sick, twisted game was Antonio playing? “Another one, Shaun,” I said, my voice tight with anger. He wisely didn’t reply as he mixed up my standard drink and set it in front of me. I took one long swallow, then I got up. Fuck this. I wasn’t going to roll over and do whatever Antonio wanted. He couldn’t make the club off-limits to me. He was going to fix this.
Seething with rage, I made my way over to Antonio’s house.
Chapter 16
Lucia:
There was a different guard at the gate. “Is Mr. Moretti expecting you?” he asked me politely, but slightly snidely. No doubt Antonio needed protection from the droves of hysterical women beating down his door.
“No,” I replied. My voice was icy. “Tell him it’s Lucia Petrucci.”
The instant he heard my name, his attitude changed. “Miss Petrucci, my apologies. Please, go on in.” He waved me towards the front door. He picked up the phone in the guardhouse and said something to the person on the other end of the line. Lights flickered on in the driveway, and the front door opened.
Antonio stood in the doorway, and he smiled at me. “An unexpected pleasure, little thief,” he said softly when he saw me. “But I’m delighted to see you. Come in.”
I followed. My yelling could be done in private. I ignored the flutter in my heart at his smile and the tone of pleasure in his voice. I was done playing Antonio’s games.
The instant the front door shut, I turned towards him. “What the fuck, Antonio?” I almost screamed. “At some point, without realizing it, did I somehow become your mistress? How dare you?”
He looked puzzled. “What are you talking about, Lucia?”
“What are you talking about, Lucia?” I mimicked his tone, and watched anger rise in his eyes. Good. I was furious. I was not going to back down. “I’m talking about Casanova, of course.”
“You are angry that I took care of your dues?” he asked me. “You think this makes you my mistress?” A look of amusement rose in his eyes. “The position is currently vacant, sweet Lucia, are you applying?”
He stopped smiling at the look on my face. I was angry and I was also close to tears. When he continued, his voice was soothing. “It was only a small consideration, little thief. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” I said, holding on to my anger with difficulty. “I’m talking about how not a single person will come close to me at the club, because you kissed me at the restaurant last night.”
His gaze cleared up. “Ah.” He looked at me. “I’m sorry, little thief. That wasn’t my intention.”
“So you don’t care that I play at the club?” I asked, my voice openly skeptical.
“Oh no, I didn’t say that,” he said. “I don’t like it at all. But, I didn’t intend for this to happen either. I’ll fix it.”
“How?”
“I’m assuming that kissing some other woman in public will work its magic,” he said. “That should put an end to most of the speculation about you and me. Is that satisfactory?” He raised an eyebrow at me. He was angry as well. My outburst was probably uncalled for. But his control was greater than mine, and he held on to his temper with ease.
As for me, I found that the idea of him kissing another woman made me want to rage and curl into a ball and whimper. I didn’t want him kissing anyone else. Just me.
“No,” I whispered.
Another raised eyebrow. “What do you want, Lucia?”
I wasn’t going to tell him I didn’t want him to kiss anyone else. He was too smug. I was already putty in his hands. But I wanted him and he knew it.
“I went to the club today, looking for a man to take control. To hurt me. To use me for his pleasure. Are you going to do that for me?” My voice was dangerously arrogant. I was goading him.
But Antonio was the wrong man to try that on. “You want to play, little thief? Bribe me. Give me something of value.”
“What do you want?” I asked him.
“The
Seething with rage, I made my way over to Antonio’s house.
Chapter 16
Lucia:
There was a different guard at the gate. “Is Mr. Moretti expecting you?” he asked me politely, but slightly snidely. No doubt Antonio needed protection from the droves of hysterical women beating down his door.
“No,” I replied. My voice was icy. “Tell him it’s Lucia Petrucci.”
The instant he heard my name, his attitude changed. “Miss Petrucci, my apologies. Please, go on in.” He waved me towards the front door. He picked up the phone in the guardhouse and said something to the person on the other end of the line. Lights flickered on in the driveway, and the front door opened.
Antonio stood in the doorway, and he smiled at me. “An unexpected pleasure, little thief,” he said softly when he saw me. “But I’m delighted to see you. Come in.”
I followed. My yelling could be done in private. I ignored the flutter in my heart at his smile and the tone of pleasure in his voice. I was done playing Antonio’s games.
The instant the front door shut, I turned towards him. “What the fuck, Antonio?” I almost screamed. “At some point, without realizing it, did I somehow become your mistress? How dare you?”
He looked puzzled. “What are you talking about, Lucia?”
“What are you talking about, Lucia?” I mimicked his tone, and watched anger rise in his eyes. Good. I was furious. I was not going to back down. “I’m talking about Casanova, of course.”
“You are angry that I took care of your dues?” he asked me. “You think this makes you my mistress?” A look of amusement rose in his eyes. “The position is currently vacant, sweet Lucia, are you applying?”
He stopped smiling at the look on my face. I was angry and I was also close to tears. When he continued, his voice was soothing. “It was only a small consideration, little thief. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” I said, holding on to my anger with difficulty. “I’m talking about how not a single person will come close to me at the club, because you kissed me at the restaurant last night.”
His gaze cleared up. “Ah.” He looked at me. “I’m sorry, little thief. That wasn’t my intention.”
“So you don’t care that I play at the club?” I asked, my voice openly skeptical.
“Oh no, I didn’t say that,” he said. “I don’t like it at all. But, I didn’t intend for this to happen either. I’ll fix it.”
“How?”
“I’m assuming that kissing some other woman in public will work its magic,” he said. “That should put an end to most of the speculation about you and me. Is that satisfactory?” He raised an eyebrow at me. He was angry as well. My outburst was probably uncalled for. But his control was greater than mine, and he held on to his temper with ease.
As for me, I found that the idea of him kissing another woman made me want to rage and curl into a ball and whimper. I didn’t want him kissing anyone else. Just me.
“No,” I whispered.
Another raised eyebrow. “What do you want, Lucia?”
I wasn’t going to tell him I didn’t want him to kiss anyone else. He was too smug. I was already putty in his hands. But I wanted him and he knew it.
“I went to the club today, looking for a man to take control. To hurt me. To use me for his pleasure. Are you going to do that for me?” My voice was dangerously arrogant. I was goading him.
But Antonio was the wrong man to try that on. “You want to play, little thief? Bribe me. Give me something of value.”
“What do you want?” I asked him.
“The
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