Sera stared at her reflection in the gold mirror, unmoving.The silver collar glittered at her throat, complex and remorseless, a constant reminder of what had just occurred.Of whom she now belonged to.Valerio lounged in an armchair across the room, legs splayed wide, watching her with a look that made her tremble.Not with fear.With something far more dangerous.Possession.He held a glass of whiskey in one hand, the ice clinking as he tilted it lazily, but his gaze never left her. Heavy. Hungry. "You’re trembling," he observed, voice low and dark.She was. Barefoot, in nothing but her silk nightgown and his collar, she felt stripped down to the bone. Exposed in ways she had never been before."I want it off," she whispered, reaching for the edge of the vanity to balance herself.Valerio merely sipped his drink, unconcerned."You put it on yourself, Sera.""It doesn't matter that I accepted it."He snarled. "Doesn't it?"The heat of his gaze skated over her flesh like a br
Sera woke to the heaviness of Valerio's arm draped across her waist, his body wrapped around hers like a living shackle.For an instant, she lay there, breathing him in.Leather. Smoke. Male heat.His smell was burned into her skin, her hair, into her bones.As if no matter where she went, she'd always carry him with her.She gritted her eyes shut, pushing the panic gnawing the back of her throat down. *Last night was a mistake.**Another mistake.*But her body betrayed her, aching lazily between her legs, a deep, burning pulse that wasn't remorse—but everything about him.Valerio moved beside her, his chest rumbling with a noise that wasn't quite a sound.His fingers traced slow, lazy patterns along the curve of her hip, brushing the sensitive skin just above the silver collar he’d locked around her throat."You’re awake," he murmured, voice thick with sleep.Sera swallowed hard. "Let me go."The hand on her hip tightened, not enough to hurt—but enough to warn."Careful, little lamb
Sera sat at the edge of the enormous bed, the silk sheet wrapped around her nakedness like a strand of tenuous protection in an oncoming tsunami that sought to engulf her in an avalanche of inescapable reality.Light streamed into the floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite, bathing the room in amber. Luxurious. Beautiful. Like gold-cherished bars glinting.The scent of sex still lingered in the air, thick and heavy. On her skin. In her hair. Deep inside her.*You’re safe now, Sera.*The words haunted her.*Safe.* Safe in the arms of the very man who’d ripped away her freedom.Safe in the bed of a devil.Sera shook, tossing back her hair. Her face scowled back at her in the silver-framed mirror opposite the door to the room — a stranger whose lips are puffy from kisses, cheeks a hot burn of red, welts mapping themselves out like an arch along the column of her throat. Marks of possession.Marks of insanity.She detested the way her body still throbbed with hunger for him, the way her
Sera was sitting in the armchair by the window, legs to her chest, wearing nothing but one of Valerio's black shirts that engulfed her small body. She looked out over the spread city below, glittering in the night sky.It should have made her feel free.Instead, she felt trapped.Imprisoned within a palace, owned by a man capable of shattering her with the force of his mind.She could still feel him on her flesh—his touch branded into her like a fiery iron, even hours later.Even now, she ached with a hunger she detested.The door creaked open behind her, closing softly.Sera flinched, but she didn't turn back.She already knew his identity.She could feel him. The air shifted when he entered a room, like even the walls bent to his will.Valerio said nothing at first. He simply watched her, his presence heavy, tangible."You’re quiet, dolcezza," he murmured at last.His voice, rich and deep, caressed the back of her neck, raising goosebumps.Sera didn’t answer.She couldn’t trust
Sera wasn't meant to want this.She wasn't meant to wake in Valerio's arms and feel.safe.But as morning light filtered through the thick drapes, she remained nestled against him, her ear against the solid beat of his heart. His arm was across her waist, holding her in possession even in slumber.She ought to get out of there. Ought to creep out of his bed and put as much distance between them as she could.And yet, she stayed.Because part of her — the part she was most terrified of — *liked* the way he held her.It didn't make sense.He was the devil.A monster in velvet and steel.A man who could take lives away with the flick of a wrist.And yet. he treated her like something divine.It was infuriating.And deadly.Especially since she was beginning to believe the fantasies her body whispered to her — that she could resist him.That she could play with him, tease him, dance along the edge of his dominance without being singed.A silly idea began to take root in her mind.Maybe it
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
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
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 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