Then, when I feel like I can’t take anymore, her feet are kicked apart, and Gia uses the flogger in her other hand, snapping her wrist and landing a sharp slap between them.
“Yes!” Lace groans as her breasts press into my legs.
Another snap of her wrist comes with the warning, “Don’t you come.”
“Please,” Lace begs, grinding into my leg.
“Patience.” Gia whips her ass again.
“Yes, Signora Gia,” Lace rasps.
Gia walks away, dropping the whip and setting the flogger down on a table. Then she grabs a small paddle and walks back over. “Turn over, pet.”
“Fucking pet?” I hiss at her.
She taps my face with the paddle. “Shut your mouth.”
“Or what?” I sneer as Lace lies on her back against my legs, her head hanging over by my hip.
She doesn’t answer me. She simply works her leather pants down, revealing a pair of crotch-less, leather thongs. She steps out of her heels then removes her pants.
“Who comes first?” Gia asks, stepping back into her heels.
“You, Signora, always you.”
Gia stands to my side and straddles Lace’s face, her bare pussy in clear view.
“You think you two can take it to another fucking room?”
The paddle stings my cheek. “You are but furniture. Furniture doesn’t speak.”
“Why the fuck am I here?” I growl at her, which produces another slap.
Reaching behind me, she grabs a cloth. “Ask me again.”
“You are a sick—”
She shoves the cloth in my mouth and pushes it in. “Shut up.”
I try to spit it out, but it’s no use.
I remain sitting as Lace licks at Gia’s cunt while her pussy gets slapped repeatedly.
“You want to come, you’ll do better than that,” Gia tells her.
Lace clearly takes her seriously, working her mouth on Gia’s cunt like it’s her fucking job.
“Yes, pet, yes,” Gia says, resting her hand on my shoulder as she leans over Lace and rips her panties. “Don’t you stop.”
I watch as Gia slides her finger into Lace’s pussy while digging her nails into my skin.
When Gia comes, she releases my shoulder and steps back. Lace’s face is slick with cum.
“Please, Signora,” Lace begs.
“You’ve done well, pet. You even made Gia come in the presence of a man.” She stands between her legs. “You will be rewarded.”
I watch as she finger-fucks Lace to near climax then stops, over and over again.
“Do you want to come?”
“Yes, please make me come.”
Gia slaps Lace’s pussy. “It’s let me come, pet. A request, not a demand.”
“Please let me come,” Lace moans as she is rubbed.
“For who?”
“Please let me come for you,” she begs.
The way she touches her is not with care. It seems almost painful. I take this time to look around the room, trying to figure out why I was brought here.
Capitolo Otto
Valentina
I have made myself try to appear normal since I last saw him. Thankfully, it’s been incredibly busy with end of school activities. I am a mom, of course; that’s what we do. I also have my family and friends watching over me.
Mel assures me there are eyes on him, and that he is safe. When I ask questions, she tells me that she doesn’t get the details. I don’t ask her husband.
My girls—mine—are being sweeter than usual, which is appreciated but unnecessary. It saddens me that they are carrying an unnecessary burden. However, we are all born of pasts, of choices, mistakes, and yes, triumphs and blessings.
Tomorrow morning, we will wake early and board a plane to visit Dominic, Laney, and my niece and nephew. After we spend a month with them there, they will come here to spend a month with us. All of us.
I stand in the middle of my office amidst my boxes when Vincent taps on the door.
I turn and look at him.
“The bags are in the SUV. Are there anymore?”
I shake my head. “I plan to do some shopping.”
He nods, and then I see a slight eye roll, which has lessened over the years.
“I realize you think my shopping is overly indulgent.”
“I’m not here to judge,” he comments, leaning against the doorjamb.
“We all judge,” I whisper, looking down at the pile.
“Have you changed your mind about bring your”—he pauses, and I look back at him—“work?”
I can’t help laughing.
“It’s good to hear that again.”
“Well, I think this may be the first time I’ve ever seen a sliver of a smile on your face, Vincent.”
“I think that’s untrue.” He now rolls his eyes openly.
“I’ve seen that look; usually masked.”
“What look?” he asks, revealing another smile.
“The eye roll.” I exaggerate my own.
“I’m sure I learned that from our little signorinas.”
Ours. How is it he considers them ours, yet Franco …? I stop myself from letting my mind go there and nod. “I bet you did.”
When the gate buzzer chimes, he looks at me. “Are you expecting anyone?” He looks at his phone. “Your friend Paige is here.”
“Paige?” I ask, walking toward the front door. When I get there, I find her pulling a suitcase out of her trunk.
“Hey,” I say as Vincent walks past me and toward her.
He reaches to take her bag. “I can get—”
“What do I look like? A fucking project? Do you think I can’t carry my own bag?” She turns her back to him and begins storming toward me, dragging along a suitcase as big as her.
“Paige, is everything okay?” I ask as her bag flips, jerking her back.
“I quit!” she says, trying to right her bag.
When Vincent attempts to fix it, she literally growls at him, clear amusement dancing in her eyes.
“Assholes! All of you, penis toting morons!” she yells at him.
I walk to meet her and take her hands. “Vincent, get her bag please.”
“Me, or my penis?” he mutters, shocking me.
“You don’t want to push me,” Paige again growls at him.
“Okay, come with me.” I quickly usher her into the house. “Tell me what the problem is.”
“Douche is the problem. DOUCHE!”
“Okay, well, I don’t understand what—”
She walks to the sofa and drops onto it. “My first solo campaign, and they give me a douche, so I quit. I quit, and I’m going to Italy. I quit my job, I quit life, and I quit America!”
“I see,” I say as I sit next to her.
“Melyssa and Sabato are in Italy, Laney is in Italy, you’re going to Italy, and I’m going to rot here alone.”
“Nikki is here,” I remind her.
“Tied to a damn bed, I bet,” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks at me. “I’m going for real this time. No men will stop me, and no damn douche campaign will either.” She sighs. “I’m going to support you, of course.”
I smile. “Of course.”
After a few glasses of wine, Paige retires to the guest room, and I retire to mine.
We have been in Livorno for three days. Three days of eating, drinking, catching up, and relaxing. We have also watched the kids play. Alessia and Gabriel are amazing, simply amazing. Today, Laney and Sabato are coming with Torrance and Marcelo to spend a few days.