Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 73655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“I thought so,” I tell him earnestly.
“And there’s nothing like feeling the warming flesh of a woman’s ass as my hand spanks it. Watching the bloom of red on her pristine skin makes my cock hard. Do you like being spanked piccola ballerina?” The rough, husky tone of his accent trickles its way up from the base of my spine to the back of my neck, causing goose bumps to flourish on my skin.
Heat blooms on my cheeks at the question. Narrowing my gaze, I pin him with a hateful glare. “That’s none of your business.” Even as I spew the response, I know it’s an unbidden confession that I’m not experienced in what he’s asking.
Enzo chuckles, his friend joins in the amusement at my expense. “Oh, my sweet little wife, soon, every moan and whimper will be mine. And that body of yours…” He pauses for a long moment, ensuring I’m listening, before he affirms, “Is mine.”
Mario rises to his feet before tipping a salute to his boss, leaving us alone. Enzo drops his hands to his sides, and I pray he’ll leave, instead, he walks toward me, causing me to retreat, only for him to follow.
“You’ll stay in your bedroom today. The contract had all the given specifications of what you need for school, and I’ll ensure you get it. But if you step out of line, consider all those things gone,” he informs me, his tone confident.
“I’m not some unruly teenager you can set boundaries for,” I bite out, but the moment I do, I realize my mistake because Enzo’s hand is at my face, his fingers digging into my cheeks as he holds me steady.
“This is my house, and with you living here, you’ll abide by my rules.” There’s a no-nonsense grit to his voice. Even if I could respond, I wouldn’t, because if he takes my dancing away from me, I’ll be lost. It’s the only thing I love in this world. It’s the only thing I have that reminds me of my mother. And I’ll be damned if Enzo de Rossi takes that away from me. My heart thumps against my ribs, reminding me that even though I’ve angered him twice in the last two days, I’m still alive.
Barely.
I nod as much as I can, while he holds my face.
“Good girl.” He offers one last wolfish grin before releasing me and turning on his heel. Once he reaches the door, he throws over his shoulder, “And don’t do anything stupid.” He steps out and shuts the door, but I don’t hear the lock click.
Rushing to the door, I stand silently against the frame, my hand trembling as I reach for the handle. I can’t hear any footsteps on the other side, and I’m almost certain he’s waiting. That’s why he told me not to do anything stupid, because he’s expecting me to attempt an escape.
I want nothing more than to open it. But for a long while, I breathe deeply. I focus on the exercises that my dance teacher would drill into my mind, and I step back, allowing Enzo to win this one. He has complete control over my life, and I’m going to have to live with that if I want to dance.
I make my way over to the balcony door, opening it. The fresh air from the chilly morning hits me in the face, and I shiver. It’s almost as if Enzo is here, touching me. But, even as I think about his hands, his fingers, I know there’s no ice when we make contact.
I don’t want to admit it.
Not even to myself.
But when he touches me, it burns.
Chapter 7
Enzo
I’m anxious.
Being around her has already frustrated me, but her sassy comebacks, and the fire that flickers in her pretty green eyes, are enough to have my attention caught in her net. I know I can’t love her, she’s the enemy, but deep down I wonder if fucking her will get the need to see her submit, out of my system.
The afternoon sky is ablaze with bright sunshine, but the air outside is icy. The seasons are changing, and soon enough, we’ll be in the middle of winter with snow coming down in sheets. This is the time of year I like to fly to Black Hollow, a small island off the Southern coast of Italy. A place I’ve come to love.
Maybe.
I glance up to look at Mario sitting behind the wheel of my charcoal-hued Mercedes Benz SUV. His focus is on the road, but I know he has questions. I can see them dancing in his eyes.
I allowed him to sit with Luna. And from what I can tell, they had a fiery conversation. He hasn’t told me what he said to her. I only caught the last bit of their talk, but I knew my little dancer wouldn’t cower under the weight of his gaze.