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And I tease her clit with my thumb.

She lets out a soft sigh. “Fuck, Matteo… what then… after you turn her in?”

I tease her again.

She lets out another groan, but she doesn’t release control. Not yet. Her posture stays firm.

“We take the laptop to my cryptographer,” I say, as casually as I can.

“Baby, you know I can’t let you do that,” she says. “That laptop could put me in jail.”

“What if I remove anything that incriminates you?” I ask.

She drops the breathy tone. “What are you doing, Matteo?” She tries to turn around.

But I don’t let her.

I push her into the bed with all my strength.

She struggles against the restraint with a groan that’s half frustration and half arousal.

Her body expects my compliance. Her body expects me to play along with our game. Because that’s what we were doing here every other time:

Pretending.

In reality, I’m much stronger than she is.

In reality, I can win a physical fight.

“Don’t make me use additional force,” I say.

“What makes you think I can’t get out of this?”

“Give me everything you’ve got, diavolessa,” I say, with as much dare in my voice as I can manage.

But she doesn’t move. Or drop the safe word. She doesn’t test me as a lover or a rival. “What did you do?”

“The same thing you did,” I say.

Right on cue, the front door slams shut.

Jamie turns her head towards the sound. “She made a deal with you?”

“She played us against each other, yes,” I say.

“Huh.” She turns her head enough to glance back at me. “Would you believe me, if I said I won’t run after her if you release me?”

“No.”

“What about if I said, ‘tie your shirt around my wrists and keep this going. I’m wet enough to drown my enemies.’”

A laugh spills from my lips, but I don’t let it make its way to my hands. I keep my grip on her firm.

I shift on top of her, so I’m straddling her.

“Matteo,” she whines. “Now, that’s just mean. You’re really going to steal my win and deny me.”

“Who said I’m going to deny you?”