The day Matteo took me to the old warehouse, where he runs his business, was the day that everything changed.

I don’t know what changed. And I don’t care. But my life is much easier now.

Matteo never locks the door to his bedroom. He lets me freely explore the house and the grounds whenever I want.

He even let Gia take me shopping the other day.

It’s like we are a couple. Well, almost.

Minus the fact that I didn’t enter into this relationship willingly. And the fact that he never takes me on dates. And when we fuck, it’s borderline rape every time, somehow pushing the line, but crossing it. And I don’t have access to a phone.

Otherwise, we’ve developed an easy relationship with each other. We may not talk about mundane things, like how our work day went, or the weather, or anything like that, but none of that stuff matters anyway.

We know how each other feels with just a glance. We know what each other craves with just a touch. We know what each wants with just a kiss.

We both like fucking each other too much. I’m not sure it’s healthy. Actually, I know it’s not. I’m addicted to his body. I’d willingly have sex with him multiple times a day, and it has nothing to do with saving Nina.

I’m afraid that if given a choice between returning home immediately to freedom, or getting a day full of sex with Matteo but having to stay his slave forever, I might choose the latter.

I’m sick. And Matteo is my cure.

This can’t keep going on like this. It’s not healthy for either of us when we both know this sexual relationship has a time limit on it. And the longer we go, the harder it’s going to be when we stop.

Neither of us cares or think about that though. All we care about is the next fuck. Like a drug addict only caring about his next fix.

Matteo won’t be home for hours, which means I’m going to have to handle the familiar ache between my legs myself. He’s at work, trying to figure out a plan to deal with Clive and Erick, the same single focus he’s been worried about for weeks.

He hasn’t brought me back to the warehouse since he first took me there weeks ago. He also won’t even talk to me about using me as bait. He won’t even consider it.

Which means he either cares, or he really thinks of me as his property.

He’s fooling himself if he doesn’t think I can help though. I know what Clive and Erick want. Me.

Matteo can deny it all he wants, but it doesn’t matter. I know the truth he hides behind his eyes.

I head to the bathroom and turn on the faucet in the tub. I might as well take a long bath since I have hours to kill and nothing to do until Matteo gets home. I have free range of the house and could watch TV, read a book, or go for a run. But none of those things can hold my attention.

It seems that only Matteo can hold my attention.

I turn the water off when it fills the bath, drop my clothes to the floor, and then climb into the bath, sinking all the way down until the water hits the tip of my chin.

It’s warm and relaxing. But I didn’t draw the bath for relaxing. I drew it to get rid of the aches that consume my thoughts.

I let my hand drift down between my legs, rubbing gently as my bud slowly starts to awaken. I close my eyes and my thoughts immediately go to Matteo. I try to think of past boyfriends, hot celebrities, and imaginary men. Anything to make me stop thinking of Matteo. But despite trying, it never works.

Matteo is what my body wants, even when he isn’t good for me.

I picture his hand replacing mine. I picture him climbing into the tub naked, as his cock drives against my stomach letting me know he wants me as much as I want him. He pinches my nipples, making my hard peaks come alive. And then he sweeps his tongue into my mouth, claiming me in a kiss that is primal, hungry, and sexy as hell.

I purr, the kiss feeling far too real.

“You wouldn’t be trying to get yourself off without me, would you?” Matteo asks.

My eyes fly open, and I grin.

“No, you were there in my dreams.”

He smirks. “I bet.”

He climbs into the tub, still fully clothed, and I squeal from the excitement of him being here.

“Why are you back so early?” I ask.

“We figured out a solution.”

“Really? What is it?”

He shakes his head and then kisses me again. “Does it matter?”

No, it doesn’t matter. He’s kissing me and that only means one thing. He’s going to fuck me.

He reaches behind me. “I have some fun toys to try.”

My eyes darken as I see the nipple clamps in his hand.

He kisses me again, and I feel the cold metal against my skin. My nipple hardens against his touch, and then he places the clamp firmly on my nipple.

I moan from the pain and the pleasure.

He does the other one, and I can’t focus on anything but my breasts. It’s like all my blood and focus go there. He grins as his hand goes down between my legs, tearing my focus between my nipples and the ache between my legs.

I let my head roll back and rest against the edge of the bath, no longer caring where my focus is. It’s his. Just like my body. He can do whatever he wants to me, and it doesn’t matter.

I feel his cock slide into me, and my body feels whole.

I open my eyes to see him still clothed except for his cock. He grabs my shoulder as he thrusts into me, sliding me down deeper into the tub. I don’t care. I let him. I trust him completely with my body. Despite the fact that with each thrust, my mouth falls further beneath the water threatening my oxygen supply.

I can’t breathe after a few thrusts, because my face is covered with water. His lips come down on mine giving me breath and a sweet release. I come on his cock as easily as breathing.

He grins pulling out of me and pulling me back up out of the water. He stands and then pulls me up too. He tugs at the nipple clamps, turning me on again before he pulls them off and I’m left with nothing but ecstasy and emptiness, missing his cock.

He helps me out of the tub and hands me a towel, while he finally undresses and wraps a towel low around his waist.

“I want to try something. Trust me?” he says, but all I hear is a command to my soul to which I can’t say no.

I nod, my mouth dry. I love when he wants round two so quickly afterward.

“Go lie down on my bed, face down.”

I don’t bother to dry off all the water from my body. I walk to the bed, laying the towel down first to not completely soak the bed, and then lie down on my stomach as he asked.

He takes his time before he finally walks to the bed. I don’t hear him, but I can feel him standing at the base of the bed.

I don’t turn to look. I don’t need to. I trust him and whatever new thing he wants to try.

He climbs on the bed behind me and gently lifts my hips up placing a pillow under my stomach.

“I’m not going to tie you up, but you can’t move. Understand?” he asks.

I nod.

“I need to hear you say you won’t move.”

“I won’t move.”

“Good girl.” He pushes his cock inside me without warning into my ass. He’s fucked me in the ass before, but usually, I get a lot more warning and preparation. Not this time. This time he wants me to feel the pain.

Tears sting my eyes, but quickly subside when his fingers play with my most sensitive bud, and he starts thrusting, making me feel like I’m floating on a cloud.

He kisses my neck, and I moan. I love it when he kisses my neck before he nibbles. I love feeling his lips anywhere on my body.

“Take a deep breath, baby,” he whispers into my ear before sucking on my earlobe sweetly. He’s acting far too sweet, which means it’s time for the pain. The part where I don’t know if I can handle it right before I come but want more and more of the pain I thought moments before I couldn’t tolerate.

I suck in a breath.

Pain.

I feel searing pain in the back of my neck as Matteo stabs me with something. I know he’s drawing blood from whatever he’s doing.

This.

This is my breaking point.

I can’t handle more of whatever this is.

“Stop,” I beg through tears.

He kisses my neck, and the pain disappears. Just like that. Did he listen to me? Or did I blackout?

He thrusts inside, and I’m back to the real world again. The world where he worships my body in the worst ways.

“You got this baby. I need this,” he says, and then I feel the burning pain again against my neck.

I don’t know what he’s doing or why. I take his words and play them in my head again and again. He needs this. He’s using my body to please himself. And as screwed up as it is, I’m more than okay with that.

The tears still sting my eyes, but less this time. My body jolts as the stabbing continues, but this time he thrusts, I focus on what his cock is doing to my body instead of the pain in my neck.

“You’re mine, beautiful,” he moans as he continues.

“Yours,” I whisper back, knowing exactly how true my words are.

I don’t care about being a lawyer again.

I don’t care about returning to my old boring life.

I care about him. Because he’s the only one that has made me feel alive.

He’s protected me against Armas. He’s taken care of me when I needed help the most. He’s done everything for me. More than anyone else in my life ever has.

I can see myself painting again here. I can run. I can study history again. I’m stronger here. No longer afraid of anything. Because I know I can handle any pain or nightmares. I’m stronger than I ever realized.

Matteo showed me that.

I’m more alive here than I ever was back home. Matteo is my new home. I don’t ever want to go back.

I might even love him.

It’s a crazy thought.

One I shouldn’t have.

I probably have Stockholm syndrome. I just fell in love with my captor, and when I get free, I’ll realize how crazy these feelings are. But I don’t think so.

I’ve seen other women who had feelings for their captor. This is different. I still despise him for taking me against my will. I won’t ever forgive him for that, but I can’t ignore the caring man he can be when he’s not pretending to be a monster.

All the feelings in my body intensify. The pain. The pleasure. The heartache. It all comes to a head.

“Come, Eden,” Matteo commands.

I don’t think it’s possible. I can’t when I’m in this much pain. But I feel the tightening of my body. My toes curl, my breath catches. And I come like I haven’t ever before.

I come hard on his cock as the pain slowly subsides and the kisses on my neck stop.

I come, and it’s an experience I never want to forget. It’s the first time I’ve come while in love. And I want to remember it forever.

Matteo doesn’t let me collapse against the bed. He grabs my arm and drags me off the bed and into his arms. I’m too exhausted to walk. He knows, so he scoops me into his arms to carry me to the bathroom, most likely to clean up.

“Look in the mirror,” Matteo commands, and he brushes my hair off my neck.

I glance in the mirror, out of the corner of my eye.

My eyes widen when I see the marks he left in black ink.

Matteo Carini’s.

It’s a crude tattoo. Blood is oozing down my back, and the lettering isn’t perfect or dark, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a perfect way to mark how I feel.

He doesn’t wait for me to respond. He doesn’t speak any other words either. He simply kisses my forehead and then carries me back to bed.

He didn’t say I love you. I didn’t either.

He didn’t ask if I liked the tattoo or if it was okay.

I didn’t want him to anyway.

He marked me as his. And it’s exactly what I wanted.

Even though our relationship will never last, I’ll never remain his forever. Someday another man will fuck me and have to look at his name on my neck with his name on it.

I may love another man one day. A man that treats me nicely and lets me make my own decisions in my life. A man that isn’t dangerous enough. A man that won’t remind me of Matteo in any way.

When that day comes, I’ll be more than happy to have Matteo’s name etched on my skin.