After a few days passed, I finally got a call from my real estate agent. He told me he’d found the perfect place, a three-story home on ten acres of land. With a long driveway and cobblestone walls that surrounded the property, it fit my bill of privacy. With the lush landscape and tall trees, it hid most of the house from view.

It was perfect.

He sent me pictures, and I was immediately sold.

Without even looking at the place, I took it. It was already furnished, which was even better. I didn’t care about decorating. I decided to buy it under my corporation so it wouldn’t be traced back to me, just in case Egor was looking into my whereabouts. It seemed like he genuinely believed me, but there was no way to really know.

Griffin called me. “When are you coming to get her?”

“Uh, hello to you too.”

“Hi.” He spoke with a deep tone, full of irritation. “When the fuck are you coming to get her?”

“Is she being difficult or something?” Mia was a bit sassy, but she was also lovely. I couldn’t picture her being rude or obnoxious to her hosts.

“No. She’s great,” he said in annoyance. “She and Vanessa are two peas in a pod.”

I chuckled when I understood the source of his frustration. “Oh…now I get it.”

“She’s cockblocking me.”

“Not likely.”

“She and Vanessa spend all afternoon at the gallery, and when they’re finished there, they go out. Vanessa has been showing her around Florence, taking her shopping and out to eat. It’s a fucking pain in the ass. So when the hell are you getting this woman out of my house?”

I laughed because I knew he was being dead serious. He didn’t like to share Vanessa with anyone this long.

“I left for a mission for three days, and then I had to do some work for Crow. I just got home, and then I had to help you. The madness never stops. I want some time with my woman. The Barsetti bullshit is getting old.”

“Well, I hope you get used to it. It never ends.”

He growled.

“I just talked to my real estate agent. I’m in the process of buying a place in Tuscany. It’s big and private.”

“Great. Let me know when you’re having the housewarming party,” he said sarcastically.

I ignored the jab. “I’m working on Luca right now. Things seem to be going smoothly, but it’s just a lot of paperwork.”

“Well, that should be irrelevant right now. When you get the keys to the place, you’ll fetch your woman?”

My woman. I’d never called her that before or thought of her in that way. But I did save her in exchange for ownership. She was mine. The thought made my spine tighten, made me miss those pretty brown eyes. I’d been sleeping alone every night, thinking about her and also preparing for another confrontation with Egor. Workmen had begun repairing the damage done to the house, and once that was finished, I would be putting it on the market. “Yes.”

“Good. Because I feel like I don’t have a woman anymore.”

“I apologize,” I said sarcastically.

“No, you don’t, asshole. If I didn’t love Vanessa so much, I wouldn’t put up with your bullshit.”

“Good thing you do.”

“By the way, I think we need to tell Crow about all of this.”

I’d planned on keeping it a secret from my family as long as possible. “Why? I thought you hated him anyway.”

It was the first time Griffin was silent. He took a long time to ponder before he spoke. “He’s not so bad.”

Wow. That was the first time I’d heard him say something nice about my uncle. “Did something happen?”

“I think we buried the hatchet. That’s all you need to know.”

“That’s good to hear. My father told me how much my uncle stressed about you.”

Griffin sidestepped the subject. “It feels wrong keeping this a secret. I helped you because there wasn’t time to think of anything else. But now that the mission is complete, we need to think about how we’re going to handle this.”

“My family has dissolved the issue with the Skull Kings. There’s no issue on that front.”

“But Egor could become an issue.”

“Unlikely,” I answered.

“Alright, even if that’s true, how are you going to explain Mia?”

I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. “My family doesn’t really ask about my personal life. Sometimes my mom pesters me about kids, but her questions don’t go too deep.”

“But they’ve never seen you with someone, right?”

“I suppose.”

“And you won’t be able to hide Mia forever. Since she has a kid, that’s even more suspicious.”

I hadn’t thought that far in advance. “I could tell them she needed work, so I decided to help her out.”

“Out of the goodness of your heart?” he asked incredulously.

“What?” I demanded. “Crow has a butler. My parents had a butler, but now they just have a maid. It’s not that strange.”

“But Mia is young and beautiful.”

“Maybe I sleep with her once in a while. So?”

He chuckled. “You’re getting awfully defensive, man.”

“I just don’t think I need to explain her purpose. Not when I’m not even sure what her purpose is.”

He sighed into the phone. “Conway’s wife was basically a slave to him for a while. Seems to be a Barsetti trait.”

“Just because Conway did that doesn’t mean the rest of the Barsetti men have.”

He was so quiet it seemed like he’d hung up.

“Griffin?”

“Just giving you some friendly advice. You’re right, everything is probably fine. The dust has finally settled, and peace should reign. But Crow butted into my relationship without mercy, and with your family being so close, I think it’ll happen to you as well. And since you did go to the Underground again…your family might have the right to know.”

When my father had confronted me about it, I told him I wouldn’t return. I felt bad for lying to him, even after the problem had been fixed. Sometimes my father was difficult to talk to because he was so aggressive and emotional. Ironically, my mother was the more pragmatic one. I loved my father, but I’d always been closer to my mother. “I see what you’re saying.”

“I think they’re going to find out anyway. May as well be the one to tell them.”

“And if I don’t, will you?”

He scoffed into the phone, clearly insulted. “I’m no snitch.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“I may come from the streets, but I’m not a rat. I’ll take your secret to the grave—because I’m a man. But you’re lucky enough to have a compassionate and loyal family. They’ll understand a lot better than you think they will.”

“I can’t even picture that conversation…”

“You can spin it a little,” he said with a chuckle. “Don’t mention she’s stuck in indentured servitude. You can skim over that part.”

“Alright. I’ll take care of it once I’m out there.”

“Good. And that better be soon. I don’t like sharing Vanessa with anyone. I’ve paid for her with my blood and sacrifice. The only reason why I’m on my best behavior is because Mia seems like a nice person who’s been through a lot. But trust me, my sympathy won’t last long.”

“I believe it.”

He hung up without saying goodbye.

It was the most extensive conversation I’d had with Griffin, and I realized we’d bonded—in a strange way. It was the most interaction I’d had with him, and it was obvious he was just as loyal as Vanessa claimed he was. He’d dropped everything to help me, despite the crazy circumstance. He’d already proven himself, so he didn’t need to prove himself further. He did it because he wanted to—because he was part of the Barsetti family.

Once the money had been transferred, the house was officially mine. The movers packed my essentials, and I drove to Tuscany in one of my million-dollar rides. On the drive, I called Griffin through the speaker system.

“Coming to get her?” he blurted, cutting right to the chase.

“Yes.”

“Thank fucking god. They went to get their nails and have lunch.”

“That sounds nice. Girl time.”

“Girl time means not Griffin time.”

I chuckled. “Man, you sound like an egomaniac. It’s not like you don’t see Vanessa.”

All I got was a growl in response.

“Anyway, I’m on my way. I was wondering if I could talk to Mia.”

“Like I said, she’s out with Vanessa.”

“I’ll call Vanessa, then.”

He hung up without saying a word, just like yesterday.

I called Vanessa next. Mia answered right away, knowing she was the person I wanted to speak to. “Hey.” Her voice was always soft when she spoke to me, not filled with the sass and hate like when we first met. It was brimming with affection, like she’d been thinking about me constantly, waiting for this phone call to take place.

“Hey, sweetheart. Griffin tells me the two of you have been having fun.”

“Oh my god…there are no words.” She turned cheery instantly. “We’ve been to restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, clothing stores…everything. I haven’t been outside like this in years. It’s so nice.”

I was grateful Vanessa had taken the time to show her around, especially when Griffin was breathing down the back of her neck. “I’m happy to hear that.”

“Your cousin is so nice. I love her.”

“Yeah…she’s pretty cool.”

“I understand why you love your family so much. Griffin is a little tense, but he’s great too.”

“He’s just possessive of Vanessa.”

She chuckled. “I noticed that. So…when am I going to see you?”

She should hate me for the deal I made with her. I only gave her freedom in exchange for her submission. I wasn’t willing to risk everything just for her. No, only when I got something in return. In business, that was fine. But this wasn’t business…because she was a human being. I could make it right by letting her go, but I didn’t want that. I wanted her to fulfill her end of the bargain. “Today.”

“Today?” she asked happily.

“Yes. In a few hours.”

“Really? Did you get the house?”’

“I did. It’s about thirty minutes outside Florence. Close to my family but not too close.”

“I’m sure it’s lovely.”

“I’m gonna swing by and drop off my things with the movers. Then I’ll come get you.”

“That’s great,” she said. “I’ve loved staying here, but I want Griffin and Vanessa to have their privacy back. They’re so in love, and I feel like I’m getting in the way.”

I didn’t tell her about Griffin’s frustration. He was like a caveman who could only speak in anger and nothing else. “They’ve enjoyed having you. But I’ll enjoy having you more.” After this time apart, I was eager to be with her again. I’d risked everything for this woman, and I wanted to cash in my reward.

Mia didn’t say anything to that. “Any update on Luca?”

“Still doing paperwork. It’ll be at least a week before I can pick him up.”

“One more week,” she said under her breath. “I can go one more week…”

I knew Luca was the main thought in her mind right now. Maybe she did miss me, but her affection for me would never compare to her need for her son. I understood that. “It’ll be over soon, sweetheart.”

“I know…thanks to you.”

I drove with one hand on the wheel, my eyes focused on the road ahead of me. The fields passed on either side of me, and I hung on the line even though there was nothing else to say.

“I’ll let you go, Carter. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Alright, sweetheart.” I hung up.

I considered calling my father to tell him the truth. It was something I should man up and do, but it seemed wrong to do it over the phone. A face-to-face conversation was a lot more respectable. I called him anyway, to tell him something else.

He answered right away. “Son. What are you doing?” He breathed heavily over the line, like he was in the middle of moving something massive at work. He growled when he set something down then turned his attention to me completely. “I just finished loading the barrels into the truck.”

“Are you at the main winery?”

“Yep. What are you doing?”

“Driving.”

“To Tuscany, I hope?”

“Actually, yes.”

He paused, his happiness becoming palpable. “You’re staying with us for a visit?” My father was usually abrasive and difficult, but when I was coming to stay, he became audibly happy. “Your mother will be so thrilled. How long will you be staying?”

“Actually, I won’t be staying with you guys.”

“If you think you’re gonna stay at a—”

“I bought a place. It’s about fifteen minutes away from you and Mom.”

Speechless, he sat on the line.

“I’ve decided to make the move. I do most of my business virtually anyway.”

He still struggled to find the right words to say. “Carter…I don’t even know what to say. You have no idea how thrilled I am. I miss you so much…” My father didn’t get sentimental often, so when he showed his emotion, it was profound. “I see Carmen a lot more often, but the idea of having both of you here… It’s a dream come true.”

I was only moving there because it was easier to hide Mia, so I felt bad for letting him think I was doing it to be closer to family. “I got a great deal on a house that I couldn’t pass up. I’m a few hours away.”

“I can’t wait to tell your mother. I’m gonna tell your uncle first because he’s standing right here, but I’ll call her next. We’ll have to get together to celebrate.”

“Absolutely,” I said. “Maybe tomorrow. I still have a long drive and have to move my stuff in.”

“Of course,” he said. “The timing is perfect because Sapphire is about to pop at any moment.”

The thought of Conway made me feel better about this move. I used to see him all the time, and now we hardly spoke. I would get to spend time with him again, even when he was a father. “I’m excited to see what the new Barsetti is gonna be. Hope it’s a girl since it’ll drive Conway crazy.”

Father chuckled. “Yeah. Raising a daughter isn’t easy…and when she’s an adult, it’s even harder.”

When I was growing up, all my guy friends would tell me how hot my sister was. She was a hot commodity—still was since she was single. I knew my father hated dealing with it, just the way my uncle hated dealing with Vanessa.

“So, tell me about your house,” Father said.

“You know that place with the iron gates and cobblestone wall?”

“The one that’s ten acres and three stories?” he asked in surprise.

“Yep. That one.”

He whistled. “That’s one fine piece of real estate…and a little big for one man.”

“I’ll have a maid.”

He chuckled. “Not what I meant, and you know it.”

I smirked but didn’t address it. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Father. I should concentrate on the road.”

“Alright, son. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

When I finished putting my stuff away at the house, I drove to Florence to retrieve Mia. I parked in front of the gallery behind Griffin’s truck, then walked to the front door of the apartment. I knocked and was greeted by Griffin.

It was the first time he looked genuinely happy to see me. “Good, you’re here.” He grabbed the bag off the floor and handed it to me. “It’s got all her stuff inside it. It’s pretty heavy…they did a lot of shopping.”

I felt the weight on my shoulder. “And they bought a lot of shoes, I can tell.”

“Yep.”

“I’ll send you a check for everything.”

He brushed it off. “Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I will. She’s my woman. I’ll buy her clothes.”

He grinned, his arms across his chest. “Your woman, huh?”

“You know what I mean.” I stepped farther into the apartment and saw Mia come toward me. She used to stare at me with disgust, her eyes full of raging flames. But now, the look was totally different. She came to me like she’d been waiting for me to walk through that door all day. She moved into my chest, her small body perfectly fitting against mine. She was over a foot shorter than me, and her hair smelled different because she’d been using a different shampoo. My hand cupped the back of her neck, and I felt the softness of the strands, remembering how they felt against my thighs and stomach when her lips were sealed around my dick.

My other arm circled her body, resting in the deep curve of her lower back. I squeezed her against me, having missed her more than I realized. There was a connection between us now, a loyalty both of us felt.

She stayed against me for a long time, sinking into my body like it was as comfortable as a pillow. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She tilted her chin back to look at me, and she rose on her tiptoes to kiss me on the mouth.

I kissed her back, embracing her soft lips. My arm tightened around her waist as I squeezed her against me, and my fingers dived deeper into her hair. I nearly forgot my cousin was standing there with Griffin because Mia’s kiss did crazy things to me. When I pulled away, I saw Vanessa grinning at me, like she was getting a lot of enjoyment out of this. “You ready to go, sweetheart?”

“Yeah.” She pressed her lips tightly together to absorb my kiss then hugged Vanessa. “Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it.”

“We loved having you,” Vanessa said. “If you ever need a break from Carter, you have my number.”

When she turned to Griffin next, all she got was a nod from him. “We’re always here if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” Mia came back to me, not expecting any more from Griffin.

Griffin wasn’t an affectionate guy, but I suspected he purposely didn’t touch Mia. Maybe it was because she had been a slave for so long. Or maybe he just didn’t touch any women besides Vanessa. Vanessa wasn’t the jealous type, so that didn’t make sense.

“Thanks again.” I hugged Vanessa before I shook Griffin’s hand. “You always have my back, and I appreciate it.”

“That’s what Barsettis do,” Vanessa said. “Griffin told me about your conversation. I hope that means you’ll be speaking to your father?”

“I will,” I said. “It’s a conversation that needs to happen in person.”

She nodded in agreement. “Understandable.”

I guided Mia out of the apartment and to my car at the curb. After the bag was dropped in the trunk, we got into the car and started the engine.

She looked around at the buttons in the car, along with the glowing lights. “I won’t jump out of the car this time.”

I chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind chasing you down again if you did.” I pulled onto the street, and we made our way out of Florence. There was a lot of traffic, so I couldn’t push the gas as much as I wanted to, but once we broke free of the city, I pushed the engine hard.

She looked out the window with a slight smile on her lips, gazing at the sky as the sun set over the horizon. The lights were a mixture of purple, blue, and pink, the perfect colors of a distant sunset.

After spending a week apart, we were together again, but I didn’t have anything to say. It was nice just to sit with her, to embrace what was going to happen next. Maybe all of our problems were really behind us. Or maybe they were lurking around the corner. Either way, we’d made our decision.

I approached the front gate and hit the clicker in the car. The large metal gates swung inward to allow my car inside. I took the long drive farther onto the property, moving through the trees and alongside the perfectly manicured grass. The gate closed behind me, the cobblestone wall encompassing the property as the ivy grew over the walls. When Conway realized I bought one of the best pieces of property in Tuscany, he’d be pissed he didn’t beat me to the punch.

When the house came into view, Mia gasped under her breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

I shouldn’t care about impressing her with my money, but I did. I wanted her to feel like royalty, to know she didn’t belong to just a random man. She was owned by one of the richest men in Italy, a descendant of one of the noblest Italian families.

“You bought this place?”

“Yes.” I pulled into the garage and closed the door behind me before I killed the engine.

“Just like that?” she asked incredulously.

I snapped my fingers. “Just like that.”

She looked at me with new eyes, as if she didn’t understand how powerful I truly was.

I grabbed her bag from the trunk and carried it inside.

She followed behind me then took in the house, a mansion that was far too big for a single man. She examined the hardwood floors, the plaster walls, and the Italian craftsmanship that made this house strong despite its decades of age. She explored it on her own, admiring the double grand staircase and the different living rooms. The dining room itself could accommodate twenty guests.

I set my wallet and keys on the entryway table then scrolled through the emails on my phone. There was a text message from Conway.

Heard you moved to Tuscany. You need to get a life and stop following me.

I grinned then wrote back. What can I say? I missed you.

I missed you too, asshole.

Conway was practically a brother to me, and having him close by was just another perk to making the move. I slid the phone back into my pocket when Mia met me in the living room.

“This place has three floors. Did you know that?”

I tried not to grin at her ignorance. “Yes. I noticed that when I bought it.”

She held up three fingers. “Three.”

I nodded. “The top floor gives great views of the countryside.”

“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the living room, admiring the carefully designed furniture and the large flat-screen TV.

My home was beautiful, but it didn’t compare to the woman in front of me.

She turned around and came back to me. “So…how is this going to work?”

I upheld my end of the deal and liberated her from the hands of a psychopath. Now we were five hours away, enclosed behind a thick wall in a mansion. Mia was officially mine—because I’d paid for her with my sacrifice. “It’s your job to make a home. I expect this place to be clean at all times. I want home-cooked meals throughout the day. According to my friends and family, you’re the maid of my estate. Do we understand each other?”

“What about Vanessa and Griffin?”

“They know otherwise.”

“But you still want me to fill that role?”

“Yes.” They would keep the secret to themselves. No one else needed to know the extent of the relationship. I might tell Conway…or he might figure it out on his own. He could read me pretty well. “I have to tell my parents what really happened…since they deserve to know the truth. But I’m going to tell them I gave you a job because you had nowhere else to go. And that’s the extent of our relationship.”

She watched me with observant eyes. “Alright. What about when Luca gets here?”

“You guys can have the west side of the second floor. He can have his own room, and you can have yours. I don’t mind letting him live here, but I want him to stay out of my way. I’m not going to lie, I have no experience with kids. Know nothing about them.”

“I understand, Carter.”

“There’s another living room up there, so you guys will have plenty of space. The third floor is mine and off-limits to him. When I want you, that’s where we’ll meet.”

“Do you think it would be better if Luca and I lived somewhere else?” she asked. “Because I can work here during the day, drop him off at school, go home after work, and be with him. When he goes to sleep, I can come back…”

I wanted her underneath my nose at all times, to make sure Egor didn’t take her away without me knowing about it. And when Luca was at school, she would be available throughout the day. “No. I want you here.”

“You’re sure you want to share your space like that?”

“I said the third floor is off-limits. So I won’t have to share my space.”

She didn’t react to my cold demands. She’d vowed she would be obedient and grateful, and she kept her word.

I wondered if it would continue that way. “The room next to my bedroom has everything we’ll need for our relationship.” I leaned against the counter and watched her expression, wondering if I would see fear or hesitation.

She didn’t show either.

“Do we understand each other?” I asked quietly. “Those are my terms. I expect you to fulfill them.”

“And I will.”

“Sir.”

Her eyes flashed slightly. “Sir.”

I felt my dick harden in my jeans when I watched this sassy woman respond to me so easily. She was the same woman who jumped out of a car, who tried to kill me with a knife. She cut a tracker out of her own ankle just to get away from me. But now, she submitted to me, giving in to my cruelty without objection.

I backed her up into the wall of the living room, my size outmatching hers. When her small frame hit the wall, I gripped both of her wrists and pinned them above her head. I squeezed her hands tightly as I looked down into her face. I felt her pulse increase against my fingertips, watched her chest rise and fall harder as my proximity made her squirm. She was in a V-neck t-shirt and jeans, and I stared down her top to the delicious cleavage line between her swollen breasts. The last time I’d fucked her, I didn’t know she had a child. Now that I knew, I looked at her in a new way. Her body had given life, and that made me respect her figure even more. I couldn’t tell that a little person grew inside her, that she’d survived one of the most challenging events in life.

It turned me on.

Her eyes met mine, the brown color sexy against her soft skin. Her slightly parted lips were ready for mine. She was absolutely still as I cornered her against the wall. “Carter.”

“I didn’t tell you to talk.”

Her eyes flashed in momentary revolt, but she covered up the anger quickly, remembering her place.

I wanted to enjoy this moment, enjoy the toy I’d just secured. She was mine as long as I wanted to keep her. She wouldn’t run, not after what I did for her. She would behave because it was the sacrifice she made.

I stared at her soft lips as I squeezed her hands further, feeling her pulse spike as I touched her. Ever since she came into my possession, I’d wanted to dominate her. I wanted to hurt her the way Egor did. No other woman turned me into this kind of man, the kind of man that wanted to control a woman rather than enjoy her. She was a good woman who deserved a good man, but something about her didn’t turn me into a good man…quite the contrary. “I’m not sure what I want to do first.” I brought her wrists together above her head with a single hand so my free palm could dig into her hair. I secured my fingers in her strands and tugged down, bringing her gaze directly onto me.

“Can I suggest something…sir?”

I moaned under my breath, loving the way she called me sir, the way she asked to speak. I was harder than I’d ever been, getting off on this woman’s submission. She wasn’t the kind of woman that allowed a man to conquer her…but she gave me permission. “Yes, sweetheart.”

“I want you…the way you’ve taken me before. I want it slow and good. A man has never made me feel that way before. I just got you back, and I miss it… I missed it for the past week.”

Listening to a woman ask you to fuck her was the sexiest thing in the world, especially when Mia was that woman. She wasn’t afraid to tell me exactly what she wanted, even though I was the one in charge. “It doesn’t matter what you want. It matters what I want.”

“I know…but I know you like it when I want you.”

My spine shivered at her words because she was right.

She didn’t fight against my hold, but her breathing increased as she waited for my answer. “Once in a while. I’m not sure how much I’m going to like what you want to do to me…and it would be nice to have something I want.”

“Again, it’s not about you.”

“But I know you like feeling me come.”

She was right. I got off on it.

“It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?” she whispered. “Because I do enjoy being with you. And if this is how the rest of my life is going to be, I would like to be satisfied sometimes.”

“What makes you think I won’t satisfy you? Even when we do things I want to do?”

“Because that’s how the last three years of my life have been…and I didn’t enjoy it at all.”

I pressed my mouth closer to hers so my lips barely touched hers. “You’ll enjoy it with me.”

“I don’t know…”

“You will, sweetheart. And just so you understand, no other men allowed. I own you.”

“Do I own you?”

I held her gaze, my hostility obvious in my look.

Her eyes filled with disappointment when she got her answer.

There’d better not be any objection to it because this relationship had never been romantic. It had always been physical. It had always been about ownership. The only goodness I would show her was rescuing her from Egor and getting her son back. She’d better not ask for anything else.

And she didn’t.

I released her hands then gripped her slender waist with both hands, my fingers underneath her shirt and directly against her soft skin. My mouth moved to hers, and I kissed her, greeted by her warm breaths and her reciprocation. My embrace started off as soft, and within minutes, it turned hot and heavy. The sounds our moving lips made filled the room, and I could hear it reverberate back at me. I could feel her breaths turn to pants. Her hands slid up my back, and she clawed at my shoulders, the pressure of her small fingertips digging through my t-shirt. Her chin was tilted up she could access my complete mouth, so I took her tongue as she gave it.

I had all of her now.

I could take her as slowly as I wanted. I could take her as quickly as I wanted. This woman was officially mine, belonged to me in a way she never belonged to Egor. She was there out of devotion and loyalty, not fear. She kissed me because she wanted to.

My hands slid farther up her shirt, and I unclasped her bra in the back so I could feel her tits. I squeezed both of them and flicked my thumbs across the nipples, making them pebble and harden. I breathed into her mouth as I felt her tits harden in my palms. I could feel her arousal absorb directly into my skin, feel our heat mix together and create an inferno.

And we were only kissing.

I couldn’t wait to sink my hard dick inside her, to feel the pussy that ignited my obsession. I wanted to take it slow, to fill her inch by inch and watch her reaction to me. I wanted to see the gratitude in her eyes as I fucked her, to be thankful I was fucking her instead of Egor. Then I wanted to watch her come, to watch her come for her master.

Me.

She spoke against my mouth. “Fuck me, Carter. I miss it…”

I paused against her mouth, taking an involuntary breath when she said the words. The fact that she wasn’t saying them for my benefit only made it better. I lifted her in my arms and carried her up the stairs. I already knew my way around, so I kissed her as I carried her to the third floor. Lighter than air, she was like a feather in my arms. I got harder in my jeans because I knew I was finally about to have her.

I stepped into the master bedroom and dropped her on the bed. My hands went to her jeans right away, and I pulled them down her legs at the foot of the bed. Her panties came next, and I felt a rush of adrenaline when I saw how soaked they were. The slick residue was shiny, fresh from her cunt. When I got them off her ankles, I laid them on the bed beside her, so I could look at them as I fucked her. My hands moved for her shirt next, leaving her naked and beautiful.

I undressed slowly, taking my time as I removed my shirt and jeans.

Mia watched me with the same arousal. Just as I felt when I saw the moisture in her panties, I could tell her eyes adored the way the tip of my cock drooled for her.

I wrapped my hand around my length and smeared the residue over the head of my cock, to lubricate myself before I slipped inside. I wanted that cunt so much, hadn’t stopped thinking about it since the last time I saw her.

I stood at the edge of the bed and positioned two pillows under her head. I wanted her perfectly angled to look at me, to watch me fuck her. My hands hooked behind her knees and spread her wide apart before the head of my cock found her entrance. Like it had a mind of its own, it knew exactly where to go. I slipped inside her, pushed through her tightness, and slowly sank deeper and deeper.

Mia moaned when she felt me, bit her bottom lip in the sexiest way. She held on to my forearms while her knees were pressed into her waist. “Carter…this feels even better than I remember.”

I wasn’t even fully inside her yet. My sensitive tip could feel her tightness and wetness. She wasn’t kidding when she said she missed me. She didn’t want me to chain her and whip her, not right away. She wanted to enjoy me first. When she gave an erotic performance like this, I didn’t mind in the least.

I pushed until I was all the way inside, balls deep and completely sheathed in her arousal. This pussy was better than the others I’d had before. It was so tight and so slick. Despite giving birth to a son and being raped by a monster, she felt like a virgin I hadn’t popped yet. I squeezed the backs of her thighs with my fingertips and felt my cock attempt to twitch inside her. It was tempting to come then and there, to dump my come inside her since it’d been so long since the last time I did it.

With her mouth open and her teeth visible, she breathed loudly through the pleasure, stuffed with a big dick that stretched her just right. Her nails cut into me, and she looked so sexy with her legs open for me like that. Her tits looked perfect, and her pretty hair was sprawled across the pillow around her. “God…Carter.”

Jesus.

I scooped my hands around her thighs and pulled her toward me as I started to thrust. With slow and even strokes, I shoved my length entirely inside her and pulled out again, feeling her soft flesh around me from tip to base.

Her eyes were on me the entire time, steaming like hot espresso. She licked her lips. Sometimes she would bite her lower lip. Her nails would carve into my skin. Like she was enjoying it even more than I was, she came apart right before my eyes.

How the fuck would I last?

I pulled my dick out of her and saw the glistening smear of arousal that covered me. Clear and shiny, it was all her, along with the cream that already built up at the head of my cock. A long thread of sticky slickness stretched between the head of my cock and her pussy. She was so drenched, we were connected even when we were apart. “Jesus Christ, sweetheart.” I shoved myself back inside her with a hard thrust, hitting her deep and making her wince slightly but moan at the same time.

I moved into her hard and fast, wanting to push her to a climax as quickly as possible. A women’s pleasure wasn’t a challenge for me, but right now, it seemed to be the most difficult thing in the world. I knew she wanted those powerful orgasms I’d given her before, and I had to deliver before I enjoyed mine.

She grabbed the edge of the bed underneath her ass so she could pull herself into me, meet my thrusts with her own. Her tits shook with her movements, her nipples hard and stimulated. Her moans turned to screams, and my name flew out of her mouth more times than I could count.

“Come, sweetheart.” I was a man who could usually last longer than this, but right now, that seemed impossible. I rubbed her clit vigorously while I slammed into her, determined to push her over the edge and give her the climax she’d been craving.

Thankfully, she did. Her eyes closed and her mouth flew open as she bucked her hips and enjoyed the orgasm my cock unleashed. She yanked herself farther into me, taking more of my length as I rubbed her clit continuously. Her pussy clenched around me with the grip of a warrior, and more of her slickness flooded my length. I was soaked from tip to base, drenched in this woman’s pleasure.

Her orgasms seemed to last forever, but maybe that was just because every second she enjoyed one was a second I had to hold back. But being the gentleman that I was, I kept my shit together, kept my dick hard and penetrating. I slammed into her with my thumb circling her clit, milking every single second of goodness out of the climax.

When her hips stopped bucking and the momentum passed, her eyes opened again and settled on me. Her pleasure had been powerful, but she looked at me like she wanted more, like that was only the beginning. Her hands reached for my chest as her pussy slowly softened around me. “Please come inside me…sir.”

My cock naturally twitched at her choice of words. Anytime a woman wanted my come it was hot, but she put a special spin on it.

“I want it…so much.”

Jesus. Christ. I gripped her by the neck and stared into her face as I finished, giving my final pumps before release. With my eyes fixed on hers like a hunter and its prey, I pounded into her pussy before I felt the explosion from the head of my dick. I ruptured inside her, filled her with so much come that it moved up my dick as I kept thrusting into her. Her little cunt couldn’t take it all. It never could. I moaned as I enjoyed the pleasure that circulated in every single vein. I could feel the heat all the way in my gut, feel the aftershocks of goodness ripple through me. It was a good climax, better than normal. Every time this woman made me come, it was better than the last time.

“That’s exactly what I wanted…” Sweat gleamed in the valley between her tits even though I was the one who did all the fucking. Her hands felt my chiseled stomach as I continued to throb inside her, my dick slowly beginning to soften. “And I want it again…please.”

I loved hearing that word from her mouth.

Please.

Like she had to beg me.

“Please, sir,” I corrected.

Her nipples hardened, and the skin of her cheeks flushed crimson. “Please, sir.”

I woke up the next morning with Mia beside me. Naked and beautiful, she had her hair spread all over my pillow. She smelled like a woman who had been thoroughly fucked the night before. I pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder when I woke up, aroused by the sight of her beside me.

This was real.

My fantasy was real.

She stirred when she felt me kiss her. She turned over slightly, the sheets slipping below her chest to reveal her beautiful tits. “Morning.”

“Morning.” I trailed kisses from the back of her neck all the way down her spine. I kept moving when I reached the top of her ass, and I knew she didn’t expect me to keep going. When I did, her skin covered in bumps, and she tensed noticeably. I moved right between her cheeks, over her asshole, and down to her pussy. I kissed her there, tasting our fluids mixed together from the night before.

She was absolutely still, her breathing nonexistent and her eyes closed. Her hard nipples told me she liked it.

I knew I liked it.

I kissed the back of her shoulder again. “I want breakfast in forty-five minutes, after my workout.” I kicked the sheets back and hopped out of bed. I pulled out my gym shorts and t-shirt without looking back at her.

She didn’t mouth a single protest, knowing she had to earn her keep. She didn’t get to live in a beautiful home like this for free. She got up and pulled on the t-shirt I’d discarded the night before on the floor. “What would you like, sir?”

As much as it turned me on to hear her call me that, she didn’t need to say it all the time. “Use sir after dinner. Carter is fine for now.”

“What would like, Carter?”

“Egg whites and veggies.”

“Do we have any groceries?”

“No. Take the car to the store. Keys are in the entryway. I turned off the thumbprint activation for you.”

Both of her eyebrows rose. “You’re going to let me drive your car?”

“For now. I’ll get you something else soon.”

“But you’re going to let me drive your car?” she repeated. “It’s like a million-dollar car.”

My fingers moved underneath her chin. The second I touched her, she softened. “You’re the strongest woman I know. You can handle it, sweetheart.” I kissed her on the lips before I turned away.

I headed to my private gym, did a rigorous workout, then took a quick shower before I arrived downstairs. The dining room had a nice view of the front of the estate. I sat there in my sweatpants with my laptop and got to work on emails and setting up meetings.

Exactly as I wanted, Mia brought my morning coffee and served breakfast—in silence.

I took various phone calls and had difficult schematics shipped. I had to make full sketches and send those images to the engineers in my lab. Even though I had some of the brightest minds working for me, I still had to delegate everything personally. That was the only way things ran smoothly.

Hours passed, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. Mia approached me at the table where I’d been sitting all morning. “Let me know when you want lunch, Carter.”

I looked at the time on my computer, realizing it was past one. “I’ll take it now. And I want you to eat with me, sweetheart.”

“Alright.” She returned twenty minutes later with salads and sandwiches for us both, along with freshly brewed iced tea. When she took the seat perpendicular to me, I shut my laptop and put my phone aside. “You don’t have to stop working because of me.”

“I’m aware.” I drank my iced tea as I looked at her, seeing the beautiful woman who never wore a drop of makeup. With soft brown hair that framed her face and coffee-colored her eyes, she was a sight to behold. “Lunch is good. Thank you.”

A slight smile formed on her lips. “Thanks.”

I turned my gaze back out the window, seeing the perfectly manicured gardens that hid the gates from view. With a state-of-the-art security system on the grounds, it would be difficult to cross my path without me knowing about it.

“So…any news on Luca?”

“Still working on it, sweetheart. They’re running the background report on my guy. When they’re done, they should release Luca. We’ll make the exchange right away.”

“Alright.” She looked into her iced tea, her eyes downcast. “I’m just anxious. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy that I’m free from Egor. I just—”

“I understand, sweetheart.”

She turned back to me, sighing quietly. “What if he doesn’t remember me…?”

“That’s crazy. Of course, he will.”

“He was only five when I didn’t come home…living in that orphanage for three years must have been a nightmare for him. He had no idea what was going on. He didn’t know what happened to me. It’s just… I hate Egor for what he did. Rape and torture are nothing compared to taking my son away from me.”

It broke my heart to listen to this. It made me want to kill Egor.

“And now, I can’t have any more children…which is just as hard. I’ve always wanted three kids.”

“It’s not impossible, sweetheart.”

“But unlikely,” she whispered. “I should be grateful I have at least one—”

“No. What Egor did was unacceptable. He should die for what he did to you.”

Her eyes shone with gentleness. “I hate him…never hated someone so much in my life.”

“And you should.”

“I always promised myself I would kill him someday…but now that I’m getting Luca back, I should just let it go.”

I wanted to take care of it for her, but I knew vengeance wouldn’t be smart. We should just be thankful we were both able to get away without inciting his wrath. “Yes. You should concentrate on your son.”

“I will,” she whispered.

I had a few questions for her, but they were all personal. She was my property now, but I didn’t have the right to ask her about her past. Anything that happened before me was none of my business. That didn’t stop my curiosity. “Can I ask about Luca’s father?”

“Sure.” She looked me in the eye. “There’s not much to tell.”

“Were you married?” I shouldn’t feel jealousy over someone I didn’t care about. If I did care about her, I would just let her go for good. She was a slave to me now. In some ways, I wasn’t better than Egor. But the idea of her loving a man made the veins in my body burn. The idea of her making love to someone every night while looking him in the eye made my blood boil. Professing to love him for the rest of her life just made it worse.

Shit, what if she was married now?

I was standing between her and her husband.

Fuck.

After she finished drinking her iced tea, she answered my question. “No. Never been married.”

Thank fucking god. “Can I ask what happened?” The father obviously wasn’t in the picture at all. Otherwise, Luca wouldn’t be in an orphanage.

“I got pregnant with Luca very young. I had him when I was eighteen.”

If he was eight, that meant she was twenty-six now. So she was a bit younger than I was.

“The father said he was too young to be a dad and didn’t want the responsibility. Told me to get an abortion. I had no interest in that, so I kept the baby. It was really hard to raise a son at that age. I didn’t have any support and I was broke, but I worked two jobs and put myself through college. When I graduated with a clinical lab science degree, I moved to Italy for my first job. I was the lead scientist for a large winery, overseeing the fermentation process. I was making decent money and giving Luca a good life. Mastering two languages at once, he was a bilingual kid. Then I made the mistake of going to a bar with some friends…a decision that ruined my life. That’s how I ended up here…”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. Her life journey hadn’t been easy, and just when she finally found stability for her son, some asshole took it away from her. She didn’t need a man to take care of her, not when she could hustle on her own. “Have you spoken to the father since you were pregnant?”

She shook her head. “No. The last time we spoke, he said he wanted me to get an abortion.”

Coward. “So he has no idea all of this happened to you?”

“No. And I had a hard life growing up, the product of a drug-addicted mother. I was taken away from her at a young age after my father died and put into foster care. But that didn’t stop me from thriving, from getting good grades in school and getting a full scholarship to college.”

“Badass.”

She flinched at my words.

“You’re self-made. That’s really impressive.”

“Well, that’s sweet to say. But look where I am…”

“You’re a survivor. That’s what I see. Not a victim.”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, Carter.”

“You wouldn’t have made it this far without yourself. Anyone else would have taken their own life. You never did…because you had Luca to live for.”

She turned her gaze away, like she was on the verge of tears.

“When your son is old enough, he’ll be very proud to call you his mother.”

“Like I would ever tell him about all of this.”

“I don’t know…if he was an adult, I don’t see why not.”

“No child wants to hear that about their mother,” she whispered. “I would never hurt him like that.”

That was for her to decide, not me. “Either way, he’ll be proud of you. It’s difficult to be a single parent.”

“You know…it never really was. I loved every second of it. Sure, it was hard sometimes, but it was all worth it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even if I could go back in time and make better decisions, I would still do everything the same. Luca is everything to me.”

It reminded me of the way my parents spoke about Carmen and me. We were the light of their lives. They never spared their love or affection. “I look forward to meeting him. I wonder how much he looks like you.”

“He looks a lot like his father. But he has my eyes.”

“I love your eyes.” I blurted out the words without thinking.

She smiled slightly. “He’s very sweet. Very bright. But then, it’s been three years…and I wonder how much he’s changed.”

“I’m sure he’s the same sweet boy you remember.”

“I hope so, Carter. I hate to think of how those people treated him.”

My hand moved to hers. “If he’s as strong as his mother, he did just fine.”