Pretty Hostage

by Julia Sykes

  “You’ve taken care of me, and you’ve never asked for anything in return. Even now, you’re trying to push me away because you think it’s what’s best for me. But it’s not. You’re what’s best for me. I know who you are, and I know what you do for Adrián. I still want to be with you. I want to be yours, Mateo.”

  Mine.

  My hunger for her twisted my insides, my denied craving causing me physical pain.

  “I showed you what it means to be mine,” I ground out, wrestling against my consuming desire to take what she offered without question. “It frightened you.”

  “Not all of it,” she admitted. “It was just a lot to take in. You didn’t present it to me in the subtlest way, either.” She caressed my cheek. “But I trust you. You would never hurt me.”

  “Never,” I vowed.

  Holding me steady with her gentle touch on my face, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. My mouth remained firm beneath hers for the space of a few seconds, but I didn’t have a chance of resistance. Not when Sofia offered herself to me.

  Not when she refused to take no for an answer.

  I’d rejected my sweet Sofia to try to spare her, knowing my withdrawal would hurt her. But she’d managed to overcome her crippling fear of rejection to stand her ground and fight for me. For us.

  There was no going back for her now.

  My fingers slid into her hair, tugging her voluminous curls, so I could kiss her more deeply. She shivered and melted in my arms, giving me everything I demanded and offering more.

  Like the greedy bastard I was, I took it all. I toyed with her body, teasing and petting in the places she liked best. I savored her little tremors, her gasps for breath, her needy whimpers.

  My cock strained against the slacks I wore. They were less confining than my jeans, but that didn’t make my denied craving to bury myself in her wet heat less agonizing.

  She shifted in my hold, her hand snaking between us to caress my dick. The slacks provided a barrier between us, but even that light touch was shocking enough to make my entire body jerk beneath her.

  I grabbed her wrist, pulling her away more harshly than I intended.

  “You can’t do that, florecita,” I warned. “I can barely control myself as it is. Don’t make this harder on us both.”

  She stared up at me, her emerald eyes wide and earnest. “It doesn’t have to be hard. I want you, Mateo. I want to give myself to you. Not because you’ve staked a claim over my body, and not because Adrián gives his permission. This is between you and me and no one else.”

  I pressed my forehead to hers, grounding myself so I wouldn’t be tempted to madness. “I want you, too, Sofia. From the moment I first saw you, I’ve wanted you. But I can’t put you at risk. If I defy Adrián and force him to break his word, the truce we’ve established falls apart. Things will get bloody. You could get hurt in the fallout.”

  She wrapped her hand around the back of my neck, anchoring herself to me. “I know Adrián is important to you. He still frightens me, but I won’t betray him. No one will know if we’re together, Mateo. I’m not going to tell anyone. And once Ronaldo isn’t a threat anymore, we won’t have to hide it.”

  “If you were to get hurt because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants, I would never forgive myself,” I rasped, wanting so desperately to give her what she asked.

  Her eyes began to shine, imploring. “Please. I know I’m asking a lot, but I want this to be my choice. Knowing that my virginity was traded like a commodity has been devastating. I need to do this on my terms. I need you on my terms, Mateo.”

  She’d found the exact words to break me.

  I’d been truthful when I’d told her I didn’t regret bartering for her virginity. I still didn’t, not if it meant keeping her from Ronaldo. But I did regret that my actions had hurt her.

  This would always remain a sore spot between us, a resentment built into the foundation of our relationship.

  I wasn’t willing to build our future on her pain. No part of belonging to me should be painful for her.

  “All right, dulzura,” I agreed. “This is between us and no one else.”

  I skimmed my palm up her thigh, pushing the floaty layers of her dress out of the way so I could stroke her pussy. She gasped and arched at first contact, her lacy panties already soaked for me.

  “I’ll show you how good it feels to be mine,” I swore, teasing her clit.

  “Yes,” she cried, her legs falling open in offering. “Make me yours, Mateo.”

  She wasn’t taunting me this time; she was begging.

  The last shred of my restraint snapped. I shifted my hold, cradling her against my chest as I carried her into my bedroom. Sofia’s first time wouldn’t be a rough fuck over the couch.

  When we reached my desired destination, I set her down on her feet, steadying her with my hands around her waist. She went up onto her toes, pulling me in for a hungry kiss.

  Her aggression shocked me, but my body responded in kind. I growled against her mouth, nipping at her pouty lower lip. She let out a shuddering sigh and opened for me, welcoming my harsh claim.

  I started tearing at her dress. The strapless gown was secured with a long row of buttons down her back. I kissed her in a frenzy, my thick fingers fumbling at the tiny impediments to stripping Sofia.

  By the time she had my shirt unbuttoned, I lost patience. Grabbing the structured bodice of the dress in my fists, I yanked it apart with my full strength.

  Dozens of little, organza-covered buttons popped free and bounced all over my bedroom floor.

  Sofia giggled against my lips, the sound of her delight rolling into my body. It filled me with joy so hot and bright that it consumed me, her purity scouring the darkest parts inside me.

  I shoved the ruined remnants of the dress away and moved farther down her body, hooking my thumbs beneath the band of her panties. Once I slid them down her legs, I pressed a reverent kiss against her scarred thigh.

  Her fingers threaded through my hair, and her lower lip quivered with the force of her emotions. Her eyes were shining, but she wasn’t sad. Sofia had spent her entire life being told she wasn’t good enough, that her appearance wasn’t pleasing enough. Her shitty mother had planted the insidious idea in her head that she had ruined her body.

  “You are breathtaking, Sofia,” I promised. “You’re perfect.”

  After lavishing the marks with my tender attentions, I picked her up again, so I could lay her down on my bed—our bed.

  I took a minute to drink her in, burning the sight into my brain. Sofia’s lovely body was pure, mouthwatering perfection straight out of my obsessive fantasies. But it was her soft, shy smile that transformed her into my personal goddess.

  “I want to see you, too,” she whispered, her sparkling eyes raking over my bared chest like a tactile sensation.

  She’d never seen me naked, not even shirtless. Now, her hungry gaze roved over my tattoos, meandering along the swirling, stark black patterns I’d chosen to ink into my skin: symbols of strength and power.

  Her gaze dipped lower, and her white teeth sank into her lip when her attention dropped to the bulge in my slacks.

  I bit out a curse and hastily shucked off the rest of my clothes, eager for her to see all of me.

  Her wide-eyed stare and parted lips were a snapshot out of one of my wet dreams. She swallowed hard, not diverting her attention from my erection for a second.

  “You’re really big,” she said, her soft tone caught between wonder and fear.

  Everything about her reaction was more perfect than I could have ever imagined.

  Shock tore through me when she propped up on her elbows and reached for me, her slender fingers stroking my length in a curious exploration.

  I hissed at the delicious contact, and I grasped her shoulders to press her back down into the mattress.

  “You’ll make me lose control, Sofia,” I explained tightly to allay the little furrow in her brow.

  I’d wa
ited for her, wanted her, for too long. I wouldn’t ruin this by rutting into her like a teenage boy.

  I settled my body over hers, pinning her beneath me. My cock jerked against her soft belly, tormented by the feel of her. She lifted her hips, grinding her clit on my thigh in an attempt to stimulate herself. Her wet arousal painted my skin, her body slick and ready for me.

  She would need more preparation this first time. I doubted I could take her virginity completely painlessly, but I would make damn sure she loved being mine.

  I captured her lips in a punishing kiss, claiming her mouth while I played with her hot little pussy. Her folds were swollen, her clit a needy bud. I explored her at my leisure, memorizing her shape, every stroke that made her gasp and writhe.

  When I finally eased one finger into her virgin channel, I released her mouth and indulged myself in her perfect breasts for the first time. I learned their weight and shape in my palm, teasing her nipples with my thumb.

  Unable to resist, I leaned in and flicked my tongue over the tight peaks. I groaned when her inner muscles squeezed my finger in response. Testing her, I grazed her nipple with my teeth.

  She cried out my name and arched her back, inviting more. With a low, animal growl, I bit her tender flesh, rubbing her g-spot and pressing my thumb down on her clit at the same time.

  She came in a rush, writhing beneath me as ecstasy washed through her body. Her pussy squeezed my finger, and I stroked her until her orgasm faded and her inner muscles relaxed.

  Satisfied that she was prepared, I grabbed a condom from my nightstand. Sofia wasn’t on birth control, and I wasn’t going to take any stupid risks with her.

  I sheathed myself quickly and settled my weight over her once again.

  “This might hurt a little,” I warned, my voice rough with my own denied need. “I’ll go slow with you.”

  She caressed my cheek, and I leaned into her touch. “I trust you.”

  I kissed her palm and lined my dick up with her slick opening. Her velvet heat felt heavenly enough to make my eyes roll back in my head, but I resolutely focused on her as I pressed into her tight channel.

  Her delicate features pinched with discomfort when my cockhead breached her. I gritted my teeth and paused to pet her and praise her, running my hands all over the places where she liked to be stroked best.

  When I tweaked her pretty nipples, she gasped and relaxed enough to let me sink an inch deeper.

  Easing into my sweet Sofia was exquisite torture. Every time she whimpered in pain, I slowed my progress and played with her until she flowered open for me.

  When I pushed in the final inch, locking our bodies together, she shuddered beneath me, her lithe frame trembling from overwhelming sensation.

  I stroked a stray curl from her sweat-slicked brow.

  “Good girl.”

  She moaned, and her tight muscles squeezed my dick before relaxing, her body adjusting to my size.

  I pulled out slightly and rocked back in, letting her feel my full length stretching her.

  “This is all mine,” I growled, drunk on her surrender.

  I withdrew and tested her with a more forceful thrust. She handled it beautifully, her lashes fluttering in bliss.

  I began taking her in long, slow strokes, reveling in her soft cries as she tentatively moved against me.

  “That’s it,” I encouraged as she learned to match my rhythm. “You like my cock filling up your tight little pussy, dulzura?”

  “Yes!” she cried, rocking her hips toward me with new confidence and hunger.

  I wrapped my hand around her throat, an instinctive, primal act as she pushed me toward the brink. I applied only a fraction of pressure, just enough so that she was fully aware of my palm pressed snugly against her neck.

  Her inner walls contracted around my dick, and she made the most exquisite, sexiest whimper.

  I fucked her harder, taking her more roughly for my final, brutal thrusts.

  “Tell me you’re mine,” I snarled.

  “I’m yours.” Her fingernails scoured my back, urging me on. “Please…”

  I crushed my lips to hers, coming on a rough shout. As my pleasure crested, I pinched and tugged at her nipples, drawing out her answering ecstasy.

  I drove deep, holding myself inside her as we both gasped for air. I wanted to stay buried in her soft heat forever, feeling her pulse racing beneath my hand on her throat.

  Sofia had given herself to me, and there was no going back now. Her fate was sealed.

  Chapter 22

  Mateo

  One Week Later

  * * *

  “I got you a present, florecita,” I murmured, closing the front door behind us.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

  My hands bracketed her hips, preventing her from turning to face me. I nuzzled her neck and nipped at her soft skin in the way that made her shiver and sigh.

  “It’s just as much for me as it is for you.” I cupped her breast, hungry to explore her body now that we’d returned to the privacy of our home. “I’m still a greedy bastard. But you’ll like this, too.”

  She pressed back against me, rubbing her pert ass against my cock with brazen desire. “Does this present involve an orgasm?”

  I chuckled, dropping a tender kiss on her shoulder. “Maybe. If you’re good for me, I’ll let you come.”

  “I have been good.” She huffed, her petulance exaggerated and designed to goad me. Sofia really would have excelled in a Drama degree.

  I grazed her ear with my teeth, my fingers flexing around her breast and hip. “I think you’re greedy too, belleza.” I hummed against her throat, and her skin pebbled beneath my lips. “I wonder how many orgasms I can force from your pretty little body before you beg me to stop.”

  “Is there such a thing as too many orgasms?” she teased breathily.

  “You tell me. You can count them for me until it’s too much.” I gripped her pussy, grinding my palm against her clit and dipping my fingers between her legs. “And then, I’ll take more. We don’t stop until I’m satisfied.”

  Her low moan was purely wanton, and she shifted into my hand, offering herself to me. It was probably for the best that she couldn’t see my savage, merciless grin. My innocent little flower had no idea how she could suffer in ecstasy.

  I withdrew my touch, and she whined at the loss.

  “Not yet, greedy girl.” I nipped at her throat. “Present first. Orgasms later.”

  I reached into my pocket and withdrew the length of black cloth I’d stashed there before we left the house this morning. I’d planned this little surprise a few days ago, and everything had been delivered and set up for her while I’d guarded her on campus.

  I dropped the cloth over her eyes. She tried to twist away on instinct, but I knotted it firmly behind her head. My grip returned to her hip and breast, pinning her in place as she squirmed.

  “Settle,” I commanded, tweaking her nipple through her thin cotton dress. “Trust me.”

  She trembled and went still, submitting to my control.

  Over the last week, I’d played increasingly kinky games with her, testing her responses and training her to please me. She’d been amply rewarded for her good behavior, and she’d loved every second of being tamed to suit my desires.

  I took a few minutes longer to caress her, demonstrating my approval. Her head dropped back against my chest, and she sighed in contentment.

  Sofia loved being my good girl.

  “Are you ready for your present, dulzura?” My voice came out slow and deep, her intoxicating effect on my body profound and addicting.

  “Yes, please,” she whispered, soft and pliant beneath my hands.

  I finally stepped away from her, releasing her body so that I could capture her hand in mine.

  “Come,” I urged, leading her where I wanted.

  Her first steps were hesitant, nervous. With the blindfold robbing her sight, she was off-balance.

  I ru
bbed my thumb over her palm. “I’ve got you,” I promised, continuing our progress through the house.

  She steadied, putting her trust in me. I wouldn’t let her stumble and fall.

  Warmth pulsed in the center of my chest, spreading outward through my body with each steady beat of my heart.

  I walked slowly, savoring her complete reliance on me, her absolute surrender.

  When we reached the new space I’d set up for her—transforming one of my useless guest bedrooms—I squeezed her hand and ordered her to stop.

  I positioned myself beside her, hungry to study her expression when she saw what I’d procured for her.

  I tugged at the knot on the blindfold, pulling it away from her face.

  She squinted and blinked, her eyes taking a second to adjust to the light. As soon as the room came into focus, she gasped, her features going slack with wonder.

  I’d purchased a baby grand piano and three guitars for her, so she could write her songs and practice at home. I wasn’t certain which guitar she would like best, so I’d gone with the most highly recommended options I’d found in my online research. I’d had plenty of time to arrange everything from the convenience of my smart phone while she attended her classes.

  “You did this for me?” she asked, her voice small, as though she hardly dared to hope that the gifts were for her and that they didn’t come with conditions.

  “And me,” I said truthfully. “I want to hear you sing every day.”

  She flushed with pleasure, her radiant smile hitting me square in the chest. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”

  “Yes, I did,” I countered. “How else are you going to prepare for your gig if you can’t practice?”

  Her brow furrowed. “My gig?”

  I nodded. “I booked a show for you at a cocktail lounge. It’s not huge, but I think you’ll like the venue.”

  “What?” she asked faintly, as though she couldn’t wrap her mind around what I was saying.

  “I recorded you singing during your class last week. I contacted a few venues around town. This place offered the most money, so I booked it for you.”