Page 32

Chapter 32

Nova

Massimo has quickly become my crutch.

I hate how deeply I slept with him beside me. I hate how, without him here, it's hard to eat; Gabe and Jerome had to order me to eat and to finish everything set in front of me last night and this morning.

I hate the control my father has on me. And I hate the paralyzing fear that my father will burst through the doors and grab me without Massimo here.

Huddling tighter under a thick crocheted blanket on the window seat in the library, I put my book down, giving up trying to distract myself from my ruminating. It's raining today, which matches my mood perfectly. February is way warmer here than back home in Boston, but I feel chilled to the bone.

In fact, I've felt chilled since Massimo left.

Staring out the window at the garden maze and fountain, I wonder what it's like in the spring and summer. Daydreams of sitting out there, basking in the warm sun, push in, but I mentally slap myself.

There's no future here, where this is my home.

My future holds one of three options. My father finds me and punishes me before marrying me to Julien Moreau. I'm dead, either at my father's, Julien's, or even Massimo's hands. Or Massimo lets me leave this world behind and live a quiet, peaceful life.

I hear the library door open, and I turn in a curved reading nook. Gabe comes in, carrying a lunch tray .

"I was going to come to the kitchen. You don't need to wait on me, Gabe."

He's a large man with inky black hair and severely handsome looks. The thick scar on his neck always reminds me that he's a lethal, capable man in this dark world.

Regardless of my lingering wariness of Gabe, I perk up at the smell. "Is that coffee?"

A deep, rumbling chuckle makes my heart freeze. I'd recognize that laugh anywhere, even though I'd only heard it a few times.

Massimo.

My heart gallops like a racehorse, and I search behind Gabe, but Massimo doesn't enter.

"Jerome is going to start slowly reintroducing caffeine and richer foods, princess." It's Massimo's voice, and I realize he's talking to me from Gabe's phone sitting on the tray.

Disappointment fills me that he isn't here, and I shove that away.

Shifting my position, I sit cross-legged on the window seat, and Gabe sets the tray down. His phone is propped up, and Massimo's handsome face is on the screen. I can't make out anything of his surroundings, but that doesn't matter because he's there.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I'm such an idiot—missing my captor, wanting the man who will use me as a pawn for revenge against my father to be here with me.

"Princess." Massimo's deep voice, husky yet soft, pulls my eyes open. "I'll be home soon."

His promise makes my heart ache, which I promptly ignore.

The door clicks, and I realize Gabe left me alone in the library with his phone. I could disconnect the call from Massimo and call someone for help. But really, who would I call?

My father? My brothers? Mauro?

A shudder runs through me. I'm away from that house of horrors and my personal version of hell; why would I call my monsters to come and take me back?

"Nova, I need you to eat. "

His words—so tender from a dangerous, strong man—remind me of my brokenness.

"I am eating."

I suck in lightly because my comment could be taken as standing up for myself, which I'd never do in my own home.

No rage or anger flickers in Massimo's face, though, only a smile. "Well, I need you to eat more."

"Trying to fatten me up like a Christmas turkey?" I bite my lip to stop any further words from spilling out. It's like I'm bantering with him and enjoying it. Him, too from the look on his face.

Massimo is usually unreadable, but he lets me see behind the mask more often. Or maybe I'm just learning how to read him better.

"No, princess." He licks his lips, and my eyes drag to that movement on the screen. "Because I need you to be ready for me when I return home."

My heart stutters in my chest. Home? Ready for him?

"Do you see the small pill on the tray?" he asks.

My eyes shift to the food tray, and in a small container, there's a little pill.

"I need you to take that."

"I'm supposed to just take a pill without any idea of what it is?" I snark, my eyes flashing as I look back at him.

I don't have time to panic at my flare of fight because Massimo chuckles deeply. "No, princess, but I still need you to take it. It's the pill."

My brow furrows. Then I understand that he hasn't misspoken.

The pill.

A blush blooms on my cheeks. A contraceptive. Because…

I'm determined to lose my virginity, to do something for me, consequences be damned. And I want it to be Massimo.

He leans in over the screen like he wants to get closer to me. "Do you remember what I promised you?"

"When I work every fucking inch of my throbbing, iron cock into your wet little pussy, I will be doing it bare. There will be nothing, nothing between us. I will slide into you, I will thrust into you, and I will fill you with my cum."

Like the first time he said those words, my sex pulses, and I can hardly breathe.

"The pill you're starting works quickly, which means when I return home, you'll be ready for me." The words send a shiver through me.

Along with a spike of fear.

"What if I… What if I'm not ready?"

I could lose myself in Massimo's dark brown eyes, especially with the look he's giving me. "We'll take it at whatever pace you need, princess. You were made for me; you'll see."

My sex is throbbing, and I shift to ease the sensation.

"Are you wet for me?"

If I thought it was hard to breathe before, it's damn near impossible now. My cheeks are burning, but I nod.

"Show me."

"Wh-what?"

"Dip two fingers into your perfect little pussy and then show me."

My eyes widen as I stare at his lust-filled gaze on the screen, but I do as he says. Pushing my hand underneath the blanket and the waistband of my leggings and panties, I slide it down over my mound and into my wet channel.

I force my eyes to stay open to watch Massimo; his breathing is ragged like mine.

"Keep those fingers in there, princess, and finger-fuck yourself for me."

I've been touching myself today. The ache is never fully satiated without his touch, but it still feels amazing.

My head falls back with a moan as my fingers move inside me.

"That's it," Massimo encourages. "Finger-fuck that tight cunt." He looks so immaculate and refined, and my sex clenches at his filthy words. "Tell me how it feels."

"So good," I gasp, opening my eyes to look at him. "But not as good as you."

"Good girl," he rasps. "Show me those fingers and how wet they are."

I obey; not because I've been conditioned to, but because I want to .

Pulling my fingers out of my pussy, I pull my hand out from under the blanket and hold the glistening, damn near dripping, fingers up so he can see them over the phone screen.

He licks his lips. "Put them in your mouth. Taste yourself, princess. Lick them clean."

My chest heaves with a haggard, stuttering breath. Slipping my fingers into my mouth, I taste myself, sweet and tangy, and lap and lick up every drop.

"You're so fucking perfect." He sounds in pain. "Now, I want you to eat everything on your tray."

He wants me to eat? Now?

"Not yet. I want to finish."

Jesus, did I nearly whine in need?

He chuckles darkly. "Eat first. Remember, you'll need your energy for me when I return home to you. Then, after you're finished, I want you to remove that blanket so I can watch you make yourself come."

My cheeks heat in shock and lusty need. "This is Gabe's phone," I weakly protest, glancing at the closed door.

"He knows to wait and give us privacy, princess."

My face burns with embarrassment.

But what do I do? I nod, telling Massimo I'll do exactly as he said.

"Good girl," he growls, and my core clenches. "Then, after we're done here, I want you to go to your bedroom, lay on the bed, and make yourself come again so I have something to watch later."

He has confirmed he has cameras in my bedroom, but right now, I don't care. What he has planned sounds ah-fricking-mazing.

"I'll be fucking my hand watching you, and when I spurt my ropes of cum"—oh dear god, I just drenched my panties—"I'll be imagining its your tight cunt I'm filling. Filling your pretty little mouth. Covering your beautiful tits."

"Massimo," I choke.

His eyes are flaming. "I'll be home soon. Be ready for me. Because I'm making you mine."