hiss, my cock straining painfully against my pants.

His smirk is pure sin. He drags his hand across my length. It’s barely a touch, but just enough to make me bite down on a moan. “Consider it part of your punishment,piccolino,” he murmurs. “I’ve got work to finish. Be a good boy and wait.”

I want to argue, but my fists just curl helplessly at my sides. Heat coils in my gut as I tear myself away, stalking toward the door. My chest is heaving, every nerve on fire, and I can feel his eyes burning into me the whole way out.

The estate is quiet. Enzo’s still gone cleaning up the mess I made, and Luca and Allegra are nowhere in sight, thank god. The guards don’t so much as glance at me as I pass, but somehow that makes it worse. And I can’t fight this heat building up inside me because I know Nico’s still watching through the cameras, tracking every step I take, every twitch of frustration, every ounce of want I can’t smother.

And instead of calming me down, the thought of his on me only makes me more desperate.

By the time I make it upstairs, I’m seething. My body’s on fire, my cock throbbing so bad it hurts, and all I can think about ishow that bastard smirked when he sent me off to wait on him like some obedient pet.

I slam the bedroom door shut and pace like a caged animal. My fists clench and unclench, nails biting into my palms. The urge to jerk off is unbearable, clawing at me with every second, but I know that’s what he wants—to come up here and find me desperate, ruined, and begging for him.

“Goddamnit,”I mutter, dragging both hands through my hair.

I throw myself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling like it might save me. Every camera, every shadow feels like it has eyes. He’s probably watching me right now, waiting for me to break. The thought pisses me off… and makes my dick twitch.

I shove a pillow over my face, muffling the frustrated sound that rips from my throat. My hips buck against nothing, and it’s pure torture. I swear to god, I’m going insane.

Minutes stretch on, the ache twisting sharper with every tick of the clock. My skin feels too tight, my chest heaving like I just ran ten miles. I’m trembling, torn between giving in and holding out just to spite him.

Because the truth is, no matter how long he makes me wait, I’ll still fucking want him thesecondhe walks through that door.

CHAPTER 28 – EMPIRE

NICO

Iforce myself to finish working, though every second feels like a fucking eternity with Julian upstairs unraveling. The thought of him pacing, restless, hard and furious, is the only thing pushing me to get this shit wrapped up faster.

I fire off a text to Enzo.

NICO:Is it done?

ENZO:It’s done.

NICO:Anyone tail you?

ENZO:What the fuck do you take me for?

I let the phone sit. He knows exactly what I take him for.

ENZO:Don’t answer that.

NICO:Then don’t ask stupid questions.

ENZO:You’re a real prick, you know that?

NICO:And you’re still typing instead of working. Get the cars in the garage.