Chapter 74: Ultimate Seduction

Fabio’s POV

Ever felt like you owned the world? Well, that was me at the moment, thoroughly enjoying the sight of Marco walking into his office, obviously chasing after me after I had left him with a boner. He shut the door behind him and headed straight for where I was seated on his desk, looking every bit like a man who had a score to settle. And God, I could not have been happier about it.

His coat hung over his arm, but he eventually threw it onto the couch before quickly undoing the first few buttons of his black shirt.

All the while, he glared at me, and to say I was fucking elated would have been an understatement. I had managed to get under his skin, to alter his emotions just as effortlessly as he always did mine. The difference was that I was not even trying to hide how much I enjoyed it. Marco, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to strangle me and kiss me at the same time.

The thought alone nearly made me laugh.

He took a few more steps in my direction, and soon enough, he was standing right in front of me. Neither of us exchanged a word. We simply stared at each other, letting the silence speak for us. There was no need to ask why he had followed me or why he was looking at me like that. We both knew exactly what was happening here.

I did not make the first move, and neither did he. Marco had his pride, and my ego was just as fucking high. Neither of us was willing to surrender first, even when the prize waiting at the end of this ridiculous game was something we both desperately wanted.

To my satisfaction, he eventually broke the silence.

"You are playing bad."

Hell, I was. Did I regret it? Not a little bit. If this was the kind of thrill he felt whenever he messed with my head over and over again, then I could very well try it for myself. Let him have a taste of his own medicine. Let him understand what it felt like to want something so badly that even the smallest obstacle became unbearable.

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked, smiling lightly.

I did not miss the way his eyes lazily shifted from mine to my lips without the slightest reservation. He knew what he wanted, and he was determined to get it. That look was familiar enough to make my body react before my mind could catch up, and suddenly, I was painfully aware of just how close he was standing.

The thought quickly set my body on fire.

This. This was what made whatever existed between us so fucking special and so damn frustrating. A little action, a simple word, a bite of the lip, or even a single suggestive glance was enough to shatter whatever restraint we had managed to maintain. We did not even need to touch each other to begin losing our minds. Sometimes, all it took was looking at him and remembering what we had done together, and I would already be fighting the urge to drag him somewhere private.

More importantly, touch was supposed to satisfy that hunger, was it not? Yet, between us, it only made everything worse. The more we had, the more we wanted. Every kiss left us craving another, every encounter made the next one feel more necessary, and somehow, no amount of time together was ever enough. That was how we had ended up in this complicated mess, agreeing to meet three nights a week as though putting a schedule around our addiction would somehow make it manageable.

What a fucking joke.

I was not proud of losing control. In all honesty, I despised it. I had always been someone who knew what he wanted and understood when to walk away. Yet, when it came to Marco, every sensible decision seemed to disappear the moment he looked at me a certain way. I had tried to fight it, to convince myself that I could have him without allowing him to get beneath my skin. Every attempt had failed.

Eventually, when you reached a point of no return, there was little use in pretending you could still turn back. That was why I had given in to my desire for him, why I had allowed myself to become part of this madness. Until the day I could finally look at him and feel nothing, I would follow him into whatever pit he decided to jump into. And as long as he continued to have control over my mind and emotions, he was fucking stuck with me, whether he liked it or not.

I did not realize I had fallen into another fantasy until I felt Marco’s hand against the side of my neck, his palm cupping it with an unusual gentleness.

My brows rose slightly.

Gentleness? From him?

Nothing between us had ever been particularly gentle, soft, or caring. Even our attempts at affection somehow turned into another competition, with both of us trying to gain the upper hand. It was almost amusing to feel his touch without the usual demand behind it, and I found myself wondering what the hell he was planning.

Then his eyes softened, and he smiled.

It was the kind of smile that could make a person want to hand him the entire fucking world without asking what he intended to do with it. For one ridiculous second, I understood why someone might willingly surrender to him. He did not always need to threaten, command, or intimidate. Sometimes, all he needed was that smile.

And that was when I realized what he was doing.

Sweet seduction.

He leaned closer, still wearing that infuriating expression, and gently placed a fleeting kiss on my lips. It was so light that I barely had time to enjoy it before he pulled away, leaving me staring at him like an idiot.

No. Absolutely fucking not.

This was unfair. He did not get to dominate me like that. He did not get to make my head spin with a single kiss and then stand there looking pleased with himself. He did not get to drive me insane when I was supposed to be the one making him suffer.

This was my turn.

I attempted to bring my lips to his and deepen the kiss, but he pulled back before I could get what I wanted. Then he placed his index finger against my lips, stopping me in my tracks.

"Since you want to play bad, two can play, right?"

Fuck this man and his entire bloodline.

His voice was nothing like what I was used to hearing. It was low, carrying a slightly hoarse undertone that blended far too well with the sweetness he was deliberately putting into it. I should not have liked it. I had always preferred his dominant, demanding voice, the one that left no room for argument and made me want to challenge him simply because I refused to let him have the final word.

Not this seductive, sickeningly sweet, spellbinding version of him.

He was playing dirty, and the worst part was that he knew exactly what he was doing.

Nevertheless, I was not going to give in to his temptation. If Marco thought he could win me over with a few soft kisses and that devastating smile, then he had another thing coming.

Mimicking his actions, I smiled back at him. Or at least, I tried to. The expression felt too fake, too unfamiliar, too un-Fabio. I was much better at provoking him, arguing with him, and making him regret every smug remark that left his mouth.

Still, I leaned closer and whispered, "Okay. Let’s play."

Then I placed a light kiss on his lips, just as he had done to me.

His hand remained against my neck, and I undoubtedly felt his fingers tremble. The small reaction sent a wave of satisfaction through me. Good. At least I was not the only one suffering here. He could pretend to be in control all he wanted, but his body was already betraying him.

I leaned in again, this time allowing the kiss to last longer. Even then, I kept it slow, barely moving beyond the gentle meeting of our lips. I kissed his lower lip, sucking it softly before moving to the other and doing the same. I took my time, giving him just enough to make him want more without allowing him to get what he truly wanted.

By the time I pulled away, Marco’s fingers were digging into the skin of my neck. The pressure was rough enough that I knew there would be marks left behind. His marks.

The realization drew a low groan from my throat.

Without saying a word, I gripped his wrist and pulled his hand away from me before getting off the desk. I stood in front of him, watching his expression as I straightened myself.

"It’s late. I’ll go back to the servants’ quarters before anyone realizes I’m not there."

I was testing the waters, curious to see whether he had reached the point where controlling himself was no longer an option. I wanted to know if he would let me leave after everything I had just done or if he would finally abandon that ridiculous attempt to win our little game.

Just like me, he failed miserably.

I had barely taken one step when we both turned around. Our eyes met for a second, and whatever restraint remained between us finally snapped. We pounced on each other, hungrily, roughly, crazily. Call it whatever the hell you want. All I knew was that I was done playing nice.

I shoved him backward until his back hit the desk, then lifted him onto it without giving either of us a chance to reconsider. Our lips never parted for more than a second. We kissed like we had been denied each other for far longer than a few minutes, our earlier game forgotten beneath the urgency of finally giving in.

The moment his ass landed on the desk, our hands were already fighting with clothes, pulling and tugging at whatever stood between us. Buttons flew off before our shirts followed, leaving a mess that neither of us would bother cleaning up until much later.

I quickly found my way to his belt and began removing it, only for a hand to close around my wrist.

I groaned, frustration practically bursting through my chest.

"Don’t stop me," I whispered, attempting to free my hand and continue what I had started.

He held on.

"You forgot something," he whispered, looking at me with an expression that immediately made me suspicious.

"I’m not your bitch, Fabio. You don’t get to fuck me just like that."

I furrowed my brows, staring at him in disbelief.

Was he seriously about to start an argument about who would be on top when I was standing right there, ready to lose my fucking mind? I was painfully hard, and if I did not get to feel his touch and hear those dirty little things he whispered into my ear within the next minute, I could as well die and be buried immediately.

And this asshole wanted to discuss the rules?

Unbelievable.