A loud bang reverberating through the door has me jumping back with a shriek. Then I’m reaching for the lock with shaking fingers and once the mechanism shifts, I scurry backwards. The handle moves, my widened gaze glued to it, and Tristano calmly enters the room before quietly shutting the door behind him.
Then he turns to face me and I have trouble breathing all over again.
“Come here.” His voice is even, but the raging fire in his eyes tells a different story. “Violetta…”
My name is a warning, a promise of retribution to come.
I know what will happen if I don’t obey, yet I’m so frightened I can’t move. He’s not going to murder me, however there are a lot of things that won’t kill you but can still be used to bring correction. And not all of them are pleasant.
“Please.” That’s all I can manage. It’s a pathetic sound and it grates on my ears, but I’m desperate. I can’t articulate anything and I can barely think. The only thing I know is I can’t be pulled into the abyss, the one where Tristano is all that surrounds me and I lose my mind, my will, and myself in him.
That’s when I truly lose my freedom.
Because he is the only choice, the only option.
He stares at me, his gaze crackling with intensity, and it only builds with the seconds that pass. Then there’s a flash of silver in his eyes and he stalks toward me. His steps are steady and sure as he closes the distance between us and all I can do is lean against the wall for support. I’d run again, but this has to be dealt with because I can’t keep avoiding the issue.
After placing his index finger under my chin, he lifts my head just enough for him to look directly in my eyes, which brings about feelings of vulnerability. What will he see? Can I really hide my emotions from him?
We both freeze when a knock sounds on the door and whispers reach us from the outside.
“Violetta?” Rafael calls out.
I open my mouth to respond and Tristano covers my lips with his thumb. “Everything is fine.”
Carina’s gasp makes me cringe. “I knew it,” she mutters.
Tristano narrows his gaze at me and I swallow the nerves building in my throat.
“Alrighty then,” Rafael says loudly, his tone way too cheerful. “Come on,viziata.”
My sister mumbles something that has Rafael laughing, but the sound is quick to fade, leaving me and Tristano alone once again.
And from now on there won’t be any more interruptions.
Violetta
“Tell me exactly why you’re uncertain,” Tristano says, rubbing my bottom lip. “In detail.”
“I…I don’t know what you want from me. Besides sex, of course. That’s the only thing I’m clear about when it comes to you.”
He nods slowly, his brows gathered and his forehead creased. “I always want to fuck you,ribelle. I’ve never led you to believe any different.”
“But is that theonlything you want from me?”
I think my heart stops beating in my chest while I wait for his response. This is the answer I’ve been seeking, the certainty I’m lacking. I can’t move forward without knowing this.
He tilts his head just so. “What do you mean exactly?”
My groan of frustration is almost a growl. “Do you even give a shit about me, other than making sure everything between my legs is in good condition?”
“Language,” he says, his voice dark. “Yes, I care about your well-being. I’ve done everything to make sure you’re provided for while you’ve been my responsibility.”
Not only does foolishness beget courage, it would seem anger does as well.
I knock his hand away from my chin and lean toward him. “I don’t want to be your responsibility! I want you to care about me,Violetta, not my body, the clothes I wear or what foods I eat. Don’t you get that?”
“Do you really think I’d go through the trouble of planning a birthday celebration if all I wanted to do was fuck you?” He scoffs and grabs my jaw, bringing our faces close. “I don’t need dinner and fireworks to get between a woman’s thighs,” he grits out, his lips brushing mine when he speaks. “All I have to do is look in her direction and she’ll spread her legs.”
