“I’m no princess. Who are you?” The man had such gall.

  “Who I am doesn’t quite frankly matter and you, my dear are exactly as described. Arrogant and opinionated. I am the only man who can change the course of your life.”

  Sighing, my nerves were already frazzled, my heart racing. I couldn’t help but think that I knew this man from somewhere. His face. His voice. They were so familiar. But where? “You’re a bastard if you think for a second I’d make any kind of deal with the likes of you.”

  “The likes of me,” he said in a far more dangerous tone as he inched closer. “I am many things, Francesca, including a bastard, but there’s so much more. I will say this one last time then the deal is off the table. What happens after that will be less... comfortable.”

  My legs began to shake. This man was serious. What choices did I have? “Fine. I’m listening.”

  His golden boy smile returned. “That’s more like it. This should be very easy for you. You’re going to come with me and disappear, at least in the terms of what Vincenzo believes.”

  I was taken aback, almost bursting into laughter. “You’re insane. I’m not going anywhere with you. Besides, my father would hunt you down for the attempt alone.”

  “Oh, I have ways of dealing with your father. I’ve done my homework. Don’t worry your pretty little head.”

  Now he’d pissed me off. “Why the hell should I come with you? You’re nobody!”

  “You might be surprised. I assure you, what I have in mind is a far cry better than the man you’re betrothed to.” He seemed pleased with himself.

  This was crazy. “I’ll get out of the marriage eventually, if I want to I mean.” I blurted out the words as if they actually mattered.

  “Hmmm... I know all about your trust fund. I am well aware of the codicils that you’re facing. You will need to stay married to him for ten years. Ten long years. As I said, I know the man and his tastes. He’s quite... sadistic, but maybe that’s exactly what you need. You have thirty seconds to think this through.”

  How he knew Vincenzo didn’t matter. I needed to follow my instincts and they were telling me this man was just as dangerous. Time to gather information, which meant pretending. “And what if I come with you? What else? You’re not here to save me from a sicko marriage. That much I know.” I slowly lowered my arms, although there was no way I could trust the asshole.

  “How astute of you, Francesca. Then you and I are going to work together to ruin the Saltori family.” The words hung in the air. “But there’s one catch.”

  The man was actually serious. Just who did he think he was?

  “Of course there is.” You asshole. Bastard! “What?”

  “I’ll save you from a horrible marriage, help you destroy the man you obviously hate but you will belong to me in every way.”

  The audacity wasn’t shocking. It was sick. Disgusting. “You are kidding me.”

  “Not even remotely. I can assure you that what you would face with Vincenzo would be... Let’s just say you’d find it difficult to be seen in public.”

  “You are incredible.”

  “And I hold the key to your freedom.” He gave me a hard look, never blinking.

  I thought about his offer. What I did know is that there was no way I could marry Vincenzo. He was right. My entire body was revolted at the thought. Maybe if I played at the game, pretending to go along with this jerk’s bullshit. That is, unless I could get away. I thought about all the scenarios, trying to rationalize them in my mind. I was a fighter. I had to make a stand.

  Even though my legs were shaking.

  “Okay. I’m interested. I’ll make a deal with you.” He had to be out of his freaking mind. I knew exactly how powerful the Saltoris truly were. They would eat him alive, and in the process destroy my father.

  “You made a wise decision. We will make excellent business partners.” He turned, as if prepared to leave.

  The man in the expensive attire with the dimpled chin and stunning eyes had made a mistake. I pointed the gun at his head. “Asshole. Whoever you are, you will pay.”

  “A mistake, Francesca. Sadly, you’re going to pay dearly for your disobedience. As I said before, you’re coming with me and something else to keep in mind. You now belong to me to do with anything I so desire.”

  “Over my dead—” I would remember the gun whipping from his pocket, the sting of a dart as it entered my neck then...

  * * *

  I stretched, shifting as I drifted up from sleep. The sounds around me were... odd. What was I hearing? I tried to open my eyes, but they were so heavy. Then I realized that my head hurt, my temples pounding. Birds. I was hearing chirping birds.

  A rush of realization jetted through me, the thought terrifying. The moment I lifted my head, I doubled over, the pain blinding. My stomach churned to the point there was no holding back the extreme nausea. I managed to shift onto my side, hanging my head over whatever I was leaning on. Even in my fog, I could tell a bucket had been strategically placed on the floor. As I retched, I could still hear the damn birds, joyous singing as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

  After dry heaving for thirty seconds, I winced then leaned back, finally able to focus on the ceiling over my head. The spinning of the ceiling fan almost brought on another round. I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on remembering. Very little came to my mind.

  Except his face.

  And gorgeous body.

  And twinkling eyes.

  Christ. What the hell was I thinking and just who was this asshole who’d kidnapped me? I remembered his words. They were chilling and so demanding. He really believed that I would allow him to touch me?

  As if I had any other choice. I’d made a deal with the devil, or so he thought.

  Groaning, I wiped my mouth before shifting my gaze down as far as I could stand it. The dress had been removed, replaced with shorts and a tee shirt. “What? God...” The bastard had stripped me naked. And where the hell was I? A house. I had to be in some kind of a house.

  I took deep breaths, trying to control my nausea as I glanced around the room. The area was sparse, a bed and a dresser with nothing else, the floors wooden. While there was a window, I could see nothing from where I was lying. Then there was my wedding dress, carefully hung on a padded hanger, a reminder that the bastard had saved me from impending doom. I almost broke into laughter at the thought.

  Was Vincenzo actually looking for me? Were he and his goons hunting the city in an effort to find me? My guess was he was if for no other reason than to save face with his mafia buddies. And his father. I shuddered at the horror my father was going through. Something was very off about this abduction. My kidnapper had mentioned working together. I repeated the same question in my mind from before. Who the hell did he think he was?

  Maybe the true question was, how did he have important details about my family?

  I still couldn’t place him, but my instinct was churning, working overtime. He was very familiar.

  I heard a music coming from somewhere, the lilting strings of a Spanish guitar. There was someone in the house. My throat was parched and all I could manage was a few words in a whispered voice. “Help. Me. Please.” Instantly, I hissed, rubbing my eyes. I was being ridiculous.

  I could swear I heard footsteps and bristled, terror racing through me. I’d been taught the dangers of so many things in life but being captured had a special place in hell.

  I struggled to get out of bed, only managing to fall halfway face first against the bucket. At least my arm had caught the brunt, sending the pail flinging across the wooden floor. Another sick realization: my leg had been shackled to the pedestal of the bed. “Fuck.”

  The door slowly swung open, the same asshole walking inside. He was even whistling, as if this was simply another day at the office, a necessity for his ‘business.’ Pushing up from the floor, I glared at him, memorizing every detail. When he was hunted down like the dog he was, I wanted to remember every aspect of the atrocious event.

  “You’re awake,” he said quietly, turning his gaze in the direction of the bucket. “You’ll need aspirin for that headache. Water for the hangover.” He fisted my hair, yanking me into a sitting position.

  “As if you give a shit what I need!” I slapped at his hands, doing everything I could not to show fear.

  He chuckled, the sound far too sultry for an obviously dangerous man. “I don’t think we need the insults. Do you?”

  The audacity of this monster was incredible.

  I shifted into a sitting position, cradling my head. “What in God’s name did you do? Why? Money? Power over my father? What?”

  “All your questions will be answered in time.” He moved toward the end of the bed.

  “Right. Maybe you don’t truly understand who I am or the power of my family. Borgata.” I accentuated the last word, spitting it out in hatred.

  He took a deep breath, studying me intently. “Francesca Alessandro, daughter of Antonio Alessandro, winemaker extraordinaire. On paper and for the idiot authorities. The truth is, your family carries significant weight in the Italian mafia, strategically positioned with the highly feared Massimo Borgata. Your father is... very dangerous.”

  He was enjoying himself.

  I was shaking.

  “You went to Yale, studying business administration and although your grades were certainly not top notch, you secured a very impressive job with a financial firm out of Chicago. Your recent move to Los Angeles was at the request of your father. Would you like me to continue?”

  “Oh, what the hell. I’m impressed with your reading abilities, whoever the hell you are.”

  He hesitated only briefly before continuing, a scathing lilt in his voice

  “You shy away from your family’s business, preferring to live your life as a normal young woman forging her own path even though you were born into the lap of luxury. In the world of commodities, and yes, wealthy and beautiful women are considered nothing more, you are highly valuable. Some would say priceless. The Italian princess. The wedding you were coerced into would lock down the family’s position within the Massimo organization, dragging the Saltoris with it. I can only imagine the fame and glory. Not to mention the hold over several countries.”

  He seemed pleased with himself, smiling before continuing. “You’re right. Those are just facts that anyone with a sharp eye and a knowledge of the mafia could find out easily enough. Let’s get to the good stuff. Shall we? You enjoy red wine, an occasional horse ride. Your favorite food is pizza. There’s a little tavern near your apartment where you go at least three times a week. They even developed a very special Sicilian pizza for you, one like your mother used to make. I will say, your new job is totally beneath you, but I suspect you took the assistant job simply to have something to do. If I know Vincenzo, and sadly, I know him far too well, he wouldn’t have allowed you to work. He’s very old-fashioned in a sick and twisted kind of way.”

  I glared at him, my entire body quivering. He knew details about my life that no one knew. He’d been following me or had bought the information.

  “How am I doing so far?” he asked, his pearly whites flashing.

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “And the names keep coming. As I already admitted, I am many things, Francesca, and you will learn various aspects of my life, but all in good time and if you learn to obey.”

  “You’re insane.” I couldn’t stop quivering.

  He’d changed, wearing a tight tee shirt and a pair of jeans, the attire highlighting his rugged good looks and sculpted body. Suddenly, his eyes hardened as if no longer amused. He took one look at the bucket and sighed. “As I said, you’re going to learn many things while under my roof, Francesca, including obedience.”

  “Fuck you!”

  He scoffed, shaking his head. “And there will be no cursing. You’re supposed to be a lady. The crudeness of your remarks would horrify your father. He is a very proud man and certainly sophisticated. I suggest you learn to act more like him.”

  I was shocked, floored at his insinuations, as if I gave a damn about anything he had to say.

  “So, I think we should discuss a few very important rules.” He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, appearing very comfortable in his surroundings. “You are indeed my prisoner. You will do nothing without my approval. You will be supplied with clothing, food, even the wine you seem to adore, but they will be doled out as you learn to obey. When you’re disobedient, the punishment will be swift and harsh. I am a reasonable man, Francesca, but I will not be crossed in any manner.”

  “How dare you treat me this way!” I exclaimed, ready to claw out his eyes. He reminded me of an asshole from years before, a horrible man who thought he could use and discipline me. This asshole had another thing coming.

  “How dare I?” He laughed and shook his head. “You should know I’m your only means of survival. I suggest you learn to submit.”

  “Fuck you!” I snapped, trying desperately to push him away.

  “And that punishment will begin today. Make no mistake, I am a dangerous man.” Fisting my hair, he rolled me over and I continued to struggle.

  “Over my dead body.”

  He growled as he yanked me closer to the heat of his body.

  There was a litany of nasty words on the tip of my tongue, but I knew this was simply the first in a series of challenges. “What else? Are you ever going to let me go?”

  “Your release is entirely dependent on your behavior, and of course, various plateaus of our business relationship.”

  “You are absolutely fucking mad if you think I’m going to do any business with you. I don’t even know who you are.”

  He tilted his head, leaning over until his face was only inches away from mine. “You made a deal in exchange for me granting your wish to get out of your sullied marriage. I expect you to keep up the end of your bargain.”

  “What if I don’t?”

  The same sexy smile was followed by the monster easing to his feet and producing a key. Very slowly he unlocked the chain, rubbing my ankle for a few seconds. When he locked eyes with mine, I could see straight through to his cold black soul. He was far more dangerous than Vincenzo could ever be. “I don’t think you want to try and find out.”

  Every instinct about self-protection kicked in. I lunged at him, clawing his face and managing to throw several punches into his kidney. He was hard bodied, unreactive except to grab my wrists, looming over me. He was a solid six inches taller than me, every muscle well-toned. I’d been wrong about him being a pretty boy.

  He was a soldier for some sordid organization, sexy as hell but the kind of man not to be fucked with.

  Issuing a solid growl, he threw me down on the bed, the entire weight of his body shoved against mine. With ease he grabbed both wrists into one hand, yanking my arms over my head.

  There was no fighting against his strength, no way of escaping. I was absolutely his prisoner.

  “That wasn’t very nice, Francesca, and you’re going to pay for that with a severe round of discipline. I’ll give you a taste of what you can expect.”

  He shifted, rolling me over with a hard thump and jerking on my shorts.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I wiggled, trying desperately to get out of his hold.

  “Giving you exactly what you deserve, princess. One. Hard. Spanking.”

  “Are you out of your mind? I’ve never been disciplined in my life. How fucking dare you think you are allowed to do anything of the sort.” I shuddered at the thought, my breath so short I was suffocating. I was someone important. I was privileged. I was special. I was...

  In the hands of a monster.

  I’d never realized until now that growing up as a mafia princess had afforded me the luxury of being immune to the crass actions of someone like this man. Even though I’d rejected certain aspects of my heritage after coming to America, this was entirely unacceptable.

  Shame rolled through me as he growled, his hot breath skipping across me. I’d never been so embarrassed in my life, rage and a moment of pity rolled into my system, making me want to fight my abductor with everything I had.

  But he was too strong, far too dominating.

  I could feel the cool air slicing across my naked bottom. I moaned, undulating as he yanked the material down to my knees. The hard crack of his hand across my ass cheeks was more startling than anything. “Stop! Don’t you dare.”

  “I will do whatever I want to you when you need it.” He smacked both ass cheeks, moving from one to the other.

  “Damn you! Fuck you!” The sound of his cupped hand hitting my naked skin echoed in my ears. The initial shock wore off as pain crept in, sweeping through my skin directly into every muscle. He was a man on a mission, spanking me harder and faster, his rhythm perfect.

  The pain moved into anguish and I kicked out, almost managing to get out of his hold. “I hate you!”

  “Hate me all you want but you are going to follow my rules.” Huffing, he moved to a sitting position, dragging me across his lap.

  I was mortified, viciously angry at him, and plotting every method of killing him slowly. He wasn’t going to get away with this.

  He began the spanking again in earnest, his huge hand covering every inch of my buttocks.

  For some crazy reason, I began to count even as I continued to struggle.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  Four.

  I found myself lulled to the droning noise as he peppered my bottom with hard, even strokes. Heat shifted up from my thighs and to my horror, also between my legs. With every wiggle of my hips, I moved back and forth across his lap, across his throbbing and very thick cock. The friction was delicious.

  My God. I was wet and hot, my pussy muscles quivering. Aching. Shame tore through me, forcing me to struggle harder.