Chapter 54: Fabio

Marco’s POV

I have always known Fabio had a sadistic streak, but tonight, he took it to an entirely new level.

I begged, I pleaded for him to let me rest, but even past three in the morning, the man still had me trapped in his bathtub, relentless and completely fucking the life out of me. We had moved from the sofa to the floor, and even outside the bedroom door simply because he claimed he couldn’t wait another second. Now, sitting in the tub, it was obvious the bed wasn’t going to be spared either.

"Are you completely obsessed with me?" I asked, my breathing ragged and uneven. Pride aside, I didn’t even bother hiding how exhausted and overwhelmed I felt.

I felt him grab my wet hair from behind, pulling my head back gently but firmly.

"I have to make up for the month I was starved," he whispered against my skin, biting lightly at my earlobe.

"If I’m understanding this right..." I trailed off, resting the back of my head against his shoulder. "Does that mean you haven’t been with anyone else that whole time, right?"

Fabio just smirked, continuing without giving me a straight answer.

***

After what felt like an eternity, we finally shifted to the bed. I lay on my stomach, completely drained of energy.

"I need to rest now," I muttered, my eyes heavy and half-closed as I glanced up at Fabio. He was lying beside me, his upper body propped up on one fist.

"Why should I let you rest?" he murmured.

I stayed silent, and we remained like that, staring deeply into each other’s eyes as if speaking an unspoken, telepathic language.

Even now, I still couldn’t believe that out of everyone in the world, I had gotten trapped by Fabio’s web without him realizing. It would have been so much easier if what I felt was just simple attraction or normal love, something I could easily walk away from. But instead, I was developing an overwhelming addiction to this man. I clearly needed professional help. A therapist ASAP.

"I’m completely insane," I said aloud before I could stop myself.

"You’re only realizing that now?" Fabio asked, shifting to his knees on the mattress.

He was wearing a dark bathrobe, and he slowly began to untie the belt.

"Fabio," I called out in a low, exhausted voice.

He just chuckled, a deep, low sound that felt completely effortless, yet still managed to stir up absolute chaos inside my head.

"What?" he asked nonchalantly. "Since when do you beg? You’ve done it countless times tonight."

He lowered his upper body, leaning his chin directly over my shoulder.

Then he added in a low whisper, "I have to admit, I love it. Your voice sounds so undone when you say my name, calling out for mercy. ’Fabio, please. I can’t take this anymore.’ Hearing you say that only makes it harder for me to stop."

To say my brain short-circuited wouldn’t even begin to cover it. Hearing his voice mimic the exact way I had begged him sounded dangerously thrilling.

And just like that, I knew there would be no sleep for us tonight. I groaned softly, but the faint smirk pulling at the corner of my lips destroyed whatever self-control Fabio had left.

I turned over and lay on my back to face him directly. "You’re going to give me a full butt massage when we wake up."

Fabio smirked widely, his eyes darkened with intense desire and absolute need. I loved it when he looked at me like that, like I was a walking temptation he could never resist, a sin he was more than willing to commit and happily burn in hell for.

"Is that so? But doesn’t that sound a little too intimate? Like a couple thing-y?" he asked, though he was already closing the distance between us, his gaze dropping down from my eyes to my lips.

I lost it. I completely lost my mind all over again.

"Does it?" I asked in a low whisper, my heart pounding so loudly against my ribs that I was certain Fabio could hear every single beat.

"Yeah," he murmured, leaning down to kiss me. But right before our lips met, he shifted and placed a light peck on the corner of my mouth instead. "What happens if you catch feelings for me?"

Like I said, I had lost my mind. I should have been cautious, but no. The devil is a liar, a deceiver, and a manipulator, and he just so happened to possess me at that exact instant.

I spoke without thinking: "I already have."

Only after I said it did sense decide to knock shamelessly and settle where it should have been.

Fabio slowly pulled back, staring down at me in total, heavy silence with a completely blank expression.

The rule between us was simple: no feelings attached. But I had gone ahead and involved them. Worse, I had told him. Once again, the devil was a manipulator, and apparently, I was stupid enough to listen.

Fabio stood up, moving off me and stepping off the bed without uttering a single word.

"Fabio," I called out, but he didn’t answer as he slid his feet into his slippers.

"Fabio," I called again, but he simply started walking toward the bedroom exit.

"Fabio!" I called a third time, but he slammed the door shut behind him, leaving me alone in the room, completely questioning my own existence.

I sat up on the edge of the bed. All I could see in my head was Fabio’s final, unreadable stare, as if I had committed an unforgivable crime. The memory wouldn’t leave me alone.

I gripped my hair tightly, pulling at the roots, but those dark, distant eyes kept haunting me.

"Fuck!" I slammed my fist against the nightstand, accidentally knocking over a watch and a small wooden box.

The watch shattered on impact, and the box didn’t survive either. A ring spilled out from inside it, rolling across the surface and coming to a stop nearby.

I had intended to ignore it and wait for Fabio to return so we could talk, but a second glance at the ring made me freeze.

I leaned down to inspect it. It was made of sterling silver with a simple yet distinct design, one I could recognize with my eyes closed.

I picked it up, bringing it closer to the light. The single capital letter C engraved into the band shattered any lingering doubt.

I examined it over and over, desperately trying to prove myself wrong, but there was no mistaking this.

I squeezed the ring tightly into my palm, every trace of amusement vanishing from my face. I stood there frozen, unable to move or think. It felt as though I had been trapped in an illusion, and now reality was violently breaking through.

After a long moment, I scrambled to grab whatever clothes were nearby and threw them on. The ring remained clutched in my hand. I looked at it one last time, considering leaving it on the nightstand, but after a moment of hesitation, I shoved it deep into my jacket pocket and hurriedly slipped out of the room.

I had to run. I had to get as far away as possible.