The Dictator Read online

  He spoke about me like I would be there to teach those life lessons, and that was the biggest relief of all. Maybe this time apart was exactly what Cato needed to get his head on straight, to understand that his threats were vile and unfair.

  His eyes trailed over my neck and to the features of my face, like he was taking in my appearance for the first time. “You look so damn beautiful. I’ve seen pictures of you every day, but they don’t do you justice.”

  I couldn’t stop the slight smile from spreading across my lips. I couldn’t stop the warmth from entering my heart either. “You look good too.”

  “I’ve been working out more than usual…since I had nothing else to do.”

  “Well, it shows.” And I couldn’t wait to make a more thorough observation.

  He glanced at the stairs at the end of the hallway. “Talk to Landon about everything. I’ll be back to pick you up tomorrow afternoon. Be ready—because I’m taking you with me even if you aren’t.” He rose from the chair.

  I walked him to the front door, even though it was only a few steps. “Alright.”

  He turned around and faced me, his arms by his sides.

  I couldn’t believe I was looking into his face, and I couldn’t believe it was the gentle side I’d missed for so long. It wasn’t the cruel dictator who’d punished me. It wasn’t the tyrant who’d whipped me with his belt. It was the man I adored…the one I hadn’t stopped thinking about. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  His hands moved to my lower back, and he pulled me against his chest before he kissed me. So soft. So gentle. His hand moved into my hair, and he fisted the strands as he kissed me good. It was the same embrace we’d had on our last night together, like we were picking up where we left off.

  My hands moved underneath his shirt, and I immediately noticed the difference in his abs. They were even harder than before, hills of steel. I breathed into his mouth and felt my fingers tremble.

  He ended the kiss sooner than I wanted and turned away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, baby.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Landon asked as he set the box of clothes on the counter.

  “Yes.” My relationship with Cato didn’t make a lot of sense. Maybe I was magnetically pulled to him because of the baby we’d made together. Or maybe I would feel this way whether we were having a baby or not.

  “Do you even have a choice?”

  “I think so. He didn’t seem…like his asshole self.”

  “I’ve never met that side of him before.”

  “It exists. It’s just…rare.”

  Landon continued to watch me, observing me and judging me with his green eyes.

  “He said he wouldn’t hurt you. You don’t have to worry about him.”

  “I figured. I probably would have been dragged out of bed otherwise.”

  “I’m sorry about all of this. The house, everything you bought…”

  “It’s not a big deal, Siena. I have a lot of money from the family business. It’s tucked away in various places, so it’s not like this house put me out much. I just wanted something humble so no one would suspect we were here.”

  “Well, your plan backfired.”

  “How did he find us?”

  I shrugged. “He didn’t say. But he said he knew I was here the entire time.”

  “Then why didn’t he come get you sooner?”

  “I haven’t had the chance to ask him.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest then came closer to me. “I’ll sell the house and move back to Florence. France isn’t my cup of tea. The women here are beautiful, but they talk too much.”

  “All women talk too much.”

  “You don’t.”

  “Ask Cato that,” I said with a chuckle.

  “So, what’s going to happen now? You’re going to move back in with him, and then what? Is it going to be different?”

  “I think so.”

  “Maybe you should ask him first. Because the whole prisoner thing is a little much.”

  “I told him I wanted to sleep with him from now on, and he said yes. So I think it’s different.”

  “You weren’t doing that before?” he asked incredulously.

  “We had separate bedrooms.”

  He nodded slowly. “So he’s giving you a real commitment now.”

  “And he told me how he intends to raise our child. How it won’t be all violence and money…”

  “And what about killing you?”

  “He didn’t specifically say, but he talked about the future like I would live long enough to see it.”

  He watched me for a long time, that brotherly affection in his eyes. He was protective of me, but he also understood I was an adult who could make my own decisions. “I just want him to treat you right.”

  “I know.”

  “Let me know if he doesn’t.”

  “I will.”

  A knock sounded on the front door. When I opened it, I came face-to-face with Cato. I almost couldn’t believe it. “Did you just knock?”

  That handsome smile spread across his lips. “Landon lives here too, so different situation.”

  “Wow, I could get used to this.”

  He stepped inside the house then looked at my brother. “Landon.” He didn’t extend his hand.

  Neither did my brother. “Cato. Thanks for not killing me.”

  Cato gave a sarcastic smile. “No problem. You were taking care of your sister. Can’t hold that against you.”

  “Good. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” Landon turned to me. “I need to stick around and finish up everything. I’ll see you back in Florence in about a week or so.”

  “Sounds good. When I get a phone, I’ll call you.”

  Cato pulled out his phone and handed it to Landon. “Save your number in there.”

  Landon typed the number and handed it back.

  Cato called him then hung up. “Call that number if you want to talk to her.”

  I watched silently as Cato make another heartfelt gesture.

  Landon turned back to me. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  I hugged him hard and held him close. “I love you.”

  “Love you too.” He kissed my forehead before he released me. “See you soon.”

  Cato had come here in his private plane, so we boarded it then flew back to central Italy.

  When we landed, his entourage took us back into the countryside where his three-story estate looked exactly the same. Even in the dark, it was still beautiful, with the landscape lights illuminating the architecture inside the gates.

  Cato looked out the window and said very little to me.

  We arrived at the front, and then the men carried my bags inside the house. I took my clothes and other necessities, while Landon would take care of the nonessentials. When I got out of the car and stepped inside, it smelled exactly as I remembered. The hardwood floor was smooth under my feet. The only difference was the temperature. Now it was nearly winter, so the feeling of summer was long gone.

  But it still felt like I was home.

  The men put my things in my bedroom and left the door open.

  When Cato and I walked upstairs, he immediately guided me to his bedroom down the hallway. My old quarters were forgotten.

  The door shut behind us, and Cato’s clothes dropped to the floor. He kicked off his shoes then peeled away his socks until he was in nothing but skin—and a ton of muscle.

  My eyes trailed over his even harder physique, seeing the way the grooves of muscle cut deeper into his body. His pecs were thicker, and his biceps were at least an inch wider. The cords down his arms were more prominent, and the muscles of his thighs were tight. While he looked beautiful, I was pregnant. I had a belly, more fat on my hips and thighs, and I’d forgotten to shave my bikini area. I hadn’t done it in a long time because of my belly—and the fact that no one saw me naked.

  He stepped toward me then lifted my chin so my lips would meet his. He kissed me softly
on the mouth with his purposeful lips. His breaths deepened quickly, and then he dug his hands deep into my hair. The same fiery passion we used to have was still there, still beating with the rhythm of our hearts.

  He grabbed my shirt and started to pull.

  I kept his hands down. “My body is changing…”

  He looked at me with a fierce look of frustration. “I know. I like it.”

  “I don’t look like a porn star like you.”

  He cocked his head to the side as the smirk stretched across his face. “That’s how you describe me? As a porn star?”

  “I’ve been watching a lot of porn, alright?” I said without shame. “I just mean you’re really fit. And I’m…not the same.”

  “Baby…” He tugged my shirt over my head and revealed my pregnant belly. “I’ve been looking at those pictures every day, wishing I were fucking you every night.” His hands moved over my bare stomach. “You’re fucking sexy.” His hands snaked to my back, and he unclasped my bra. “I’ve never wanted you more.” His mouth moved to my neck as he kissed me and worked my jeans. He unbuttoned them and dropped the zipper before he lowered himself and pulled my pants to my ankles. He grabbed my panties next.

  “I forgot to shave…”

  He wore the same aroused expression as he took them off. “I haven’t had pussy in two months. You think a little hair is gonna stop me?” He rose to his feet then led me to the bed. He gently guided me back until I was lying on the mattress. Then he moved between my thighs and held himself on top of me. “Fuck, I missed you.” He pointed his cock at my entrance.

  I pressed my hand against his rock-hard stomach. “I haven’t been with anyone.”

  “I know. I haven’t either.”

  “I ran away, and you didn’t sleep with anyone else?” I asked in surprise.

  He held his face close to mine as he sank deep inside me. “This is the only pussy I want.”

  I felt inch after inch, along with the warmth his body smothered me with. I closed my eyes as I felt my body stretch to accommodate him like it was the first time. My cunt had shrunk in his absence and tightened back to its original size. Now he would have to stretch me out again, pop my cherry like I wasn’t already pregnant with his baby. I gripped his arms and released a moan so loud it was embarrassing. “Cato…” Those two months in that remote village seemed like such a waste of time. I had been frozen to the bone and so lonely. My days were spent daydreaming about him. My nights were spent fantasizing about him.

  He held still as he savored the feeling of being deep inside me. “Fuck yeah.” He pressed my legs farther into my waist and slowly thrust inside me, taking me slowly the way he did on our last night together.

  I brought his face to mine and kissed him, every inch of my body on fire. He made love to my mouth as well as he did to my pussy. His cock hit me deep before he pulled it out again, just to dunk back inside me once more. He was thicker than I remembered, like his size increased due to my longing.

  I felt so full I thought I might rip. “I missed you…” I spoke against his mouth as I kissed him, my legs wide apart so he could take me. I wasn’t self-conscious about my belly or my hair anymore. When he took me like this, it didn’t seem like he cared about those things.

  “I missed you too, baby.” He thrust until he came to a stop. He closed his eyes like he had to concentrate on what he was doing, to force himself not to finish too soon.

  “I’m almost there. Then you can come inside me.”

  He moaned from way in the back of his throat, the masculine sound so sexy. “Don’t talk about me coming inside you, not if you want to come first.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and kissed me before he started to thrust again. His deep and even strokes hit my button every single time, making my thighs tighten and my toes curl.

  “Cato, I’m gonna come.” I cupped his face and brought his lips to mine. My lips didn’t move with his. His warm breaths fell on my face as mine fell on his. My subtle moans became louder and louder as my body prepared for the explosion.

  “Come, baby. I need to come.”

  I finally hit my threshold and soared into the high. It was a better climax than the ones I’d given myself over the past few months. This was amazing, much more intense. My cunt gripped his cock with fervor, and my hips started to buck involuntarily. “Oh god.”

  He couldn’t hold on a second longer and released, shoving his length deep inside me as he gave me his seed. He moaned with pleasure as he dumped everything he had, giving me a load bigger than ever before. “Jesus.” He stayed still as he finished, his cock twitching with joy as it slowly came down from the high. Instead of pulling out when every drop had been spilled, he stayed idle on top of me, getting ready for the next round. “Again.”

  It was the second time I’d lain in that bed in the dark. The first time we slept together, we did it in this very bed, taking up a small amount of space because it was much too big for just two people. At the time, I was just a conquest, another notch on his belt.

  But now I was pregnant with his baby, and this hunky man had his powerful arms wrapped around me. We faced each other in bed with the blankets pulled up to our shoulders. My leg was hiked over his waist, and my pregnant belly was between us.

  His bedroom was so much warmer than mine in France. That house had a piss-poor furnace that couldn’t even supply heat to the bedrooms upstairs. As a result, I slept with five blankets, and I was still cold. Sometimes I was so desperate I thought about getting into Landon’s bed, but I never did because that would have been weird. But this luxurious estate was always the perfect temperature, always the safest and most comfortable place in Italy. We didn’t even need five blankets because Cato was a human furnace.

  I’d never thought I would be so happy to be here.

  His hand moved to my belly under the sheets, his large hand big enough to span across it entirely. His eyes were downcast as he concentrated on the life inside me, waiting for a kick or any sign of movement.

  “It was so weird,” I whispered. “They were so calm until you arrived. It was like they knew you were there.”

  “Or maybe they felt their mother’s soaring heartbeat,” he whispered back. “Felt her body get warm, felt her emotion in her blood.” His fingers gently rubbed against the smooth skin. “Felt the happiness in her soul.” His eyes flicked back to mine.

  “Why didn’t you come after me sooner?” He’d waited two months before he did anything. Two months was a long time to sit idly by and do nothing.

  “I was pissed when you left. My pride was wounded. I questioned everything you ever said to me. I do so much for you, and you seemed ungrateful. So my response was to let you have your way…in the hope you would regret it. I hoped you would miss me, miss the life I provided for you. I hoped you would question your decision and realize it’d been a mistake. That was my revenge. With little money and only your brother for company, I knew you would realize that a life with me was preferable to one you could have on your own. Our child is safer under my regime. You are safer under my regime. Despite your feelings about my situation, you would realize that I was the most powerful man you’d ever known….and being at my side was the safest place you would ever be. I hoped you would come back on your own, on your knees and begging. But then I remembered you were the stubbornest woman in the world, and you would never resort to that. After two months had come and gone, I couldn’t take it anymore. So I decided to come get you.”

  “What if I’d said no? Did I have a choice?”

  His fingers gently massaged my stomach. “When I saw the tears in your eyes, I knew I didn’t have to worry about that.”

  He never answered my question, but I thought I knew the answer. “How did you know where I was?”

  “When you first started living here, I put a tracker in your ankle. I figured you would try to run away eventually.”

  I had no idea. “I don’t remember that…”

  “I sedated you.”

  “That was
presumptuous.”

  He shrugged. “Aren’t you glad I did it? I made sure nothing happened to either one of you while you were on your own. I knew exactly where you were so I could come get you.”

  “Still a huge violation of human rights.”

  “No such thing as human rights in this house. Don’t expect me to apologize for it. When our baby is here, I’ll do the same to them. Just in case something terrible ever happens, I’ll be able to find either one of you in a heartbeat. Told you I was a paranoid man.” His hand slid up my stomach until he felt my rib cage. He moved farther up until he pressed his palm underneath my left breast so he could feel my heartbeat. “Baby, don’t be mad.”

  “If you think I won’t be mad, you don’t know me very well.”

  He smiled slightly. “Then we’re at a stalemate.” He moved his hand to the center of my chest and rubbed his palm between my cleavage, soothing me with his affection. “Your tits are bigger.”

  “So are my hips, thighs, and ass.”

  “It’s sexy.”

  “You are just saying that…” My body had already changed so much. By the end of my pregnancy, my body would look totally different.

  “Do I ever just say things?” His blue eyes bored into mine. “No. I speak the truth—even when it makes me an asshole. You’re sexier now than you were before you started to show.”

  “You think a belly is sexy?”

  “Fuck yes.” His hand moved back to my stomach. “I’ve never been attracted to pregnant women. I only like women of a certain fitness level. But your pregnant belly…gets me going. I guess because I did this to you.”

  “So, it’s all about pride, huh? You’re proud of your handiwork?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I think it’s deeper than that. But don’t ever feel unsexy with me…because the last thing you have to worry about is being unsexy. The idea of picking up a few girls seemed anticlimactic, especially when I looked at those pictures of you walking around with that bump. It made me prefer my hand if I couldn’t have you.”