I tug harder on her hair. “Stop, Camilla.”
Her mouth stills and I can feel her breath against my skin, warm and unsteady. Every nerve in my body tells me to reach for her again. To finish what she started. The thought is a flash of heat and violence—my hand on her throat, the sound she’d make if I pulled her against me. The vision hits hard and I tear it apart before it can settle.
The only sound in the room is our breathing, uneven and jagged, like we’ve both been running. My heartbeat is a hammer in my chest. For a long moment neither of us moves. The air between us is thick with everything that almost happened, everything I wanted to let happen. I force my fingers to unclench from her hair, the loss of contact leaving a hollow ache that feels like withdrawal.
“You wanted me to stop,” she says quietly. “But you didn’t want it to end.”
I take a breath, steady but sharp. “You’re playing with fire you don’t understand.”
Her mouth curves, not quite a smile. “You’re teaching me how to survive fire.”
Chapter 17: Camilla
I finally have him exactly where I want him.
The realization hits like a pulse of heat under my skin as I watch Renato struggle to regain his composure. His breathing ragged, his eyes unfocused.
And I did that to him.
With only my hands and my mouth.
For the first time since he took me, the fear that has lived as a constant in my bones flickers and shifts, replaced by something new — a tremor of power that’s almost dizzying. He’s the one off-balance now. He’s the one swallowing hard, trying not to look at me.
“Well?” I ask, settling back on my heels and slowly wiping the pre-cum from my mouth with the back of my hand, letting the gesture drag out so he can’t miss it. “How was that for a first time?”
He stares at me like I’ve just spoken a foreign language. “What?”
“My technique.” My voice is calm, curious, like we’re discussing a lesson instead of the wreckage I’ve made of his control. “You said I needed to learn how to do this properly.” I study his flushed face, the vein pulsing in his throat. “Tell me, was that good enough for Kozlov? Would Al-Rashid be satisfied with that level of enthusiasm?”
“Christ, Camilla.”
“That’s not very helpful feedback.” I lean closer, resting my palms lightly on his thighs, feeling the muscles jump under my touch. “I’m only a student trying to perfect her skills. What did Ido right? What needs improvement? Come on, Renato. Help me out here. Should I spit on your cock next time? Would you like that? Make it wetter and sloppier? What about the sounds? Do I sound like I’m enjoying it or should I put a little more moaning into it?”
“You’re fucking with me.”
“No,” I say softly, tracing lazy circles on his legs through the fabric, feeling the tremor in him. “I’m desperate because I’m running out of time. For instance, should I have used more tongue? Less? Should I have taken you deeper, or was the pace adequate?” I tilt my head, studying the way his eyes darken, the way his jaw clenches. “To be honest, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I’m sure I can pull this off with the other men. In fact, I’m absolutely sure of it.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what? Asking for your professional guidance?” I smile up at him, letting him see exactly how much I’m enjoying his discomfort, how steady my hands are compared to his. “You’re my instructor, Renato. Instruct me.”
He runs both hands through his hair, fingers digging into his scalp, looking like a man on the edge of complete breakdown. His chest rises and falls too fast. His pupils are blown. He looks… vulnerable.
“You know exactly what you’re doing.”
“I’m learning skills. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“That’s not what this was.”
“No?” I let my smile sharpen, leaning in just enough so he feels my breath on his skin again. “Then what was it?”
He stares down at me for a long moment, some internal war flickering behind his dark eyes, and the sight makes something hot and reckless unfurl in my chest.
“That,” he says finally, voice low and hoarse, “was you turning the tables on me.”
His eyes are dark, not angry but unsettled, as though he’s glimpsed a version of himself he didn’t know existed, and I’m the one who put it there.
"Was it? Because from where I'm sitting, it looked like a very effective training session." I lean back slightly, giving him space to breathe. "Though I have to admit, your reactions were... interesting. But enough of the blowjob talk." I stand gracefully, smoothing down my robe. "I've been thinking about the buyer profiles you showed me." I move to the window, letting morning light play across the silk of my robe. "One of the files mentioned some interesting preferences."
