Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 65987 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65987 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Dario shut off the water, the sudden quiet broken only by our ragged breaths, and reached for a thick towel from the rack. He dried me with the same care he'd shown earlier, patting away droplets that clung to my skin and wrapping my hair in a fresh towel before quickly tending to himself. The steam still hung heavy in the air, fogging the mirrors, but he didn't linger. Instead, he scooped me up in his arms as if I weighed nothing, carrying me from the bathroom into the adjoining bedroom.
The space was vast, dominated by a massive bed with charcoal sheets reminding me of storm clouds. He laid me down gently, the fabric cool against my heated skin, a stark contrast to my pale limbs still flushed from the shower. I watched him through half-lidded eyes as he moved around the room, switching on a couple of accent lamps and turning off any main lighting, leaving a soft glow around us like firelight. His body was a marvel of strength and purpose, each movement precise despite the lingering battle tension I could see in the set of his shoulders.
When he turned back to me, the expression in his eyes had changed again. Gone was the gentle caretaker from the shower, replaced by something darker, hungrier. He approached the bed with the fluid grace of a predator, his gaze never leaving mine. The mattress dipped under his weight, looming over me with an intensity that should have frightened me after everything that had happened tonight. Instead, I felt an answering hunger rise within me, a need to feel his strength, to match it with my own.
"Tell me now if you want me to stop," he said, voice rough with restraint. "Because I won't be gentle this time."
In answer, I reached for him, pulling him down to me. "I don't want gentle," I whispered against his lips. "I want you. Exactly the way you are."
Something broke in him then, a dam of control washing away. He captured my wrists in one large hand, pinning them above my head against the pillows. His other hand gripped my hip, fingers digging into soft flesh as he settled his weight between my thighs. There was no teasing, no slow buildup, just the urgent press of his body claiming mine, filling me completely in one powerful thrust.
I gasped at the delicious invasion, arching off the bed. He held me there, pinned beneath him like a butterfly to velvet, his gaze locked on mine as if drinking in every flicker of response on my face. When he began to move, it was with purpose and possession, each thrust punctuated by the harsh sound of our breathing.
"Mine," he growled, the word rumbling from deep in his chest. "Say it, Belle."
"Yours," I gasped, meeting his rhythm with equal fervor, my body rising to match each powerful drive of his hips. "I'm yours, Dario."
His grip on my wrists tightened, careful of my bruised and chafed wrists but firm enough to remind me of his control. His free hand slid beneath me to grip my bottom, changing the angle until I cried out, pleasure spiking through me with brutal intensity. I strained against his hold, not to escape but to get closer.
"Never again, Belle." His promise was rasped out in a voice thick with emotion as his lips brushed against my throat. He grazed the sensitive skin just beneath my ear with his teeth. "I will never let anyone take you from me."
The words sent a fresh surge of heat through me. I dug my heels into his ass, urging him deeper, silently demanding everything he could give me. He released my wrists to brace himself better, and I immediately took advantage, raking my nails down the muscled plane of his back hard enough to leave marks. His answering groan told me he approved. "Mine," I echoed his earlier claim, shocking myself with my boldness. "All mine."
His rhythm faltered for a moment as his eyes widened slightly, surprise flashing across his features before his mouth curved into a fierce smile. "Oh, yeah, baby," he agreed, voice barely recognizable with passion. "Fucking yours, Belle."
We moved together with increasing urgency, the room filled with the sounds of skin against skin, of gasped breaths and staccato cries as our bodies slammed against each other with increasing force. I felt the familiar tension building, coiling tight low in my belly. Dario must have sensed it as he slid his fingers between us, finding my clit with unerring accuracy. One touch was all it took to send me tumbling over the edge, my release tearing through me with such force that I screamed his name, convulsing beneath him as waves of pleasure pulsed through me.
He followed an instant later, his powerful frame shuddering above me as he buried his face against my neck, his own cry muffled against my skin. For long moments we lay tangled together, heart gradually slowing, sweat cooling on our skin.