Morning light poured across the suite like molten gold.Sera sat at the breakfast table, gazing at the new note lying neatly beside her untouched food.> **Today's rules:**>> 1. You will greet me on your knees.> 2. You will wear the dress I've chosen.> 3. You will not lie to me.Three simple things.Three impossible things.Her stomach twisted into knots.*On my knees?**Like a pet. Like a whore.*She pushed the card away roughly and picked up a piece of toast, her trembling hands.No. No, she wouldn't do this. Wouldn't.She'd already given him too much — her silence, compliance, betrayals of her body's shame.If she gave him her dignity too.She'd have nothing left.---She broke the first rule.When the heavy knock shook her door, Sera stood tall.Heart racing, sweat trickling down her spine, she slammed open the door.Valerio stood there.Sin incarnate in a crisp black suit, tie loose around his neck, his dark hair rumpled as if he'd just run his fingers through it in frustrati
The night pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite, a black velvet curtain dotted with city lights.Sera stood at the glass, arms clasped tightly around her chest, trying to contain the storm inside her.She hated him.She hated the way he made her feel.She hated the way her body responded to him — starving, desperate, hungry.And she detested that aspect of her, this dark, starving aspect of her she barely knew, *loved* the way he unraveled her.*You need to leave,* she told herself.*You need to remind yourself who you are.*It was too late, however.The man had stitched himself into her skin, into her very breaths.And she couldn't unravel him.---Behind her, the door of the suite quietly clicked shut.Heavy footsteps strode across the room, slow and deliberate.Sera tensed.She did not turn around.She did not have to.She felt him — Valerio — like a stormfront sweeping in.Dangerous. Imminent."Sera," he said, his voice a dark caress.She winced at his use of h
The first thing Sera became conscious of was warmth.Not just the heavy, expensive bedding that surrounded her, but the heat of a body lying next to hers — large, heavy, emitting a quiet possessiveness even in sleep.Her heart stumbled.*No.*She squeezed her eyes shut.Maybe it was a dream.Maybe she'd fallen asleep backstage and this was some delirious fantasy brought on by exhaustion.But when she opened one eye, what she saw was more deadly than any nightmare.Valerio De Luca.Half undressed.An arm loose around her waist, pinning her in place.His dark eyelashes against his razor-sharp cheekbones, lending him a look almost. innocent.If it were possible for a man like him.---Sera stiffened, trying to piece together the night before.Images flashed in clusters:His mouth.His hands.The manner in which he *worshipped* her body until she couldn't remember her own name.Until she remembered nothing but the brutal, punishing pleasure he'd inflicted on her.Her thighs clenched toget
Sera stood in front of Valerio's massive penthouse door, racing heart so thudding she was certain anyone could hear it from down the street.Her bag was loaded.She'd stolen it from the closet when he'd withdrawn to his office — no doubt to make over some foul, bloody deal she had no desire to take part in.She tightened her grip on the strap.*You can do this. Simply get up. Go, Sera.*Her trembling hands wrapped around the golden door handle.Twisted.Pulled.It creaked open.Freedom.Close.She pushed out into the corridor, fighting not to breathe too deeply.Not to see how with each step she got farther away from him something in her chest groaned open and bled.---She reached the elevator.Pressed the button with desperate fingers.The doors opened and she near *threw* herself on.Heart racing in her throat, she pounded her hand on the ground floor button.*Come on, come on—*The doors started to close.And then — a hand.Strong, big, and oh-so-familiar.Ripped them open again.
Sera rested against the side of the enormous bed, looking at the velvet cuffs dangling from the headboard.Her wrists still burned from where Valerio had bound them to his tie in the elevator.Her thighs still ached from the rejection he'd teased her with sadistically.And here she was.His captive.Again.Shrouded in silk sheets, choking on the scent of him.She hated him.She hated herself more for how much her body hurt for him anyway.---The door creaked open with a resounding *thud.*Valerio stepped in, shedding his black suit jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt.The tattoos on his forearms rippled with every movement, wicked and dark.Sera winced involuntarily.He saw it.Of course he did.And he smiled — that slow, ruinous smile that made her thighs clench against her will."Relaxed, *angel?*"he asked, voice heavy with sarcasm.She said nothing.Just glared.Valerio chuckled, low and menacing."You'll learn, little dancer.""You'll learn to answer when I s
Sera stood frozen in the center of the room.Blindfolded.Naked.Arms tied behind her back with silk rope that Valerio had tied so expertly, intentionally — not for binding, but for beauty. The clever knots wound across her skin like a macabre tapestry, each one a reminder of her helplessness.Her breath was shallow.Shallow.Quick.Each nerve ending exposed.Her heart slammed against her ribs.She hated him for doing this to her.Hated herself more for how wet she already was.---Valerio circled her slowly.Boots thudding heavily on the hardwood floor.A predator inspecting his prey.Every few steps, he would brush his knuckles lightly over her bare skin — a fleeting touch that left her shuddering, desperate, insane for more."You’re beautiful like this," he murmured.His voice wrapped around her like velvet and barbed wire."Bound. Blind. Helpless."Sera whimpered softly.She hated being this exposed.Hated the way her body craved the very man who had confined her.---Valerio stop
Sera woke up wrapped in cool silk sheets, the scent of leather and spice on her skin — *him*.Her body ached so beautifully.Between her legs.In her wrists and ankles where the ropes had been.In every trembling inch of her that he had used, touched, spoiled.She moved a bit, wincing at the pain.And she remembered.The blindfold.The ice.The way he had drawn pleasure from her until she was weeping and begging shamelessly.Heat surged up her neck.God, what was wrong with her?She had barely time to think before she heard him — *Valerio's* slow, deliberate step coming across the floor.---She stiffened, attempting instinctively to pull the sheet up to cover herself, but before she could, he was there.Leaning over her.A dangerous, predatory shadow."Don’t hide from me," he said, voice low and rough.His hand ripped the sheet away.Sera gasped as her nakedness was bared again.But it wasn't just the exposure that made her tremble.It was the *look* in his eyes.Like he was a starvi
Sera woke up to the stinging lash of leather against her thighs.A jolt of consciousness ran through her body, shaking her out of the haze of sleep.She gasped as she tried to move — her wrists were still tied, but this time in something softer: silk rope.And she wasn't on the bed anymore.No.Valerio had set her on her knees on a low, cushioned bench at the foot of the bed.Arms tied behind her back.Legs spread wide with a silk strap keeping her knees apart.Bared.Vulnerable.Waiting.---"Good morning, *angel,*" Valerio's voice purred from somewhere in back of her.Mocking.Dangerous.Heart pounding, Sera turned, trying to glimpse him, but the blindfold over her eyes kept that from her."Where—" Her voice cracked."Where are you?"A low laugh.So black it made her shudder."Everywhere, *cara mia.* Everywhere you're exposed. Everywhere you hurt."She whimpered, resisting the urge to cower away — and losing.Heat exploded between her thighs, treacherous and embarrassing.---A gent
Sera sat on the edge of the opulent bed, her fists gripping the silk robe that cascaded loosely over her bare skin. The opulent room was quiet—too quiet. A malevolent kind of quiet, the kind that pressed against her chest like invisible fingers.The door groaned open.Valerio stepped in, black shirt hanging open partway, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The air between them became heavy with tension, the air itself seeming to realize the seriousness of their desperation."You ran from me this morning," he growled, voice low. Smooth. Deadly.Sera stood up. "I needed space."His eyes went darker. "You don't get to run from me.""You bought my freedom and then stuck me in another cage."Valerio stalked toward her with the calm of a predator, each step measured. When he reached her, he didn’t touch—only stared, breathing her in. “This isn’t a cage. This is the safest place you’ve ever been.”“I don’t want safety,” she snapped. “I want control over my own life.”He tilted his head. “Then t
Sera awakened slowly, the silk sheets wrapping around her body like a second skin. Her body still hummed from the night before—their slow, lazy petting, the way Valerio had treated her like fragile glass, the intensity in his eyes as though he was afraid she'd disappear if he blinked.For once, there had been no command, no restraint on her wrists, no domination. Just. him. Bare. Honest.And it frightened her.She tossed on the bed, the satin sheet slipping down her bare shoulder. Valerio was seated on the edge of the bed, shirtless, broad shoulders tense, hands running through his dark hair as he stared at something distant.There was always something simmering beneath his silence—a tempest waiting to explode."You never sleep," she whispered, her voice still rough from sleep. and from the soft moans he had drawn from her last night.Valerio turned his head, and for an instant, his eyes softened. "Couldn't. Not with you beside me."A blush climbed her cheeks.She reached for the robe
Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains like a gentle promise. Sera awakened slowly beneath the silk sheets, her bare leg twined with Valerio's. She blinked sleepily, taking in the unfamiliar opulence of the bedroom—the velvet drapes, the minimalist black-and-gold decor, the subtle scent of his cologne permeated in the pillows.And him.Valerio.Still with her.Still there.She turned her head slightly and found him awake, propped on one elbow, watching her like she was something sacred. Something fragile. Something his hands had held all night and hadn’t broken.“Good morning,” he said, his voice gravelly and low, warm as the morning sun.Her heart fluttered. “You stayed.”“I told you,” he murmured, brushing her hair away from her face, “you’re the only one I’ve ever stayed for.”She swallowed. "That's not something I know how to deal with,"He leaned in, his lips grazing her temple. "Then don't deal with it. Just let it be."Sera didn't say anything, her eyes drifting to t
Morning light poured through the transparent drapes, casting in soft golden streams over the silk bedding. Sera woke up first, the familiar stiffness that gripped her limbs each morning mysteriously absent.Heat surrounded her. A broad arm circled her waist, pulling her back against the hard chest behind her. The steady, even rise and fall of his breathing caressed the base of her neck. Valerio.Her heart missed a beat.She should have moved away.She didn't.She allowed herself to remain there, absorbing the evasive silence. The sheets were scented with him—rich spice and warmth. The scent of power and danger. Of her fall.She hadn’t meant to fall asleep in his arms last night. Hadn’t meant to surrender like that—emotionally, physically. But when he whispered *"You’re my queen now. My salvation,"* something in her broke. Or healed. She still wasn’t sure.His grip around her waist tightened slightly. A soft grunt vibrated against her shoulder.“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice still
The room was quiet except for their breathing.Sera’s heart thundered in her chest as Valerio cradled the back of her neck, his forehead resting gently against hers. The heat between them hadn’t died — it had only grown quieter, thicker, curling around them like smoke.He hadn’t moved since he whispered those words.*You’re my queen now. My salvation.*Sera's fingers were bound in the gentleness of his shirt. Her knees weakened, and not from the kiss that had left her raw and shaking. It was what he'd spoken — the tone in which he spoke. As though it mattered everything. As though she was not just a woman who'd strayed into his realm, but something holy. Something his darkness had been in wait for.She should have fled.She should have screamed.She whispered instead, "Valerio…."He lifted his head slowly, stormy eyes the shade of a bruised sky — and yet somehow still soft — for her alone. One hand extended to caress her cheek, the rough fingertips scraping over her skin like a promis
Sera woke tangled in sumptuous silk sheets, the acrid scent of Valerio lingering on her skin.She forgot where she was.Forgot who she was.The welts on her wrists — thin but real — the only proof last night hadn't been a fever delusion.She slowly sat up, wrapping the sheet around her breast.The rich suite was quiet, gold light filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows.No sign of Valerio.Sera's heart tightened unexpectedly.She told herself it was relief.Freedom.Not… disappointment.She slid out of bed, searching for her thrown-off clothes.But in place of her simple dress and undergarments, she found a white satin robe draped across a chair — expensive, delicate, obviously bought for her.The price tag was still attached.Another reminder: she was property now. Bought, taken, dressed up like a doll in his own world.Sera belted on the robe, cinching the fabric tightly around her waist.The knot felt like a noose.She walked barefoot to the window and looked out over the city s
The leather strap caressed her skin once again, tracing a lingering path down the arch of her spine.Sera trembled, blindfolded, naked, bound.Helpless.But her body deceived her — quivering with hunger instead of terror.Valerio's warm breath danced over her bare shoulder, sending her shivering."You look like a painting," he murmured, voice full of dark satisfaction. "A masterpiece meant only for me."Sera bit back a noise.The way he'd spoken — as though she were some prized treasure he'd overcome — had ignited a fire in her belly she didn't comprehend."Do you know what I want, Sera?" he whispered in her ear.Sera shook her head, speechless."I want to shatter you." he murmured."And then rebuild you. Piece by quaking piece."The leather strap cracked on her ass — hard, jarring pain.She cried out, but it was stifled in the air, smothered by humidity.Not hard enough to bruise.Only hard enough to mark her.Remind her who she was owned by.Valerio dropped the strap.She heard it f
Sera woke up ensnared in silk sheets, her wrists still tender from the memory of Valerio's tie.The room was heavy with the scent of him — dark spices, leather, and sex.For a moment, she simply lay there, letting herself drift on the radiance of the night before.Her body ached in the best way possible.Her soul. was another matter.*Losing yourself,* a harsh voice said in her mind.But warning was too late.She'd belonged to him since the time she'd ejected him from her dressing room and made him desire her.A gentle knock at the door snapped her back to reality.She hadn't even had time to call out before the door opened.It was one of Valerio's men — not the same one this time.Younger. Virtually boyish.But the grit in his eyes was all mafia."The boss wants you ready in fifteen," he said. "Clothes are in the closet."Then he left, leaving tension behind.Sera swung her legs over the bed, her bare feet sinking into plush carpet.Her whole body ached with bruised pleasure.*Reward
Sera woke the following morning to an empty bed.The sheets beside her were still warm, scented with Valerio's aroma — dark, rich, intoxicating — but he was gone.For a while, she just lay there, feeling the ache between her thighs, the gentle bruising around her wrists where he'd pinned her down.They were marks of possession.Marks she should hate.But she didn't.Not yet.She groaned and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The silk slip she had worn to bed the previous night was torn and strewn on the floor, a testament to Valerio's loss of control.*Good,* she thought, a wry smile tugging at her mouth. *Let him lose control. Let him fall.*For she was falling too — harder and faster than she wanted to admit.Before she could slip into the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.Sera's heart missed a beat.For one wild moment, she wondered if it was Valerio — come back to finish what he'd started.But when she opened the door, it was another man.Tall. Somber. All