He grabs my collar and holds me still, not letting me arch into the position that I want. Angry, I buck against him. I slap myhands on the desk. He starts fucking me harder because he likes when I fight, when I’m upset.
The angle still isn’t quite right, but I might come anyway if he keeps pounding me. I moan louder.
Andre pulls me up abruptly by the collar, choking me. He goes still inside me.
“Why should you get to come?” he grits out by my ear. “You lied to me. You ruined everything. You’re one of them, and you made me—”
He cuts himself off, breathing harshly. I don’t understand what he’s saying. I can’t think enough to figure it out.
“Please,” I beg.
“No,” he says, and pulls out of me. He bends me down on the desk again and shoves the still-vibrating toy back inside my ass. He grabs my chair and maneuvers it under me, forcing me to sit. I cry out as the toy jars inside me. I almost come. Almost.
“Get back to work,” he orders and leaves me, returning to his own desk. I hear his zipper. The vibration turns off.
The computer screen blurs in front of me. Tears start running down my cheeks. I swipe at them, but more fall. I start shivering.
I just sit there.
“Get to work, Elio,” he warns.
I burst into tears at the name. I don’t want to go back to being Elio. I don’t like what he’s doing.
I slide out of my chair and onto the floor. I crawl over to him on my hands and knees. I’m afraid he’s going to ignore me or push me away, but he rolls his chair back. He turns toward me. I don’t look up at his face. I’m afraid of what I’d see. I put my hands on his knees. I need him to touch me. Ineedit.
I close my eyes and shudder in relief when his hand settles lightly on my head. I rest my face on his thigh. He’s breathing hard. He’s upset. But he lets me stay. His hand rests more heavily.
I start to feel better.
Andre alerts suddenly, but I don’t know why. I’m not tracking anything but him. Then I hear a knock at the door.
Andre leans forward over me. He checks something on his computer.
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters. Then, “Get under the desk.”
I don’t respond fast enough, so he starts pushing at me.
“Under the desk,” he orders. “Stay there and be quiet or, I swear to fucking god, you will not enjoy the consequences. You arenot getting away from me.”
I crawl into the shadowed space. The front of the desk goes all the way to the floor, so I can’t see out and no one can see in. No one but Andre.
He scoots closer, crowding me and blocking me. A drawer slides open. I hear the metallic slide of a gun’s chamber being checked then the thump of the weapon onto the desk. A rustle of cloth tells me that Andre has covered it.
The knocking continues. Andre hits the button to remotely unlock the door. I hear it open then close, then heavy steps thud across the floor. Something about the tread makes the hair rise on the back of my neck. It’s … familiar.
“How the hell did you get up here?” Andre demands.
“Take a guess.”
At my father’s cold, familiar voice, my blood freezes.
TWENTY-FOUR
Andre
I stare across my desk to where Piero Valenci is standing in his dark suit. He’s around fifty, handsome. He’s smaller than I am, more refined. Like Elias. Or Elio, I suppose I should call him.
Elio, who’s under my desk, pressed against my leg, naked with a toy in his ass. Will he reveal himself in spite of my warning? This is the best chance he’s going to have to get free of me.
