Page 43 of Merciless Queen (Moretti Mafia #1)

Harlow

Rose and sandalwood invaded my senses as I woke up, curled into a warm body as gentle snoring filled the room around me.

My eyes fluttered open, and I realized I was lying halfway on top of Caterina, my hand on the skin of her torso.

The blanket shifted sometime last night and her waist was exposed, showing me her curves and the V of her hips, and then I realized we were both naked.

How did I get here and out of my dress? I remembered the wedding, but everything else was a blur.

Caterina shifted in her sleep, pulling me into her, causing her knee to slip between my legs and hit my center. I groaned and she immediately woke up, thinking something was wrong. “What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing,” I stuttered, adjusting my hips. “Can we?”

She smiled sleepily, arching her brow. “If I didn't know any better, bellissima , I’d say you are trying to seduce me.”

“Is it working?”

Caterina pulled me on top of her, my hips straddling her thigh as I peered down at her. “You want your pleasure? Take it. Use me, bellissima.”

Confusion washed over my face. “H-How? I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I’ll teach you. Whatever you want. Now you just move your hips. Up and down or in a circle. Whatever feels good. Now grind that pretty pussy on my thigh.”

I circled my hips, grinding my pussy on her thigh as the friction caused pleasure to bubble in my core.

Caterina gently gripped my hips, her hands resting on me, her tantalizing green eyes looking at me, waiting for consent.

She was a remarkable woman, caring for me and my trauma.

I nodded, giving her permission to touch me, needing her wicked touch as I moved my hips faster.

Her fingers trailed under the shirt, dancing along my skin.

I ripped it off my body to give her a full view of my naked chest.

Caterina cupped them, toying with my nipples and sending more pleasure soaring down my spine and directly to my clit. “There you go, pretty girl,” she praised.

“Oh,” I whimpered, falling forward. Caterina continued to grind her thigh against me, sending me closer to the edge. “Kiss me, please.”

She grasped my jaw, carefully pulling me down and slamming her lips to mine in a scorching kiss.

My back arched as I whimpered, my orgasm dampening her thigh.

She wrapped her arms around me as I collapsed, her lips still on mine as she devoured me.

Her hands explored my body, and I sank into her touch.

This was…This was the kissing that they wrote books about.

Kissing her felt like a spark igniting the dark, a wildfire rushing through my veins.

I pulled away, catching my breath and looking into her green eyes. They were dilated, and her lips were red and swollen from our kisses. “Wow. That’s what kissing should be like?”

“Yes, princess. That’s exactly how kissing should be.”

“Can we do that more? I like it. I like how you feel.”

She brushed my hair out of my face. “We can do whatever you want. I told you, we can experience everything you missed out on.”

I collapsed back onto the bed, kicking my leg over hers, and sank into her touch. “I feel safe with you, and it terrifies me. Why does it scare me?”

“You never had that safety in your life, so this feeling is foreign and scary.”

I shrugged. “You scared me in the beginning. But now, you’re saving me.”

“I’ll always save you.”

I’ll always save you. It made my heart dance. “Thank you. Uhm also, why do you have a dino tattooed on your right butt cheek?”

She groaned. “I was drunk and let Spencer tattoo anything she wanted. She thought a T-Rex in a party hat would be hilarious. She has a pterodactyl with a party hat on her left ass cheek, so she says they’re matching best friend tattoos.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s actually cute.” I sat back, getting comfortable in her arms, and finally decided to ask the question that was burning a hole in my mind. “Our first night, you said I didn’t need a safe word. What’s a safe word and why would I need it?”

“A safe word is used with BDSM. I like to be rough with my partners. I enjoy being in control of their pleasure. I enjoy bondage, orgasm control and denial, gagging my partner, and using their body for my own pleasure. But I get my pleasure from pleasing my partner. I like over stimulation and edging. I like giving my partner pleasure, but I also like edging them until they beg or overstimulate until they beg me to stop.”

“D-Do you stop?”

“If the safe word is used, yes. There are some aspects of BDSM and certain scenes where no and stop can be a part of the scene. There is nothing wrong with it. I can see the concern in your eyes,” she said, and I diverted my eyes.

“Sex can be fun and addicting with the right partners. Sex isn’t black and white. There’s so many dimensions to it.”

I furrowed my brows, looking back up at her. How could sex be rough and enjoyable? “If I wanted you to be rough with me, would you?”

“Maybe in the future. But right now, you are learning what you like and still trying to process everything that happened to you.”

I snuggled into her. “Can you teach me how to defend myself?”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “If anything happens. I don’t want to be scared anymore. If anything does happen because Vincenzo is merciless, I want the chance to protect myself. I want to fight if anyone tries to touch me again. I don’t want to be the same scared little girl I’ve been for the last ten years.”

“Lucky for you, I already have the best person for the job coming to train with you. She’ll be here in a few days. Now, what do you want to do today? Elizabeth mentioned that you’ve wanted to try things?”

I nodded. “A decade passed while I was trapped. I don’t remember a lot of things or how certain things taste. I want to feel the wind in my face, the sun on my skin outside of the perimeter. The house is beautiful, but I need freedom. I want normalcy back in my life.”

“Let’s get dressed then. I’ll take us to my favorite coffee shop.”

I smiled wide, kissing her before jumping out of the bed. “What do I wear to a coffee shop?”

She smirked. “Jeans and a sweater. It’s chilly outside.”

I jumped out of the bed, scurrying to the closet.

Going outside away from the perimeter of this house was the exact thing I needed to clear my mind.

How much had the world changed since I was held captive?

And then I thought about school and everything I missed out on, before my mind fell to her .

Ten years was a long time to be without someone I thought about daily.

She was my best friend, and when I was in my own personal hell, I thought about her.

Eventually, I never wanted to think about Mallory when I was in Vincenzo’s hands.

Her beauty would have been tainted just because I wanted a different view, when all I had was misery and agony.

Eventually, her eyes faded, and I only remembered her name and the softest of touches.

Was it selfish to wonder how she was? Or how her life turned out without me?

“Can you find someone for me?” I asked Caterina as I walked into the bathroom.

“Who?”

“Her name is Mallory Jefferson. She was the girl I liked before everything happened. I want to see how she is. I want to close that gap Vincenzo created. I’m sure she has a beautiful life now.”

I saw her wince, but she straightened her back so I wouldn’t catch it, only I did. Did this make her upset? “Of course. I’ll get Luca on it. If she still lives in the city or close, we can go today depending on when Luca gets the info.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“You reaching out to an ex-crush while married to me? Why would I be upset?” She smirked. I really didn't know if she was being serious or not. I never wanted to hurt her. She saw the inner turmoil I was in and pulled me into her. “Harlow, I’m teasing. Of course I’m not upset.”

“I thought. I’m sorry. If you—” She silenced me with a quick kiss.

“Come on. Let’s take a shower so we can get ready.”

After taking a quick shower, I changed into a pair of jeans that were hugging but not suffocating, a maroon tank, and a taupe cardigan.

It was comfortable without being too restricting, but also giving me confidence in my skin.

I never had the luxury of covering up. With Vincenzo, I was in lingerie, or I was naked.

I never got to dress comfortably regardless of the bitter Chicago weather and our horrid living conditions.

My body was never mine. I was a vessel used for men’s sick pleasure, because expensive force was more important than free consent.

I needed to stop thinking about my past and move on with my life.

Ten years was a long time to be in the arms of a cruel beast, but Caterina saved me.

She didn’t realize it, but she was saving me even if she was cold.

She was an anomaly. One moment, she was caring and loving like an actual partner would be, and the next, she was distant.

I thought I liked her and it scared me. I’d been hurt by men my entire life.

I didn’t want my heart shattered by a woman.