The roughness of his scruff on my soft skin assaults me with thoughts of what they do in the romance novels. I want the feel of that scruff all over my body. On my breasts, brushing over my nipples. Between my thighs. My hand curls to grip his shirt—I’m not sure if it’s to pull him closer or to rip the offending garment off.
He growls into my mouth and bites my lower lip. Slowly, he releases it and pulls me fully against him. It feels like a lead pipe presses into my stomach.
Leaving me with no doubt of what that lead pipe actually is.
“I will ruin you, Gina.”
God, yes.
“But not right this moment.”
No… You bastard.
He laughs, and I realize I said that out loud.
“Come on, love. There’s a spot I want to show you.”
“Il mio sole,” I say, preferring his pet name for me, and he smiles down at me.
“Il mio sole. You truly are my sun. My light. And soon, my queen.”
I’m struck speechless. He takes my hand, letting me process his words, and leads me to the dark path off the side of the parking lot.
Chapter 11
Tommaso
Ginaissilentasshe clutches my hand, and I lead us down the dirt path. It slopes gently toward the water, the sound of the ocean echoing off the cliffs.
I love it here, especially at night. The crumbling pools and foundation of what remains of the Sutro Baths, with no one around, feels like standing on the world’s edge.
But as I stand with Gina by my side, it feels like that edge is meant solely for us. For her to take the leap with me into the dark unknown, trusting that her light and my strength will help us forge something new. A new kingdom. A newempire.
The wind whips her ponytail. I want to wrap it around my fist and kiss her, control her, but I fight that urge and remain calm and in control.
She looks up at me with a smile. “What is this place?”
A surge of need for her causes raw lust to pulse through me, and the unhinged beast in me wants to take control.
But I will not fuck her the first time on the ground. She deserves to be worshipped on an altar like the goddess of light that she is.
“It's what's left of the Sutro Baths.” My voice is thick with lust and need, but I’m hoping her innocence won’t allow her to realize that. “It once was an indoor saltwater bath built in the 1800s.”
“What happened to it?” She gingerly steps around one of the foundations filled with rain and seawater.
I watch her—the gravitational pull of her demands it. “It burned down years ago.”
“And you like to come here?” Her head snaps up to look at me across the pool. “Wait, do you get rid of bodies here?”
“Do you think that’s why I brought you here?” I test.
“No.”
I slowly stalk around the crumbling cement to stand in front of her. My thumb gently runs over the pulse on her neck, watching her beautiful face in the moonlight. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No.”
“You should be.”
