18
CASTELLO
The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. “If I am, would you stay?”
I wanted to believe she would. I wanted to believe that somewhere in the far corners of her heart she no longer resented me for what I’ve done—she no longer blamed me for breaking her world apart. And now, now I was trying to build her world back up, but in a way I wanted it. Did I mention I was a selfish bastard?
I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop myself from being selfish and greedy when it came to her. I broke her world, yet she had become mine. Irony, you son of a bitch.
The more my skin lingered on hers, her sweet scent teasing me as it enveloped my senses, the more I realized I wanted her. But not just her body, not just the color of her blood. I wanted her heart, and everything in it. I wanted to possess her soul. I wanted to be the center of her broken world, just like she was mine.
“Would you stay, Tatum?” I dragged my fingertips up her arms, and she shivered. I loved that I held such power over her body.
She leaned her face against mine. “You already know the answer to that, Castello.”
“Do I?”
“Yes.”
I tore my lips from her flesh and stared down into her crystal blue eyes that had the power to consume me. Blue eyes that became the sun in my dark world. “Then say it. I need to hear you say it.”
Her tongue flicked out as she licked her lips, leaving the most enticing shimmer that beckoned me to claim her mouth.
She gave a step back, and my heart skipped a beat. For the first time her expression was unreadable. Her beautiful oval shaped face gave me no clue as to what she was thinking. Maybe it was my own insecurity causing me to become blind, rendering me incapable of knowing what was going on in her mind. I hated it.
She looked down at her arm covered with the protective wrapping. “You had me kidnapped.” She looked up at me. “You tore me away from my life.”
I swallowed hard, her face still completely unreadable.
“You starved me, humiliated me.”
My heart started to pound like a jackhammer against my ribs, memories of how I hurt her, thoughts of how much I wanted to fucking kill her scrambled through my mind.
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t open my mouth. All I could do was look at her, praying to God that her face would allow me to see something.
Then she reached to the zipper of her dress that started under her arm. “You spent days trying to break me.” Slowly she dragged the zip down. “Mind fucked me. Convinced me that in the end, I would die by your hand.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Tatum—”
The dress slipped off her body, and I balked.
“You degraded me, made me go on my knees, forcing me to act like your goddamn pet.”
“Tatum, what are you doing?” I was confused as fuck. Her naked body and the words coming out of her mouth were contradicting—the one causing my cock to harden, and the other slicing through my heart.
She gave a step closer, her shoulders squared with confidence. “You let your brother beat me. You let an entire crowd of men watch while I hung naked and chained from your goddamn ceiling.”
“Tatum, stop.” My heart was about to explode, my fists clenched as I tried desperately to fight the regret that was moments away from turning into anger.
With another step she stood right in front of me, her naked breasts inches from my chest, her nipples taunting the beast.
“Do you know what else you did, Castello?”
I tore my gaze away from her breasts, pulling my hand down my face. “For God’s sake, Tatum. Just stop.”
She reached out and placed her palm against my cheek. Confused as fuck, I stared down into her eyes…and then she smiled.
“Mi hai liberato.” You set me free.
Chills broke out straight through my entire body, relief filling my already pounding heart. My fists unclenched, and I grabbed her face in my palms. “Damn tu donna.” Damn you, woman.
I pulled her face to mine and crashed my lips against hers. I kissed her, my tongue assaulting her mouth with a kind of vigor I never experienced before. I didn’t know whether it was relief, or anger because she had managed to put me through hell for the past few moments. But I needed to pour everything inside me into that one kiss. I needed this moment to show her what lay hidden beneath the cold, hard layers of my heart.
“Ti amo.” I love you. I whispered the words from my mouth into hers. Yet I screamed those words from my heart, desperate for her soul to hear. The taste of salt invaded our kiss, and without moving my lips from hers, I opened my eyes and saw the tears running down her cheeks.
Softly I wiped them away with my thumbs. “Il mio cuore è tuo.” My heart is yours.
A soft sob escaped her with a breath. “E la tua.” And mine yours.
Her words pierced my heart like a thousand daggers. After everything I had done to her, after putting her through hell, this beautiful woman still gave me her heart. How was that even possible? Was this what mercy felt like? How being given a chance at redemption affected a man’s soul? Fuck knows. But what I did know was, I would never take her mercy for granted by breaking her heart. I would do everything and anything to make sure she would never regret this moment.
With my hand on her ass I scooped her up, letting her wrap her legs around me. My lips never left hers once as I moved us both to the bed. The longer I kissed her, felt her naked body against me, the stronger my hunger for her became.
I was between her legs the second her back hit the mattress, my cock grinding against her trying to get some welcome relief from the friction. But my damn pants was in the way and it irritated the fuck out of me, so I got rid of it within three seconds flat.
“Castello?” Her hands found my naked chest, her touch driving me insane. “What are those?”
I looked in the same direction she was, and saw the gold chains hanging from all four bedposts. Chains I had placed there earlier, chains I planned on using tonight. But now, there was just no way I could have the patience to play with her. I wanted inside her, and I wanted inside her now!
My gaze found hers. “I had plans for you, little mouse. But unfortunately, our confessions from a few moments ago changed it.”
“What plans?” The black center of her crystal eyes expanded, darkness and lust clouding the rays of color.
I licked my lips, images of what I had planned slowly giving me back some control. After all, would the reward not be so much sweeter afterward?
I placed my naked body against her, my hips forcing her legs further apart. The tip of my cock teased against her entrance, and I loved feeling her arousal coating mine.
“Plans to break you, then mend you, only to let you shatter into a million pieces with the pleasure I would fuck into you.”
Her hips moved, and I groaned, desperately trying to keep myself from thrusting inside her.
“Do it.” She bucked her hips again, and I wanted to fucking roar like a demon-possessed animal, the little control I felt a few seconds ago, gone like mist before the sun.
“Right now, little mouse, I don’t have the control to keep myself from fucking you raw.”
Tatum reached between us, wrapping her fingers around my cock, causing a moan to rumble from my throat.
“Do it,” she pleaded, and I pushed forward as her grip tightened. “Show me what you had planned for me...master.”
Like a goddamn switch, that one word made me go from a man fueled by his desperation to fuck his woman, to a master who wanted to play with his pet.
Her eyes begged, her body pleaded, and her pussy demanded as it throbbed against the tip of my cock.
I sat up, her hand still firmly wrapped around me. “What my little mouse wants, my little mouse gets.”
Darkness fell over me like a veil. And by looking at her hooded eyes, I knew the shadows had claimed her as well. God, it was exhilarating. Us. I had finally found the other half of my dark soul in her, and now we were entwined together forming something more powerful than anything I have ever felt before.
Her fingers were still wrapped around my cock, and I placed my hand over hers, squeezing and tightening. I started to move her hand up and down, pumping my cock hard, yet slowly.
I watched in awe as lust beamed from her face, her body squirming beneath me.
Abruptly I jerked her hand away from my cock, and got off the bed.
“There’s no need for me to tell you again that a safe word won’t save you from me.”
She nodded, her gaze following me as I slowly moved around the bed. My pet was hungry, craving all the twisted things only I could give her. And I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t make my blood sear the inside of my veins.
“Have you not bled enough tonight, little mouse?” I gestured toward her arm with the fresh ink.
“It’s not the same.”
“How so?”
She shook her head, her body still squirming on the sheets. “It’s like you said that night after Vico beat me. My body doesn’t react to anyone the way it does to you. It’s your touch, your belt...your knife that I crave. No one else. I want no one else. It’s only you...master.”
My cock twitched, every muscle inside my body clenched tight. My skin tingled, sweat beading on my chest. Every time that word left her mouth I could feel the monster claw at the back of my chest, wanting out. Wanting to use and devour. I never thought it possible that a man could harbor such sordid desires toward a woman, yet love her at the same time.
I took one of the golden chains that hung from the bedpost in my hand, dragging my fingers all the way down. The way her chest moved, rising and falling, her breathing shallow, I knew she felt the hunger just as strongly as I did.
“Sit on your knees.” My tone left no room for debate, and she quickly got up, positioning herself on her knees. I went to stand at the end of the bed, and leaned my head to the side as my gaze travelled between her legs. “Wider,” I commanded, and she obeyed like the perfectly trained pet she was, widening her legs, giving me the perfect view of her glistening pussy.
“Better.” I smiled, and walked over to the chest of drawers where I had placed the other object needed to fulfill the plans I had made for my little mouse. I turned, and when she saw the golden collar I held in my hand, her eyes widened, yet her delicious lips twitched in the corners, telling me she approved. Oh, did she approve.
“This is a very special collar, little mouse. I had it made specially for you.” I stopped in front of the bed, her eyes searching the golden collar I held.
I gently touched one of the five rings that hung from the collar, equally apart. It’s only when I turned it to show her what was on the front that she sucked in a breath.
I cocked a brow. “I told you, you were mine, little mouse. So it seemed only fitting.”
On the front was the word ‘MINE’ spelled with beautiful sparkling diamonds, a golden ring hanging between the ‘I’ and ‘N.’ Even though this collar was worth thousands of dollars, it still didn’t feel worthy enough for my little mouse.
“It’s beautiful.” She breathed out the words, her eyes staring in awe at the collar.
I grabbed a hairband from the bedside table. “Tie your hair.”
“I thought you liked my hair down.”
“I do. But for what we’re about to do, it needs to be tied.”
I caught a glimpse of fear in her eyes, and then it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. Tatum gathered her golden hair and wrapped the rubber band around it. The way she lifted her arms reaching behind her head, her back arched and breasts pushed out. My palms itched, my fingertips craving to pinch her temptingly delicate nipples.
“Perfect.” I bit into my bottom lip, my hunger for her perfect body only growing stronger the longer I stared at her naked beauty.
I couldn’t help but think about how far we had come. In the beginning she couldn’t stop herself from defying me, yet now she seemed to find pleasure when she pleased me. It was the most beautiful transition I had ever witnessed, seeing my woman go from an unsure, scared little mouse, to a confident, self-assured queen.
Carefully, gently, I placed the golden collar around her neck, clasping it at the back.
I leaned in and inhaled long and deep, allowing her essence to fill me. “Do you have any idea what it does to me seeing you wear my collar?”
I moved around the bed to stand in front of her, and allowed myself the pleasure of staring at her for a few moments, loving the sight before me. Tatum, collared with diamonds and gold, on her knees with her legs spread out just for me. This was Heaven...my Heaven.
“I’m no artist, Tatum, but the picture I’m looking at right now is goddamn priceless.”
The faintest blush of pink flushed across her cheeks, and I loved it. I wanted to see the same pink bloom on her ass, her thighs, her breasts. Pink was a pretty good color on her, a color I would paint on her skin with my palm every goddamn chance I got.
I took one of the four chains hanging from the four bedposts and fastened the end to one of the rings on her collar. My patience was starting to wear thin, my straining cock aching to feel her heat.
“My queen by day…and my slave by night.”
She swallowed, her throat bobbing up and down. I knew she was nervous, but her desire overshadowed the nerves and the fear. She was my brave little mouse...my dark little mouse.
I walked all around the bed, clipping the four gold chains to the collar around her neck. Those chains made it impossible for her to move, and the idea thrilled me.
Her blue eyes found mine. “What is the fifth ring for?”
My lips curled up. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
I grabbed one of my black ties, and ordered her to place her hands behind her back. Slowly I tied the silk around her wrists, purposefully touching her with my fingertips, igniting all her senses to create the most palpable atmosphere around us.
When I placed the blindfold over her eyes, I wasn’t surprised she didn’t react. She was growing used to having me strip her of her senses, heightening only those that mattered. Her body no longer stiffened whenever I did something that took her control away. She was turning into the perfect pet...just for me.
“Do you still trust me?” I grabbed one of my leather belts from the closet.
“Yes.” Her answer was confident. I liked that.
“Good.” I snapped the leather bands of the belt, the sound cracking through the room.
Her body jerked. “You have a belt.”
“I do. And this time it’s not going around your neck.”
“Castello—”
“Shhh.” I brushed my fingertips against a hardened nipple. “Remember that you trust me. Focus on me, nothing else.”
Her body trembled, and I knew why. I’ve never punished her with a belt before. After Vico had punished her, the lashes didn’t leave scars on her body, but it left emotional scars that I knew would take time to heal. But tonight, the last part of her healing process would be complete. It was the only way.
She pursed her lips, and I knew her mind had turned into battlefield. There was a war raging inside her, and I knew the only way for her to win the war against the demons of her past was to face them, and to conquer them.
“There’s no one here but you and me, little mouse. It’s just us. I know you trust me enough to take you where you need to go without letting you fall. I will never let you fall, Tatum. Never.”
I stared at her in awe, her body perfectly on display for me. Rosy pink nipples stood at attention, her legs still wide open as I had instructed.
Gently I palmed her breast, kneading the soft flesh. She needed to calm her thoughts, to let the prospects of pleasure possess her mind rather than memories of Vico and his belt.
“I don’t know if I can do this, Castello. It’s a hard limit for me. Your brother—”.
I pinched her nipple hard, and she yelped.
“My brother isn’t here, Tatum. He will never touch you again. Right here, right now I’m your master. Let me help you turn your pain into power.”
Her tongue darted out of her mouth, leaving a teasing glisten on her beautiful lips. Bound by chains of gold, diamonds shimmering on her collar—she was a goddess. It was the only way to describe her at this moment. Her naked breasts, her smooth pussy, and her flawless skin made for the most resplendent image, making me wish I could keep her like this forever.
I climbed onto the bed, sitting on my knees in front of her. I cupped her cheek in my palm, and the way she leaned into my touch made my heart expand. To have such a beautiful creature love and adore the monster I know I am, it felt too good to be true. Yet here she was, embracing my touch, wanting more of it.
I placed my hands on her thighs and slowly moved my palms up, gently caressing her skin.
“If only you could see yourself through my eyes. You would realize how truly beautiful and brave you really are.”
Her body shivered under my touch as I moved my hands closer and closer to the apex of her thighs. Just as I reached her hips, I allowed my thumbs to gently touch her warm, glistening lips. The moan that rolled out of her mouth made my cock jerk, my body getting wound up tighter and tighter.
Up and down my thumbs continued to stroke along the gentle flesh of her pussy. The way her hips started to move, her chest rising and falling as her breathing deepened made it almost impossible for me to not shove my dick inside her, causing our entire night to come to an end within thirty seconds flat.
The more I touched her, the wetter she became. Her desire covered the tips of my thumbs, and it drove me fucking insane. God, I had to taste her.
Abruptly I pushed my legs from under me and lay flat on my stomach. I forced her legs even wider, and with my thumbs still on her outer lips I opened that sweet pussy I had claimed so many times, yet knew I would never get enough of.
“Master.” She panted, and my tongue lapped all the way up from her entrance to her clit. Her taste. Good God, her taste. The sweetness that coated my tongue had me on a high almost instantly. The more I licked and sucked, the more I wanted.
“Master…holy—” She tried to move her hips, to push herself up. But the chains kept her in place, making it impossible for her to move. All she could do was rock her hips trying to fuck my mouth.
I dug my fingers into her hips, my thumbs keeping her spread open for me. Groans of ecstasy rumbled in the back of my throat, and I could taste how close she was to coming. The sweetness intensified, her fucking scent causing a frenzy of lust and desire to ache all the way from my spine to the tip of my cock.
It wasn’t my idea to make her come this fast, this early in our little game. But I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted her to come on my tongue. I wanted to taste her pleasure.
With gentle flicks I teased her clit before replacing it with my thumb, my tongue dropping to her entrance.
“Master, I’m going…can I?”
Good little pet, asking for permission. “Yes.”
And just like that she exploded, her pleasure coating my tongue, her taste turning me into a wild animal that craved more of it. Her hips rocked back and forth as she rode out her orgasm, fucking my face like it was the last thing she would ever do. I swear to God, if I had to just touch my cock, I would come instantly.
Her body relaxed, and I felt her muscles tremble.
“That’s my good little mouse.”
I got up, grabbed her behind her head and crashed my lips against hers, forcing her to taste herself. Forcing her to experience the delight of savoring the way she tasted on my lips.
Moans echoed from her mouth into mine, and it only caused me to deepen the kiss more.
My body was rigid, my cock still standing at attention. I was far from finished. I wasn’t even near being done with her.
Pity this first part didn’t go quite as I had planned. But then again, nothing with this woman had ever gone as planned. She had the tendency to fuck everything up, to put me on a completely different path than I had intended. But I realized I wouldn’t want it any other way. I wanted her in my life, and there was nothing in this world that would change that. I felt it inside my veins, with every beat of my heart. There was no other woman for me, and I needed her to know that.
But I had to prepare her for a life with me, for a life with a man who could easily slip from lover to monster. Our lifestyle demanded I be ruthless, merciless, cunning and heartless. So I needed to make her look past the monster, past the cold-blooded bastard in me. And in order for me to do that I had to make her see the outer layer of innocence she wore so well needed to be hidden. The broken parts of her might never mend, but I would teach her, show her how to use her brokenness and turn it in to a strength that would guarantee her survival. A strength that would give her the kind of power she was born to have. This was why I needed to push her past her limits. I had to make her realize how strong she truly was, build her up to a place where she no longer had to fear anything. But in order for me to do that, I had to break her…completely.