That she believes she’ll never know the joy of love.
I want to tell her that she is worth so much more than this arrangement with Maksim.
The loyalty I owe Alessandro keeps me silent.
Because I’m ashamed that I can’t burn the world down for her, I begin scanning the perimeter for hints of danger.
I don’t look at her again until she makes a beeline to the pool.
“Don’t mind me,” she calls out. “Just taking a swim.”
She peels away her sundress, leaving her in nothing but lace panties.
My brain seizes.
My lungs stall.
My dreams of her body came nowhere near the truth.
She’s fucking stunning.
Perfect round tits, nipples hardening from the exposure to the air.
Soft curves.
Round ass.
I do my best to stifle my reaction, but inside, a storm rages.
I know I should look away, but I can’t help myself. My body betrays me, dick rocketing to full staff.
“It’s so hot today.” She stretches, arching her back, and I’m about to fucking loose it.
Then she kicks off her panties, and temptation hangs like a noose around my neck.
Her pussy is groomed, with a nest of dark curls I want to bury my face in.
“Miss Dante—” I manage to choke out, but she interrupts me with a laugh and dives into the pool.
“Valentina!” I hiss as I realize that I’m not the only one who can see her. Any of the Dante soldiers making their rounds could come upon her, and I’d have to kill them. “Anyone could see you.”
“Let them look,” she says, floating on her back, tits exposed over the water’s surface. “I don’t really belong to myself, anyway.”
My jaw tightens. “You need to get out. Now.” I stride toward her, not sure if I’m going to throttle her or fuck her.
“Make me.”
I approach the edge of the pool, extending my hand and hoping to hell that I can haul her out and get her covered before I do something that will end with me getting a bullet between the eyes. “This isn’t a game.”
“I’m having fun.” She swims toward me slowly, her eyes fixed on me.
It makes me think of a shark about to take a bite from its prey.
She takes my hand, smiling sweetly.
The next minute, she yanks and I topple forward, crashing into the water fully clothed.
I submerge and come up to the surface sputtering, my hair plastered to my forehead, my white shirt plastered against my skin.
