wanted him to push me through my door. To take the choice away from me. It was easier that way. There was less potential for pain.
But he didn’t. He just looked at me intently. “Will you make me a cup of coffee, Lucia?” he asked, finally.
I nodded. He stayed on my couch and drank the coffee I made him. He thanked me with a kiss on my lips that left my entire body aching with need, and then he left.
Chapter 15
Lucia:
I woke up the next morning with a silly smile on my face as I thought about the previous night and the way Antonio had kissed me. Brushing my teeth, I caught a glimpse of my expression in the mirror. There was a soft and tender look in my eyes, and I flinched. No. Fuck no. This wasn’t okay. I couldn’t be sweet and giggly and soft when I thought about Antonio Moretti. I slept with whomever I wanted, and I didn’t stick around. I didn’t get involved. That was who I was.
This ridiculous flirtation with Antonio Moretti was going to have to end. I’d avoided going to the club since the day I’d ended up in his dungeon, but that was probably why I was dangerously sweet on him. There was something about sex when you gave up control. It made you soft and pliable. I just needed to scrub Antonio out of my head and my heart by duplicating that experience with one of the tops at the club. Enzo, if he had got over whatever was ailing him the last time I was at Casanova. If not Enzo, then someone else.
That evening, I showered, dressed with care in a dress that hugged every curve of my body, and I caught a water taxi to the club. The bouncer at the door started slightly when he saw me, but nodded politely enough. “Top or bottom, Miss Petrucci?” he asked, as he always did, and I choose to bottom again, and accepted the pale blue wristband.
The club was busier than it had been the last time. It reminded me that I needed to pay my club dues for the next three months. I walked towards Liam’s office. Until very recently, I thought Liam Callahan owned the club.
“Hey Lucia,” he greeted me. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to pay my dues before you send the enforcers,” I joked. There were no enforcers that I knew of. I paid because I wanted to play.
He nodded. “Let’s see what you owe,” Liam said, typing something at the keyboard on his desk. He read the screen, and looked at me, puzzled. “Are you sure?” he asked me. “You are all paid up.”
I shook my head. Casanova was expensive. I wouldn’t have paid and forgotten about it. A chill of suspicion went through me. Antonio? What the heck was he playing at?
“I can’t be paid up,” I said.
“Look for yourself.” Liam turned the screen towards me and I looked. I was paid up for the year.
“My mistake,” I said smoothly, trying my best to contain my rage. Did Antonio think I was his kept woman? How dare he. I seethed as I walked into the club floor. All the more reason I needed a good session with a Dom who would work me over and readjust my attitude.
Apart from Enzo, there were a handful of Doms I played with somewhat regularly. Luc, a French writer, one of the very few non Venetian members. Paolo. Tomas. Luigi. None of them would meet my eye today, their gazes sliding over me as if I wasn’t there. What the fuck?
I walked over to the bar and took a seat. “Okay, Shaun,” I said to the Irish bartender. I knew him well; he’d worked at the club for all of the four years I’d been a member. “What gives? Do I look fat or something today? Why is everyone avoiding me?”
He laughed. “You don’t know?” he asked me, then he looked at the blank expression on my face. “No, you don’t know. You were seen kissing Antonio Moretti last night at Quadri. And there’s not a single guy here who is going to risk ending up floating face down in the canal by coming anywhere close to you.”
I gulped down the contents of the glass in front of me. My hands were shaking as I peeled off the pale blue wristband. What kind of
But he didn’t. He just looked at me intently. “Will you make me a cup of coffee, Lucia?” he asked, finally.
I nodded. He stayed on my couch and drank the coffee I made him. He thanked me with a kiss on my lips that left my entire body aching with need, and then he left.
Chapter 15
Lucia:
I woke up the next morning with a silly smile on my face as I thought about the previous night and the way Antonio had kissed me. Brushing my teeth, I caught a glimpse of my expression in the mirror. There was a soft and tender look in my eyes, and I flinched. No. Fuck no. This wasn’t okay. I couldn’t be sweet and giggly and soft when I thought about Antonio Moretti. I slept with whomever I wanted, and I didn’t stick around. I didn’t get involved. That was who I was.
This ridiculous flirtation with Antonio Moretti was going to have to end. I’d avoided going to the club since the day I’d ended up in his dungeon, but that was probably why I was dangerously sweet on him. There was something about sex when you gave up control. It made you soft and pliable. I just needed to scrub Antonio out of my head and my heart by duplicating that experience with one of the tops at the club. Enzo, if he had got over whatever was ailing him the last time I was at Casanova. If not Enzo, then someone else.
That evening, I showered, dressed with care in a dress that hugged every curve of my body, and I caught a water taxi to the club. The bouncer at the door started slightly when he saw me, but nodded politely enough. “Top or bottom, Miss Petrucci?” he asked, as he always did, and I choose to bottom again, and accepted the pale blue wristband.
The club was busier than it had been the last time. It reminded me that I needed to pay my club dues for the next three months. I walked towards Liam’s office. Until very recently, I thought Liam Callahan owned the club.
“Hey Lucia,” he greeted me. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to pay my dues before you send the enforcers,” I joked. There were no enforcers that I knew of. I paid because I wanted to play.
He nodded. “Let’s see what you owe,” Liam said, typing something at the keyboard on his desk. He read the screen, and looked at me, puzzled. “Are you sure?” he asked me. “You are all paid up.”
I shook my head. Casanova was expensive. I wouldn’t have paid and forgotten about it. A chill of suspicion went through me. Antonio? What the heck was he playing at?
“I can’t be paid up,” I said.
“Look for yourself.” Liam turned the screen towards me and I looked. I was paid up for the year.
“My mistake,” I said smoothly, trying my best to contain my rage. Did Antonio think I was his kept woman? How dare he. I seethed as I walked into the club floor. All the more reason I needed a good session with a Dom who would work me over and readjust my attitude.
Apart from Enzo, there were a handful of Doms I played with somewhat regularly. Luc, a French writer, one of the very few non Venetian members. Paolo. Tomas. Luigi. None of them would meet my eye today, their gazes sliding over me as if I wasn’t there. What the fuck?
I walked over to the bar and took a seat. “Okay, Shaun,” I said to the Irish bartender. I knew him well; he’d worked at the club for all of the four years I’d been a member. “What gives? Do I look fat or something today? Why is everyone avoiding me?”
He laughed. “You don’t know?” he asked me, then he looked at the blank expression on my face. “No, you don’t know. You were seen kissing Antonio Moretti last night at Quadri. And there’s not a single guy here who is going to risk ending up floating face down in the canal by coming anywhere close to you.”
I gulped down the contents of the glass in front of me. My hands were shaking as I peeled off the pale blue wristband. What kind of
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