I stood still, watching him. Watching his eyes. They burned, the blue darker now, sparkling like blackest onyx. Something raged behind them, inside them. Something that screamed for release even while it reduced me to flesh alone, to a thing, an object possessed.

Was this some sort of contest, some game? If it was, I lost, because I blinked first, looking away, unable to maintain the contact.

“Go to bed.” He turned to leave the bathroom but stopped at the door.

I swooped down to grab the discarded towel and held it against myself, shielding my body from his view.

“And Lucia,” he said, turning to look at me and taking a step back inside, back toward me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

He rubbed his hand across his mouth, that rage behind his eyes burning now.

“I will punish you if you betray me.”

He turned on his heel and walked out the door.

I sat down on the edge of the tub, trembling.

4

Salvatore

My cock throbbed. I’d had to force myself to leave her room. Fuck, she was so beautiful. Her anger, her hate, it only made her all the more appealing. I wanted her. Wanted to take her. Have her.

The monster inside me screamed to possess her.

My cell phone rang. I tugged it from my pocket and checked the screen. It was Dominic.

Prick. I rejected the call, almost running Rainey over in the hallway on my way to the study.

“Mr. Benedetti! I’m sorry,” she apologized, although I was the one not paying attention.

“No, it’s fine. It was my fault.”

I raked a hand through my hair. What the hell was that upstairs? Why had I gone in there when I’d seen her in the tub? I should have walked away.

“Would you like to eat dinner, sir? Miss…Lucia…wasn’t hungry, but—”

It’s dangerous to fall asleep in the tub? Christ, what did I think she was, a kid? No. Not with that body. She was certainly no kid.

“No, it’s fine. I’m…” I walked into the study, looked around, then walked back out. “You know what, I’m tired. I’m just going to go to bed.”

“Oh. All right.”

I went back up to my room. It connected to Lucia’s, but I doubted she knew that. Once inside, I stripped, headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower.