The lights in Elio's room are dimmed. With the moonlight pouring in through the gigantic window and the sea view, my heart can't help but feel a warmth and fluttering sensation.

The entire ride from the restaurant to his place only fueled the need for proximity.

I want him. He wants me. We're together for a limited time and won't see each other ever again. Instead of complicating things, why not just enjoy it while it lasts?

Elio stands behind me as my gaze flickers to the bed before meeting his fervent gaze through the mirror attached to his closet door.

His fingers skim down the length of my arm in a featherlight touch. My heart pounds harder as I hold his gaze through the reflection. Heat pools in my core.

His arm possessively snakes around my waist. His hot breath hits my skin before he plants a searing kiss on the crook of my neck as he watches my reflection through his long lashes.

"I want all of you tonight," he says in a low, deep voice next to my ear. My breath catches in my throat as his lips ghost over the shell of my ear.

Languidly, he draws his calloused fingers up and down my arm. The roughness against my smooth skin raises goosebumps over my arms, electrifying my senses. His hard-on presses against my backside, a pleasant reminder he wants me just as much as I want him.

"I want to touch you in a way no man has ever touched you. Surrender to me. Submit your body to me..." His other hand finds its way to my chest. Over the fabric of my dress, he fondles my breast.

To let him have his way with me, do whatever he wants, is exhilarating. A peculiar sense of curiosity mingled with need and desire courses through me. Dazed, I realize I already trust him far more than most.

I lean into him. "I'm all yours tonight," I breathe out.

His warm, soft mouth attaches to my neck, and I moan as he kisses it heatedly, my knees turning to jelly.

His free hand finds my dress's zipper and, ever so slowly, drags it down, drawing his fingers over my bare back along the way, raising goosebumps. The dress slides down my body and pools around my ankles, leaving me in black lacy lingerie.

His hooded eyes darkened with lust, drink in my reflection before he trails hot, open-mouthed kisses down the slope of my neck.

His rough, calloused palm glides over my soft skin, from my waist up to my chest, fondling my breast as his mouth trails fervent kisses down to my shoulder, lightly sucking. His hand reaches my neck, and turning my head around, he seizes my lips in an intense kiss.

My fingers tangle in his curls, tugging as my other hand latches atop his wrist, still bracing me against him.

Elio gets rid of my bra before spinning me around and kissing me deeply. I moan in his mouth and cling to him; my fingers move from the nape of his neck down to his back as he flushes me against the perfectly built muscles of his body. His hard shaft pokes at my lower stomach, aching need thrums with higher intensity in me.

I find the first button of his shirt, but before I can undo it, he grabs my hands and breaks the kiss. Panting, he rasps in a deep, low voice, "Tonight, I'm in charge."

My stomach does a little flip, and my heart skips a beat.

Elio cups my face. "Tonight, you'll do anything I tell you to."

My eyes locked with his dark ones, I breathe out, "Okay." My fingers tighten on his shirt as I raise onto my toes and peck his lips. His hand finds the back of my head, deepening the kiss. My senses buzz with exhilaration. The rush of sensations is maddening. The warmth of his body reaching me through the fabric of his shirt, with his other hand traveling and feeling my back, has my mind in a beautiful, euphoric bliss.

Breaking the kiss, he scoops me up in his arms. I wrap my hands around his neck, never looking away from his handsome face. His intense gaze bores into me as he carries me to his bed and lays me down.

Propped up on his knees, I crane my neck to hold his eyes as his fingers grab my chin. He comes so close his nose brushes mine.

"I want to tie you; at any point, if you aren't comfortable, tell me to stop, okay?"

"Okay," I purr.

He ties my wrists with a silky fabric and knots it to the bed's headboard while my eyes stay glued to his beautiful face. Satisfaction gleams on his features.

My heart races as I realize I like this side of him, too. The one who wants to control everything and everyone.

His hungry eyes are devouring me. A small crease appears between his brows. "How do you feel about blindfold?"

I blink a few times to gather my bearings before answering, "I'm open to trying."

"Good," he murmurs and presses his lips to mine, but before I can deepen it, he pulls away, throwing me a warning look. I offer him a sheepish grin.

Fishing out a black blindfold from the nightstand beside the bed, he gently wraps it around my eyes.

My breathing grows heavier, my body thrumming with desire, while the ache between my thighs intensifies.

I strain my ears, hoping to hear his movements. I feel his gaze on me, but I'm not sure.

I try to stay patient, but it's getting increasingly more challenging.

Faint rustling sounds reach me. I bite my bottom lip in anticipation.

Soon, a mixture of cinnamon, jasmine, and vanilla wafts in the air... scented candles, perhaps?

This man will drive me to the brink of insanity.

Elio's fingertips trail down from the top of my sternum to my belly button in a featherlight touch. My breath catches in my throat.

His hands graze my skin ever so lightly, leaving me wondering where it's going to be next, until finally, his fingers drag over my panties and lightly draw idle circles over my aching core.

"Elio," I moan. I bet he's smirking, enjoying himself for getting me so hot and bothered.

"Patience, tesorino," he muses softly, his voice deep and velvety, melting into my skin, turning my blood to fire. He continues his slow, sweet torture.

I bite my lip to hold back a groan. I'll lose my mind if this goes on any longer. "Please," I moan, wiggling my hips.

He chuckles, pulling his hand away. "I thought you'd last far longer before begging."

If my hands weren't tied, I would've pulled him to the bed and taken matters into my own hands.

His hand leaves me, and I whimper in desperation, making him chuckle again.

"This isn't fair," I grumble.

"Really?" His hot breath hits my ear, making me shiver. The ache between my thighs intensifies.

Have I craved anything as much as I'm craving him?

I doubt that.

I gulp and open my mouth to speak, but his lips capture mine in a heated kiss. Sighing with satisfaction, I kiss him back with as much fervor as I can.

He smiles against my mouth and pulls away. Ever so slowly, his lips trail long, searing kisses to my neck, down to my nipples, stomach, and the edge of my panties.

I squeeze shut my already closed eyes, desire thrumming in my veins, need spreading like wildfire.

He drags the panties down my legs. My heart beats faster. Not being able to see what he's going to do next leaves me breathless, my mind a mess, and my body desperate for release.

"Open your legs for me," he orders, and I comply way too obediently and quickly.

"Good girl," he murmurs next to my knee, his hot breath tingling my skin. "You'll cum when I let you, understood?"

"Fine," I grumble. I'm curious what he'll do if I don't follow his plan.

He slips a finger into my dripping folds, and all my thoughts are pushed aside.

"We need to do something about that tone of yours, too," he adds.

I can hear the smirk in his voice, and if I could, I would've glared at him. Instead, I warn, "Elio."

"Tesorino," he mirrors my tone. I feel him moving over the bed; his breath fans my face. "You're at my mercy; don't push me to make you beg me for the rest of the nights," he huskily says next to my ear.

"Okay," I grit just as his lips latch onto my neck and suck roughly. I moan his name, my legs wrapping around his well-built waist.

"If you move your legs again, I'll have to tie them too," he whispers against the side of my breast before taking in my nipple, his expert tongue twirling around it.

Pleasure zips down my spine, straight to my aching core. I curse, and he hums in appreciation.

His deft fingers find my sensitive nub and lightly draw circles over it.

I firmly press my legs to the bed, the pressure building in my body to an unbearable point. Just as I reach the brink of ecstasy, Elio slows down his movements.

"Are you close?" he asks, though he already knows the answer.

"Yeah," I breathe out.

He stops, and I groan.

"I swear if you stop again, I'll make you pay for it."

He actually has the audacity to laugh. "You're really not in a position to threaten me, tesorino."

"When your turn comes, I'll make you beg-"

"Tesoro, I don't do bottom. I'm always on top."

"We'll see that," I mutter darkly.

"You're too bossy," he notes.

"And you're far too cruel," I fire back.

"Am I?" he retorts and roughly bites the soft spot above my collarbone. I whimper with the intense mixture of pain and pleasure. "Tell me what you want," he huskily says near my ear.

"You. All of you."

He groans and kisses me hard, devouring me, his tongue battling with mine for dominance. His body, still fully clothed, presses down on me. The friction between my skin and the fabric of his clothes turns me on even more.

At this point, one touch from him will send me reeling off into the pool of ecstasy.

"Mi fai impazzire tesoro," [You drive me crazy, darling] he says roughly over my lips.

He sounds way too hot when he talks in Italian.

As I'm basking in the deepness of his voice, the feeling of his hovering form atop mine vanishes.

His lips find the sensitive nerve endings, his arms curling around my thighs, keeping them wide open for him as his tongue begins the onslaught.

My head sinks into the pillow, a loud moan escaping me before I breathe in the erotic aroma of cinnamon, jasmine, and vanilla.

His cruel tongue laps at all the sensitive flesh, painstakingly slow, in a leisurely way, having me moaning and writhing uncontrollably. Just as I'm about to reach my climax, he stops again, and I cry out in frustration.

"Have you ever wondered how many orgasms you can have in a single night?" he asks.

I sense the bed shifting, though I can't be sure if he has climbed off the bed or just readjusted himself to a spot away from me.

"No?" and I couldn't care less right now.

"Tonight seems like a good night to start," he breathes, his low-pitched voice seeping into my bloodstream like a drug as he drags his hands up and down my calf.

"Sure." I'm okay with anything as long as he doesn't stop in the middle.

I feel him move on top of me, and I smile, though his lips soon capture mine, and he thrusts two fingers into me. I moan into his mouth, and he picks up his pace, pumping his fingers in and out of me relentlessly.

The fabric tying my wrists to the headboard keeps my hands firmly over my head, regardless of how hard I pull my hands down, writhing and gasping from pleasure. My muscles seize, the pressure in my core reaching its peak.

Elio's long fingers hit a spot deep in me. "Cum for me," he orders.

Pure, ecstatic bliss blasts in me. I scream his name as wave after wave of orgasm washes over me.

"Amo il modo in cui gridi il mio nome," [I love the way you scream my name] he groans as I catch my breath, slowly floating down from cloud nine.

Before my breathing turns normal, his mouth finds my still-tingling folds, his expert tongue fixes on my sweet spot within seconds, and I see stars behind my closed eyelids.

Like a starved man, he eats me out, firmly holding my thighs apart. All gentleness evaporated as his mouth works his wonders on me, sucking and licking my clit.

Soon, my core muscles tighten with the building pressure of the coming release.

My breathing grows ragged. I beg him not to stop. My words prompt him into a more persistent set of actions as he roughly sucks and licks every sensitive part in his reach.

My second orgasm rips through me without warning. Elio doesn't stop; his skillful tongue is unabated by my climax.

I scream and writhe, a new sense of pleasure flowing through me, strong and mind-numbing. With my hands bound, blindfolded, and Elio drawing out my orgasm, tingles of electricity shoot across my body.

He stops, and it takes me a few moments to catch my breath.

"Voglio rovinarti per ogni altro uomo, Cerise," [I want to ruin you for every other man, Cerise] he says against my chest, sounding as breathless as I feel.

Elio sprinkles soft kisses across my naked flesh, warming me from the inside out.

Too soon, he moves away from me. I frown with confusion.

A faint buzzing sound fills the room, and a vibrator is pressed to my nub. I gasp with surprise. Intense pleasure pops and cackles in my blood. I moan his name, and he kisses the back of my knee, grazes my collarbones, nibbles my breasts, and lightly bites my earlobe.

Soon, the pleasure gets too intense, and I come apart, screaming Elio over and over again.

From that point onwards, I lose count of the times he makes me cum. Each time, like a volcano erupting in me.

By the time he pulls the vibrator away, I'm a writhing, moaning mess, my legs slightly trembling, with every inch of my body sensitive yet craving this devil's touch.

Shutting off the vibrator, at last, Elio pulls off my blindfold. To my utmost disappointment, he's still fully clothed, and I don't hide my annoyance. He offers a devilish smile, melting my already fluttering heart. The silk tied around my wrist goes down next.

I pull him to me, kissing him deeply and fiercely. He groans into my mouth, sending fresh waves of pleasure.

Will I ever get enough of this man?

My fingers rake through his soft hair. Quickly, he unbuttons his shirt, and I push it off his muscular body, letting my hands linger on his formidable arms and torso. His trousers hit the floor in a matter of seconds.

He rolls on a condom before lowering both of us onto the soft mattress. I got on birth control this morning; it's still too early for us to do anything without protection, but hopefully, next week should be fine.

Our eyes lock in an ardent gaze. He pushes aside the hair sticking to my sweaty forehead. I hold on to his neck and shoulder as he slowly thrusts into me, stretching me and filling me up in the most deliciously perfect way possible.

"I don't regret kidnapping you," he gruffly says as he pulls out and slides into me again.

I moan, my nails digging into his skin.

"In every alternative world, if kidnapping you would lead to this, I'd do it in every single one of them, again and again."

Moaning, I reply, "I wouldn't expect anything else from my devil of a capo."

A corner of his beautiful full lips quirks up to a smirk.

He keeps his pace slow and steady, ensuring my already sensitive body, attuned to his, climbs up the ladder of pleasure, driving every coherent thought out of my mind.

Caressing my face, he leans down, slowing his hips' movement. "I'll cherish your trust forever... I won't ever break it."

My chest squeezes, and I close my eyes. He rests his forehead on mine.

"I believe you," I murmur, butterflies fluttering around my heart. "I won't ever take advantage of your trust either, Elio."

His succulent lips mold over mine in a slow, sizzling kiss. I give into him, letting him lead the way, my mind and body at his mercy. His kiss is so deep and filled with emotions, like he's beckoning my jaded soul to him, enfolding it, hiding it from every pain and hurt possible.

He keeps his forehead pressed to mine when we break the kiss, gasping for air. Breathing in each other's breaths, our bodies pressed together, moving in such a synchronized way it's tantalizing. Every inch of his hard, muscled body is met with my soft one.

His thrusts hit a deeper spot in me each time, curling my toes and quivering my body. Elio snakes his arm around my shoulders, holding me tightly against himself, and I hold on to him, touching every inch of his shoulders and back, feeling the movements of his back muscles under my palms.

He peppers chaste kisses on my face, occasionally biting my bottom lip. His free hand fondles my breasts, playing with my nipples.

Gradually, the pleasure builds up, and Elio's movements grow faster and more determined. My ragged breathing, mindless moans, and his deep, throaty groans fill the room.

With one last hard thrust, my climax roars through my body, ripping me apart and sending me to cloud nine, a euphoria so strong it courses through my veins from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. At the peak of it, he finds his high, too, unraveling in me as he rides out our orgasms, prolonging the blissful feeling.

He barely keeps himself from crushing me underneath him, but having him atop me, all over me, feels too good to let go. Despite my shaking limbs, still tingling from the release, I hold him close.

I cup his face, and our eyes meet in a heated gaze. "Elio," I whisper. His name falling on my lips like a soft prayer, a plea, conveying everything I'm too cowardly to speak or admit to myself.

The fire burning in his dark eyes takes on an ardent gleam, and unidentifiable emotion flicks across his beautiful face. "Se continui a dire il mio nome in quel modo, non potrò mai lasciarti andare," [If you keep saying my name like that, I can never let you go] he murmurs.

We stay like that, intensely staring into each other's eyes, lost in each other.

"Sei la cosa migliore che mi sia mai capitata, Cerise," [You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Cerise] he says and kisses my forehead.

He lets go and rolls to the side, falling on the bed and pulling me to him. I snuggle to him, sighing in contentment as I lay my head in the nook of his neck.

"Why do you always say things in Italian?" I ask after a long moment.

"Maybe I don't want you to know what I'm saying." I hear the smile in his voice and roll my eyes. He strokes the length of my arm with a light touch.

"That's really not fair," I mumble, and he chuckles.

I look up at his face, quirking an eyebrow. "I thought you planned on keeping me awake for most of the night."

"I was, but then I remembered we have a gathering tomorrow, and I don't want you to be sore and tired."

I bite my bottom lip to suppress my smile. My heart can't help but flutter.

We fall into a comfortable silence. In the dark, with the moonlight and candles being the only illumination source, I trace the heart-shaped tattoo, with its top ablaze and barbed wire wrapped around it and a deep gash at the bottom corner of it, on his chest with my fingertip.

"Tell me what you're thinking about," he says.

Heat rushes to my cheeks, but I answer him truthfully. "If I were to paint this, I would've gone with gold."

"Gold?" he echoes with surprise. "Black would've been more fitting."

I lift a nonchalant shoulder. "I disagree."

"Why gold?" he asks after a moment.

I lick my bottom lip. "Because despite everything, you're still good." Still kind and pure. I meet his gaze, unable to identify the emotion burning in them.

"That's an odd thing to say for a prosecutor since you've seen me kill, too."

"I know," I mumble and look away. He grabs my chin, making me look into his chestnut eyes, appearing black in the dark room.

"Do you feel bad about it? With what we're doing and everything." His scrutiny grows in intensity, searching my eyes.

"I'm far past that point. I'd even lie for you," I admit quietly.

He frowns with confusion, so I elaborate.

"In the courtroom, if I ever have to be your eyewitness for a crime you've committed, I'd lie and pledge in your favor. I don't know what kind of prosecutor that makes me, but I guess everyone has a flaw or two in their work life."

His eyes widen in astonishment. "I'd never ask you to do that," he claims. "I'd never want you to throw away your job and future because of me."

"I know." A small smile tugs at my mouth. I shrug and snuggle closer to him, resting my head in the nook of his neck, inhaling him deeply. "Guess I'm not that good after all," I add lightly.

"That's not true," he whispers, his voice deep and low.

I run my fingers along the small tattoo scribbled on his skin. An expiry date. "What's this about?" I ask.

"It's the day I moved to Sicily for good," he answers quietly, with an undertone of sadness.

The day he lost his brother and father. The day he lost the life he had planned for himself. "I'm sorry."

"Don't, it's not your fault." His arms tighten around me, and I kiss his neck softly.

Elio tilts my head back and captures my lips with his in a slow, tantalizing kiss. I melt into him, my blood humming in appreciation.

A blanket of silence wraps around us. I focus on the rhythmic sound of his relaxed breathing and his chest's gentle rise and fall.

As the seconds go by, I realize I'm comfortable enough with Elio to tell him about my past. The sense of safety his presence offers me the dare to open up.

A part of me doesn't want to ruin tonight. Still, the other part of me keeps replaying his disappointed face from two nights ago when he asked me about being in proximity to an alcoholic, and I lied.

"Is something wrong, tesorino?" Gently, his thumb smooths out the crease between my brows.

"Just thinking."

"About?" he inquires hesitantly.

"You used to say you know everything about me and keep your friends close and enemies closer," I muse.

He chuckles. "Really? Now you want to rub it to my face how wrong I was about you?"

I giggle and shake my head. "Not really. It's just that... most of the things you probably discovered about me might've been fabricated by my father..."

All amusement vanishes from his features, and his eyes harden. "What do you mean?"

"Like... you've probably come across files that stated I fell down a flight of stairs back when I was sixteen."

"Yeah," he says, his frown deepening. "Is it not true?"

"No."

He opens his mouth, a question dancing in his eyes, but I shake my head, and he refrains from pushing me.

I'm not talking about that day tonight.

"My dad's a great lawyer but never a good father. He's one of those men who never should've had a child."

"Cerise," he starts uncertainly, hesitating with his following words. "D-did he..." his voice trails down, as though unsure how to speak out his suspicion.

I lay my palm on his tensed chest. "You asked me if I was close with an alcoholic, and you wanted me to tell you the truth. I need you to promise me you won't do anything rash."

"It was him, wasn't it?" he growls, his expression darkening.

I touch his face, hesitantly resting my hand on his cheek. "Elio, please."

His breathing has already turned ragged from anger, but the longer I hold his gaze, the calmer he seems to get. Clenching his jaw and pressing his lips to a thin line, he nods curtly. "Fine," he grunts.

I brush my lips against him, and the last trace of rage dissipates from him. "Thank you," I murmur against his plum lips.

His arms tighten around me protectively, and I curl into him, laying my head on his chest.

"He wasn't an alcoholic per se, but he used to drink a lot, and when he was drunk, he was really aggressive." I gulp and shift, focusing on the soft sound of his heartbeat.

"When my mom was-" I halt, mentally correcting myself from alive to with us before speaking. "Lived with us, his attention was divided, and he used to take most of his rage out on her. But after she left, it got worse, especially if he lost a case, that night would've turned into a nightmare. His fit of rage sometimes would last for hours; he'd yell, break things, throw things at me... it was terrible. That's why I'd rather not be around anyone drunk and why loud voices make me uncomfortable."

"And yet you always defended him," he accuses bitterly.

"It's complicated. I used to think he was the only living family member I had. For all my life, I've been desperate to earn his love or care, but it never happened. I had to forgive him. I thought if I cut him out of my life, I'll have no one."

After waiting patiently, I look up at his face. Busy glaring at the burning candle, his features hold on a dark and twisted emotion. I push a lock of his hair away from his forehead, and his gaze latches on me.

I offer him a small smile. "I know what you want to say."

"I'll kill him," he mutters, confirming my comment. "And I'll make sure it's slow and painful."

"Please don't," I mumble.

Rage flashes in his eyes. "Are you serious! That fucker even failed to be good to the only person he should've loved more than life. Cerise, he abused you-"

"I don't want you to avenge him for me. If you kill him, you'll ruin every memory I have with you, and I really don't want that to happen. Definitely not because of him."

My words give him a pause.

"The last thing I want is to look back on the days I spent with you and feel guilt and sadness. Please don't take this away from me," I add quietly, looking away from him.

A moment of silence stretches between us.

"He has to pay for what he did," he grimly says.

"Not with death served by your hands or words."

Another beat passes between us.

He opens his mouth to speak but stops, closes his eyes, and inhales deeply. Exhaling slowly, he kisses the top of my head, flushing me against himself. "If that's what you want, then fine. But if he ever tries to hurt you again, I swear, not even you can stop me, Cerise."

I smile, pressing a kiss to his Adam's apple. "It's in the past. I don't even live with him in the same house anymore."

"I said what I had to say," he gruffly states.

I wrap my arm around his torso, relishing in the feeling of his skin against mine, letting my eyes drop close, my body relaxing.

"I never thought you'd open up to me," he mumbles, stroking my tangled mess of hair.

"Neither did I," I hum sleepily.

He cradles me in his arms, resting his cheek on the top of my head.

"Thank you for tonight," I purr, giving in to my exhaustion and the sleep's pull.

"I should be the one thanking you, tesorino," he whispers.

The sound of his heartbeat lulls me into a deep, comfortable sleep.

❈ ☯︎ ❈

Oof that was one hell of a chapter to write :") Tell me your thoughts about Cerise's attempt at opening up to Elio =)

Thank you so much for reading this chapter, if you enjoyed it and didn't hate the smut, hit the star button :")

Stay safe, lots of love, happy reading ♡