Chapter 1 Prologue: It's Started With A Deal

Prologue: It's Started With A Deal

Janice's POV

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His lips crashed into mine in a hidden corner of the place. I was ambushed, entirely caught off guard. I didn't expect him to do that, not after I had already turned him down.

But he kissed me with a burning intensity, like he was pouring every ounce of longing and desire into claiming me again. And damn it, I started to give in. His kiss was electrifying, disarming me piece by piece. If it weren't for the sudden blare of loud music, I probably would've fallen straight into his trap.

I gathered all my strength and shoved him away, shooting him a sharp glare. Even in the dim lighting, I caught the wicked curve of his lips and the way his seductive eyes bore into me, dreamy and dangerous all at once.

The music that filled the place was loud and sultry, a sensory overload for anyone who wasn't used to this scene. This part of XHaven was exclusive, private, and designed for people who craved deep, thrilling, wild sex.

Only a select few had access. The elite. The powerful. Mafia Lords who flew in from different corners of the world... and somehow, I had ended up in the middle of it all.

"What the hell are you doing here? And how did you even find this place?" I hissed, yanking him into a shadowed corner-far from the women who looked like they were ready to devour him whole.

"I'm here because of you," he said, his tone deadly serious.

"What?" My brows pulled together tighter. What the hell was he talking about? Sure, he'd shown interest before, but I hadn't given it much thought. I was too wrapped up in the mess my family was dealing with-especially the drama between Luigi and Chelsey's damn marriage.

"What the fck are you saying? I didn't tell you to come here!" I snapped, my voice sharp with disbelief and rising frustration.

He took a slow, deliberate breath and flashed me that cocky grin I hated-because it stirred something I didn't want to admit.

"You don't need to tell me what to do, Janice Ortega. I can do whatever the hell I want-and I don't need your permission for any of it."

I stared at him, shaking my head. Was he serious right now? The crease on my forehead deepened. He said he came here because of me, but why? What was he really after?

"Whatever your reason is, you can't let anyone here know you know me," I warned, my tone firm and low. "This isn't the kind of place people come to chit-chat and make friends."

He let out a dry, humorless laugh, his eyes gleaming like I'd just told him a joke.

"Do you really think I don't know what kind of place I just walked into?" he said, one brow lifting as he looked at me like I was the one being naive.

He pulled something out of his pocket, and when I saw what it was, my eyes widened in pure shock-a red card. My heart skipped. That wasn't just any card. It was the card. A red one meant he was an Elite Member of XHaven.

"Y-You're an Elite member?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, that teasing grin dancing on his lips. "Surprised?"

"Who the hell are you really?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. I wasn't trying to judge him, but red cards didn't just land in anyone's hands. Only the elite and dangerously powerful gained access to that side of XHaven-the part where innocence was stripped away, and nothing was off limits. No rules. No commitments. No judgment.

Except one. Drugs were strictly prohibited. Anyone caught using it would be banned for life. Zero tolerance. That was non-negotiable.

"I'm an international mo-"

"Cut the crap, Matteo." I snapped, cutting him off before he could finish. "I own part of this fcking club, remember? I know how we run things. I know every single person who walks in-masked or not." My blood boiled. He was playing a dangerous game and had no idea how much was at stake.

But his calm didn't break. He tilted his head slightly, his tone calm and unbothered. "Does it matter? Last I checked, no one's allowed to reveal identities here, right?"

I exhaled a frustrated breath, glaring daggers at him. "That rule's for customers. And I am not a customer."

My gaze dropped to the card still in his hand. I snatched it without a second thought. "I want to see who issued this," I growled and turned to leave-but he moved faster before I could even take a single step.

He grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, trapping me between his arms. My breath caught in my throat.

"Matteo, I swear to God, if anyone sees us like this, I will kill you," I hissed through clenched teeth.

This-this was precisely the kind of situation I needed to avoid. If someone saw me like this, cornered by a client, it would ruin everything. I was already toeing a dangerous line, and now, with him caging me in like I was some fragile bird under his control, it was too much.

"Then come with me," he whispered, lips grazing the shell of my ear. "Let me share the night with you."

Goosebumps spread across my skin. I hated how my body responded and how my breath hitched when his lips brushed my neck. I wanted to knee him right there, to remind him I didn't give in that easily.

But my knees wobbled-traitorous things-and that strength I prided myself on? It slipped.

"You know this isn't going to happen," I hissed, trying to steady my voice. "Not here. You can't just walk in and act like you own me."

His eyes burned into mine. "Do you want me to make it official?" he asked.

I blinked. "Make what official?" I snapped, confusion and dread coiling in my chest.

Then he smiled-and just like that, I knew.

"Don't you dare."

"And if I do?" he challenged, his voice low, daring.

We stared at each other, and the tension between us could've set the whole damn place on fire. It was a silent war. I refused to let him win. I couldn't let his gaze pull me in again, even if every inch of my body was already starting to crumble.

"Why are you avoiding me, Janice?" he asked, voice husky, almost vulnerable. "Why do you keep ignoring how I feel about you?"

I let out a shaky breath, trying to push him away again-but my body, damn it, was betraying me. Responding to every word, touch, forbidden thrill that came with this man, I should've stayed far away from him. 'Fck it! Move!'

"Move your ass, Matteo! I told you from the beginning-I never mess around with my models," I said firmly, shoving at his chest with both hands. But of course, he just smirked-that same insufferable, teasing smirk.

"Oh? And how exactly do you want me to move?" he asked, voice laced with mischief, as if everything I'd said just bounced right off him.

"Damn you," I snapped.

And then someone passed by. Without thinking, I pressed myself against his chest, hiding my face from view. My body moved on instinct-to protect my identity, position, everything I'd worked for.

And that's when it hit me-his scent.

God. That damn cologne of his-rich, masculine, smooth, and dark like temptation bottled up just for me. Jesus, Matteo. How long are you going to keep tempting me like this?

He moved even closer, his body shielding me entirely from the prying eyes of the guests walking past.

"You're trapped," he murmured. "Stay like this for... five minutes? Or until you cum," he whispered, lips brushing the shell of my ear.

My eyes flew open, heat pooling in my core as his hand slid down to my jeans. My mouth parted, ready to curse him out-but the words died on my tongue the moment his lips landed on the soft curve of my neck.

I bit down on my lip to stifle the moan threatening to escape.

'No. Fcking way. I will not submit to you, you arrogant jerk!' I wanted to scream.

But my body...

God, my body betrayed me!

I shifted just slightly-just enough for him to slip his hand inside, and of course, he took full advantage.

"Don't hold back, Janice," he whispered, his fingers brushing against my lace underwear. "Just say it."

My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms. "You think this is enough to satisfy me?" I hissed, though my voice shook more than I wanted it to.

"Wanna bet?" he replied, pushing further-until his finger found exactly where I didn't want him to go.

A shaky breath escaped me. Damn him-he found my G-spot like he already knew every inch of me.

"Two minutes," he said. "I'll stop if I can't make you feel good in two minutes. But if I can... you'll accept my second deal."

"What deal?" I asked, barely breathing.

"I'll tell you after this," he whispered, kissing the edge of my earlobe. "Deal?"

I stared at him, then exhaled slowly.

"Deal."

Just two minutes. I could survive that. I would survive that. I wasn't called the Dominant Beast for nothing. He wasn't going to break me-not this easily.

Then I caught that wicked grin of his. That cocky, confident look like he already knew he'd won.

When he leaned in to kiss my mouth, I turned my head.

"Kissing me isn't part of the deal."

He paused, his eyes searching mine for a heartbeat. Then he nodded.

Instead of my lips, he kissed my ear-softly, slowly, as if he knew precisely how to unravel me. Meanwhile, his hand kept working between my thighs, relentless and skilled. The area we were in was dim, shadowed enough to keep us hidden from the crowd, but still too damn risky.

I clenched my jaw, keeping my lips tightly sealed. No moans. No surrender. No pleasure he could claim as victory.

No matter what he does, he's not going to break me.

Not ever!

Raising the white flag signals surrender in war, but for me, as the Dominant Beast, it wasn't an act of giving up. It was the act of moaning-a clear sign that I was submitting to him, offering control of my body to whatever he desired to do with me.

But the moment he slipped a finger inside me, I couldn't hold back the sharp gasp that tore through me. I fought to keep it down, but if I hadn't controlled myself just in time, I would've moaned, unable to keep quiet at the overwhelming rush of sensation flooding my body.

It was fcking good!

A second later, he pulled his finger out, and my entire body screamed in protest. If I wasn't so damned stubborn, if I wasn't holding myself back so fiercely, I would've given in right then and there-uncaring of who might be watching-and handed myself over to Matteo completely.

"Just admit it, Janice... you want me as much as I fcking want you," he whispered, his finger still inside me, his movements slow, deliberate, torturously calculated.

She shook her head. "You're wrong," she said hoarsely, leaning against his chest to hide her face.

"Wrong? Are you sure about that?" he replied, his voice low and challenging as he slipped one hand under her cropped top. His fingers traced the soft skin of her breast, and then-damn it-he pinched her nipple.

"Stop torturing me, asshole!" I snapped, but even as the words left my mouth, I wasn't sure how angry I actually sounded. Because my body... my body was betraying me now. I was starting to like what he was doing-and the worst part was, I didn't want him to stop.

"Are you sure you want me to stop?" he asked, voice dripping with that damn husky tone that always seemed to get under my skin. 'Fck you, Matteo!'

"Say it. What do you want? Do you want me to stop? Or do you want me to continue and satisfy you?" His fingers slowed, teasing as they moved between my thighs, inching closer to where I didn't want him to go.

I stayed silent. I wouldn't fall for his trap. But how long could I hold out?

"You're already wet, Janice. In any minute now, you'll cvm for me. How long can you keep holding back?" he teased, his words laced with smug satisfaction.

I took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. "I'll never submit to-" My words faltered, caught in my throat, as his movements suddenly grew faster. My lips parted, and I couldn't look away from him.

"Your body can't lie, Janice. How about we make it quick?" he said, his voice dark and seductive, as he increased the pace of his fingers.

When he slid another finger inside me, I nearly lost it. The heat coursing through my body was overwhelming, pushing me to the edge of sanity.

"Fck you! If you're going to do this, I'm gonna-damn you!" I cursed, biting his arm, desperate to keep myself in check. But I couldn't stop the moan that almost escaped as my body tensed, my senses exploding in his palm.

I pulled away from his arm, breathless, my body still trembling. I lost. I f*cking lost! And with that realization sinking in, I couldn't help but wonder-If I've already lost... why not make the most of it?

Once I regained my composure, I grabbed Matteo by the arm and pulled him into a darker, more secluded corner. The dim lighting made it easier for me to focus, to push past my hesitation. Without a second thought, I unbuckled his belt and shoved him against the wall. He didn't fight it; he just watched me, that devil-may-care look in his eyes, as if he were letting me take the reins.

I ripped off my tight jeans, and just as quickly, we switched positions. He lifted me effortlessly, and without wasting any time, I slid him inside me. The moment I started moving, the pleasure surged, and I heard him moan-god, that sound-only fueling my own desire.

The music blared, the speakers above us pumping out bass-heavy beats, drowning out our moans and gasps and creating a rhythm of their own. Time seemed to blur as we reached the peak together, and for those few seconds, nothing else mattered except the overwhelming sensation.

We stayed like that for a few moments, catching our breath. When we finally dressed, the silence was almost suffocating. I couldn't believe it. The control I'd always prided myself on had slipped through my fingers, and I had completely lost myself to him-to Matteo.

Once we were both fully dressed, he spoke, his voice steady and almost smug. "You lost. You'll have to do my second deal."

I took a deep breath, still trying to regain some semblance of composure. "What deal?"

He grinned, a challenge lighting up his eyes. "One month. I'll give you one month to submit to me. We both know we're dominant beasts, so let's make a deal. If you win, you'll have me as your slave. You can do anything to me-anything. But if I win, you'll have to marry me and be mine forever."

I raised an eyebrow, incredulous. What the hell? The nerve of him, offering me a deal like this. He had no right to try to dominate me.

I was the one who dominated. I was the one who called the shots in every fling, every one-night stand. No one ever dared defy me. But then here he was, Matteo fcking Cordova, challenging me in ways no man ever had, offering a deal that was impossible to ignore.

Was he serious? And more importantly, could I actually lose to him?