Chapter 9: Unless I Say So

He stopped at the end of the piano bench.

"Say it, Nora," he said. "I won't ask twice."

My hands were still on the keys.

I had a hundred reasons to say no.

I was bald, and I was sick, and I had been bought for a year by a man who had asked for me for reasons I still didn't know.

I took my hands off the keys and stood.

I was shorter than him by a head, and I put my palm flat on his chest.

His heart was going as hard as mine.

"Terms," I said.

Matteo closed his eyes.

"You said no touching," he said hoarsely. "You said it in the car."

"I did."

"I'll go upstairs right now, if you want me to."

"I said no touching unless I say so."

I took hold of his shirt in both fists.

"I'm saying so."

He opened his eyes, and whatever had been tight in his face let go.

"Then you're mine to listen to," he said. "Tell me what you want."

"I want you to kiss me."

He lifted my chin with two fingers and brought his mouth down on mine.

It was slow.

It was so slow that for a few seconds I thought he would stop there.

I opened my mouth against his, and he made a low sound in his chest and pulled me against him with one arm around my back.

I had never been kissed before as if I were worth the time.

My hands went into his hair.

His went to my face and held it, and he kissed me until my knees stopped working.

"Upstairs," I said against his mouth.

He picked me up, and I didn't tell him not to.

The door of my room stood open, and the lamp was lit.

He set me on my feet beside the bed and stood there with his hands at his sides.

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