Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“Stay,” I say sharply to her.
She sinks back down. “I don’t want to be a part of your fight,” she whispers.
Adriano comes closer. The big, beautiful monster is inches from me. He’s practically melting now. I can see the rage breaking through his carefully composed facade, and I thrill at it. I like having power over him. I can piss him off so easily and push his buttons nice and hard. I’m very aware that it’s an extremely dangerous game to play, but I can’t help myself.
There’s a thrill in my stomach, and my heart’s beating fast. I’ve never felt so close to danger before, but also so extremely alive.
“You know it isn’t safe for you here right now,” he says quietly. “Come home with me.”
“Maybe I like that it isn’t safe.” I lean closer to him and put a hand on his leg.
He stares at me with pure molten fire.
And Kennedy jumps up again. “Okay, this was something, but I’m out of here. I’ll talk to you later, Lucy!”
I feel bad, but I let her go. She hurries off while I stare my husband down. He looks right back, holding my gaze, expression burning with pure lust in his eyes. For some reason, I think he likes my defiance as much as I do.
“People are looking, you know,” I say quietly.
“Let them. I don’t give a fuck.”
“They’re my people. There are going to be rumors.”
“Good. Let them talk all they want.” He leans in closer. One hand moves to the back of my head. “You disobeyed me, little wife. We both know that note was bullshit. Now I’m going to take you back home to where it’s safe, and I’m going to punish you until you understand your place.”
“My place?” I say and gasp as he grips my hair. “Sounds like some egotistical macho trash. Now let me go, you’re embarrassing me.”
“You don’t give a shit about these people,” he whispers, moving closer. “We both know they don’t matter.”
I feel eyes on me, but their weight seems muted. All my life, I’ve cared about what my social betters thought of me and my family. It crushed me when I lost all my friends and became a pariah, and I feel like I’m still ruined by what happened.
But for some reason, with my focus entirely on Adriano, the sting is less severe. The memory of those years is muted and dull, like it’s all gone into black and white after living in my head in pure color for so long.
I gaze into his eyes, and I hate him for being so controlling and possessive, but I want him to crush me all the same.
“What does matter then?” I ask him.
His grip tightens. “Getting you home. Getting you punished. Now stand up, my little wife.” His lips curl into a smirk. “You wouldn’t want to make a scene.”
With a racing heart, I slowly obey. Not because I’m worried about the rumors or what any of these people think—but because I want this man.
I want my husband.
More than I’ve ever wanted before.
Chapter 17
Adriano
Ineed to keep myself under control.
Lucy doesn’t know how much danger we’re in. She can’t possibly understand. Even the bombing wasn’t enough to make it clear. She’s from a world of privilege and safety, and maybe she went through some ugly social shaming, but that’s far from the nasty sharks circling us now. I nearly lost my mind when I came home and found that note in the kitchen. Luca’s going to suffer the consequences for this later.
But first, I’ll make my wife understand.
I let instincts guide me. I kick open the front door and drag her inside. She stumbles after me, mouth hanging open. I can see her pulse racing. I’m tempted to kiss her throat and bite down. I want to drink her, taste her, breathe in her lust and sin. Instead, I slam the door and shove her hard against the wall, making a mirror nearby rattle.
“Fuck, Adriano,” she says, breathing fast, the swell of her breasts rising and falling, her lips open in outrage.
“Did that hurt?” I pin her with my body. “Tell me to fucking stop then.”
She opens her mouth. Maybe to curse me. Maybe to tell me off. Instead, nothing comes out. She only stares with defiance before her jaw tightens.
“That’s what I thought,” I whisper, gripping her hair again. I lean down and kiss her neck. I nibble and nip at her lightly. She whimpers in my arms. “You’re defiant. You’re not used to living in my house. But you’ll learn.”
“Are you always so crazy?”
“Yes.”
She grinds herself against me. “Is this going to be my life? You’re going to make unreasonable demands? You’re going to storm in and embarrass me in front of my friend?”
“Only if you disobey me.”
“Great, you’re doing the macho asshole thing again.”