Cato fucked me.

And fucked me.

Never stopped fucking me.

A man had never screwed me like that in my entire life. Had never made me feel so wanted, so sexy. Had never made me feel like the sexiest woman in the world. His hands were always on me, and his dick never seemed to soften. When a normal man would have started to get bored, Cato just seemed invigorated.

I went to sleep with so much come between my legs that it stained the sheets everywhere.

My body slowly woke up, and I was aware of the sunlight hitting my eyelids. I was on my back with a heavy arm across my waist. Warm breaths fell on my neck as the giant snoozed beside me. I opened my eyes and looked at his meticulously sculpted arm as it rose and fell across my tummy. His powerful frame was next to me, all muscle, skin, and the smell of sex. He hugged me like a bear protective of his cub.

I stared at his profile, seeing the hair start to come in along his jaw. It was a faint shadow, a shadow that hadn’t been there last night. His hair was in disarray from the way I’d fingered it so much. His cologne had burned off in the middle of the night, replaced by the smell of the sheets and my sweaty body.

I replayed last night in my head, thinking about the intimate dinner we shared and the sex that commenced afterward. My purpose was to lure him into confidence so I could betray him, but I found myself pitying my own target. I began to humanize him, regardless of his crimes. He was the best lover I’d ever had, and he knew exactly how to treat a woman. Even our conversations were pleasant because he was very particular about his choice of words. He might be arrogant, but he didn’t spend all evening talking about his accomplishments. He had a fathomless depth to him, like the middle of the ocean that extended for miles underwater. There was a distinct sadness to his soul, an emptiness he didn’t have to admit. I understood his hollowness all too well. I saw the greed and corruption destroy my family. Cato didn’t have a single person he could trust because even his close allies would stab him in the back if they had the chance.

Of course, I pitied him.

That also made me doubt myself. I was doing this to save my father, but Cato didn’t seem like the demon Landon described. He possessed streaks of evil, but he also had hints of humanity. He shot someone without hesitation, but he also took care of his mother and spoke highly of her. How could I vilify him when my father was guilty of the exact same crimes? My father had murdered people who got in his way. He prioritized money over my mother. He sacrificed everything for a fortune he didn’t even need.

And I was the one risking my neck to save him.

If I thought about it too deeply, nothing made sense.

Cato took a deep breath when he woke up. It was a masculine sigh, a low moan that came from the back of his throat. His hand squeezed my hip, and before he even opened his eyes, he moved on top of me and positioned his hips between my thighs.

“Uh, good morning?”

He opened his lids and revealed his sleepy eyes, a look that was even sexier than when he was wide awake. He tilted his hips and pressed the head of his crown right between my pussy lips. “Morning.” He shoved himself hard inside me, sliding through the come that still remained from last night.

My nails dug into his arms, and I moaned when I felt his violent intrusion. I’d never fucked a dick like his before. He wasn’t just long, but thick, and those perfect dimensions hit my desire in the right spots. It was the kind of cock made for fucking, perfect in its shape and hardness. “God…” My toes curled, and I moaned against his lips.

He buried his face in my neck and fucked me in the laziest way possible, his warm, heavy body pressing me into the sheets. His hips bucked, and he ground his body right against my clit. He didn’t even need to do anything to get me off because he was simply so well-endowed.

Getting fucked by a sexy man first thing in the morning was one of life’s gifts. It was a treat I’d never truly enjoyed until now. There had been some good lovers in my life, but none like Cato. And skipping the condom made the sensations even more heightened, made every thrust ten times more pleasurable. This was a man so beautiful it was painful, and I actually felt like the luckiest woman in the world to be underneath him at that moment.

I never had to wonder if he would make me come. I never had to wonder if I should touch myself to get to the finish line. Anytime he was inside me, I knew he was man enough to finish me off before he released.

That made me worship him.

My ankles dug into his ass as I came, my nails clawing at his back as I rode the high he created in between my legs. “Thank you…” The words slipped out of my mouth on their own, a plea to this god in the sack. I didn’t realize how much I needed to be pleased until Cato came to my rescue. He fucked me the way I needed to be fucked, fucked the way every man should.

He grunted as he finished, dumping another mound of come deep inside me. He filled me so much last night there was no room left, but that didn’t stop him from trying to give me more. He moaned again as he finished, his come seeping out of my pussy and dripping between my cheeks. “Fuck. This. Pussy.” He pulled his big dick out of me then left me there. He walked into the bathroom and got in the shower.

I didn’t care about the cold way he used me then carried on with his day.

I loved it, actually.

I fell asleep again then woke up when I heard his voice in the next room.

“I’m in Milan.”

I sat up then ran my fingers through my hair. I squinted to make out the time on the nightstand. It was almost one in the afternoon.

Jesus, I hadn’t slept in that late in… I couldn’t remember the last time.

“Siena and I looked at a painting. I decided to buy it.” A coffee mug tapped against the counter, like he was sipping it then setting it down again. “I’ll be back later today.” After a long pause, he turned cold. “I know, Bates. You’ve made your opinion perfectly clear.”

I opened one of his drawers and found a pile of fresh t-shirts. I grabbed the gray one on top and pulled it over my body. It was baggy around the arms and extended past my knees. It fit like a blanket more than a piece of clothing. I walked into the other room and found Cato sitting at the dining table, looking out the window. A mug of coffee sat in front of him, the steam drifting toward the ceiling, his phone beside it. He was in a new t-shirt and jeans, his dark hair styled after his shower. He didn’t turn around to look at me. “Coffee?”

“Please.”

He walked into the kitchen and poured me a cup.

I took a seat in the chair across from his. The sunlight came through the large window and filled the chair with summer heat. It would be a warm and humid day, but summer in Italy was always beautiful. Some people couldn’t stand it. But I loved it. It was the winter months I despised. The heating system in my house wasn’t great, and the fireplace wasn’t powerful enough to chase away the cold.

He placed the mug in front of me then sat across from me. His light beard was gone, and his tanned complexion practically glowed in the afternoon sun. He hunched forward and cupped the mug with both hands as he stared at me.

I took a drink as I kept my eyes focused on him. A more beautiful man I’d never seen. He wasn’t just pretty to the eyes, but rugged and masculine like a cowboy. His criminal roots showed in his cold exterior, but no matter how many crimes he committed or lives he took, nothing could stomp out the light in his eyes. There was still a soul in there, a loneliness that was so deep it was impossible to miss. “Who were you talking to?”

He drank his coffee, his expression betraying annoyance at my question.

“Not asking to be nosy. Just trying to make conversation.”

“Then ask how I’m doing.”

I let the hostile rebuff slide. “I already know how you’re doing. When are we returning to Florence?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“I just need an hour to shower and get ready.”

“Then that’s when we’ll leave.”

I cupped the mug with both hands to feel the warmth against my fingertips. A part of me wanted to go back to bed and spend the rest of the afternoon screwing. Cato had invigorated me with a new sexuality. I never knew sex could be that good, could be so simple and wonderful. I’d been more intimate with him than I had with anyone else, and while that should have made me feel guilty, it didn’t because I enjoyed it so much.

He didn’t take his blue eyes off me once. “I was talking to Bates.”

“I thought it was none of my business.”

“It’s not. Now I’m telling you because I want to tell you.”

“Or because you knew you were being a dick.”

Instead of flashing me a hateful look, a hint of playfulness entered his gaze. “You got me.”

“Every time I see you interact with your brother, it seems tense.”

“We’re focused men.”

And Cato was the most intense man on the planet. “Are you two close?”

“He’s the only person in the world I trust implicitly.”

“What about your mother?”

“She doesn’t count. Different kind of relationship.” He took a drink of his coffee. “My mother will be gone in a few years. Bates and I will be side by side for decades to come. He’s my blood and my business partner. I will never have a wife or children, so he’s the only family I’ll ever have.”

That was the most depressing thing I’d ever heard. “Let me ask you something. Do you not want a family because you just don’t want one? Or because you think it’s not an option?”

He drank his coffee again and didn’t answer the question.

I didn’t press him on it. It was stupid to antagonize a bear that was already irritated. “If Bates is just like you, I don’t see how you get anything done. That’s a lot of stubborn testosterone for one room.”

“We’re both assholes. That’s why we get along so well.”

My brother and I weren’t that close, probably because we were so different. But right now, he was all I had in life.

“He doesn’t like you.” Cato took another long drink of his coffee and finished the cup.

I stilled at the comment and the abrupt way he said it. “He doesn’t know me.”

“He doesn’t trust you. Doesn’t want me spending any more time with you than necessary.”

I kept the same calm façade, but my heart was beating a million miles a minute. Thankfully, he couldn’t feel my heartbeat. Otherwise, my pulse would be a dead giveaway. I defused the statement. “Neither of you trusts anyone, so that doesn’t say much.” I drank my coffee even though the last thing I needed was caffeine. It was idiotic of me to think I could manipulate someone like Cato. I made more progress than I expected because we were monogamous for the time being, but the second I stepped out of line, the Marino Brothers would be on me in a heartbeat.

“We don’t trust anyone for a reason. It keeps us alive.”

“I really seem dangerous to you?” I asked, forcing a chuckle I didn’t feel.

“Just your pussy.” He rose to his feet and grabbed both mugs to carry them into the kitchen.

Once he wasn’t staring at me, I let out the breath that was packed deep in my lungs. My fingertips felt numb from the adrenaline. I was dancing on a fine line, risking my neck every single day I spent with Cato. If I didn’t finish my task soon, he might dig a little deeper and realize exactly who I was. Or maybe the reason Bates didn’t trust me was because he already knew exactly who I was.

Landon was waiting for me in the back of the bar.

Lights were low, and few people were drinking this late on a Tuesday. Landon was in all black, holding his glass of scotch like it was a crutch he needed to walk. He hardly lifted his gaze when I took the seat across from him.

He’d already ordered a glass of wine for me.

“What happened?” he asked, instantly inquiring about my relationship with Cato.

“Hi. Nice to see you too. What’s new?”

He lifted his gaze and gave me a vicious glare. “I’m crashing with one of the women I used to sleep with. I pay for rent and food with sex and monogamy. All I have is the money I swiped from the vault and the accounts. That’s what’s new with me, Siena. Now, what’s happening with Cato?”

That was more information than I needed to know, but since we weren’t that close, it wasn’t totally awkward. “We’re exclusive.”

Landon’s furrowed brows softened into a look of surprise. “Did he ask for that?”

“Yes.”

“Really?” he said. “You’re monogamous?”

“Until I’m finished decorating his house. That’s the plan, at least.”

He rubbed his fingers across his jaw, feeling the thick beard he’d allowed to grow in since the last time I saw him. “Your plan is working. A guy like Cato doesn’t quit a lifestyle like his without reason.”

“I’m just as surprised as you are.” I thought it would be a lot more difficult to lure Cato into a connection. This guy could have any woman he wanted—and as many women as he wanted. To put that aside just to enjoy me seemed illogical. “But I think he’s grown tired of the repetitiveness of life. I think he’s bored and unfulfilled. I’m the only woman in the world who’s ever told him no. I’ve played hard to get. I’ve dated other men in the meantime. That’s not something he’s used to, and I think he’s intrigued by it.”

“Whatever you’re doing, it’s working.”

“Yeah…”

“You think you can get him somewhere alone? Your house would be the perfect spot. It’s quiet, and there are no neighbors. Damien and Micah could show up in the middle of the night while he’s asleep and ambush him then.”

“Even when he’s at my place, his men establish a perimeter around the property.”

“Tell him it makes you uncomfortable.”

Even if I did, I would be too paranoid to see the plan through. “Landon, I don’t know if I can do it. He threatened me. Not directly, but he did. Maybe he was stupid enough to fall for my ploy this far, but I don’t think he’s dumb enough to fall for this. Bates is on to me too. Said he doesn’t like me or trust me.”

Landon held my gaze as he listened, his hand returning to his glass.

“I’m on the edge of a knife. Cato clearly feels a connection toward me. He tells me things, and when I see through his bullshit, he appreciates it. There’s clearly something between us, the beginning of something anyway. If I betray him and it doesn’t work…I know he’ll torture me and kill me. He said it straight to my face.”

“That was exactly what I warned you about.”

“So…I think I have a different idea.”

“What?” Landon asked. “Kill him in his sleep and take his body to Damien? You’d never succeed. And I’m sure they want him alive.”

“No.” My new idea was just as dangerous as my original plan, but it might have a better chance of success. “What if I tell Cato about my dilemma? What if I tell him my father has been kidnapped and the only way I can save him is by handing Cato over?”

My brother gave me the same look he’d been giving me our whole lives—like I was the biggest idiot on the planet. “And you think Cato will happily hand himself over to make your life easier? Maybe you’re good in bed, but no woman is that good.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean? Tell me how this idea could possibly work.”

“Cato Marino is the most powerful man in this country. You’ve told me that more than once, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes. He owns everything and everyone. What if I told him the truth and asked for his help? Who would be better to make that happen? Cato could snap his fingers and our father would be saved and Damien and Micah would be six feet under. They wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”

When Landon didn’t argue right away, it meant he was considering my words. With narrowed eyes and focused thoughts, he mulled it over. “That sounds like a dream come true. But why would he want to help you after you admit this was all a ruse? You tricked him, and he fell for it. He’s gonna be so pissed, he’ll probably rip your head off.”

“True…”

“Like, actually snap your neck. I’ve heard that’s his favorite way to kill people.”

At least it would be painless and wouldn’t make a mess. I’d look pretty in my casket.

“Cato will never forgive you for tricking him. The guy could be madly in love with you, but the second he realizes everything was a lie, he’ll rip you apart. This guy rules with fear and torture. You’re not special. He treats all his enemies exactly the same way. He’s not gonna allow you to make a fool out of him.”

I knew Cato was the killing machine Landon described him as, but I also knew there was a small layer of softness underneath his hard exterior. He did have some good in him, some understanding. “I still think I have a better chance telling him the truth than going through with this plan. It’s obvious I’m only doing it to save my father. I’m not after his money or his power. Any human being would understand that.”

Landon shook his head. “I disagree.”

I wouldn’t make my move right this second anyway, so it didn’t matter. I still had time to think about what I was going to do.

“You’ll need to make a decision soon. You’re running out of time. Damien and Micah won’t be patient much longer.”

“Well, it’s way too soon. There’s nothing I can do right now.”

“If the guy is only sleeping with you, I’d say you have some leverage.”

“But when my job ends, we’re over. I can’t stretch it out forever.”

Landon took a drink. “Look at it this way. This is the first time in the guy’s life where he’s only wanted one woman. He went from threesomes to a twosome. Not only that, but he wants it just to be the two of you. That’s called ownership. That’s called possessiveness. That’s called a man marking his territory. When a man gets to that point, he doesn’t walk away. Maybe he doesn’t realize it now, but he will eventually. So if you keep this up, you’ll eventually break through his exterior. The question is, do you have enough time for that?”

I sat in the living room with a glass of wine in hand. My laptop was on my thighs, and I was researching the artwork I wanted to put in the hallway on the second level. Cato’s house was so enormous that finding enough artwork to fill every space was difficult. After I was finished with it, it would practically be a museum itself. Anyone who had the honor of visiting his home would be in awe of the masterpieces he owned. Just the Monet painting alone cost him ten million dollars.

The sound of the front door pulled my attention from the screen. It sounded like the knob was turning or the lock was being picked. Damien had no problem breaking in to my home, so I tossed my computer off my lap and grabbed the gun I kept hidden underneath the table. I clicked off the safety then faced the door, my gun aimed and held at the ready.

The lock was opened, and Cato walked inside.

Like he owned the place.

He was wearing black jeans and a gray t-shirt, and his height gave my vaulted ceiling a run for its money. His eyes moved to mine as he shut the door behind him. Unaffected by the loaded gun pointed right between his eyes, he sauntered into the room.

“What the hell are you doing?” My heart slowed down when I realized Damien wasn’t there to shoot me again, but I kept my gun pointed at the asshole who was trespassing on my property.

He walked right up to me and let the barrel of the gun press against his chest. Fearless, he looked down at me, that distinct look of amusement on his face. He cupped my cheek then tilted my face so my lips were angled toward his. “A beautiful woman with a gun…that’s pretty sexy.” He pressed his mouth to mine as he pulled the gun out of my hand.

My fingers turned lifeless as I let him pull the metal away from my grip. His kiss immobilized me, like I was the one being held at gunpoint. His warm mouth was as comforting as I remembered, soft and full. He gave me purposeful kisses that nearly made me forget he’d barged into my house without knocking.

He pulled down the straps of my yellow sundress and pushed it over my chest so my tits were on display. His lips didn’t break from mine as he gripped both of my breasts in his large hands and squeezed them. He moaned before he gave me his tongue. “I missed you, baby.”

I loved how sexy his hands felt as they groped me. So large and warm. They were a man’s hands, big and callused. They knew how to handle a woman’s rack, how to squeeze and massage until I was running out of breath. His thumbs flicked over my nipples as he kept kissing me.

“Say you missed me.”

I didn’t have an urge for disobedience. I turned into mush in his hands, my hormones overriding my rage. This man had done something unforgivable, but I was letting him kiss me and feel me up. “I missed you.”

He gripped my dress then pulled it over my head, revealing my choice of a white thong. He stared down at me in approval, his fingers moving to my slender tummy and my wide hips. He turned his hand over and trailed the backs of his fingers down my stomach and toward the apex of my thighs. When his fingers reached my clit, he rubbed it gently, using two fingers to supply the perfect amount of pleasure. He touched me better than I touched myself, as if he could feel my own pleasure. “Say it again.”

I didn’t hesitate. My desperation came out without shame. “I missed you…”

His mouth moved to mine as he kissed me again, his fingers still working my clit with precision. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth then grazed his tongue past mine. His fingers rubbed me harder until my hips moved into his body.

This man made me fall apart—and I hated it. “You can’t just barge into my house like that.” I pushed my hand into his hard chest, but he didn’t move. Instead, I was the one who moved back, his fingers falling from my clit. “There’s a doorbell.”

“I don’t like doorbells.” His eyes stayed glued to my lips, like he was waiting for the next chance to kiss me.

“Then knock.”

“I don’t like that either.”

“Well, that’s not how this is gonna work.” I crossed my arms over my chest, but that only pushed my tits higher up my body. “Knock, or I’ll shoot you next time.”

A charming grin stretched across his face. It should annoy me, but anytime he wore a grin, it was innately arousing. “Fuck, you’re sexy.” He pulled my gun from his back pocket and set it on my coffee table. His shirt came next before he tossed it on the floor. His chiseled physique became my obsession as he removed his belt and dropped his jeans.

It was impossible for me to stay focused with this guy.

When his boxers were gone and his ridiculously beautiful dick was on display, hard and ready, I really did lose my train of thought.

He moved to the couch and sat back, his proud dick lying against his stomach. He wrapped his fingers around his length and patted his left thigh with his other hand.

I should still be mad at him, but that was impossible. I moved between his knees and lowered myself to the floor.

Before I could get on my knees to suck him off, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me on top of him. “Baby, you’re wet enough for both of us.” He pulled me hard against his chest then directed his crown inside me.

I lowered myself slowly, sheathing every inch of his dick until I sat on his balls. He was so long that I had to raise myself high to pull him out of me. Then it was a long fall back to his balls.

He stared at my tits as he moaned, his masculine jaw tightening with his movements. He gripped both of my cheeks as he guided me up and down, making me move at a slow pace because he wanted to enjoy every bounce. “You really did miss me…” His hands moved to my tits, and he squeezed them as I kept moving up and down.

It’d been a few days since the last time I saw him, and now that his dick was so thick inside me, I wanted it every night. The sex was good and life was short, so I should fuck him every single day. Even when he did nothing but sit there, he was still the best lay I’d ever had. He was perfectly created, one of God’s favorites. He would ruin me for all other men, because no man would ever be able to fill me like this.

He locked his eyes on to mine, and I continued to bounce on his dick. He clenched his jaw and released another moan as he enjoyed me. He gripped my ass cheeks in his hands and guided me up and down harder, thrusting his hips up at the same time.

My arms wrapped around his neck, and I rested my forehead against his. “Cato, I’m gonna come…”

He pressed into me harder, his large feet pushing against the rug under the couch. “I know, baby. Your pussy gets so tight…so wet.” He pounded me into oblivion, sending me into another climax that made me forget how much of an asshole he was. It made me forget I was doing this for a reason. Now it seemed like I was fucking him because there was no other man I wanted to fuck.

“Yes…” I closed my eyes and enjoyed it, feeling like a real woman with a real man inside me.

He gave his final thrusts before he yanked me down onto his lap, balls deep, and then he came. He exploded his seed inside me, filling me with everything he had. He moved his face into my neck as he moaned, his cock thickening and twitching inside me. “Fuck.” He lifted me as he rose to his feet. “Now I want to stare at your asshole as I fuck you again.”

I dozed off for a few hours, and when I opened my eyes, I realized it was nine in the evening.

And I was starving.

Dinner had been forgotten because Cato stopped by with no warning. We wound up in my bed upstairs, fucking like it’d been weeks since we’d last seen each other, not days. Now I had a gorgeous man beside me, the sheets bunched around his waist as his hand rested on his stomach.

I slid out of the bed and made my way back downstairs. His shirt was on the floor where he’d left it, so I pulled it on and stepped into the kitchen. I’d already defrosted the chicken, so I added the spices then threw it in the pan. After a few more ingredients, I had chicken piccata.

“You can shoot, and you can cook. Perfect woman.”

I turned around to see Cato standing there in his black boxers. With lean muscle bulging everywhere, he looked even sexier naked than he did in a full suit. I turned off the pan then scooped the chicken, tomatoes, and pasta onto two plates. “You don’t know if I can shoot.”

“But you handle a gun like you can.” He carried the plates to the kitchen table.

I opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

“I thought you were a scotch kind of woman?” He sat down and took a drink of his wine.

“I am. But if I drank like that all the time, my aim would be off.” I sat across from him then cut into my dinner.

“A lot of people break in to your house?” he asked incredulously.

“You never know.”

He took a few bites while keeping his eyes on me. Just as he did when we were fucking, he watched me with that same hint of possessiveness. “You’re a great cook.”

“Thank you.”

“You can fuck. You can cook. You can shoot. Triple threat.”

“Not if you’re the one who pissed me off. I might shoot you then cook you.”

He grinned. “If you fucked me first, I probably wouldn’t mind.”

The more I got to know Cato Marino, the more I liked him. He was cold and empty when I first met him, just a hollow shell with few desires. But now he was a real man, one with confidence and a sense of humor. He even smiled once in a while. It was a much better version than the one I’d originally met. “So, no more barging into my house, alright?”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? This is my home, my property, and my privacy.”

“You watch a lot of porn or something?”

“Some. Not a lot.” I pointed my fork at him. “And that’s not the point.”

He was about to take a bite, but he lowered his fork and stared at me with a searing gaze. “Whoa, let’s back up.”

“What? That I watch porn? Women like it too. A lot of women.”

He set his utensils down like he needed all his bearings to continue the conversation. “Is that what you were doing before I walked in?”

“No. But it would be none of your business if I were.”

“How often do you watch it?”

Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all since that was all he could focus on because he was a pig. “Doesn’t matter.”

“I just don’t see why a woman like you would need to watch it at all. You can get laid as much as you want, anytime you want.”

I shrugged. “Sometimes you like to be by yourself.”

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if he couldn’t handle the comment I’d just made. “Jesus, you’re killing me.” He grabbed his glass and took a long drink. “I just eye-fucked your asshole while I fucked you, and now I’m so hard up it’s like I didn’t fuck you twice in the first place.”

I continued to eat. “All of this wouldn’t have happened if you’d just knocked.”

“I learned my lesson—I’ll never knock again.” His eyes narrowed on me, full of unstoppable arousal.

“Well, if you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll shoot you.”

“That’ll only make me want you more.” It didn’t seem like an idle threat. It seemed like he’d never meant anything more in his life.

I broke eye contact first because his intensity was too much. I’d never been with a man I couldn’t match. But my strength, intellect, and wit weren’t nearly as strong as his. This man had more power and confidence than I ever would. He fucked like he went to school for it, and he made me swoon like he was my soul mate. “It’s crazy to think you let me walk out of your apartment that one night.”

“Yes. Biggest mistake I ever made.”

“And here we are…eating dinner together.”

“An excellent dinner.” He finished his entire plate then washed it down with his wine. “Baby.”

My eyes moved up to meet his, instantly responding to the nickname he gave me at some point. I didn’t like possessive nicknames like that, unless it was from a man I was madly in love with. I would have told him to stop, but he never would.

He nodded to my left shoulder. “Tell me how that happened.”

I knew he was asking about the gunshot wound. It was still a fairly recent injury, and it would leave a noticeable scar forever. I was surprised he hadn’t asked about it until now. He probably didn’t bed too many women with gunshot wounds. “I had an accident a long time ago.”

“An accident?” he asked incredulously. “You shot yourself?”

So he knew it was a gunshot wound. Making up something wouldn’t work. “I don’t want to talk about it, Cato.” I turned back to my plate and finished the rest of it.

He kept his gaze on me, like that answer wasn’t good enough. “Why not?”

“You want to tell me something deeply personal about yourself?” I countered.

“Sure. What do you want to know?”

I rolled my eyes, knowing this was a false challenge. “Just drop it.”

“You really can’t tell me?” He cocked his head slightly. “Because if someone did that to you…I could even the score.”

My eyes lifted to meet his gaze.

He stood by his statement by continuing his deep and hard look.

I pondered asking Cato for help. I wondered if he would fix all my problems. But I also wondered if he would be so livid I’d used him that he might kill me instead. “My problems aren’t your problems.”

“As long as you’re fucking me, they are. If someone is giving you a hard time, I can give them a harder time.”

I’d never needed a man to protect me, but the idea of having a strong man like Cato in my life sounded like the nicest thing in the world. Cato couldn’t be challenged. He was too powerful. Even Bones and Crow wouldn’t mess with him. I could make Damien pay for threatening to rape me all the time. I could save my father and put a gun in his hand so he could kill his jailers. “It’s getting late, Cato. You should go.” I grabbed the dirty dishes and carried them to the sink.

“The only place I’m going is to bed.” He dropped the subject after I dismissed it, and he left the dining table. His heavy footfalls sounded behind me, tapping against the hardwood floor as he headed to the stairs on the other side of the house.

I stared down into the sink—unsure what move to make next.

Missionary seemed to be his favorite position because that’s how he usually wanted to fuck me. He preferred having my legs pinned back so he could drive himself as deep as my body would allow him. He liked to stare at my tits as he shook them, liked to kiss me when he ground his body against my clit.

I’d never had a man fuck me with such enthusiasm before. It was as if this man weren’t getting ass on a nightly basis, as if he couldn’t pick up a random woman in a bar and nail her within the hour. He screwed me like I was the only woman he wanted in the entire world, the only place he wanted to stuff his cock all night.

“Cato.” My hand started on his cheek and then slid into his hair. I felt the sweaty strands and fisted them as he kept pounding me good and hard.

He kissed me softly as he continued to give me his cock deep, his full lips lavishing me with purposeful embraces that never faltered. He sucked my bottom lip then gave me his tongue, his heavy breath coming out of his nose.

I knew he was a fucker, but I didn’t know he was such a lover.

“Cato.” Like our conversation over dinner had never happened, I worshiped this man by calling out his name as I rode another climax. I didn’t want to fuck him in the beginning because he was such an asshole, but now I would pay good money to have him fuck me like this once a week. He was so good it was indescribable. It made me want to betray him even less because I didn’t want this to end.

“This pussy…” He slowed his thrusts and made them deep and hard as he finished. His cock thickened noticeably inside me before he released. With a loud grunt and a small spasm down his back, he filled my slit with another round of come.

He slowly pulled out of me to make sure he didn’t lose a single drop. Then he lay beside me in bed, the late hour casting the bedroom into complete darkness. With one hand behind his head, he stared at the ceiling as he caught his breath.

I closed my eyes, so tired and satisfied I could drift to sleep right away.

“Baby?”

I faced the other way, my ass to him. “Hmm?” I could feel the come seeping from between my legs.

“I’ve got to get up early tomorrow.”

“You know where the front door is. You barged in hours ago.” I kept my eyes closed. I was too tired to even turn over and look at him.

“Alright. Then I’ll stay.”

“Wait, what? I thought you were leaving.”

“No. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t care about me waking you up early.”

“Well, I do care. So, don’t.”

His grin was audible in his voice. “I like sex first thing in the morning.”

“And I like sleep first thing in the morning. Don’t wake me up.”

“I’ll try not to. But the orgasm might.”

I shoved my leg behind me and kicked him.

He chuckled like it didn’t bother him at all. “Good night, baby.”

“Good night, asshole.”

He made good on his word the following morning. I was on my stomach, so he moved on top of me and fucked me in the prone position. The second his large cock was deep inside me, I was wide awake.

But I didn’t complain.

He fucked me hard and fast because he didn’t have all the time in the world. It was a quickie on overtime. He ground me into the sheets and made me come before he released inside me. “Have a good day.” He pulled out of me and hopped in the shower.

God, he was such an asshole. He fucked me when I was dead asleep and then used my shower when he was finished. Total prick.

By the time he got out of the shower, I was wide awake and unable to go back to sleep—even though it was six in the morning. I was never awake before half past seven. I put on a pot of coffee and sat in the living room in my robe.

He came downstairs minutes later, dressed in the same clothes he wore yesterday but still looking like a million bucks. “Came to see me off?”

All I gave him was a glare.

He grinned, as if my anger didn’t bother him in the least. “I’ll be back tonight. Don’t expect me to knock.” He headed to the door.

I jumped up and followed him. “That’s not how this works. You don’t just come by whenever you want.”

“What? Do you have plans?”

“No, but—”

“Then I’ll see you later.” He leaned down and kissed me on the corner of my mouth.

“Cato, you don’t own me the way you own everyone else.”

He turned back around, his playfulness gone and his intensity bright. “That’s where you’re wrong, baby. I do own you. I’ve owned you since the moment you whispered my name and came around my dick. I’ve owned you since the moment I came inside you. You’re my lady, and I come and go as I please.” He held my gaze and dared me to defy him.

I was so pissed I couldn’t think. So I slapped him hard across the face.

He jerked with the hit, and instead of displaying a fiery glare, he turned back to me like he’d never wanted me more. He calmly pulled his phone out of his pocket and made a call, his eyes glued to mine.

I had no idea what was going on.

“Push my meeting back to one.” He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

I knew something was about to go down. I was actually a little afraid.

He took a step closer to me and pulled his shirt over his head.

I stepped back.

He yanked his belt out of his jeans and slid it through his hands.

What the hell was he going to do?

He suddenly grabbed me by the back of the neck and pushed me to the couch.

My natural instinct was to fight—but that didn’t get me anywhere.

He forced me onto my stomach and tied my hands together at the small of my back with the belt.

“Cato, get off me.” I threw my hips up to buck him off.

“No.” He dropped his pants and boxers then yanked my robe up.

“I mean it.”

“As do I.” His heavy body moved on top of mine, and he shoved himself inside me violently, getting his girth within me in one swift move. He grabbed my hair and yanked me back, forcing me to curve my spine and look up at the ceiling.

Then he fucked me so hard.

My body shifted with the movement, but I couldn’t rest my neck because of the way he’d positioned me. He fucked me like I was a whore he’d paid for. Treated me like I was just pussy for cash.

And it felt so good.

“I. Own. You.” He pounded me so hard that my clit ached against the cushions. “Say it.”

As much as I enjoyed being fucked like this, I refused. “No one owns me.”

His dick was so thick inside me, about to burst because he hated and loved my defiance. With the endurance of an athlete, he kept going. He kept fucking me like he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.

I felt the climax begin. I didn’t want to give in to the pleasure. That only made him the winner. But it was impossible to fight. I could feel it, could anticipate how good it would feel.

Then he stopped. “Say it.”

That was when I realized what he was doing. This was his torture. I would be in this state forever until he allowed me to release—and only with my obedience.

I kept my mouth shut.

He started up again, grinding me hard into the cushions with his massive dick. “I’ve got all day, baby.”

I bit my lip and tried to think of a solution, but my mind was so focused on that big dick inside me pragmatism was impossible. Then I felt it again, the burning desire between my legs. He’d just made me come an hour ago, but it seemed like it’d been an eternity.

He stopped before I could release, removing his dick altogether. Despite how hard he was working, he wasn’t out of breath. “We both know how this ends.” He pushed his dick inside me again and rested his lips near my ear. “Say it.”

“No…” I yanked against the belt around my wrists.

His body smacked hard against my ass as he drilled into me. He gave me everything he had, stimulated my body everywhere.

I felt it again.

He stopped.

I screamed in protest. “You’re such a fucking asshole. I hate you. I fucking hate you—”

He fucked me again, just as hard as all the previous times. “And you belong to this asshole. Say it.”

I didn’t want to give in. But I didn’t see any other way out. He was a master at controlling his climaxes. Most men couldn’t keep their reflexes in check, but he was a professional at it. “Please…”

He chuckled against my ear. “Begging will get you nowhere. Now, say it.”

When he pushed me toward a climax again, I tried to pretend I didn’t feel anything. I kept my body relaxed and my breathing the same.

But he somehow knew. He pulled his dick out.

Fuck, I really couldn’t win.

He gripped my neck and breathed into my ear, his wet dick pressed between my ass cheeks. “Baby.” He grabbed my hair and forced me to look at him, victory in his eyes even though I hadn’t conceded yet.

I didn’t want a man to ever own me. My mission was to manipulate him to get what I wanted. Giving him what he wanted accomplished that, but I somehow felt like I was signing my soul over to the devil.

Cato Marino was the devil.

He pushed his dick back inside me and slowly started to move, keeping his eyes on me. “Say it.”

I turned my face away so I wouldn’t have to look at him.

He yanked me back, his eyes full of gloating.

“You own me…”

He inhaled a deep breath, like those words were beautiful to his ears. He pressed his mouth to mine and gave me a soft kiss before he righted himself on top of me. Then he pounded into me hard, nailing me so good I would hit a climax in seconds. “Say it again.”

I felt the climax hit—and it was so good that it was worth all the self-loathing. “You own me, Cato. You fucking own me.”