“If you say so,” she mumbles.
As tantalizing as her bravery is, I feel my control fraying at the edges. The way she pushes back when she should submit—it feeds something dark and hungry inside me. Something that both wants more and to punish her simultaneously. See her stand tall and kneel at my feet.
“Look, Raffaele—”
Cutting her off, I give her one last chance to change her mind. “Are you absolutely certain you won’t wear the clothes?” I growl, giving her one last chance to reconsider.
She nods and says, “Yes.”
Something in me snaps at her words. The tightly coiled restraint I’ve maintained splinters into fragments sharp enough to draw blood. I rise from my chair in one fluid movement, the scrape of wood against the floor punctuating the sudden silence.
“Okay,” I agree. “You’ll get exactly what you want. But remember one thing, Alina.”
“What?”
“You asked for it.”
Her eyes widen as I stalk around the table toward her. She tries to stand, to retreat, but I’m faster, more determined. My hand closes around her wrist, tightening just enough to make her gasp.
Her breath comes in quick, shallow pants; her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath my shirt. “Let me go,” she demands, though her voice wavers.
“No.” The word is simple and absolute.
With one smooth movement, I bend and hoist her over my shoulder, one arm securing her legs against my chest. She gasps, her hands flying to my back as her world tilts.
“What are you doing?” she shrieks, her fists beginning to pound ineffectually against my back. “Put me down!”
Her body is soft against mine, curves I’ve been imagining for days now pressed against my shoulder. The feeling of her struggling sends heat straight to my cock, making me so hard it fucking hurts.
“Let me show you exactly what you just chose,” I say, heading for the stairs with slow, purposeful strides.
Her body bounces against my shoulder as I take the stairs two at a time, her fists still pounding uselessly against my back. She’s still fighting, still believing she has any power here. I’ll enjoy showing her otherwise.
“Put me down!” she demands, her voice shrill with panic. “This is ridiculous!”
I ignore her protests, my hand firm around her thighs to keep her secure. Her struggles send blood rushing to my cock, hardening it with each twist of her body against mine. Part of me wants her to keep fighting—the resistance making the inevitable surrender that much sweeter.
“You’re acting like a caveman,” she gasps, trying to push herself up, her hands pressing against my lower back.
“And you’re being a bad girl,” I respond, my voice low despite the heat coursing through my veins. “Bad girls who don’t appreciate what they’re given often end up with nothing.”
When we reach my bedroom, I kick the door open hard enough that it slams against the wall. I stride to the center of the room before setting Alina on her feet, keeping my hands on her shoulders until I’m certain she’s steady.
Her face is flushed, blue eyes wide and bright with anger, hair tousled from the journey upstairs. She looks wild, beautiful in her indignation. The sight makes my dick strain painfully against the confines of my pants.
“Y-you,” she stammers. Her pale blue eyes are blazing with anger, and instead of retreating, she takes a step closer and jabs her finger into my chest. “Don’t ever do that again.”
I smirk at her. “Never do what? Throw you over my shoulder?”
To my surprise, she licks her lips. Wait, did she like that I did that? Wanting to push her further, I take half a step toward her,closing the distance. She still doesn’t retreat. No, she just tilts her head back, meeting my gaze.
My restraint doesn’t just snap; it disintegrates.
I reach out, my hand diving into the hair at the nape of her neck, my fingers locking tight. I don’t give her a second to think, to protest, or to breathe before I slam my mouth against hers.
It’s a brutal, messy collision of teeth and heat. I expect her to fight me, but the second my lips crush hers, she lets out a sharp, jagged moan that vibrates straight into my throat. She tastes like the wine from dinner and something else—something sweet and intoxicating that’s purelyher.
Using the grip on her hair, I pull her even closer. When my tongue sweeps against her bottom lip, demanding entry, she doesn’t just give in—she gasps, her mouth falling open for me.
