Ruthless Prince by Piper Stone

Chapter 3

Alexandra

Punish.

The rogue Italian had spouted off the statement as if it was nothing more than a usual moment in his day. As he removed his jacket, I was suddenly frozen, unable to move my feet. I repeated his name in my head, trying to remember why it sounded so familiar. Swallowing, I continued shuddering to my core, still foggy from everything that had already occurred.

When he started to roll up his sleeves, a wash of memories flooded my mind, a series of images continuing to plague me.

Then I fully realized why I’d heard his name before. His father had been murdered in cold blood at a restaurant in the heart of New York City. It had been a bloodbath, at least one other individual caught in the gunfire. The press had labeled it a revenge kill, two rival mobs involved.

Then everyone had been prepared for blood to run in the streets.

One was the O’Sullivan crime syndicate out of New York. My father had often talked about them publicly, his desire to wipe what he called ‘scum’ off the face of the earth well known. He talked big when in front of an audience, always pontificating about his power, yet crime remained as high as ever, the Irish mob still holding control. The other syndicate had been a rather unknown but ruthless family out of Italy. Oh. My. God. This was an entirely different act of revenge, and I was the pawn.

Oh, hell, no.

“Your father was murdered,” I said as I slipped behind the couch.

“You remember. You are correct.”

“A gangland war. You’re nothing but a criminal. The Cosa Nostra.”

He laughed as he moved around the edge of the couch, his eyes never leaving mine. “My father was a brilliant businessman who made the mistake of trusting someone. If you’re asking if the Benedetti Empire controls a good portion of Europe, yes, you are correct. However, my brothers and I are committed to bringing the concept of a mafia family out of the dark ages. We have never referred to ourselves as the Cosa Nostra. The Sicilians are beasts. Although I will admit that certain injustices will not be tolerated.”

“I’m an injustice?” I asked as I shifted further away from him. He actually believed that there was a difference in behaviors? I almost laughed in his face. I knew exactly what his kind did to anyone crossing them.

They destroyed. They abducted.

And they murdered in cold blood.

He took long strides in my direction yet kept his distance for now. “Unfortunately, you are nothing but collateral damage, payment for a significant debt owed.”

“That’s not the way we live in America.”

“As I understand. However, you have been bought and paid for.” He was obviously finished with my weak attempts at making demands, wrapping his hand around my arm and dragging me against the heat of his body.

His hold was strong and when he fisted my hair, yanking my head so I was required to look into his eyes, I sensed an even more dominating side of him. He cocked his head as he allowed his gaze to roam, his breathing as ragged as mine.

“Just let me go,” I said in such a soft voice I no longer recognized it.

“I can’t do that, Alexandra. That would make me look weak and that’s simply not allowed.” When he lowered his head until our lips were only an inch apart, I thought for certain he was going to kiss me. He issued another growl, the sound so deep it penetrated every inch of my body. “Besides, I find you a delight to be around, more beautiful than the few pictures I’ve seen of you. I will enjoy having you to surrender to my every need.”

I shoved my palm against his chest, trying to break his hold. “I will never surrender to you or any other man for that matter. And this bullshit isn’t going to happen. Now let. Me. Go.”

He yanked my head with enough force, pain shifted across my temples. “While your demands are duly noted, you are no longer in control of anything, including your life. I won’t make any promises I can’t keep, Alexandra, but you will be treated in a manner that suits your needs.”

“My needs. You have no idea what kind of woman I am.”

“I’m going to find out soon enough.”

When he crushed his mouth over mine, I was shocked at first as another surge of electricity soared through me. My heart hammered against my chest, the feel of his hard body pressed against mine stealing my breath. I was dragged into a mental state that I’d found myself in once before, unable to fight with the same kind of resolve I did in ordinary circumstances. The fear was nearly crippling but even worse was the intense roar of desire.

Where everything about the man had attracted me before, I wanted to loathe him now, making promises to myself that I would get out of his clutches one way or the other. This had to be some kind of game, a tactic used in order to get my father to agree on some business decision. That made me sick inside, the thought that my father had anything to do with this kind of monster repulsive.

As the kiss turned into an explosion of raw passion, I was thrown by the way my body betrayed me. I was wet and hot all over, every inch of my skin tingling from his touch alone. The way he dominated my tongue as he rubbed his thickness against my stomach should have secured my disgust, but it was doing just the opposite. Every nerve was standing on end, seared from the increasing electricity.

We were live wires flicking together, certain to arc at some point. My nipples were fully aroused, scraping against the material of the ridiculously short dress I’d selected for the evening. I felt so small in his arms, his large stature overpowering in every way.

When he broke the kiss, he nipped my lower lip, his teeth threatening to draw blood. What little I’d learned from the news about their family indicated their level of power was unreachable, their relentless and often brutal methods of handling business keeping their enemies at bay. Whatever was going on, my life might depend on pretending like I went along with the charade.

While I tried to convince myself that was the right thing to do, the second he released his hold on my hair, I fought back with all the fury I could manage. I was able to wrench my leg between us, giving a hard shove.

Stefano tumbled backwards, a look of amusement crossing his face. He was also excited, his eyes glistening even in the dim lighting.

As he wiped his mouth and jaw, his hand shifted to the buckle on his belt. “I can see you need very harsh punishment.”

“I told you before, that’s not going to happen.” I backed away, the asshole following in my footsteps, the damn smile never leaving his face.

“Una donna difficile,” he huffed.

“What the hell are you saying to me?”

“One difficult woman, but that ends right now.” The second I turned to flee, he snagged my hair, the pain as he yanked me backwards forcing a moan from my throat. He easily tossed me over the back of the couch, ripping my dress over my hips.

“Get off!” I wiggled and kicked out, but every time I managed to lift my body from the edge, he forced me down again, each time knocking the wind out of me. Stars floated in front of my eyes as he crowded closer. I heard clearly the sounds as he removed his belt, yanking the thick strap of leather into the air. When he placed it on the edge next to me, nausea swept through my system. Even my own father had never attempted to punish me in such a barbaric fashion. He’d simply banished me to my room, which is where I’d wanted to be in the first place.

This man… this fucking asshole thought he owned me. A new and more aggressive round of rage flowed through my veins like gasoline, my hatred of him igniting the flammable chemical. I roared, slapping my hands against the couch and kicking out at the same time. The solid thudding sound as my foot connected made me smile.

His reaction wasn’t something I would have expected. He kicked my legs apart, shifting between them and rubbing his groin back and forth. When he leaned over, I closed my eyes, shifting the images floated in my mind to the pearl white sands of the beaches of a Caribbean island, but as he rubbed his fingers along the inside of my thighs, I continued to be shaken to the core. I was far too attracted to him, my yearning to feel his touch everywhere on my body irresistible.

“Diventerai obbediente,” he whispered, his hot breath skipping across my neck.

While I couldn’t understand the majority of what he said, it was easy to recognize the word ‘obedience.’ He had another think coming. The prick continued stroking me, the touch of his fingers gentle. When he moved to my other leg, I sucked in my breath. He crowded closer to my damp panties, daring to caress my pussy through the thin lace. The scent of my excitement wafted between us. I was mortified, more embarrassed than I’d ever been in my life.

He growled his approval, rubbing up and down several times. “You are wet for me already, just as I imagined you would be.”

“Cocky bastard,” I huffed.

His laugh was as full of amusement as before. He knew he had the upper hand. “You will learn that I have several sides, but none that you should cross intentionally.”

If his words were meant as a warning, he really had no idea what I was made of. I was stunned when he wrapped his hand around my G-string, wasting no time ripping my panties to shreds. I bit back a cry, my mind foggier than before. When he rolled the tip of a single finger down the crack of my ass then thrust it past my swollen folds, I jerked my head up, crying out. No one was going to hear me. I was his prisoner and nothing more.

As he added a second then third finger, pumping like a crazed animal, instead of screaming I panted from the sheer pleasure he was giving me. My body betrayed me even further, gyrating against the filthy invasion, bucking against him to feel more of the sensations.

His breathing remained ragged, his fingertips digging into the skin on my back. The way he rolled his thumb around my clit sent another shattering round of vibrations into the cell structure of every drop of blood and every tense muscle.

“Would you like to come for me, Alexandra?”

“I can’t. I won’t.” I clenched my eyes shut, doing everything in my power to keep from satisfying his domination. Unfortunately, I was failing rapidly, unable to control my body’s reaction.

He leaned over, tugging hair from my face. “You will. I already have faith in you.”

Faith. Who the hell was he to talk about faith of any kind? I squirmed as he pounded four fingers into me, flexing them open as he brutally finger-fucked me. There wasn’t a portion of my skin left uncovered with goosebumps. I clung to the edge of the couch, fighting the oncoming climax, but after a few seconds, I realized it was no use.

My muscles clamped around his fingers, pulling them in even deeper. I could no longer catch my breath, moans slipping past my lips. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. This was all about control for him, ensuring that I begin to accept that he’d stripped away my choices, turning me into a prisoner in a world I had no business in. I was no mafia queen, no princess pampered then prepared to marry into a rival family. I was born and raised in the land of the free, even though I’d never felt the kind of love other families had.

I was obviously wired, unable to think coherently, a kind of madness taking over when I should be formulating a plan. But the pleasure was too great, his brutal methods stripping away my sanity.

“Yes, you can be an obedient girl.” His words cascaded into my ears, the sharp statement slamming me right back into reality.

“Never. Fuck you.”

“That will be a sheer pleasure, but I’m not finished with punishing you.” He laughed in a darker tone than before, the dangerous side of him prickling my skin in an entirely different way. “Now, I’ll allow you to come again.”

“Allow? You are a pig, a bloodthirsty criminal.”

“While I intend on feasting on every inch of you, I am no vampire, Alexandra. Just a man fulfilling the law of karma, forcing three men to pay the price for their sins.”

Three men. That had to include my father. “You think my father murdered yours?” I was sicker than before, a buzzing sound in my ears. “That’s crazy.”

“That’s a fact. I’m sorry that you had the misfortune of hearing it this way. No more talking. You will come for me.”

I remained in a state of shock as he thrust harder and faster, the force driving me against the couch. Exhaustion had already settled in from struggling, but the weariness was affected by the ugly thoughts racing in my mind. Was my father capable of murder?

There was no holding back, another orgasm racing through me. I was tossed into the incredible state of bliss, letting go, the single climax smashing against me in wave after wave.

“Oh. Oh!” I bit my lip until I tasted blood, but even the coppery taste couldn’t drag me out of the rollercoaster of emotions and sensations. I was on fire, bucking like an out-of-control animal.

“Yes, my perfect kitten.”

I now hated the sound of his seductive voice, the way it flowed into my veins like a drug meant to indoctrinate me to his blasphemous plan. Panting, I was able to prevent myself from exploding again just by controlling my breathing.

The monster removed his fingers then squeezed my bottom. When I heard sucking sounds behind me, I was even more disgusted. He was licking his fingers clean.

“Let me go, Stefano. I mean you no harm.”

“You don’t understand that situation and I realize why. You will with time. Soon, we will return home.”

Home. It struck me that he was going to take me with him when he returned to Italy. No. No. That wasn’t going to happen. I had a life here. A job. Friends. Family. My apartment. My clothes. My world. He couldn’t expect that I was going to go along with that.

He rubbed the small of my back as he retrieved the belt. I was tossed into another round of sickness, my stomach churning.

“Don’t,” I said as weakly as before, but only a split second later I heard the rush as the strap was sliced through the air. The second it was brought down across my bottom, I flinched. There was no instant blinding pain, just a sting that burned all the way into my soul. I wanted to curl under my covers, pretending this was nothing but a nightmare, but I knew in my gut that this was just the beginning.

This wasn’t just a nightmare. This was the end of my life.

He smacked me several additional times, one coming after the other. I was pushed into a sublime moment, refusing to accept what was happening to me. As pain exploded in my system, my screams were nothing more than cries of confusion. I remained tingling all over, my body refusing to accept that what he was doing to me was horrible.

Explosive heat rushed up from my toes, my bottom aching. When he stopped long enough to caress my skin, my anger returned. While he might think he had control over me now, he would soon learn that I was tougher than he thought. The man would be brought to his knees.

“You’re doing very well,” he said softly, his touch becoming even more intimate.

“I will kill you.”

Laughing, he leaned over, his whisper something I would never forget.

“I would enjoy the effort you made but remember there are always consequences. I am not a man who forgives easily.”

And I wasn’t a woman who would allow this to happen again. I gritted my teeth as he continued the harsh spanking, slapping the belt down time and time again. I was almost delirious, yet I was doing everything I could to keep my resolve. One thing was certain. I hated my father.

When he cracked two strikes across my upper thighs, I reared up, hissing through clenched teeth.

“Only four more, my sweet Alexandra. Then I’ll have the pleasure of enjoying you. All of you.”

Enjoying me? What the hell did he think he was going to do? I barely felt the last four strikes, my mind reeling from what he’d said.

He was going to fuck me.

The bastard was going to defile my body to assert his dominance over me. I expected him to unfasten his expensive trousers, taking me like some animal. When he wrapped his fingers around my arms, pulling me to a standing position, I held my breath, refusing to inhale another whiff of him. His scent was far too intoxicating.

The brute brushed his fingers down my arms, his touch still creating tingles. I closed my eyes, doing everything I could do to pretend this wasn’t happening. When he wrapped one hand around mine, intertwining our fingers, I winced.

“Come with me, Alexandra. I’ve had very little time to explore this lovely house.”

He acted as if he knew exactly where he was going, pulling me behind him as he walked through the house. When he started up the flight of stairs, I tried to pull away, but his hold was too strong. After stopping midway, he took several deep breaths.

“I don’t think it’s in your best interest to continue fighting with me. Do you?”

His question was rhetorical and nothing more. “I will always fight you.”

“There will come a day you’ll finally accept what fate had determined was necessary. On that day, you will scream out my name begging me for more. Tonight is just the beginning. I assure you that I can be unrelenting, but you will also experience extreme pleasure. I am also a civilized man, which is why our first time together needs to be special.”

I wasn’t certain if he expected me to reply, but there was nothing I wanted to say to him that I hadn’t already said before. If he thought I’d ever enjoy having sex with him, he was dead wrong.

He cocked his head to look at me and while shadows played with the limited light, creating shapes that reminded me of monsters lurking in the darkness, I could tell he was searching both my eyes and my face for some level of compliance. After squeezing my hand, he continued up the stairs, barely glancing into the guest rooms. The bastard knew exactly where he was going.

I’d purposely chosen the master bedroom, relishing the oversized king bed and infusion of soft pillows. The view from the French doors was incredible, the master bath only found in upper scale luxurious homes. His presence would tarnish every good memory.

His gait remained purposeful, taking short strides as he walked down the hall. Maybe the asshole was trying to boost my anxiety, the anticipation of being taken like a possession curtailing my ability to fight him any longer. Whatever the case, as he stopped only a few inches from the bed, I cringed inside.

Stefano pulled away, turning on a single lamp by the bed. The small Tiffany-style shade only allowed minimal light in the room, the colorful glass creating vibrant images on the wall over the headboard. He turned to face me, taking his time unbuttoning his shirt. I felt the burn of his increasing desire as the electricity between us arced several times.

By the time he peeled away the material, rolling the crisp white shirt off his shoulders, I’d been breathless for well over a minute. He tossed the unwanted item onto the nearby chair, allowing his gaze to fall to my polished toes once again. He was even sexier than I’d imagined, his broad shoulders and thin waist highlighted by his sculpted abdomen.

My nipples ached all over again at the sight of him. God, no. I couldn’t still be this attracted to him.

“Undress,” he said with no emotion.

I folded my arms, giving him a defiant look.

Huffing, he placed his hands on his hips. “If you would prefer to keep the lovely dress you are wearing, then you will follow my orders. If not, I have no problem removing it for you, only it will be with a pair of scissors.”

He was so damn arrogant, his demands continuing to make me sick inside. Sadly, I knew I had no other choice. I shivered as I tugged on the material, my frustration making it difficult to drag the dress over my shoulders. I’d chosen not to wear a bra and now I regretted it. When I stood completely naked, he took a full minute if not longer, studying every inch of my body. But when he finally returned them to my face, I realized his eyes were smoldering, his lust breaching the surface.

“Hands on the back of your head.”

His command startled me. “I don’t understand.”

“There is nothing to understand, Alexandra. I will inspect you when I feel it’s appropriate. I hunger to learn every inch of your voluptuous body.”

If he thought the words were sexy or enticing in any way, he was freaking out of his mind. His stern look indicated he was losing his patience. Resisting a single sound, I did as I was told, locking my fingers together.

“Legs apart,” he added, remaining in the same position.

Swallowing hard, I shifted my feet, so cold from the anticipation of what he was going to do.

“Good.” He approached slowly, cupping my jaw and rubbing his thumb across my lips. “I will enjoy owning you, molding you.”

I pursed my lips, keeping the hatred clear in my stare. I would never show him any kind of fear ever again.

When he thrust his thumb past my lips, I wanted nothing more than to bite down. He seemed to read my thoughts, his glare becoming more pointed.

“Suck,” he stated.

I wanted this over with, so I did as he demanded, swirling my tongue around his thumb as I pretended that I was sucking a lollypop.

“You can be a very good girl. Perhaps you’ll be easy to train.”

Fuck you. Fuck you!The words were on the tip of my tongue.

He continued his exploration, trailing his finger down the side of my neck, dragging the tip between my breasts. Then he cupped both, squeezing until I flinched. “They are perfect, Alexandra, the color of your nipples the most beautiful shade of rose.”

I couldn’t stand the fact my nipples were hard as diamonds, aching to be pinched and sucked. That didn’t make any sense.

His breathing was as ragged as mine and I hated the way it cascaded across my naked skin. I couldn’t seem to stop tingling. He flicked his fingers across my nipples, and I was forced to bite back a moan.

“Just perfect,” he whispered just seconds before he pinched both, twisting and plucking them until I was unable to keep from whimpering. The pain was biting yet I could tell trickles of my pussy juice had already slid down the insides of both legs. I was humiliated by my body’s reaction, blinking in order to keep tears out of my eyes. What would happen if I tried to run again? Would he run out of patience and put a bullet in my head?

Growling, he dropped his head, planting his lips around my aching buds, sucking and biting down, altering with swirling his tongue around in lazy circles.

“Oh,” I whispered, hating myself even more for exposing my pleasure. That’s exactly what he wanted in order to get full control over me.

He rubbed his lips across my chest, engulfing my other nipple and repeating the same actions. For a few seconds, I was tossed into a moment of utter bliss, unable to shove the sensations aside. He had me right where he wanted me.

After chuckling darkly, he slid his fingers down my stomach, rolling one around my bellybutton. As he allowed his hand to travel further, I couldn’t stop from shaking. This was so terrible, the horrible man driving me to the point of madness.

And extreme ecstasy.

My legs were wobbly as he shifted his hand between them, delicately teasing my clit. My mind remained a blur, my rational thoughts shadowed by the heat that continued to build.

Stefano returned to a standing position, the smirk on his face one I wanted to slap off. When he pinched my clit, twisting and pulling roughly, he expected me to beg for relief. That wasn’t going to happen. The bastard could go fuck himself. Instead, I smiled, leering at him the same way he’d done to me.

He shoved several fingers inside, but only for a few seconds, wiping them across my tummy after removing them. As he walked behind me, I could still feel his heated look. I’d never felt like a possession before, the horror of thinking about what he might do keeping me on edge.

Of course the bastard took his time, tangling his fingers in my hair before dragging a single nail down my spine. I expected his next move as he cupped and kneaded my aching bottom, but I continued to be defiant as hell, biting back a cry even though a single tear managing to slide past my lashes.

“Bend over,” he commanded.

This time I didn’t bother to ask what the fuck he was doing, complying while planning his demise.

“Open your ass cheeks for me.”

“What?” I couldn’t keep from spitting the question.

“I think you heard me, Alexandra. If I need to repeat myself, I will add that to the list of your infractions.”

Still shaking, I shifted my arms behind me, trying to keep my balance as I fulfilled his damning request. God, I hated this man. I’d been prepared for almost anything, but when he breached my virgin asshole, I spit out a series of curse words.

“Asshole. Bastard. Prick. Motherfucker.”

“Colorful language, Alexandra, but it does surprise me given your high level of upbringing.”

This was nothing but a game for him, the man playing with his new toy. The flush of embarrassment that flew over my face and neck almost suffocated me. As he pushed a finger inside my dark hole, my muscles reacted instantly, clamping around the unwanted invasion. While I’d expected wretched pain, when he added a second finger, pumping in and out, the anguish shifted to a crazy kind of pleasure. Panting, I almost toppled over and would have if the jerk hadn’t wrapped his hand around my arm.

“You’re doing very well, although I can tell you’ve never been fucked in your ass by a man. Have you, Alexandra? Don’t lie to me. I will always know.”

“No. I haven’t,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Then you are in for the ride of your life, although not tonight. I will save that until after we are married. In the meantime, I’ll make certain you’re prepared.” He removed his fingers, patting me on the behind. “Lie on the bed for me.”

This was nothing but a methodical continuation of a freak show, but I walked toward the bed, fighting my nerves as I sat down. When I lay back onto the comforter, I was stiff, every muscle tense. I stared up at the ceiling, my mind searching everything I’d recently talked about with my father. He’d acted very weird over the past few months, beefing up his security, especially while making his grand speeches to whoever would listen. Our personal conversations had been limited, but he’d never alluded to anything of this nature.

I was going to grill the man when I had the chance.

If I had the chance.

As I heard rustlings sounds, I dared to find him in the room. He was removing the rest of his clothes. I sucked in my breath from the sight of him completely naked. Everything about him was powerful from his muscular thighs to his narrow hips. And his cock was a thing of beauty, long and thick.

Stop it. He’s a monster.

My inner voice was determined to keep my mind on the right track, but too bad my body wasn’t paying attention. My mouth watered, my insides churning.

Stefano held his head high as he approached, pushing me further onto the bed then crawling on top. As he hovered over me, I tried my best not to look him in the eyes, but it was impossible. For the first time, I noticed his almost midnight eyes were laced with other colors, gold and stunning blue flecks running through them. How was that possible?

His chest heaved as he gathered my legs into his arms.

“Oh. Oh…” The sounds I emitted I no longer recognized. As he lowered his head, breathing across my aching pussy, I jerked up from the bed.

A smile crossed his face just before he darted his tongue around my clit. Almost instantly I was thrown into another moment of bliss. I clenched my fingers around the comforter, tossing my head back and forth.

He dug his fingers into my thighs, opening me even wider as he took his time licking and sucking on my tender tissue.

Stars floated in front of my eyes, every inch of my body shaking almost violently. The bastard dragged his tongue all the way down, plunging it past my swollen folds. I bucked up again with a bedraggled scream. “Yes. Yes.”

“My good girl,” he muttered before burying his face in my wetness, using a combination of his tongue and several fingers, thrusting them deep inside.

I was tossed into pure euphoria, fighting the amazing sensations but I was losing the battle. When he managed to bring me to an orgasm quickly, I tumbled into an abyss. No man had ever licked me this way before, able to anticipate my needs, fulfilling fantasies I didn’t even know I had. He was an expert at what he was doing, pushing me to the brink then pulling back.

One climax turned into a beautiful wave that I floated on, unconscious of time, alternating between laughing and moaning. My toes were pointed, every muscle tense and I loved every second of how he made me feel.

“Come again,” he demanded in his usual husky tone.

He didn’t have to coerce me. I exploded into a third round, no longer able to feel my extremities. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes,” I muttered over and over again.

Only when I stopped shaking did he lift his head. “Look at me, Alexandra. See what you do to me.”

His face was glistening from my juice, his lips full and rosy. I was mesmerized by his stunning good looks, eyes that burned into my soul. As he crawled over me, planting his hands on either side, I shuddered to the depth of my being.

I knew he was going to ravage me.

And there was nothing that I could do.

Not now.

Not ever.

He’d just made his claim.