Marrying the Mob Prince
3-12

CAINAN

If anyone could survive this place, it was Claire.

Someday, she would understand. She might even forgive me.

But not today.

Claire lay inside the cage, her hair a wild nest of blond. A grass stain streaked the pink fabric of her dress. Her position looked uncomfortable, but with her wrists and ankles bound, she couldn't do much about it. Her ferocious gaze had the air of a tigress longing to devour her captor.

I couldn't blame her. I'd left her to stew there for an hour. "How are you feeling?"

She didn't respond. I tapped the bars with my foot, and she snarled. "Go away."

I knelt and stuck my arm through the gaps in the bars. Then I ran my fingers along her tense jaw. "When you disobey me, I take things. Your voice. Your ability to move, to do anything but lie still and accept my thrusts." Her lips thinned.

I traced the elegant arch of her neck, thumbing the base of her throat, which fluttered wildly with her pulse. "Starling, the tough girl act never lasts long. You think you're the first willful girl I've brought to heel?" "I'm getting off this island and going home."

I laughed. "Keep repeating that to yourself, sweetheart."

I was charmed by more than her stubbornness. The cute set of her jaw. Her unflinching defiance. Her determination to escape while she was handcuffed in a cage under my bed. She was fucking adorable.

"I'm leaving," she said, her potent glare diving into my chest. "And you can't stop me." Impossible.

Even if she made it to the beach, she would have to replace transportation. Given that the airport and marina were locked down tight, she had no chance. Anyone who picked her up would recognize her as mine. They'd rather drive her back than risk my wrath. I could've explained everything to Claire, but I doubted it'd dampen her resistance.

"I could keep you underneath my bed and only take you out to feed and fuck you. I could tie you down and edge you, over and over, until you beg me to let you come. I'm cruel by most people's standards. So yes, I think I can stop you." Claire blew out a fierce breath, her chest pulsing rapidly. I imagined she was probably weighing her options. Deciding she had no choice but to comply. She opened her mouth, obliterating my expectations.

"Prove it," she drawled. "Do something that actually scares me."

Calling my bluff?

My mouth tugged into a disbelieving grin. Then I fished the key from the nightstand and unlocked the cage. Reaching inside, I gripped her ankles and pulled. Her body slid out of the opening. She rolled on her side. A vivid blush stained her cheeks as I teased the neckline of her dress. Following her curves, I swept downward. Then I stroked the center of her breasts. A gorgeous red tint flushed her skin.

Claire frowned, her expression murderous. Her handcuffs clinked as she stretched them taut, but I ignored her unspoken demand. Her nostrils flared as I edged her dress by the straps. They fell down her slender curves. The fabric squeezed her tits. I admired the sight of them spilling over, her arms held in place by the cuffs.

Glorious.

My mouth parched at the sight of her perky breasts, the dusky pink nipples budding to alertness. Beautiful. I'd have fun playing with them, but I had to see the rest of her. I grabbed the scissors and sawed through the bundle linking her arms together. Then I ripped it in half. The dress spilled onto the tiles. My breathing slowed as I drank in her helpless position. She was compact and hard, with the body of a dancer. Her tits barely filled my hands, but they weren't too small on her petite frame. They would fit nicely in my mouth. I caressed to her navel and then to the trimmed bed of dark hair. I'd seen her naked when I'd stripped her while she was unconscious, but I didn't let myself stare at her. I'd touched her as little as possible, enduring a serious case of blue balls until I stroked my cock at her bedside. I'd never done that before, but it felt necessary to stave off the madness of my primal instincts. The same wave of lust blew through me as I studied her, tightening my chest until I couldn't breathe.

"Fuck. I can't look at you without my cock aching." I traced the seductive line of her curves. "You're just as beautiful as I imagined."

Her eyes contracted before she rolled them. "Meanwhile, I'm fighting the urge to vomit."

"Oh, you're definitely battling urges. As am I...it'd be so easy to take you right now. But as pleasing as that would be, I know better. Threatening you with a good time gets us nowhere."

As my thumb rubbed her hip, a shiver rippled through her. "It won't work on me."

"I think it will. And I have plenty of material from our spicy late night conversations." I scooped her up from under her legs and stood, heading for the bath. "Perhaps I should read your texts aloud?" "Those?" she scoffed, turning a bright shade of magenta. "I send all guys the same script. Is that all you've got?"

I smiled down at her, thoroughly amused by her lies. Her attitude was borderline reckless, considering her situation.

I strolled into the bathroom and set her down on the edge of the tub. I turned on the hot water and unlocked her ankles and wrists. Despite her bravado, I could feel her nerves fraying as her hands trembled.

When it filled, I picked her up and stepped into the bath. Claire hissed as we sank into the heat. Then I made her sit between my thighs, her weight folding into mine pleasantly. Her abdomen strained against my arm as I dragged her backward. When her back touched my chest, her breathing kicked up to a faster rhythm-no doubt worried about the cock pressed into her ass.

My heartbeat thudded loud in my ears. I held her, trying to get a grip on the desire throttling my veins. Suddenly, I fought the pull to close my eyes and drift off. This felt too good. Like a dream.

She clenched my arm. "W-what are you doing?"

"Enjoying you," I whispered with a sigh that echoed. "You can't know how much I've wanted you... Stop struggling and relax."

"I thought you were punishing me."

"Oh, I will. But I like to drag it out." I grabbed a bottle, squirting soap into my palms. "Carry the tension for as long as I can... lift your arm for me."

I started with her hands, massaging the individual knuckles, the meaty pad of her palms, soothing the red lines where the cuffs dug into her flesh. Then I traveled up her forearms, squeezing the compact muscle. I rubbed the divot in her elbows, and she released the tiniest exhale. When I reached her shoulders, she was boneless. Completely limp.

I couldn't count how many sensual massages ended with a woman begging me for punishment. Even if I hadn't planned on doing anything, the anticipation made them crazy. Made them plead for mercy and do desperate things to gain my favor. Getting to that point was the fun part. I would punish her, but it made a bigger impact when I took it slow.

"What are you doing?" she muttered.

"Taking care of what I own." I watched the suds cascade down her skin. "You're very tense. Loosen up."

"That's how I get when men threaten me."

"You asked me to scare you," I reminded her, soaping her neck, her chest, the delicate bones bird-like. "Maybe I wanted to do the opposite."

"I seriously doubt that. I-" A groan cut her off mid-sentence as I burrowed under her shoulder blades, slipping under the bone. She flinched.

I stopped. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it's fine. I'm sore from the handcuffs." The reminder that I'd forced her to wear them seemed to put her on guard. "Why are you doing this?"

"I like giving massages."

"I'd think you'd be the one to get pampered."

I reached for the shampoo. "For the most part." Back in Boston, I had no shortage of willing subs eager for me, but I tired of them quickly. I got what I wanted and dumped them. Meanwhile, I'd chased Claire like it was my full-time job. I still had no idea why I'd done that. Or why it soothed me to lather her hair and massage her scalp.

I rinsed her off.

"Taking a bath with me was on your list." I hefted her breast in one hand, smearing soap over her pebbled nipple again. "You told me you liked being washed."

Claire closed her eyes. "The idea pleased me more than the reality."

I laughed. "You're a rotten liar."

Her nipples stood at attention, betraying her real thoughts. I pinched her nipples, and then she turned around to face me. Her ass wiggled on my groin. I pulled her over my lap. She gulped, legs firmly pressed together, her lips parted-rage and lust fighting to control her expression.

"Tell me why. Help me understand..." Claire trailed off as she seemed to search for the right words. "How did you get like this?" "Why does it matter?"

"Because...you lied about everything, and I have no idea who you are."

"I showed you who I am. Or do you still need more convincing?" I hesitated, enjoying her wide-eyed innocence and how small she felt in my arms: a bird trapped in my claws. "You're so fucking beautiful when you're afraid of me. You flush all the way down to your tits."

She squirmed, trying to get away, but only succeeded in pushing herself closer. She was working me up. I dug my fingers into her hip. I needed to taste her tits, to bend her over the tub and take her- "Convince me," she demanded, her tone ringing with a sweet resonance. "Tell me about yourself."

I placed my hand over her breast, savoring how her pulse pounded into my palm. "I'll answer your questions for some of mine."

"Fine."

I nodded, indicating she should go first.

"Okay, um...where were you born?"

"Right here, on Leda."

Her voice shrank to a whisper. "There can't be a women's health clinic on the island."

"No. My father had a doctor flown in. He couldn't risk taking my mom to the mainland." I splashed water on her left shoulder, which sprouted with gooseflesh. "She was a captive." She gasped, the horror of that not lost on her. "I can't...I can't imagine a child growing up here."

"It's not a good place for children. I saw a lot of things I shouldn't have. Mom tried to shield me, but she couldn't protect me from everything. And after a while, you get desensitized." "Was she kidnapped, too?"

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"No idea. I never got the full story of where she came from." And my prick father still refused to give me any details. "All I know is her first name. Cassandra."

She frowned, looking troubled. "When did she pass away?"

Pass away. I'd always found that phrase dismissive. Even its structure was passive. It assumed dying was a gentle process, but in my experience, death was brutal. Claire took my shoulder. "How old were you, Cainan?"

"Eight." I smiled at Claire's stricken expression.

"H-how did it happen?"

Wake up, angel. We need to leave.

Pain struck the back of my throat. "Are all your questions going to be about my dead mom?"

"I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I should've asked something less...intense." She blanched and bit her lip. "So she died...and then you had your dad?" "Yes."

"What was that like?"

I rubbed my left temple as the ringing started. "Not great. Losing my mother changed me. I had...behavioral problems. I soon became a nuisance to my father, so he shipped me off to a New England boarding school."

I shouldn't have allowed her to ask whatever she wanted, but it'd been a long time since I'd told anyone about my life. My skin prickled with heat. Her heavy stare drilled into me. "What happened after that?" she demanded.

"Life went on." I lifted my hand, gesturing to the door. "I vented my rage on the boys at school, who were no match for me. I enjoyed hurting them. I got good at it. Too good. The school kicked me out when I was seventeen. Then I was back with my dear old dad full time, learning how to fuck women that didn't want to be fucked and make them think they liked it."

The hand on my shoulder trembled. "And you don't feel bad about any of it?"

"I don't let my thoughts go there."

"Because you're a psychopath."

I lifted my brow. "Wait until you meet my father."

Her fingers contracted on my muscle. "I don't want to meet him, Cainan! Your family is so...unbelievably messed up."

You have no idea.

"How did I not see this coming?" she said, a hysterical note threading through her voice. "How?"

"I gave you no reason to doubt me."

"But I've been with men like you. You didn't show any red flags. You weren't crazy or...or possessive. You respected my boundaries. You did all the right things."

I shrugged. "You and I are very different. I thought it'd be a fun challenge."

"You wanted a taste," she whispered, her eyes lingering on mine. "Of the other side. So instead of making me your slave, you seduced me with good, old-fashioned, wholesome dating. You didn't expect to like it that much. Did you?" I stared at her, stunned. Then shock yielded to anger.

"Are these questions a strategy to free yourself?" I taunted, my mouth curling into a wide smirk. "Do go on. I love it when you girls try to outsmart me. I love it up until I teach you a lesson for being an insolent brat. Let's make one thing clear. You're here to get fucked. That's it. And it can be nice and pleasant, like the way I'm holding you now, or it can be rough. Which do you want?"

Wide-eyed, she backed from my arms. In the tub, she couldn't travel far. I waded toward her, upsetting the bathwater. It lapped up the sides and spilled as I drew closer.

I lifted her out of the water and set her on the edge. Her eyes widened as she lost her balance. I caught her torso before she pitched forward, admiring her glistening curves, the rivulets tracing sinful paths that I wanted to follow with my tongue.

It was my turn to ask questions.

"How badly did you want me? And don't try to deny your feelings weren't deeper than a crush. If we'd kept dating, it would've been more." How much more? "Did you fantasize about the future? What did that look like? Did you picture us moving in together?"

I studied her closely, holding in my breath as I waited for her to speak. Claire shut her eyes, apparently overwhelmed by my questioning. "Maybe I thought of those things. But that ship sailed, crashed, and sunk the moment you drugged my protein shake. Actually, no. When you opened your fat, lying mouth and introduced yourself to me."

My smile wavered when she opened her tear-filled eyes. The horror of my duplicity seemed to dawn on Claire, and then I felt it again, throbbing low in my throat. That poisonous emotion, guilt.

Her pain stabbed deep inside me. "I had to lie. You wouldn't have let me get within five miles of you."

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"You don't give a damn. Got it," she snarled, standing. "Because what's left of your cashew-sized brain is located in your cock, and it does all your thinking."

She wrenched a towel off the rack and wrapped herself in the cotton. I watched her stomp off, wanting to chuckle at her stupid insult and the cute way she'd glared at me, but I couldn't let that shit fly.

I dried myself off and followed the wet footprints leading to the least safe room in the house. The bedroom. Claire sat on the bed, covered by the towel. I snatched it off her and threw it across the room. She aimed a right hook at my head. I caught her wrist, and then the other. A stream of colorful swear words flowed from her mouth.

Tutting, I pushed her into the mattress. "Your offenses keep racking up."

"Let me go!"

I couldn't. Much as I hated hurting her, she had to be perfect. She had to obey. She had to wipe that look of flagrant disrespect off her stunning face. I needed to turn her on her side, pull her over my lap, and beat her ass blue. "This won't be pleasant." I put my hand on her hip and squeezed. "Scream if you have to."

My hand whistled through the air, connecting with the fullest part of her ass. She screamed. I couldn't blame her. The strikes landing on her ass weren't teasing smacks. My hand struck cruelly, my cock growing harder at her sweet cries for mercy. "Please!" She rolled onto her side, trying to get away from my hand. "It hurts."

"Of course it hurts. It wouldn't be a punishment if you liked it." I grabbed her shoulder and pinned her back down, continuing my assault on her raw flesh. "I'm doing this because you deserve it. You don't listen. You think you're above the rules. You're not. You are a disobedient slave, and you need to be put in your place."

My strike revisited the glowing mark on her right cheek. She howled, struggling to get away. I landed another rough slap and grabbed her blushing cheek.

"If you keep defying me, I'll use my belt instead of my hand."

She stilled, grimacing. I smacked her again where her thigh met her cheeks. She moaned and shuddered, stabbing my chest with guilt.

Guilt. What a useless emotion.

I had to do this. It was for her own good. I couldn't protect her if she didn't obey me.

Whatever it takes.

I blocked out her groans and brutalized her ass. I closed my senses. I felt nothing but the sting of my palm. The warmth of the blood rising to her skin.

Claire let out a soul-shattering whimper. The sound cut into my chest, and I stopped. I stroked her burning flesh. My heart thundered as she lay there, motionless. She turned her head and glared at me, her eyes sparkling with rage. But then her gaze slipped to my hands, and her fire dimmed.

"You goddamned bastard," she croaked before dissolving into tears. The low, tortured sound ripped at the center of me.

Nausea boiled in my stomach as I forced myself to comply. My hand cupped her ass but refused to strike. I mustered my strength, lifted my arm, and then ringing slammed into my left ear. I grimaced, the agony splitting my skull.

I can't do this.

A suffocating pressure built up in my body. I was a fuse, ready to explode, and then I took one look at Claire's flushed mouth.

"Fuck," I whispered.

I lay down beside her and kissed her. She let out the tiniest sigh as I brushed my lips into hers. Surprisingly, she didn't bite me. She opened for me. As I cradled her head and kissed her in slow, melting strokes, her body seemed to release years worth of tension. She went still as my tongue traced the contours of her lips. She was soft. Her fingers curled into my chest hair. Pleasure bloomed inside me as she yielded, kissing me back.

A need within me clenched. It was building...I saw myself stealing her away-

No.

My heartbeat pulsed wildly as I broke from the kiss. Claire gave me a questioning look, her golden hair framing her with a beauty that stuck in my chest.

No. Do not have feelings for her.

I couldn't let her soften me. I needed to be ruthless to stop the cycle, even if it destroyed me. Patience. I would fuck her. And it would be against her will. I hadn't made my peace with that. I probably never would. But it didn't matter...If I won her consent, I'd still be the devil that seduced her.

I kissed down her lovely throat to the round globes on her chest. A high-pitched whine escaped her lips as I kneaded her breasts. Claire's gaze glossed over. I rubbed her nipples. Her breathing hitched as I seized those budding peaks and pinched. I played with them, alternating between a sensual massage and wedging them between my knuckles.

Claire whimpered, her back arching. I rolled her nipples between my fingers. I watched her expression soften as I dialed up the heat, trailing my tongue on her creamy tits. A burning desire leapt inside me to explore her cunt. To taste her, but I was still having fun with her perfect tits. I hefted one breast in my hand, and then the other. I bent my neck and licked, grazing the skin surrounding her nipple.

Claire made an inarticulate sound, her eyes boring into mine. I flattened my mouth, tongue lashing against the hard bud. Her labored breaths became heaving sighs. Then I gathered her nipple in my mouth and sucked. I teased her hips, spreading her knees as far as they'd go. Her pussy opened for me, glistening. Fuck. My thumb landed on her clit, the hard nub already wet. I rubbed her gently. "What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Only what you desperately want." I inserted my finger into her cunt, the soft walls squeezing me in response. "You're not even trying to get away."

My mouth returned to her tits. I flicked my tongue harder. With lazy swipes, I tongued her nipple. Claire screwed up her face and moaned. My cock swelled as I sucked the skin beside her nipple, raising a red welt that wouldn't fade for a few days. I pushed her breasts together and suckled her cleavage. My face buried, I breathed in the scent of her skin. So intoxicating. My teeth grazed her right breast as I held her to my mouth, fighting the urge to bite.

A doorbell rang, stopping me.