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soif de vivre (m.) lust for life

ROSABELLE

My eyelids fluttered open, my consciousness regaining its sense as I tried to remember what had happened.

A strangled cry escaped my mouth as I found myself in a room shrouded in darkness. Only a dim yellow light that hung from the ceiling provided me some visibility.

My vision blurred with tears, and I could feel the rough texture of ropes binding my hands tightly behind a chair. Panic washed over me as I realized I'd been kidnapped, and I waited in dread for my unseen captors to reveal themselves before me.

There was a door located in the corner of the room that I hadn't noticed before I heard the faint sound of its knob turning. I tried not to scream, not to thrash, even when my instincts were telling me to.

Regret, terror, and every other grieving emotion engulfed my senses as I sat there, helpless in the middle of nowhere.

Then a tall, muscular figure entered the room from behind the door. Tattoos covering their hands, a wicked grin on their face, and mischief dancing across their emerald green eyes.

A silent gasp escaped my mouth, a wave of shock rushing over me.

"Emi," I let out a barely audible whisper as the man took slow, predatory steps toward me, like a wolf approaching a lamb.

"Surprise, Belle," he said, finally standing right in front of me, his grin widening at my frowned expression.

Emiliano Nikolayev was my captor.

I laughed.

The loud sound echoed through the walls of the dark room as I threw my head back. Then, after what felt like hours, I gazed up at Emi once more. "You're sick," I laughed again, disbelief in my eyes.

He tilted his head to the side, pouting a little. "Here I was, wanting a compliment for fulfilling another one of your dreams," he sighed, as if in disappointment.

I rolled my eyes. "I told you that was a joke," I huffed. "I'd never imagined you'd remember this and decide to give me a near heart attack by kidnapping me for real."

His smirk was smug, eyes as dark as his soul as he stared down at me. "I'd never forget anything, Bella." His words caused a weird clench in my heart, but I tried to ignore it. "Seriously, how did you even do that?"

Hiring a man to kidnap me and what more? Tying me up in an actual basement?

But then again, was I reading something wrong?

"I have my own ways, darlin'," he shrugged his shoulders before drawing himself nearer to me. Then he retrieved my phone from his pocket and handed it to me. "Your driver is worried. Might wanna tell him that you're alright, no?"

There was a hint of sarcasm behind his voice, and I felt a weird sensation in my stomach at that.

Emi couldn't be messing with me for real, could he?

Before I had more time to proceed with my thoughts, Nino's voice rang in my ear. "Miss, where are you?!" His shout nearly made me wince. But I managed to say, "I'm alright, don't worry." I repeated Emi's demand without even realizing it, until I met his eyes to see the satisfying look plastered over his face.

I gulped.

"Are you sure you're alright, Miss? Please tell me your location, and I'll come to get you immediately." I shook my head slightly, my gaze still fixed on the man before me. "I said I'm alright, Nino. I'll be returning home shortly."

"Miss-" Emi cut the call afterward, Nino's voice fading from the room in a second as he put my phone back in his pocket, the sound of our silence engulfing us.

"Untie me, Emi," I said, hoping he'd comply. I was done with this game.

Too bad. He wasn't.

Raising an eyebrow, Emi leaned on my frame, resting his arms on the sides of the chair he tied me to. The emerald green of his eyes was already fading, replaced with darkness I never wanted to encounter.

Or so I thought.

"Should I?" His tone was low, almost mocking me, mocking my faith in him.

My mind had gone blank a long while ago. I didn't even know if I should be terrified or excited. The man's voice was laced with sweetness and poison at the same time.

And I couldn't, couldn't, decipher his motives.

"Emi," I whispered, "Please," he smiled at me, relishing the sound of my plea.

"You know," he said, locking the unnecessary strands of my hair behind my ear, "I'll feed you well here, might even buy you pretty clothes too." His sinister smile caused my breath to hitch.

Warmth pooled between my legs at the heat of his gaze, his voice.

"Will treat you like the doll you are, Belle," his cruel, cold palm brushed my cheeks, and I felt a burn behind my eyes. "So why don't you just stay here? For the rest of your life."

Oh my God.

This man was really playing mind games with me.

I didn't even know what emotion to feel right now. His words caused my stomach to twist with unusual anticipation.

I was afraid.

"I trust you," my tone was hoarse, but I was genuine.

But I wasn't too much afraid.

An unreadable emotion crossed his eyes at that moment, almost proving my faith right. However, they didn't remain there for long.

"You shouldn't, Belle," his face bent over a little more, now inches away from mine as his hot breath fanned across my face.

And I felt my own breath hitch at the sensation. My core pulsed with carnal, untameable desires, leaving me unconsciously trying to close the distance between us. "But I do," I whispered again. "Why?" He asked in return, his lips slightly brushing mine, but never caring to give me what I wanted.

"I don't know. I just do," I tried to pull my face closer, only for him to back away a little more. "You feel like... a good person."

His breathy chuckle sent vibrations all over my body, wave after wave of heat rushing within me as my heart thumped loudly against my chest. "Always so good with me, Belle," he traced his thumb on my puffy lips, opening my mouth slightly and wetting his index finger with my saliva. "Do you taste as good as you talk, hmm?"

I had already forgotten his threatening words from before, my brain hazy with lust as my inner walls clenched around nothing. I watched with blurred eyes as he sucked in that finger in his mouth this time, his face still inches away from me.

A breathy moan escaped my mouth when he pulled the finger out and placed it on my lip again. I opened my mouth, not knowing whether to speak or suck in his finger again, but his signal made me close it again. "I think you do taste good," he chuckled darkly again. "Should we taste it down there as well, what do you say, Belle?"

"Emi," I whined, only for him to shake his head. "Tsk, tsk," he scoffed. "Always so needy, aren't we?"

God, I wanted to cry in frustration.

"You decided to kidnap me, then threaten me jokingly, and now you don't give me what I want," I spat at his face, "Just tell me you can't do that and leave me alone-"

I didn't get to complete my sentence when his mouth crashed onto mine, his fingers firmly holding my jaw as he pushed me against the headrest of the chair.

I was completely caught off guard, trying to bring my hands to grab him, only to feel the rope tightening against my hands due to my sudden wriggling.

A groan escaped his mouth as his tongue slid into my mouth, his other hand coming around my middle, holding me close to his chest. "Emi," my voice broke underneath him, stuttering pleas leaving my mouth as I felt myself slowly falling off the edge of my conscience.

"Vidish', ya znal e to," he mused before pulling away after what felt like an eternity. "U tebya bozhestvennyy vkus, krasotka Bella,"

See, I knew it, You taste divine, pretty Bella.

I panted hard to catch my breath, feeling my cheeks so flushed that I thought I'd burn. I looked into the eyes of the man before me, hunger dancing underneath his emerald greens as they gazed into mine.

"It..." I tried hard to find my voice back, "It was my first kiss."

I nearly felt myself on fire as I dropped the information, almost ashamed and fearing that he'd stop right now.

Compared to me, Emi was so experienced, so...satisfiable. And a sudden rush of embarrassment washed over me upon feeling I might not be able to please him.

However, his response caught me even more off guard. "I know."

My eyes widened, and I looked down to avoid his dark ones boring into mine, only for him to pull my chin by his hand to face him again. "How'd you know?"

"By the way you kissed," he laughed when I groaned. God, was I that much of a terrible kisser?

Emi seemed to read my mind and answered my question for himself. "I liked it, Belle," he smiled, "I like sloppy kisses more. And you did it just fine."

Heat rebuilt inside me again and again until he caught my lips with his, his sensual mouth doing everything to make me go crazy.

Then his mouth glided down to my jaw, biting the flesh with his canines before sucking it gently when I cried in both pain and pleasure.

"Emi, please untie me," I wanted to hold him, touch him like he was doing to me.

He didn't say anything to my response, but I felt his hands working behind my back. A sigh of relief left my mouth upon feeling my hand free again.

On instinct, I held onto his shoulders, moaning into his mouth when he squeezed the flesh of my thigh. "Tell me, Belle," he said through our kiss. "Do you want it?"

What a gentleman. Asking for my consent after ruining my brain's ability to function properly.

"Yes," I murmured, "Yes, yes, Emi." I could chant the words forever if he only asked me to.

It took him long to hear my words, but not long to lift me up from the chair. His eyes gazed up at me after he maneuvered us back to the chair, but this time I was on his lap, his body completely pressed against mine.

A devious grin played on his lips, watching my reaction like a man starving. And I fought hard not to shy away. "There's no going back, Bella," he muttered low against the surface of my neck, his tone more promising than ever.

I lifted my hand up to grip his hair, for him to never pause whatever he was doing with my body. "Yes," I obeyed him like a stupid girl, and I didn't feel bad about it.

I never cared about my dad's words, or Ana's words in that moment. Their thoughts left me long after I felt Emi's lips on mine.

And after hours passed, and I found it hard to even remember my name, I heard him say something as my eyelids slowly began to close again.

My bare frame resting flush against his, feeling as though I did everything wrong and everything right at the same time.

"You're mine for the week, Belle."

I had less than two weeks' time.

And I just gave my virginity to a man I barely knew. However, I knew better.

It was worth it.

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