Pretty Hostage

by Julia Sykes

  I didn’t need to bribe anyone to secure a gig or a recording contract for Sofia. Her incredible talent would ensure a successful career. I was simply nudging her along.

  Her emerald eyes began to shine. “You believe in me?”

  I pulled her into a firm embrace, reinforcing my promise with a reverent touch. “More than anything.” I brushed a tear from her cheek. “There’s something else I got for you. It’s on top of the piano.”

  “Mateo.” Her voice hitched around my name. “This is too much.”

  “No, it’s not.” I continued petting her, grounding her. “I know part of you is still scared that I’ll take these things away from you. That I might withdraw from you if you disappoint me.” I captured her face in both hands, forcing her to stare into my eyes and read the depth of my sincerity. “Nothing I give you comes with conditions. I will never leave you, Sofia. Nothing you could do would ever cause me to reject you. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I sealed my promise with a kiss, claiming her lips with harsh passion. I kept her trapped in my embrace until every trace of tension melted from her willowy frame.

  When I gave her enough space to draw breath, she trembled against me, her emerald eyes sparkling with the pure devotion I’d so savagely craved ever since I’d taken her as my hostage. The sight soothed something inside me, quieting my volatility even more profoundly than her powerful singing voice.

  “Time for your last present,” I murmured, taking another kiss from her lush lips. “Then, you get your orgasms.”

  She shivered, her senses already overwhelmed by my intense attentions. I was equally affected by her, perhaps more so.

  I intended to prove my devotion to her beyond a shadow of a doubt.

  I guided her to the piano, placing her hand atop the drawing I’d had commissioned for her.

  She took a sharp inhale, and her fingers traced over the fine, elegant lines drawn in stark black ink. I could practically feel that phantom touch on my chest, and I craved it more strongly than I’d ever desired anything.

  “This is for me?” she asked softly, stroking the delicate curve of one of the flower’s petals.

  “It’s my next tattoo,” I told her, my voice coming out rough and deep. “I wanted you to approve the final artwork before I book it.”

  Her bright green gaze lifted to my face, her lips parted in shock. I rubbed my thumb over those lush lips, reveling in her softness. I lifted her hand from where it stroked the drawing and pressed her palm against the center of my chest, directly over my heart.

  “I’m getting the tattoo right here,” I declared with the weight of on oath. “What do you think, florecita?”

  “I love you,” she said in a rush. Her jaw went slack, as though she’d just taken herself by surprise. Then, her features illuminated with an ecstatic grin. “I love you, Mateo!”

  She flung herself against me with a jubilant laugh, squeezing her body tight to mine.

  “I love you, sweet Sofia,” I vowed, breathing in her addicting scent.

  The imperative to conquer robbed my next, brutal kiss of any finesse. I always treated her delicate little body with care, but I needed to push her to her limits; I needed to claim her completely.

  After today, there would be no question that I was the master of her body and soul.

  Never releasing her lips, I grasped her hips and lifted her up onto the piano.

  She squirmed against me and tried to protest. “Wait! We’ll break it.”

  “If we do, I’ll buy you a new one.” I bit her shoulder with enough force to leave a mark.

  Her sharp cry sounded over the harsh rip of her cotton dress giving way beneath my fists.

  I’d buy her another one of those, too.

  Anything Sofia could possibly want, I would provide.

  I shoved aside the ruined garment, stripping her for my hungry gaze. With a few more savage tears, her lace bralette and panties fell away, laying her body bare for my pleasure.

  My fingers sank into her heavy curls, capturing the lustrous locks in a cruel grip. At the same time, I penetrated her tight pussy with two fingers, abruptly taking her in hand. She gasped, clutching at my shoulders for support.

  Her gorgeous eyes were wide, her expression of innocent shock perversely perfect enough to provide a lifetime of dirty fantasies.

  I pressed my thumb down on her clit and rubbed my fingers against her g-spot, holding both of her pleasure triggers. Her inner muscles fluttered around my fingers, and her wet arousal dripped onto my palm.

  A savage grin twisted my features.

  “Do you feel that, belleza?” I asked, exerting a fraction of pressure. She bucked into my hand. “Usually, I like to take my time with you. But I don’t have to. I can make you come whenever I want. You’re mine.”

  I stimulated her mercilessly, rubbing her g-spot and clit to wring an orgasm from her body. She cried out, her eyes tight with confusion at her rapid response.

  “Hmmm…” I mused, easing off after she peaked. “I wonder if I could train you to come on command for me. If I press down right here…” She writhed in my grip, but I held her trapped for my cruel game. “Come.”

  Her inner walls squeezed my fingers, and she jerked beneath my hands.

  “I told you I would make you count them,” I reminded her, my voice coming out slow and deep. I was becoming intoxicated by her surrender, by my absolute control over my sweet Sofia. “How many orgasms was that?”

  “Two,” she squeaked, her muscles spasming weakly.

  “That’s not nearly enough, is it?” I teased, loving toying with her. “Should I make you work for the next one?”

  “Mateo.” My name was caught somewhere between an adorable protest and a plea.

  “As much as I like it when you whimper my name, that’s not an answer, dulzura. It’s a yes or no question.”

  She licked her lips, her brow furrowed with confusion. Her skin was flushed with pleasure, but her mind was still struggling to comprehend the full power I held over her body.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  I brushed a tender kiss over her cheek. “Then I’ll decide for you, sweet girl.”

  I forced her to orgasm, ruthlessly stimulating the pleasure points she’d surrendered to me. I brought her body to climax three times in rapid succession, leaving her shaking and gasping in my arms.

  “You’re supposed to count them,” I reminded her, stoking my fingers through her slick, swollen folds as she shuddered in my arms. “Otherwise, how will we know if there’s such a thing as too many orgasms? How many are we up to now?”

  “I…” she panted. “I don’t know.”

  “Poor florecita,” I cooed, nuzzling her neck. “You didn’t realize what you were getting into, did you?”

  “No,” she whined, trembling against me.

  I nipped at her shoulder. “Do you want to beg for mercy?”

  “Yes,” she implored on a broken whisper. “Please.”

  My teeth grazed over her artery on a wicked grin. “That’s too bad. I’m not feeling merciful.”

  I withdrew my hand from her abused pussy, only so I could grab her hips and flip her onto her front, pressing her down so that she was bent over the piano.

  I kept her pinned with my hand on the small of her back, and I petted her puffy folds, playing in the wetness her orgasms had left behind.

  The crack of my hand slapping her pert ass resounded through the room, mingling with her shriek.

  “Stay.” I delivered two more stinging slaps to reinforce my command.

  While I stripped off my own clothes, my good girl waited exactly where I’d left her, quivering and wet for me.

  I quickly retrieved a condom from my jeans pocket and sheathed my cock.

  I roughly grabbed her hips and pulled her toward me, driving hard and deep in a single thrust. Her inner walls squeezed me hard enough to make me see stars, and a feral sound rumbled from my chest. My fingers dug into her hips, holding her harshly, letting
her feel how helpless she was.

  “You’re going to come for me again, belleza,” I told her, a dark promise.

  A soft sob jolted through her body, but her greedy pussy contracted around my dick. My sweet girl liked this cruel game every bit as much as I did.

  I gathered up more of her slick arousal, coating my fingers in the wetness between her legs. I brushed my thumb over her clit, drawing another sob from her chest as I stimulated the hyper-sensitized little bud. At the same time, I pressed my desire-slicked finger against her asshole.

  She tried to clench to keep me out, but her body was already too exhausted to fight. It only took a few seconds of stroking her tight ring of muscles for her to ease open and allow me to penetrate her.

  She squirmed as I filled her up, impaling both of her tight little holes for my pleasure.

  “Such a good girl,” I praised when she accepted me fully, her willowy frame trembling and pliant.

  Her broken whine and the helpless way her inner walls fluttered around me drew a satisfied rumble from my chest.

  I started to fuck her at the pace I desired, taking my time to enjoy her body. I ruthlessly stimulated her clit and played with her ass, keeping her on edge as my own pleasure crested.

  “Are you ready to come for me?” I asked roughly, driving hard and deep.

  “Yes,” she cried. “Please, Mateo…”

  “Come,” I commanded, rubbing her over-stimulated clit.

  Her pussy squeezed my dick, and I threw back my head to release a roar of savage satisfaction, reveling in the perfection of the woman I loved.

  Chapter 23

  Sofia

  Two Weeks Later

  * * *

  “I can’t believe you posted on my Instagram about this,” I half-groaned, torn between overwhelming gratitude and pre-performance jitters.

  Mateo grinned, unrepentant. “You shouldn’t have given me your phone passcode if you didn’t want me to log onto your app and make a post about your first gig. Your legion of adoring fans is waiting to hear you sing.”

  I leaned into him, loving how solid he was. I would never have to worry about anything, as long as I had Mateo to support me. “There’s only one adoring fan I care about.”

  He captured my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping my face to his. “Good. Then I don’t have to worry about eliminating any competition.”

  He dropped a swift, firm kiss on my lips, drawing back before either of us could get lost in it.

  “You should probably go,” I prompted, even though I would have preferred for him to stay with me until the moment I had to walk onstage.

  But this “backstage” area was cramped enough as it was. The space was little more than a broom closet with a vanity mirror and a guitar stand, and bulky Mateo did not fit. I needed to do some of my warm-up exercises to mitigate my mounting anxiety.

  “I’ll be front and center,” he promised. “Tonight and every night from now on.”

  I grinned like a fool. “I love you. Thank you for arranging all this for me.”

  “Everything was booked based on your talent,” he reminded me, as he’d done multiple times over the last two weeks.

  “I still wouldn’t be here without you believing in me. I love you so much, Mateo.” I couldn’t say it often enough.

  “I love you, Sofia.”

  God, I couldn’t get enough of hearing him say it, either. Those rumbly words in his deep voice made me all warm and shivery. I went up onto my toes and offered one final kiss before shooing him out of the cramped space.

  Mateo had been gone less than a full minute before someone knocked on the door, interrupting my stretches.

  Puzzled, I opened it to find a stranger on the other side. The woman offered a bright, perfect smile.

  “Hi,” she introduced herself. “You must be Sofia. I’m Carmen, the assistant manager.”

  I took the hand she offered and shook it, even though I was a bit confused by her presence. “I thought Steph was the assistant manager?”

  The statuesque, raven-haired beauty with the sleek, polished style was completely different from the bubbly blonde I’d been introduced to earlier this evening.

  “Shift change,” Carmen explained with a little wave of her red-manicured fingers. “I brought you a complimentary tea,” she announced, raising the steaming white mug she held in her free hand.

  “Oh?” I asked, my interests piqued. I wrapped my hands around the warm mug and sniffed at the hot beverage. “What kind? I love tea.”

  “I know,” she replied with a smile. “I noticed your tea-lover hashtags on your Instagram, and I thought you might like it. It’s ginger tea with a little honey.”

  “Perfect combo,” I approved. “Thanks so much. That was really thoughtful of you.”

  “Let me know if you need more honey in it,” she prompted.

  I took a tentative sip, testing the temperature and flavor on my tongue. “This is awesome as-is,” I confirmed. “Thanks again! I really wasn’t expecting free tea. I’m just so grateful to get this gig.”

  “I heard you sing in some of your videos posted on your social media. You have a remarkable voice.”

  “Thank you.” I took a long sip to hide my flush. I’d spent my entire life training my instrument to be good enough to warrant praise, but accepting it still made me uneasy. Mateo was helping me learn to let go of my anxiety that the praise came with a price or expectation, but I still had a lot of bad habits to break.

  “This is your first gig, right?” she asked, making polite conversation.

  I wished she would give me a little space to breathe before I had to perform, but I didn’t want to be rude to the assistant manager of the venue that had hired me.

  “Yeah.” I took another big sip. “I’m so thrilled for the opportunity. I really appreciate it.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be very happy in your musical pursuits, wherever you end up. You obviously have a great passion for it.”

  That seemed like kind of a weird thing to say, but I couldn’t focus on picking at it. My anxiety must be hitting overload, because I was feeling far too hot and a little dizzy.

  I practiced the deep breathing exercises I’d learned in therapy, but they didn’t help clear my head.

  “Careful,” Carmen warned, plucking the mug from my hand before I could drop it.

  I pressed my palm to my forehead, willing the room to stop wavering around me. I’d never had anxiety like this before.

  “I don’t feel good,” I admitted, struggling to practice my breathing exercises. I kept losing track of what I was trying to accomplish.

  “You just need some fresh air.” Her slender arm hooked around my waist, and she guided me out of the backstage area.

  The world began to spin, so I closed my eyes. Cool air kissed my cheeks, rousing me for a few seconds.

  I was in an alley behind the venue, leaning heavily on Carmen as she guided me toward a black Audi.

  “Wait,” I slurred, my feet dragging.

  She kept walking, grunting slightly at the effort of hustling me along. A man got out of the car, and he hurried toward us.

  I tried to recoil when he picked me up, relieving Carmen of the burden. I only managed to fall into his burly arms.

  My eyelids were too heavy to keep open. The world went dark again, and I heard car doors shutting and locking.

  “Where’s Mateo?” I managed to murmur, wanting him desperately.

  “You don’t have to be afraid of that animal anymore,” Carmen promised, as though she was offering great comfort rather than dragging me into my nightmare.

  I clawed my way back to consciousness, fighting the drowsiness that had been forced upon me. In my fleeting moments of lucidity, I knew I was being separated from Mateo. I was desperate to get back to him, frightened of how much time might be passing and how far I might be carried away from him.

  Finally, I managed to force my eyes open, groaning against the wash of light that seared my vision. I d
idn’t dare blink, in case I couldn’t find the strength to wake again.

  I squinted, willing the world to materialize around me.

  “You’re okay, Sofia,” a female voice reassured me. “I’m sorry for drugging your tea. I didn’t mean to cause you so much distress. Your father said you wouldn’t know who to trust, and I couldn’t risk a delay in case Ignazio saw me and realized who I was.”

  I turned my head, searching for the woman. It felt too heavy, as though my skull was filled with sand. My body sank into a soft mattress, lethargy pinning me down.

  “You should sleep it off,” Carmen advised kindly. “You’re safe now. I’m right here with you, and no one will touch you. Ignazio can’t get to you here.”

  “No,” I protested, my tongue too thick in my mouth. I swallowed and tried again. “I want Mateo.”

  Carmen’s angular, stunning features coalesced above me. Her full, red-painted lips were pursed in a frown.

  “Caesar warned me you might be confused. You’ve been Ignazio’s hostage for some time, and your father said you seemed to have developed a misguided attachment. I’d hoped he was misreading the situation. I don’t want this to be difficult for you. I’m trying to help you.”

  Confusion sapped my already fogged brain, and I struggled to piece together what was happening. Carmen didn’t seem to be threatening me. If this was some sort of misunderstanding, I could clear it up. And I would have to do so quickly, before Mateo went on a rampage to get to me. If Carmen truly didn’t wish to harm me, I couldn’t allow her to stand between me and Mateo. That wouldn’t end well for her.

  I could fix this. I just had to get my thoughts in order.

  “How do you know my father?” I tried to puzzle out the connection. “Did he ask you to get me away from Mateo?”

  “Yes,” she confirmed, her dove gray eyes softening. “I’ve known for weeks that Ignazio was holding you hostage. I wanted to come for you sooner, but things were too tense. Caesar promised me that you would remain untouched as long as we stood down, and I didn’t want you to suffer if things went sideways.”