Chapter 48 Tails, Teeth, and Traitors
Valentina
When he pulled me down to my knees, I wasn’t sure I could do this.
Sure, I’d expected him to use my body. That was part of the deal—part of the plan. But not like this. Not with the ocean wind brushing my bare skin, not with the ghost of Arianna’s scowl still fresh behind my eyes, and definitely not with the hard weight of Matteo’s cock brushing my lips like it belonged there.
I wasn’t ready.
But I opened my mouth anyway.
Because this was the performance of a lifetime. And if he was going to treat me like a wife? I’d be the goddamn trophy bride of his nightmares.
Still, I had no idea what I was doing.
My lips wrapped around him cautiously, tongue hesitating before sliding along the underside. I tried to remember what I’d read, what I’d overheard, what I’d imagined late at night while hating myself for wanting this.
But then I heard it—Matteo’s sharp breath. His groan. His fingers tightening in my hair.
And suddenly, I wasn’t thinking anymore. I was reacting.
He let out another guttural sound, half-growl, half-moan, and the tension in his shoulders told me I was doing something right.
“Fuck,” he hissed, voice ragged. “You’re a natural, aren’t you, princess?”
My cheeks flushed hot. I wasn’t. But his hand in my hair said I was good enough.
His hips rolled forward once, twice—then he grunted and pulled back. “Hold still,” he ordered, voice dropping into something dark and commanding.
And then he started fucking my mouth.
Fast. Hard.
I gagged around him, eyes watering, throat struggling to keep up with his pace. My hands flew to his thighs for balance, nails digging into the linen of his slacks.
The world blurred—just the heat of him, the pressure, the choking sounds I couldn’t control.
Then, just when I thought I was going to suffocate, he pulled out.
A thick groan ripped from his throat as he stroked himself twice and came, hot and heavy across my chest.
I gasped, coughing, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, barely aware of the relief that crossed my face—until he laughed.
“Aw,” he said, smirking, “you looked relieved, baby. Don’t worry, I noticed.”
I glared up at him, lips still swollen.
“I figured you weren’t ready to take my load yet,” he went on, voice smug. “I may be a monster, but I do have compassion—believe it or not. Just don’t tell anyone. And don’t get used to it. You get one pass, Valentina. One. I expect you to be ready next time.”
My chest still heaved as I sat back on my heels, trying to gather the scraps of my dignity. The clip-on earrings were still clamped tight around my nipples, and the ache had moved from novelty to punishment.
I reached up and yanked them off with a hiss, sighing in relief.
Matteo’s eyes tracked the movement, his lips twitching.
“You know…” he murmured, crouching to my level, “those were super hot—even if they were fake. I think I’ll take you to get them pierced for real.”
My head snapped up. “The hell you will.”
His smile vanished.
In one swift motion, his hand closed around my throat—not choking, not hurting, but enough to make my pulse jump.
“I own you,” he growled. “Remember? This body is mine to do with as I please. You exist to serve my will now. And if I want your fucking nipples pierced, you’ll smile and say ‘yes, sir.’”
I tore out of his grip without a word, chest heaving.
“I didn’t hear you,” he said, voice razor-sharp.
I flipped him off without turning around.
“You’re lucky my cousin’s here,” he called after me. “We’re still playing the perfect couple, remember? Otherwise, I’d be punishing that smart mouth of yours right now.”
I didn’t answer.
I stormed into the bathroom, heart pounding, mouth still tingling from him. My skin burned where he’d touched me, tasted me, owned me. I wet a wash cloth and wiped up my chest where he came all over me.
Then after pulling on one of his T-shirts because I had no pajamas in my bag— thanks Carol, I padded barefoot through the villa toward the kitchen.
I needed water. Space. Anything to feel normal again. I only made it halfway to the kitchen and froze.
Voices. Muffled but sharp. Coming from one of the guest suites down the hall.
Luca and Arianna.
The door was cracked—just barely—but enough.
I pulled out my phone and hit record.
“…you promised, Luca!” Arianna’s voice was a shrill whisper. “You promised if I pretended to love you, married you, and let you fucking knock me up, I’d have everything! You said we’d get the family business because your cousin hadn’t married or had a child yet!”
“Keep your voice down,” Luca snapped.
“No! We were supposed to catch them! You said they’d screw it up, that they were faking it! But what I saw tonight? What I heard?” She scoffed. “Luca, no one fakes that. He had her on the balcony like she was his last meal. You’ve never even gone down on me!”
“You’re damn right I haven’t,” Luca said coldly. “Never will.”
“Exactly!” she hissed. “Do you think he’d eat her out like that if he didn’t love her? That man is obsessed with her!”
“Just relax. It’s all an act. They’ll slip up. He always does.”
I ended the recording.
My hands shook as I backed away.
So that was their game. Luca’s entire little honeymoon visit? A setup. A test.
And they failed it. We passed.
I forgot all about the water.
Spinning on my heel, I ran back toward the bedroom.
Matteo had just stepped into the bathroom when I burst in.
“You’ll never guess what I just witnessed,” I said, breathless, holding up my phone like a grenade.
His eyes narrowed. “Tell me.”
And this time, I smiled.
Because maybe I wasn’t the only liar in this house after all.